In the course of the previous decade, Ethereum(CRYPTO: ETH) has been top-of-the-line cryptocurrency investments that you would have probably made. Since its launch in July 2015, Ethereum is up a head-spinning 117,000%.
However after a decade of dominance, is it time to take a more in-depth take a look at up-and-coming Ethereum challengers? If these rivals ever surpass Ethereum to turn into the highest Layer 1 blockchain community on the planet, their valuations may skyrocket. If that occurs, they could simply aid you retire as a millionaire.
With regards to cryptocurrency investing, millionaire-maker math is comparatively easy. The objective is to speculate $1,000 in a comparatively unknown cryptocurrency after which watch it explode in worth 1,000-fold. Doing so would assist to rework $1,000 into $1 million.
That was the playbook with Bitcoin, which as soon as traded for simply $100 and now trades for nearly $100,000. And it was additionally the playbook with Ethereum, which as soon as traded for simply $3 and now trades for $3,000.
That is why I am extra within the subsequent Ethereum than Ethereum itself proper now. From my perspective, Ethereum doesn’t have 1,000-fold upside anymore. The maths merely doesn’t work.
If Ethereum skyrockets in worth by 1,000-fold throughout the subsequent decade, then it could indicate a future market cap of $300 trillion. That is merely unfathomable: It is greater than 200 occasions the present valuation of Bitcoin. And it is almost 4 occasions the scale of your complete world inventory market.
So, with that math lesson in thoughts, I’ve put collectively a brief record of potential millionaire-maker candidates utilizing just some easy guidelines.
Picture supply: Getty Photos.
First, the cryptocurrency have to be a Layer 1 blockchain community with no less than an out of doors probability of supplanting Ethereum someday. For now, I am ruling out any Layer 2 blockchain networks that run on high of Ethereum.
Second, the cryptocurrency should have a market cap of about $1 billion. Roughly talking, a 1,000-fold acquire would have the ability to rework that $1 billion into $1 trillion. That is an enormous quantity, however not out of the vary of risk. It is roughly half the scale of Bitcoin’s $1.9 trillion market cap, and roughly 2.5 occasions the scale of Ethereum’s roughly $400 billion market cap.
Third, the cryptocurrency have to be buying and selling for a low value of just some {dollars}. This makes it doable to amass a large stake within the cryptocurrency with simply $1,000. Keep in mind: The objective is to rework $1,000 into $1 million, and I am utilizing that as my place to begin.
Utilizing these three primary guidelines, a handful of names emerge as viable choices, together with Aptos(CRYPTO: APT), a buzzy Layer 1 blockchain community that launched in late 2022 with the assistance of blockchain builders from Meta Platforms. Aptos presently trades for a value of lower than $2 and has a market cap of $1.2 billion.
A number of large names are usually not on my record. For instance, I’ve crossed off Solana, Avalanche, Cardano, and Sui — they’ve market caps which can be sadly too large to make them viable millionaire-maker choices. These may be splendid investments, however the math merely would not work.
I’ve additionally ignored a number of Layer 2 blockchain networks that run on high of Ethereum. These embrace Optimism, with a $600 million market cap, and Arbitrum, with a $1.1 billion market cap.
And I’ve additionally ignored a number of blockchain networks with billion-dollar market caps which can be far too specialised for what I am attempting to perform.
I am in search of the following Ethereum — a sprawling, numerous blockchain ecosystem that is good at nearly every little thing. Again in December 2022, I particularly pointed to Aptos as the following Ethereum.
Traders have two primary choices. They’ll go together with the longtime market chief and hope for an encore efficiency throughout the subsequent decade. Or, they’ll scour the crypto universe to search out undiscovered funding alternatives that look loads like Ethereum did again in 2015.
In case you’re a risk-averse investor, go together with Ethereum. However in case you’re prepared to tackle extraordinary threat within the hopes of reworking $1,000 into $1 million, then go together with an up-and-coming Ethereum challenger able to producing big 1,000-fold returns.
Before you purchase inventory in Ethereum, contemplate this:
The Motley Idiot Inventory Advisor analyst staff simply recognized what they imagine are the 10 greatest shares for buyers to purchase now… and Ethereum wasn’t one in all them. The ten shares that made the reduce may produce monster returns within the coming years.
Contemplate when Netflix made this record on December 17, 2004… in case you invested $1,000 on the time of our suggestion, you’d have $474,578!* Or when Nvidia made this record on April 15, 2005… in case you invested $1,000 on the time of our suggestion, you’d have $1,141,628!*
Now, it’s value noting Inventory Advisor’s whole common return is 955% — a market-crushing outperformance in comparison with 196% for the S&P 500. Do not miss the most recent high 10 record, accessible with Inventory Advisor, and be part of an investing neighborhood constructed by particular person buyers for particular person buyers.
*Inventory Advisor returns as of January 21, 2026.
Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin, Cardano, Ethereum, Solana, and Sui. The Motley Idiot has positions in and recommends Aptos, Avalanche, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Meta Platforms, Solana, and Sui. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure coverage.