The crypto market in 2025 continues to evolve, with newer projects raising funds and more established networks focusing on product development and user adoption across payments, DeFi, and trading. Attention often concentrates on projects with active communities, visible development activity, and clearer real-world use cases, although outcomes remain uncertain and risks can be significant.
This article reviews four projects that have been discussed in recent market coverage: BlockDAG, Stellar, Hyperliquid, and Chainlink. They serve different parts of the ecosystem—fundraising and development, payments, derivatives trading, and data infrastructure—so they are best assessed on their individual progress and risks rather than as direct alternatives.
1. BlockDAG: Fundraising and development claims
BlockDAG has attracted attention during an early-stage token sale. According to project materials, it uses a hybrid structure that combines Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) design with Proof-of-Work (PoW). The project also describes itself as EVM-compatible, which it says is intended to make it easier for developers to port Ethereum-based applications and smart contracts.
The project reports that its token sale has raised more than $378 million. It also publishes batch-based pricing updates; however, token-sale pricing and fundraising totals do not, on their own, indicate how a token will trade after listing, and any forward-looking price targets are inherently speculative and uncertain. BlockDAG (BDAG) is therefore typically discussed in the context of fundraising scale and roadmap execution rather than predictable performance.
BlockDAG has published a range of adoption and ecosystem figures, including user counts for its X1 mobile mining app, shipped ASIC miner totals, holder numbers, and developer activity across decentralized applications. These figures are project-reported and may be difficult to independently verify. The project has also referenced marketing incentives, such as a competition funded in ETH, and has discussed plans for exchange listings; listing timelines and venues can change and should not be treated as guaranteed.
2. Stellar: Driving Global Payment Solutions
Stellar (XLM) was created to support faster and lower-cost payments, particularly for cross-border transfers. Its network is designed to settle transactions quickly with relatively low fees, which can be relevant for remittances and smaller-value transfers, depending on the service layer used on top of the protocol.
Adoption efforts have included collaborations with fintech firms, payment providers, and developers using Stellar for asset transfers and token issuance. Like most crypto assets, XLM’s market price can be volatile, but the project’s focus remains on payment rails and interoperability for value transfer.
3. Hyperliquid: Building a Future in Perpetual Trading
Hyperliquid has gained attention in decentralized perpetual futures, a segment that aims to offer derivatives trading without relying on centralized exchanges. The project emphasizes performance and liquidity, which are key constraints for on-chain derivatives.
The platform has reported increasing trading activity as users explore on-chain alternatives. Hyperliquid has also discussed expanding product coverage and integrations. As with other early-stage trading venues, usage metrics, liquidity conditions, and regulatory considerations can change quickly, and participants should evaluate related risks carefully.
4. Chainlink: Connecting smart contracts to external data
Chainlink (LINK) provides decentralized oracle infrastructure that connects smart contracts to external data such as market prices and other off-chain inputs. Oracles are a foundational component for many decentralized applications, including DeFi protocols that depend on timely and reliable data feeds.
Chainlink is widely integrated across crypto applications, and its roadmap has included initiatives such as cross-chain connectivity and work aimed at institutional and enterprise use cases. LINK’s relevance is often discussed in connection with demand for reliable oracle services, although adoption levels can vary over time and across chains.
Final Overview: Four Altcoins Shaping 2025
These four projects illustrate different parts of the crypto stack. BlockDAG is an early-stage project that has reported substantial fundraising and has published product and ecosystem updates ahead of a broader launch. Stellar remains focused on payments and cross-border transfer infrastructure. Hyperliquid sits in the on-chain derivatives category, where liquidity and risk management are central considerations. Chainlink provides data infrastructure that many decentralized applications rely on.
For readers comparing altcoins to watch in 2025, it can be useful to separate infrastructure and usage (payments, trading, and oracles) from fundraising narratives and forward-looking projections. BlockDAG’s updates have centered on its token sale and launch plans, while Stellar, Hyperliquid, and Chainlink are more commonly evaluated through their current network activity and integration footprint.
This article contains information about an early-stage token sale. This outlet is not affiliated with the project mentioned. As with any initiative within the crypto ecosystem, readers should do their own research and consider the risks involved. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
