South Korea is set for a major crypto regulatory overhaul under newly elected President Lee Jae-myung. As Bloomberg reported earlier today, the ruling Democratic Party proposed the Digital Asset Basic Act, with plans to facilitate the use of stablecoins. Will South Korea’s new crypto regulations give it a competitive edge over the US? South Korea
Ethereum price has underperformed in recent months, sparking criticism from top crypto voices such as Cardano’s founder. Charles Hoksinson. Due to the lack of any meaningful gains, traders are actively seeking the best Ethereum rivals to buy and potentially make 10x returns on investment as the broader market flashes bullish signs.
For context, the Ethereum price is trading at around the same price it was one year back, while Bitcoin has surged by 68%. Crypto trader Naiive also criticised ETH, saying a $10,000 investment made 8 years ago would now be worth $8,000.
ETH/USDT: 1-Week Chart
Amid these bearish headwinds and waning investor confidence, let’s explore the top 5 Ethereum rivals to buy to turn $1K to $10K in May.
Ethereum Rivals to Buy Now For 10x Gains in May
The top Ethereum rivals to buy now for potential 10x returns in May include Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Sui (SUI). These altcoins have not only outperformed Ethereum but also have robust fundamentals and a strong technical outlook, hinting at gains.
Ripple (XRP)
XRP is one of the top Ethereum rivals to buy now amid positive catalysts, including the hype around XRP ETF approvals. At press time, XRP had a higher fully diluted market cap of $232 billion, compared to Ethereum’s $219 billion.
Meanwhile, XRP/ETH is at the highest point in five years after forming a golden cross, indicating that XRP has offered better returns than ETH. Therefore, investors looking to turn $1,000 into $10,000 should consider switching their investment from Ethereum to XRP.
XRP/ETH: 1-Week Chart
Solana (SOL)
One of the top reasons making Solana among the top Ethereum rivals to buy is network growth. Data from DeFillama shows that Solana’s DeFi TVL is approaching the $10 billion milestone, while the stablecoin market cap is at an all-time high.
DeFiLlama
At the same time, SOL has a series of bullish catalysts that could drive a price recovery in the coming months, including potential ETF approvals. If these products are approved, $1,000 worth of Solana could easily grow to $10,000.
Dogecoin (DOGE)
Dogecoin’s rising open interest highlights massive interest in the altcoin, making it among the top Ethereum rivals to buy now. Data from Coinglass shows that Dogecoin’s OI has gradually risen in the last three weeks to $1.9 billion at press time.
Additionally, 71% of traders with open positions on Binance are long on Dogecoin, highlighting a bullish sentiment that this top meme coin will register massive gains. If DOGE bounces higher, traders holding the coin can easily make a 10x return on investment.
DOGE Long/Short Ratio
Cardano (ADA)
Cardano founder Hoskinson is bearish on Ethereum, after recently stating that the altcoin will crash in 15 years. This criticism drew speculation over whether Cardano could be a better investment and one of the top Ethereum rivals to buy.
The technical outlook on the daily price chart shows ADA has bounced from a key demand zone and aims for the next target of $0.93. The rising RSI with a value of 60 further shows the bullish momentum is growing strong and the MACD line has also crossed above the zero line.
ADA/USDT: 1-day Chart
Sui (SUI)
SUI has outperformed the broader crypto market with a staggering 70% gain in the last week alone. Its market cap has also surged to $12 billion, and it might soon enter the ranking for the top ten largest cryptos by market cap.
SUI/USDT: 1-day Chart
SUI is just 28% shy of its all-time high, and as the uptrend strengthens, as highlighted by the AD line, SUI might be poised for a massive uptrend. The AO bars also support a bullish SUI price prediction that the uptrend will continue.
Summary of Top Ethereum Rivals to Buy
Ethereum is underperforming against most cryptos, and traders are actively seeking the top Ethereum rivals to buy to enjoy massive returns. Some of the top altcoins that you can buy to turn $1,000 to $10,000 today are XRP, SOL, ADA, DOGE, and SUI.
With Binance listings often driven by hype, volume, and community support, three altcoins stand out as strong contenders for May: Housecoin (HOUSE), UXLINK, and AERO.
HOUSE is gaining traction across Solana and trending on X (formerly Twitter), while UXLINK led Binance’s last community vote despite not being selected. AERO remains the dominant DEX on Base, backed by strong ecosystem growth and rising DeFi volume. All three show strong fundamentals, growing visibility, and momentum that could align with a potential Binance listing this month.
The token is also trending on X (formerly Twitter), which could boost its chances of getting listed on major exchanges. HOUSE is down nearly 9% in the past 24 hours, but rising social engagement may help sustain interest.
Historically, exchanges list meme coins that capture attention and volume quickly. From DOGE to BONK, visibility often drives early listings. In under three months, Housecoin has climbed to become the 72nd largest token in Solana.
HOUSE could follow the same path as other breakout meme coins if the momentum continues. It’s already tapping into the massive real estate narrative, one of the most popular asset classes globally.
UXLINK
UXLINK is a Web3 social platform and infrastructure project that claims to have over 54 million users. It’s positioned as one of the most active tokens in the Arbitrum ecosystem.
In recent months, UXLINK has consistently trended within the Arbitrum space. It received the most votes in Binance’s latest community listing batch, though it wasn’t selected in the final round.
Since peaking in mid-March, the token has been down around 30%, struggling to regain strong upward momentum. Still, it’s up 3.7% in the last 24 hours, with volume surging 200% to $75.8 million—a sign of renewed interest.
Despite being passed over in the last round, its top vote count suggests strong community backing. That support could boost its chances of being in a future Binance listing, especially if volume and engagement stay high.
Aerodrome Finance (AERO)
AERO remains the leading DEX on the Base blockchain, holding its position even as apps like ZORA gain popularity. It continues to play a central role in Base’s DeFi activity and user growth.
With Content Coins still trying to build traction and Base’s weekly DEX volume up 22% to over $5 billion, AERO is well-positioned to benefit from the ecosystem’s expansion. As Base grows, AERO is likely to strengthen its dominance.
AERO has been up nearly 60% over the past 30 days, although it has dipped by 4.5% in the last 24 hours. It currently ranks as the 4th largest coin by market cap among those listed in Binance Alpha.
If momentum holds through May, AERO could push back toward the $1 mark, representing a potential 44% upside from current levels.
On Tuesday, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded net outflows, snapping a three-day streak of inflows that had brought in over $1 billion.
With uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy decision, institutional investors appear to be reducing their exposure in anticipation of increased market volatility.
Institutions Pull Back from BTC ETFs as Fed Decision Looms
BTC spot ETFs saw net outflows of $85.64 million on Tuesday, marking a shift in sentiment among institutional investors just ahead of today’s US Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting.
Total Bitcoin Spot ETF Net Inflow. Source: SosoValue
The outflows came after three consecutive days of strong inflows, totaling over $1 billion, into these BTC-backed funds. This suggests a pullback as market participants prepare for potential volatility surrounding today’s FOMC announcement.
It can also be seen as a strategic step to avoid short-term losses in the event of an unfavorable policy signal or unexpected market reaction.
Despite the ETF outflows, on-chain data reveals a spike in spot net inflows today. This indicates that while institutional players may be reducing their ETF exposure, they could be rotating capital into direct spot positions, possibly to capitalize on short-term price swings both before and after the Fed’s announcement.
According to Coinglass, BTC’s spot net inflows sit at $9.72 million. When an asset sees spot inflows, the number of its coin or tokens purchased and moved into spot markets has increased, indicating rising demand.
This points to surging accumulation among BTC spot market participants, a trend which can drive price appreciation if buying pressure remains.
Bitcoin Rises on Buyer Strength
BTC trades at $96,679 at press time, noting a 2% surge over the past day. The coin’s positive Balance of Power (BoP) reflects the steady rise in spot buying activity ahead of the FOMC meeting. As of this writing, this is at 0.10.
This indicator measures the strength of buyers versus sellers by comparing the closing price to the trading range over a specific period. When its value is positive, buyers dominate the market, suggesting bullish momentum and upward pressure on an asset’s price.
If BTC demand rockets and market conditions remain favorable post-FOMC meeting, it could climb toward $102,080.