Best Altcoins to Buy Now: ThorChain Investors Rotate Into New Tokens Following $10M Exploit

The $10 million cross-chain exploit that hit ThorChain this morning has once again shown how quickly things can shift in decentralized liquidity protocols. The network paused all trading and signing operations after an attacker drained roughly $10.8 million across the Bitcoin, Ethereum, BSC, and Base chains, with the incident first flagged in ZachXBT’s Telegram group. ThorChain’s native RUNE token dropped about 12% in response, adding to the pressure on holders already navigating a market full of moving parts.

That said, the wider picture remains steady – and the total crypto market cap sits at $2.68 trillion, up 1.14% over the past 24 hours, while Bitcoin trades near $80,700 after a 1.46% gain and Ethereum has hovered near $2,260. Altcoins have shown mixed moves, but the overall tone points to cautious optimism rather than outright panic.

Crypto presales have also performed well, and kept drawing steady capital from investors hunting for fresh opportunities with strong upside and no exposure to exploited infrastructure. That rotation has put the spotlight on several projects that combine solid fundamentals with timely positioning. In this article, we’ll consider some of the best altcoins worth watching right now: Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER), Cardano (ADA), and Chainlink (LINK).

Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER)

Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) is positioning itself as the fastest true Bitcoin Layer 2 network, designed to fix the base layer’s limitations around speed and cost while keeping the security that Bitcoin is famous for. The L2 uses the Solana Virtual Machine combined with zero-knowledge proofs to deliver near-instant finality, low transaction fees, and full support for staking, decentralized finance, payments, meme coins, and on-chain dApps.

The HYPER token presale has already raised more than $32.6 million, with the current price set at $0.0136801. Early participants can stake their holdings right away for a 36% APY. Presale funds will go toward development, marketing, listings, and community rewards, all aimed at building a high-performance environment that extends Bitcoin’s utility far beyond simple holding.

As traders pull back from vulnerable cross-chain setups following the ThorChain exploit, Bitcoin Hyper’s focus on trustless bridging and Bitcoin-aligned security has stood out. The project also offers a practical way to tap into Bitcoin’s liquidity with modern execution layers that feel more like high-speed chains without sacrificing settlement guarantees. Therefore, Bitcoin Hyper looks set to gain meaningful traction as Bitcoin infrastructure continues to mature and attract broader developer and user interest.

Visit the Bitcoin Hyper presale

Cardano (ADA)

Cardano’s Layer 1 runs on a proof-of-stake model built around the peer-reviewed Ouroboros consensus protocol, which prioritizes security, sustainability, and decentralization from the ground up. The network has always taken a methodical approach, relying on academic research and evidence-based development to support decentralized applications, governance, and global payment systems.

ADA, the L1’s native token, handles staking, transaction fees, and on-chain governance decisions. It currently trades near $0.267 with a market capitalization above $9.6 billion, and has posted modest daily gains of 1.23% amid the broader market stability. Recent progress includes scalability upgrades such as the Leios and Mithril SNARKs, stronger governance tools to reduce voting fatigue, and new initiatives such as the Cardano Lab in Latin America focused on public-sector blockchain applications.

Developers continue to roll out proposals for treasury spending and ecosystem growth, while wallet updates and cost reductions in smart-contract execution make the chain more accessible. In a market where investors have grown wary of high-risk bridges and unproven protocols, Cardano’s emphasis on long-term resilience and real adoption has helped it stand out.

Chainlink (LINK)

Chainlink is the industry-standard decentralized oracle network that feeds reliable real-world data into smart contracts across multiple blockchains. Its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) has become a go-to solution for secure asset transfers and settlements between chains and traditional systems, powering everything from tokenized real-world assets to institutional-grade DeFi products.

The LINK token compensates node operators and secures the network, with the platform already protecting tens of trillions in transaction value and integrating with major institutions, including Swift, J.P. Morgan, Mastercard, Fidelity, and UBS. LINK currently trades around $10.32 with a market cap near $7.5 billion, and has held steady in recent sessions.

As asset tokenization accelerates and more capital moves on-chain, Chainlink’s infrastructure has become even more critical for accurate pricing, compliance, and cross-chain coordination. Partnerships keep expanding, and the protocol’s track record of uptime and resilience continues to build confidence among both DeFi builders and traditional finance players. Chainlink’s expanding role across institutional and decentralized markets makes it a core piece of infrastructure that could see increased demand in the years ahead.

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