The crypto market’s recent hiccup was followed by clear buying momentum, setting the stage for a strong end to 2025. Most tokens are still trading slightly lower than they were a month ago, indicating that there are still a few good tokens available at a discount. Two notable names include two projects at the forefront of perpetual trading, Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Aster (ASTER).
This bargain hunting has spread away from the top 100 cryptos by market cap and into up-and-coming cryptocurrencies that are gaining traction for their strong potential and accessible appeal.
One name that is well positioned to attract retail investor interest in the final months of the year is Digitap ($TAP), a provider of the world’s first true omni-bank and considered by analysts to be one of the best cryptocurrency to invest today.
Hyperliquid: In a Category of One
Hyperliquid co-founder and CEO Jeff Yan took part in a panel discussion at the Token249 event in Singapore, alongside executives from Ethena (ENA) and Aave (AAVE). The three were asked to describe who their main competitors are, to which Yan responded “nobody,” as Hyperliquid is “building something that no one has ever built.”
Yan wasn’t exaggerating, although it does face some competition. Hyperliquid stands out in a category of its own as it built its own layer-1 network for perpetual futures trading. More than 200,000 active users trade on Hyperliquid, and it facilitates more than 10% of the total $1.8 trillion in trading volume.
Hyperliquid traders can access up to 125x leverage across 145 markets while maintaining self-custody of funds. This was a concept that was previously thought to be impossible, yet Hyperliquid proved doubters wrong.
Despite having no major marketing push and just 11 employees, Hyperliquid boasts the record for the highest revenue per employee at around $105 million.
Currently trading at around $49, Hyperliquid offers a discounted price from its all-time high of $59.39 on Sept. 17. Retail investors appreciate Hyperliquid’s recent success story as it is pushing the boundaries of DeFi trading.
Aster: A Meteoric Rise Alongside Hyperliquid
Aster presents a similar narrative to Hyperliquid. It is a perpetual DEX platform and a successor to ApolloX on the BNB Chain. Aster recently hit $36 billion in trading volume on its platform, accounting for more than half of all DEX perpetual trading activity. It even outpaced rival Hyperliquid, which still showed a highly impressive volume above $10 billion.
Aster’s native token is up more than 2,100% over the past month, and there is reason to believe there is still room left for some upside as it solidifies its position as a top-tier decentralized derivatives exchange. Aster is an exciting story to watch.
Currently trading just below $2 with a market cap of $3.2 billion, the token could make a run at the $2.50 level and may even challenge the $3 level by the end of the year.
Digitap: A Small-Cap Gem with Real-World Utility
While Hyperliquid and Aster are industry titans in perpetual futures, the market size pales in comparison to retail banking. This is where Digitap, a provider of the first omni-bank, comes into the picture.
Digitap’s live app lets users hold traditional currencies and cryptocurrencies on one platform. Key banking features that make Digitap one of the best cryptos to invest in include offshore multi-currency IBAN accounts, instant crypto-to-fiat swaps, and a Visa-branded spending card that can be used anywhere Visa is accepted.
Essentially, Digitap’s product poses a challenge to the cross-border payments and remittance industry, which is projected to reach $250 trillion by 2027. The platform’s ability to bridge traditional finance and crypto means money can be moved between anyone, anywhere, faster and cheaper than current options.
Digitap’s optional no-KYC signup process means anyone, anywhere with a smartphone can register for an account and rightfully join the financial community. There are over one billion adults without access to banking services, and Digitap offers an opportunity for these people to now receive, spend, save, and invest their money.
Digitap’s presale has seen tremendous momentum, recently crossing the $500,000 raised milestone. The token is currently offered at $0.0125 and is 70% sold out, implying a move to the next-stage price of $0.0159 is imminent.
Hyperliquid, Aster, Digitap At The Forefront of Innovation
Projects like Hyperliquid, Aster, and Digitap are positioning themselves at the forefront of innovation. While Hyperliquid and Aster are rivals, they operate in a market with a large enough share for both to succeed. But Digitap targets a different market of individual users who want or need to bridge crypto with everyday finance.
These three names could see significant buying interest from retail investors as Hyperliquid and Aster continue wowing investors with impressive metrics for such young companies. In Digitap’s case, it is attracting similar praise for its real-world utility and ability to target a substantially larger market.
Digitap is Live NOW. Learn more about their project here:
Presale https://presale.digitap.app
Website: https://digitap.app
Social: https://linktr.ee/digitap.app