If Web3 is the future of the internet, then the best Web3 cryptos have a good shot of becoming internet behemoths like Microsoft, Apple, and Meta. Any savvy investor, developer, or Web3 enthusiast knows that the earlier you get involved in these projects, the greater your potential return in the long run.
This guide explores 13 web 3.0 crypto coins and emerging technologies at the forefront of the Web3 space. These range from Metaverse projects to decentralized storage, cloud services, and more.
Note that we purposefully left out financial applications as they do not constitute infrastructure for the new internet services. To learn about the best financial applications, visit our best Defi apps page.
Let’s dive in.
1. Shiba Memu (SHMU) – Best Web3 Crypto Marketing Platform
2. Chancer (CHANCER) – Best Web3 Decentralised Betting Protocol
3. Alt Signals (ASI) – Best Web3 Crypto Decentralised Trading Services
4. Metacade (MCADE) – Best Web3 Crypto Gaming Community
5. Arweave (AR) – Best Web3 Crypto Decentralized Storage
6. Render (RNDR) – Best Web3 Crypto Decentralized Graphics & AI Platform
7. Treasure (MAGIC) – Best Web3 Crypto Interoperable Gaming Ecosystem
8. Sandbox (SAND) – Largest Metaverse for Web3 Crypto
9. Gala (GALA) – Best Web3 Crypto Gaming Studio
10. Chainlink (LINK) – Best Web3 Crypto Decentralized Oracle
11. Apecoin (APE) – Best Web3 Crypto Art Ecosystem
12. Axie Infinity (AXS) – Best Web3 Crypto Play-To-Earn Game
13. Decentraland (MANA) – Great Web3 Crypto Metaverse Open World
Cryptocurrency
Category
Market Capitalisation
Where to Buy
Blockchain network
Shiba Memu
Services
None yet
Buy SHMU
Ethereum, BSC
Chancer
Gambling
Buy CHANCER
BSC
Alt Signals
Buy ASI
Ethereum
Metacade
Community
$19 million
Buy MCADE
Arweave
Storage
$375.39 million
Buy AR
Render
$728.38 million
Buy RNDR
Treasure
Gaming Infrastructure
$175.02 million
Buy MAGIC
Arbitrum
Sandbox
Metaverse
$1.16 billion
Buy SAND
Ethereum, Polygon
Gala
Entertainment
$584.09 million
Buy GALA
Chainlink
Oracle
$3.19 billion
Buy LINK
15+
Apecoin
$1.55 billion
Buy APE
Axie Infinity
Gaming
$989.11 million
Buy AXS
Ronin
Decentraland
$1.09 billion
Buy MANA
Shiba Memu is a cryptocurrency token that reportedly combines the capabilities of artificial intelligence with the decentralization and immutability of blockchain technology to create a self-sufficient marketing platform.
Shiba Memu is attempting to achieve what has never been done by a crypto project before. By leveraging AI-powered computation, the platform aims to create a perpetual marketing software that can generate its own copy, distribute it, analyze it, and strategize based on data.
The combination of a self-sufficient marketing platform with a memecoin makes for the creation of a social community of network users, powered by the SHMU token, that grants investors access to the utility of the marketing platform.
Users will have access to an AI dashboard where they can monitor the platform’s marketing efforts, interact with the AI, and even offer suggestions.
Shiba Memu is the first project attempting AI-powered marketing on this scale in the crypto space. As with all crypto projects pushing the frontiers of their field, its path is fraught with technological obstacles.
The native token SHMU has a maximum supply of 1 billion tokens, 850 million of which will be up for sale in the presale phase. 500 million tokens will be sold on the Ethereum blockchain network while 350 million will be sold on the BSC network.
To participate, visit the Shiba Memu website and Buy SHMU.
Chancer is a betting protocol that allows users to create and place bets in a decentralized manner.
Chancer is disrupting the online prediction market by using Web3 technologies like secure blockchain projects and Oracles to make betting more automated and favorable to users.
The norm would be to rely on online Bitcoin gambling sites that set the markets, the odds, and are profit-based, meaning that they may be incentivized to work against users.
However, with Chancer, anyone can create a prediction market (essentially a bet) for virtually any sport or event whose winners or outcomes can be tracked, set custom rules, and install various payment structures and price tiers.
The Chancer protocol then tracks the outcome of the bet and automatically pays the winner.
Because it’s blockchain-powered, you can scrutinize the details of bets before engaging, and because it is built on the Binance Smart Chain, you can be sure of fast transactions with low transaction fees.
Chancer is largely untested, and while its value proposition sounds good on paper, implementation is a different ball game. Unforeseen forces and obstacles could get in the way of a successful launch or operation for this crypto project.
The platform is powered by the CHANCER token which is in its presale phase as of writing. To participate, head to the Chancer website and Buy Chancer.
Alt Signals is a company that builds sophisticated trading tools like signal bots and algorithms that increase crypto traders’ chances of success. Unlike other crypto projects on this list, Alt Signals is a legacy company that wishes to use blockchain technology to enhance an existing product.
Alt Signals already has a winning product and an engaged customer base. Its flagship product, the AltAlgo signal bot, already has a user base and has achieved product-market fit within the crypto trading signals blockchain space.
The company recently built an advanced version of AltAlgo called ActualizeAI using artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and machine learning technologies. Now, it wishes to launch a new suite of products based on this new Artificial-Intelligence-Powered algorithm.
The new products will have a social factor where crypto traders can come together to form a community around their shared use of the product.
The Alt Signal token, ASI, will be key to this community. This native cryptocurrency will serve as a membership badge and will grant access to the tool and trading signals for investors.
Like Chancer, Alt Signal has not launched its new products yet, and it can be difficult to predict how the market will react to the products and the token.
To participate in the presale, visit the Alt Signals’ website and Buy ASI.
Metacade is a community platform for the Web3 gaming community. Unlike other social platforms that only feature a common space, Metacade has taken further steps to ensure a holistic community experience in the future digital landscape.
Metacade is changing the way gamers, builders, and gaming enthusiasts interact with one another. Most gaming communities are limited to specific games, and communities that live beyond games are limited to guilds and scholarship programs that lack robust social functions.
Thanks to various integrations with several games, Metacade creates a hub for people and internet users from various games to interact. Community members can also access their favorite games from their member dashboards.
This crypto project also maintains leaderboards of the top games that its community members interact with and the best community players within these games, a social function that fosters connections.
For players that are heavy on in-game digital assets and earnings, Metacade provides specialized GameFi strategies to help maximize your earnings of crypto assets.
The platform developers have made it clear that members will not be able to directly access some games from the platform due to technological limitations which may turn away core fans of the games that will not be included.
The platform is powered by the MCADE token, Metacade’s native token that is made available to users.
Buy Metacade
Arweave is a decentralized storage providers solution that stores data on a decentralized network of computers and storage devices, called the Permaweb. It is essentially a decentralized data storage cloud within an open, immutable ledger for Internet users.
The way Arweave stores data is unique. Unlike legacy cloud services that pay a subscription fee or even other decentralized data storage solutions that store a hash function of your data, the Arweave cryptocurrency project stores data permanently, hence the term “Permaweb”.
The Permaweb runs a “pay once, store forever” model where users have to upload data only once to store it on the cloud forever without any extra fees. The network achieves this by using a single standard and set of rules for processing storage transactions.
This uniformity allows it to process various transactions concurrently and bundle transactions together to achieve scalability. A feature similar to what layer 2 roll-ups do.
Arweave is important because it provides truly decentralized data storage which will become essential as decentralized social media networks grow and the need for completely decentralized storage network systems becomes more pressing.
For now, it is being used as storage providers by companies like Meta and Instagram for storage.
There are upcoming decentralized storage network solutions that are native to the blockchain technology sectors, meaning that they come packaged with a layer 1 blockchain. A good example is OnMachina on the Near network. These solutions could rival Arweave as they provide an easy way for developers on a decentralized blockchain network to gain access to store data within the same environment.
The network features a coin called AR which is used to pay crypto coin “miners” for processing transactions and storing data through crypto mining.
You can buy AR on exchanges like eToro.
Render is a decentralized network for brokering graphics processing power in real-time. The network of this cryptocurrency project is composed of nodes– computers and systems– with node operators having powerful GPU power to spare, and creatives looking to render their graphics files.
Render disrupts the graphics processing industry in a way that is profitable for all parties. This new crypto project network allows people who need rendering services to access a huge reserve of power in real-time and at scale in the digital world.
People who have GPUs can connect it to the network and get paid in crypto coins to render files while creatives find that they do not need to purchase, maintain, or rent expensive equipment to bring their designs to life.
We like Render because one of its key features is that it caters to people from both Web3 and Web2. Metaverse builders can use the platform to bring their worlds to life, Architects can use the network to render their drawings, and even Animators can tap into Render’s power to breathe life into their animations.
Render is fast becoming a computer power cloud and will face stiff competition from legacy providers, the most pertinent being Nvidia, the leading manufacturer of GPUs which runs a computer cloud for internet users.
The network features a native token called RNDR which serves as the primary source of payment. Creatives pay for jobs using the RNDR crypto coin and node operators accept the same web 3.0 crypto coins when they have completed a job.
You can buy Render from an exchange like Binance.
Treasure is a gaming infrastructure protocol that provides a platform for builders to create enjoyable Web3 games. It is currently the leading gaming crypto on Arbitrum, the largest layer 2 network in the crypto space.
We like Treasure because it adds an extra kick to its services. This crypto project is not just a platform that provides the infrastructure needed to build games quickly and easily, it is also a communication protocol that will transmit data between the games built on its platform.
Data in this case could be information and NFTs. In the gaming space, these NFTs could be avatars, tools, weapons, and other in-game digital assets.
Essentially, Treasure provides an environment where players can move between games. Developers can create overarching player journeys that span multiple games, almost like a Metaverse made up of multiple games and experiences.
The platform also features an in-game NFT marketplace, called Trove, where items from all games can be traded, and an in-built exchange, called MagicSwap, where the different native cryptocurrency tokens of all games on the platform can be interchanged.
Treasure is in direct competition with major Metaverse projects like Sandbox and Decentraland as the infrastructure they offer achieves the exact same result. These Metaverse crypto projects are older and more well funded.
As of writing, Treasure powers 10 games that have a combined player base exceeding 100,000. The platform features the MAGIC token that is used as the major crypto coin on the NFT marketplace.
You can buy MAGIC on exchanges like OKX.
Sandbox is a Metaverse project that features an open world where builders, artists, and creators of all kinds can develop experiences on a shared platform without having to worry about infrastructure.
Sandbox is one of the largest Metaverses in crypto with a market capitalization of $770 million. Its open world consists of plots of virtual land that form the base on which anything can be built.
Land is priced in ETH, although you may find a few with price tags in SAND or MATIC. Major brands like Atari, celebrities like Snoop Dog, and even other crypto games like Splinterlands have bought Metaverse land and own land in the Sandbox.
The platform also comes with a game builder to help landowners create pretty much anything they want on their plots. The builder can also be used to forge tools and weapons which can be minted as NFTs.
Players can then trade these NFTs on the in-built marketplace using the native token, called SAND.
The Sandbox will inevitably have to tussle with the likes of Decentraland, Otherside, and even possible Web2 Metaverses for users and market share in the future.
You can buy SAND on exchanges like eToro.
Gala is a Web3 entertainment studio on a mission to provide immersive experiences. The studio started with games but has evolved to position itself at the intersection of film, games, and music.
Gala is a full-blown entertainment company that is making strides in the gaming, music, and film spaces. Its game studio, tagged Gala Games, is by far the most successful of the three crypto projects with a player base of over 1.3 million active users.
The gaming network is spread out across 16,000 player-run nodes to ensure decentralization. The same structure is implemented in the film and music sections as they all have their own set of nodes to ensure fast transactions.
Gala Games has 18 games in its lineup, 14 of which are in development with four ready to be played. One of the games is being developed in conjunction with AMC’s hit show The Walking Dead and will be a zombie survival game.
Gala’s tokenomics has been a stumbling block for a long time, and while they recently implemented a new model for its crypto coins, it is still early to tell whether it is an improvement over the old one.
Gala’s ecosystem features the GALA native token which is used as the primary vehicle for value transfer across its subsidiaries. This crypto coin is used to pay for items like tanks, weapons, land, and characters in the games store, access passes for films and music drops, and much more.
To buy GALA, sign up on an exchange like Coinbase.
Chainlink is a blockchain Oracle service that provides valuable data streaming services to various DeFi apps and entire blockchain networks. Oracles are services that track real-world data off-chain and import it onto one or more blockchain networks in a decentralized manner.
They are important because blockchains, on their own, cannot connect to data sources outside of themselves, they are isolated systems.
Oracles are an important aspect of blockchain infrastructure, one that will always be needed as long as people decide to carry out financial transactions on blockchain networks. Chain Link is a leader in this regard as the most capitalized Oracle at a $2.7 billion market capitalization.
Chainlink provides price feeds for big names in DeFi like AAVE, Synthetix, and Compound. It also provides data feeds for tokenized versions of real-world assets like stocks and even currency pairs like those seen on Gains Network.
Furthermore, Chainlink provides a protocol for communicating between blockchains. Decentralized applications can use it to send and receive data from various blockchain networks, enabling chainless applications.
While Chainlink is the leading Oracle provider, others are catching up fast. Soon, the playing field may be leveled and Chainlink will have to fight for users and market share.
Chainlink’s services are accessible through the LINK token. Users will need to purchase the crypto coin to use its many products. Considering that major applications rely on Chainlink, the demand for its crypto coins should be sustainable.
To learn more, read our Chainlink review or buy LINK on exchanges like Binance.
Apecoin is an ecosystem token for the Yugaverse, Yuga Lab’s biome of NFT collections, and a Metaverse. Yuga Labs is the studio behind successful NFT collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and the Bored Ape Mutant Club (BAMC).
The company is valued at $4 billion and is one of the industry’s leaders in Web 3.0 crypto coins storytelling and community building using digital art.
Apecoin serves as the lifeblood of the Yugaverse. It will be used as the primary form of value transfer within the ecosystem, and the most exciting application of this will be in the Metaverse.
Yuga Labs’ Metaverse is called Otherside, an open-world game where characters from Yuga Labs’ NFT collection as well as several major collections, like World of Women, will be playable characters.
The Metaverse project has already secured partnerships with luxury brands like Gucci that will ensure that Metaverse characters get access to exclusive Web3 luxury drip. And everything within the open world will be priced in APE.
As the ecosystem token for the Yugaverse, APE’s value will depend largely on the ecosystem’s most ambitious project, the Otherside Metaverse. However, the Metaverse already faces stiff competition from the likes of Sandbox and Decentraland.
APE will also power the ApecoinDAO, the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) in charge of the Yugaverse. Community members will need to hold APE in their crypto wallet to vote on proposals.
Note that land on Otherside can be purchased on OpenSea using ETH.
To buy APE, sign up on crypto exchanges like eToro.
Axie Infinity is a game that features little furry creatures called Axies that like to battle. It is a turn-based game where the Axies have attributes expressed on cards that can be played strategically to win battles.
The game spread like wildfire when it first launched as it was the first crypto game to implement sound play-to-earn mechanics.
Axie Infinity is not done yet. The game still draws in around 72,000 players per month that transact a value of roughly $46 million over the same period. The barrier for entry is now much lower as the prices of Axies have fallen since 2021 highs.
To participate in the game, you must own at least three Axies which can be purchased from the marketplace either as full-grown battlers with unique attributes or as eggs with the potential for new battlers.
Past data shows that the game’s earning potential fluctuates with the market cycle. During the bull run of 2021, prices were high and earnings were solid. However, several players deserted the game during the bear market.
Once, the price of an Axie was as high as $200 as the game rose to popularity at the height of the bull market. However, prices are now as low as $3 for low-level Axies. The price of AXS is affected by these swings.
The game developers, Sky Mavis, is also expanding the world to include a Metaverse where players can buy land, which are NFTs, to feed and train their Axies on.
You can buy AXS on crypto exchanges like eToro.
Decentraland is another Metaverse project that is ahead of most in the industry. Like Sandbox, it already has a finished product that is already being used by various companies and creators to design and deliver experiences to end users.
As it stands, Decentraland and Sandbox are two of the most advanced decentralized metaverse projects on the market. Decentraland is also the second most capitalized project with a market capitalization of $625 million.
When it comes to graphics and gameplay, we prefer Decentraland as the graphics are more high-quality and 3D realistic while Sandbox utilizes voxel Minecraft-esque graphics which appeal to certain audiences but may be a turn-off for others.
We have explored Decentraland’s open world, played some games, and have found the platform to have smooth gameplay, provided your hardware is up to the minimum requirement and you have access to a strong internet connection.
As with most blockchain-based Metaverses, all in-game items are created NFTs that are fully owned by their holders.
While Decentraland is one of the biggest open worlds by market capitalization, it hasn’t drummed up as much buzz and anticipation as its counterparts like The Sandbox and Otherside in recent months.
The MANA token is native to the Metaverse and is used to purchase items in the NFT marketplace from land to collectibles. It powers the Decentraland DAO which owns most of the smart contracts and assets used to run and maintain the Metaverse.
To learn more, read our Decentraland review. You can also buy MANA on exchanges like Coinbase.
Web3 crypto coins are cryptos that are native to Web3 projects. While all cryptos are technically Web 3.0 crypt coins, these cryptos belong to protocols and platforms that offer foundational services that other applications can use.
A good example is Arweave’s decentralized storage. A decentralized internet requires a decentralized storage system, and Arweave is a market leader in this regard.
Another great example is Chancer, a decentralized betting platform. Chancer is what betting would be when done in Web3. Its protocol allows anyone to create prediction markets and place bets.
Web3 is the third iteration of the internet, the decentralized internet. To understand it, you need to know about the first two versions.
The internet started as a network of computers that could communicate with one another by sending data packets across a combination of a physical and software infrastructure.
The World Wide Web, often called the internet, is simply a protocol in a sea of protocols that is the internet. The first version of the web (Web1) was simply a network of static pages that were read-only.
Users couldn’t interact with them and a relatively small group of people who had the expertise created and maintained these pages for companies.
The next version is Web2, where web pages were dynamic and interactive and social media networks sprung up to connect people and allow them to create content.
The third version, Web3, is an internet that promotes ownership thanks to decentralization. In this internet, content creators, not social media companies, own the content they create.
This internet focuses on privacy and ownership, and uses blockchain technology (among other peer-to-peer technologies) to achieve this.
The best Web3 coins on our list is CHANCER. It is the native token for the Chancer betting platform, which is a decentralized gambling protocol that allows anyone to create markets and place bets directly with their crypto wallet.
We believe it is the best web 3.0 crypto because of its potential to disrupt the online gambling industry, a $65 billion market.
Nonetheless, all the cryptos on our list are good Web3 coins that are at the forefront of their industries and possess immense growth potential.
Market forces of demand and supply is usually the most influential factor that determines the price of the web 3.0 crypto coins. The rules are simple: if the demand for a token increases without a corresponding increase in supply, price goes up.
So also, if the supply of a token increases without a corresponding increase in demand, price falls. These rules apply to all cryptos, including Web 3.0 crypto coins.
The level of adoption of Web3 technology has an impact on its token’s price because it has an impact on the platform’s perceived value. Chainlink is a good example of this.
As the platform continues to integrate with more blockchain projects and provide data feeds to more protocols, it will become more valuable, and its token, LINK, will be perceived as the best crypto and more valuable which will cause its price to rise.
There is a caveat to this as tokens only take on the value of their ecosystems when the economic design allows for it. Essentially, only tokens that have been designed to capture the value of their ecosystem will benefit from increased adoption.
For example, say a platform has two tokens, A and B. A represents ownership in the platform while B is used to reward participants. If the platform gains widespread adoption and trading volume increases, only token A will increase in price because investors would want to own part of the platform.
Meanwhile, token B, whose only use is to reward participants will most likely decrease in price as users sell their rewards for cash (or token A).
Global and crypto trends can affect the price of Web3 coins that fall within the trend’s domain. A good example is the AI trend that has taken 2023 by storm. Earlier in the year, AI cryptos rallied as a response to the positive trend.
Note that trends can also have a negative effect on the prices of Web 3.0 crypto coins. A good example is the crackdown on the industry on a global scale. Several cryptos have lost value because crypto firms have been banned or because they have been named as securities and delisted from top exchanges.
The first reason why Web3 cryptos may be a worthwhile investment is its possibility to return profit, if you get in early enough. While not all the best crypto on our list are in their early stages, they all possess high-profit capabilities.
Investing in Web3 cryptos for the chance of mass adoption could also be lucrative if done correctly. Imagine investing in Facebook when social media was in its infancy, or in Netflix before streaming became mainstream. Web3 cryptos could turn out to be the modern-day versions of such investments.
Investing in Web3 cryptos also helps develop the community as projects get access to funding, and community participation goes a long way in helping cryptos stay alive and possibly return profit in the future.
Web3 cryptos do not differ from others in their nature, but they do in their function. Virtually all cryptos are built on some decentralized technology, be it blockchains or blockless decentralized networks.
However, core Web3 cryptos usually provide infrastructure or a service that is related to people’s experience using the web, or that other companies can use to create products. They are also built as replacements for various Web2 companies and services.
For example, a crypto game may not necessarily be competing with Web2 games. However, a decentralized cloud project will be in direct competition with Web2 cloud services.
The soundness of underlying technology is important where Web3 cryptos are concerned because their success depends on providing a solution that usually supports other services and dapps.
The technology must be secure and sufficiently decentralized.
Web3 projects should ideally be able to last for a long period. This is only possible when their solutions are sustainable. Always gauge if the techniques or methods used will be viable in a few months or even one year from now.
Try not to focus too much on the technology because that can rapidly change, but focus more on how the project approaches the problem they aim to solve.
Scalability is paramount with Web3 cryptos. If the aim is to onboard Web2 users, then solutions should be able to serve thousands and hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of users simultaneously.
When reading whitepapers, ensure you look out for documentation on how projects plan to scale their services or why they may already be scalable.
If nobody uses Web3 solutions, then they won’t grow and there will not be demand for their Web 3.0 crypto coins. Always gauge the level of adoption before investing. This may not be as straightforward for new cryptos, however you can invest only a fraction if they check all the other boxes and wait for the project to gain some traction.
Finally, the tokens of Web3 projects should capture the value their ecosystems create. It is only when this is the case that the best cryptos’ prices can grow alongside their platforms’ value in the long term.
This guide shows you how to buy the best Web3 cryptos on an exchange like eToro.
Navigate to eToro on your computer and click on the Start Investing icon. You can also download the app from the Play store or App store. Fill out the form with your full name, email address, and password.
Set up your profile and submit KYC documents like a valid government ID and proof of residency like a utility bill.
Once your account has been verified, deposit funds by using any of the available payment methods. Choose a convenient method and set the amount you’d like to deposit.
Once your account is funded, search for any of the cryptos mentioned in the Discover tab (or anyone you like). An interface like the one below should load. You can then set your parameters and buy.
To get your hands on new Web3 cryptos like Chancer that are not yet on exchanges, you’ll have to purchase them directly on their websites using a crypto wallet. We created a guide to help you do that.
We used the MetaMask wallet for this guide. Download the wallet app on your phone or use the browser extension on your laptop. Create a new wallet. Ensure you keep your seed phrase safe and offline.
You can buy CHANCER using BNB or BUSD, but we recommend BNB as you’ll still need it to pay for transactions. Buy some on an exchange like eToro and transfer to your wallet, or use a fiat onramp on MetaMask’s portfolio site.
Navigate to Chancer’s website and connect your wallet to join the presale. You can do this from the in-built browser on the mobile app. Buy CHANCER tokens using BNB. Ensure you have enough to pay for gas fees.
You’ll need to wait until the presale is over to claim your tokens.
We explored the top Web3 cryptos and chose Chancer as our top choice because of the impact its success could have and how that could translate to significant profits. Nonetheless, all the cryptos on our list have the potential to be giants in the years to come.
There are viable Web3 coins that are not on our list that you can research yourself. However, always remember to gauge the sustainability, scalability, and tokenomics of projects when choosing to invest.
To learn more about how to invest in crypto, read any of our invest guides.
The projects covered in this guide were chosen through rigorous research and reviews. We paid attention to security, transparency, reputation, tokenomics, competitive edge, and long term prospects.
The tokens listed are the best we found in the various categories we listed them. For example, we listed Chainlink as the best blockchain oracle because it is the most used and respected provider of off-chain data in the industry.
Check out our why trust us and how we test pages for more information on our testing process.