10 High-Risk High-Reward Cryptos for 2025

Some crypto investors have an ultra-high tolerance for risk. This means buying high-risk high-reward crypto with a huge upside potential but an equally high chance of losing money.

If you’re looking for the next 100x investment opportunity, read on. This guide reveals the best high-risk high-return crypto coins in the market today. Discover low-cap gems that have the potential to blow up.

High-Risk High Reward Cryptocurrencies: Our Top 10 Picks

Here are 10 projects to consider when building a portfolio of high-risk high-reward crypto coins:

  1. Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE) – Best meme token provides access to trading signals
  2. Crypto All-Stars ($STARS) — Single ecosystem for staking the world’s best meme coins
  3. Best Wallet Token ($BEST) — Top crypto wallet token with exclusive holder benefits
  4. Catslap ($SLAP) — Popular high-risk crypto with a 40% staking APY
  5. Flockerz ($FLOCK) — New meme coin rewards investors through its vote-to-earn mechanism
  6. Pepe Unchained ($PEPU) — New Ethereum L2 meme coin provides high staking yield
  7. Hivemapper ($HONEY) — Decentralized global mapping network via 4k dashcam footage
  8. TokenFi ($TOKEN) — Undervalued RWA project that simplifies asset tokenization for consumers
  9. Jupiter ($JUP) — Decentralized exchange for Solana tokens trading 61% below all-time highs
  10. Rocket Pool ($RPL) — Liquid staking ecosystem for Ethereum 2.0 with 7-day gains of 55%

Reviewing the Best High-Risk High-Reward Crypto Coins

Learn more about the high-risk high-reward coins listed above. Read on to assess which coins are right for your investment portfolio.

1. Wall Street Pepe – Best High-Risk High Reward Meme Coin

Wall Street Pepe image

Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE) is redefining meme coins by merging entertainment with real utility. This revolutionary project gives token holders access to valuable trading insights and strategies, helping them navigate the meme coin market effectively. 

Priced at just $0.000206, $WEPE’s presale has already generated over $3.2 million, reflecting its growing traction. 

With a total supply of 200 billion tokens, the project has allocated 40 billion for the presale and 24 billion for staking rewards. Investors can earn an impressive annual yield of 166% by staking their tokens, a feature that has already seen 4.8 billion tokens locked on the platform.

Therefore, while new meme tokens can be a high-risk investment, $WEPE can be highly rewarding due to the access to trading strategies and staking rewards. To learn more about this project, go through the Wall Street Pepe whitepaper and join the Telegram channel

2. Crypto All-Stars ($STARS) — Top High-Risk Cryptocurrency to Diversify Your Portfolio

high risk high reward crypto crypto all stars

Crypto All-Stars ($STARS) is conducting the ‘meme coin event of the century’ through its unique staking mechanism, the ‘MemeVault.’ On the MemeVault, meme coin lovers can stake their favorite assets, such as Dogecoin, Pepe, Shiba Inu, Floki Inu, and many others.

Crypto All-Stars will regularly reward token stakers with passive income for staking their holdings. Therefore, this platform aims to attract the world’s biggest meme coin token holders. To incentivize the adoption of the $STARS token, Crypto All-Stars will reward existing token holders with up to a 3x APY on their MemeVault earnings.

Furthermore, $STARS can be directly staked on smart contacts to earn an annual yield of more than 700%. Of the 42.069 billion token supply, 50% will be distributed equally through staking returns and MemeVault rewards. The ongoing presale is allocating another 20% of the token supply.

In a few months, the Crypto All-Stars presale has raised more than $2 million. To learn more about the project, read the whitepaper and join the Telegram channel.

3. Best Wallet Token ($BEST) — Top Crypto Wallet Token with Exclusive Holder Benefits

Best Wallet token presale

Another high-risk, high-reward crypto to watch out for is the Best Wallet Token ($BEST). The $BEST token is exclusively available through the Best Wallet app, giving early users exclusive access to discounted presale stages before the public launch. $BEST is sold for only $0.022825 per token at the time of writing. However, this price will keep increasing every few days.

$BEST token holders enjoy early access to trusted presales, low transaction fees, and higher staking rewards. They can also participate in the governance of the Best Wallet ecosystem and vote on key decisions that will shape the project’s future.

Best Wallet offers a comprehensive ecosystem, integrating Best Wallet, Best DEX, and Best Card. The Best Wallet app is a fully non-custodial wallet that supports 60+ blockchains, while Best DEX allows users to swap assets seamlessly across these chains. The upcoming Best Card will enable token holders to spend crypto like traditional debit cards while earning cashback rewards.

Interested buyers can follow Best Wallet on X and join its Telegram group for the latest project updates.

4. Catslap ($SLAP) — Popular High-Risk Crypto with a 40% Staking APY

Catslap token

We have picked Catslap ($SLAP) as one of the best high-risk, high-reward meme tokens to watch in 2024. This project distinguishes itself with its cat-themed slapping game, which adds an interactive and gamified experience, something most meme tokens in the market currently lack. Catslap’s focus on gameplay could drive sustained community engagement, making it stand out from the saturated meme coin market.

Catslap is built on the Ethereum blockchain. The ERC-20 standard ensures reliability and compatibility with most crypto wallets and exchanges. The $SLAP token’s mechanics revolve around the Slapometer, a global leaderboard where holders can compete by “slapping” to earn points for themselves and their country. This competitive aspect adds a layer of community-driven interaction, making $SLAP a fun and potentially lucrative investment in the meme token space.

At the time of writing, Catslap has surged by over 2,100% since its launch, with its current price at $0.00245399. The project launched with a market cap of $1 million, and it has quickly gained traction due to its fair launch approach and partnership with Best Wallet, which offers users a secure way to purchase tokens early.

You can follow Catslap’s X account and join its Telegram channel for the latest project updates.

5. Flockerz ($FLOCK) — Risky Crypto to Buy With Vote-to-Earn Principles

high risk high reward crypto flockerz

The next token with high reward potential is Flockerz ($FLOCK). Currently, $FLOCK, the native token, is priced at $0.0058161 on presale. In just over a month, the presale has raised over $920k.

This token boasts huge growth potential due to its unique vote-to-earn mechanism, which promotes active user engagement in exchange for regular rewards. On ‘Flocktopia’, the platform’s DAO, all $FLOCK token holders can access voting rights. The more one votes, the more $FLOCK tokens they earn as rewards.

In fact, a quarter of the total token supply will be distributed as rewards through the vote-to-earn mechanism. Another long-term benefit is the staking mechanism, which currently offers a staggering annual yield of over 3,500%. So far, over 50 million tokens are staked on Flockerz.

As $FLOCK continues to sell out on presale and offer huge long-term benefits, it can offer huge growth potential in the coming years. Read the Flockerz whitepaper and join the Telegram channel to learn more about the project.

6. Pepe Unchained ($PEPU) — New Ethereum L2 Meme Coin Soaring on Presale

high risk high reward crypto pepe unchained

The next token on our list is Pepe Unchained ($PEPU), which is built on the efficient and sustainable layer two (L2) Ethereum blockchain.

It offloads transactions from the main chain – which reduces operational costs and increases transaction speeds. Moreover, $PEPU token holders are offered huge staking APY (Annual percentage yield). At the time of writing, $PEPU can be staked to earn an APY of over 121%. From a total supply of eight billion, over 1.3 billion tokens are staked on Pepe Unchained.

Another 30% of the token supply is being distributed through the ongoing presale, which has raised over $20 million in a couple of months. At press time, $PEPU is priced at only $0.0112 per token. The high staking rewards, fast transaction speeds, and huge staking benefits can make Pepe Unchained one of the most rewarding cryptos in the long term.

Stay tuned for more project updates by going through the Pepe Unchained whitepaper and joining the Telegram channel.

7. Hivemapper ($HONEY) — Decentralized Global Mapping Network With Significant Upward Movement

high risk high reward crypto hivemapper

Hivemapper ($HONEY) should also be considered when choosing cryptocurrencies with the highest upside. This is one of the best DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) projects in the market. The project aims to build a global mapping network to rival Google Maps.

It’s fully decentralized, and contributors are rewarded with $HONEY tokens. So, contributors first need a Hivemapper device, which consists of a 4k dashcam and a mining tracker. Contributors drive around as normal while the dashcam records street-level footage. This triggers the mining device, which distributes $HONEY as more footage is recorded.

Hivemapper has a growing presence, with over 242 million kilometers recorded so far. While the majority of footage comes from the US and Europe, activity in other regions is on the rise. $HONEY tokens are also performing well, with 12-month gains of 365%. A market capitalization of just $114 million means the upside potential could be significant.

8. TokenFi ($TOKEN) — Well-Known RWA Project That Simplifies Asset Tokenization for Consumers

high risk high reward crypto tokenfi

TokenFi ($TOKEN) is a great option for gaining exposure to the RWA (Real-World Asset) narrative. In simple terms, TokenFi enables consumers to tokenize their assets at the click of a button. No knowledge of coding is needed, let alone securities laws or smart contract technology. This could be a huge market, as RWA tokenization will play a major role in Web 3.0.

For example, let’s say you own a rare bottle of whiskey. You could tokenize that bottle as a unique NFT on the TokenFi platform. This secures ownership on the blockchain. It also makes it seamless to list the whiskey bottle on NFT marketplaces. TokenFi has also created other use cases.

This includes a smart contract auditor and an AI image generator. TokenFi also enables beginners to launch their own crypto tokens with buyback liquidity, reflections, and burn fees. TokenFi currently has a market capitalization of just under $80 million. Current prices are 67% below all-time highs, which were achieved in March 2024.

9. Jupiter ($JUP) — Growing Decentralized Exchange for Solana Tokens Trading 61% Below All-Time Highs

high risk high reward crypto jupiter

Next on this list is Jupiter ($JUP), the second-largest decentralized exchange for Solana tokens. It offers a private and hassle-free trading experience. Users connect a Solana-compatible wallet and choose which tokens to buy. Most tokens can be purchased with SOL or USDC, and swaps take seconds to execute.

Jupiter never touches client funds or accesses the connected wallet. Instead, smart contracts exchange the respective tokens once the user provides approval. Jupiter also offers additional features worth mentioning, including limit orders, dollar-cost averaging, and support for perpetual futures.

The latter enables users to trade high-risk high-reward crypto tokens with leverage. In terms of volumes, over $560 million has been traded on Jupiter in the past 24 hours. This often exceeds $1 billion during bullish periods. $JUP tokens currently trade 61% below all-time highs, so now could be a good time to enter the market.

10. Rocket Pool ($RPL) — Liquid Staking Ecosystem for Ethereum 2.0 With 7-Day Gains of 55%

high risk high reward crypto rocket pool

The final high-risk, high-reward crypto project to explore is Rocket Pool ($RPL). Launched in 2018, this established project supports liquid staking for Ethereum 2.0. This means users can earn passive staking rewards on their ETH holdings without becoming validators.

What’s more, Rocket Pool is an inclusive platform — its minimum staking requirement is just 0.01 ETH, which is about $35 based on current ETH/USD prices. Another benefit of Rocket Pool is that staking agreements are flexible. To make a withdrawal, simply unstake the ETH at any time.

Although most crypto coins have seen declines in recent days, Rocket Pool continues to outperform the wider markets. $RPL tokens are up 52% in the past seven days. In contrast, Ethereum is down almost 3%. Nonetheless, $RPL trades at an all-time high discount of 80%. Its market cap is just under $580 million.

What Is the Biggest Risk in Crypto?

Now that you’ve seen our high-risk high-reward crypto list, you’re probably wondering what is the biggest risk of investing in cryptocurrencies. First of all, cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, which is why you should never invest more than you can afford to lose. Secondly, the value of a high-risk cryptocurrency is often driven by hype. This means the token’s price could drop sharply once it gets listed on crypto exchanges.

Moreover, high-risk crypto coins will lose their value during bearish market sentiment, after which they may never recover. High-risk, high-return crypto projects may also experience low liquidity, making them harder to trade at their expected price.

What Determines How Risky a Cryptocurrency Is?

The following factors will determine how risky a certain cryptocurrency is for investing:

  • Liquidity. Liquidity determines how easily cryptocurrencies can be traded at their expected price. Low-liquidity coins are more prone to price fluctuations since their trading activity is reduced to a minimum. Cryptocurrencies with low trading volumes are less liquid, which makes them a riskier investment.
  • Use cases. Utility, or the lack of it, will also determine how risky cryptocurrencies will be for investing. That said, tokens with multiple use cases that aim to solve real-world problems foster adoption. On the other hand, tokens with no use cases are more prone to price fluctuations since their value is based on hype. In short, the most risky cryptocurrency won’t have practical, real-world use cases, which may reduce its growth potential.
  • Market sentiment. Market sentiment describes the general mood of market participants. For example, if a large number of investors believe that a certain cryptocurrency is too risky, they’ll start selling it, and vice versa. This will change its demand and supply dynamics. Higher supply equals lower demand, which leads to a drop in value.

Risk vs Reward Spectrum in Crypto: What to Know

Like any investment market, crypto investors should understand the correlation between risk and reward. In simple terms, investors should expect a higher rate of return when investing in riskier coins. And conversely, less risk should be taken when investing in coins that offer lower upside potential. This is the risk-reward dynamic in a nutshell. 

For instance, while all cryptocurrencies are risky, Bitcoin is considered the ‘safest’ option. Not only is Bitcoin the original crypto asset but it has millions of holders worldwide. Bitcoin also has a mega-cap valuation, not to mention regulated ETFs and futures markets on Wall Street.

So, while Bitcoin presents less risk than other coins, it potentially offers the lowest returns, especially during altcoin season, when a majority of crypto assets outperform Bitcoin’s price. In contrast, the risk-reward spectrum increases when investing in new cryptocurrencies or those with a small market capitalization. Meme coins are also classified as high-risk cryptos.

Risk vs reward in crypto

All that said, creating a balanced approach to crypto investing is crucial. Investing solely in high-risk tokens is a recipe for disaster. A smart approach is to diversify the portfolio with more established projects with a proven track record. This will reduce the portfolio’s risk while still allowing you to target above-average returns.

High-Risk Cryptos vs Less Volatile Cryptos

The main difference between high-risk and less-volatile cryptos lies in their price potential. On that note, high-risk assets have greater growth potential. Less volatile assets have less potential for growth. Cryptocurrencies with the lowest volatility include stablecoins, while cryptocurrencies with the highest volatility include meme coins.

How to Determine Your Risk Tolerance With Crypto Investing

Risk tolerance is a term that refers to the amount of losses that investors are willing to bear. Understanding the level of risk tolerance is crucial for investors. For example, investors with a low-risk tolerance will invest in more low-risk and fewer high-risk tokens. 

You can determine your risk tolerance by assessing your financial situation, identifying your financial goals, and setting your budget accordingly. You should also take into account your trading knowledge, experience, and emotional stability.

There are three types of risk tolerance:

  • Aggressive risk tolerance. This refers to investing in riskier investments with higher returns, such as NFTs. Aggressive investors have a higher tolerance for risk. They focus on cryptocurrencies with a massive growth potential.
  • Medium risk tolerance. This refers to investing in multiple assets, that is, diversifying the crypto portfolio. Moderate investors use a balanced approach. They are willing to invest in cryptocurrencies that are prone to small price fluctuations  to generate higher ROI.
  • Low risk tolerance. This refers to investing in cryptocurrencies that offer stable returns.

Building a Portfolio of High-Risk-High Reward Coins

There’s a strong likelihood of losing money when investing in high-risk, high-return coins. Finding the next high-reward or 100x coin is no easy feat, so research and risk management are crucial when making such investments.

We’ll now discuss some best practices when choosing high-risk cryptocurrencies for your portfolio.

Research Promising Presales

Presales are one of the best ways to find the next 100x project. Also known as ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings), presales are new token launches that offer early access. You’ll be investing before the tokens are listed on public exchanges, which often means the lowest price possible. The same concept applies to stock IPOs (Initial Public Offerings).

However, investing in pre-listing projects means there’s no track record. Not just for development and community building but also for price performance. These increased risks are built into the upside potential; most presale tokens have micro or nano-cap valuations.

Invest in Quality Projects During Bearish Trends

All investment markets experience bearish trends, and crypto assets are no different. These are temporary periods during which most coins lose value due to market sentiment, among other factors. Depending on the market capitalization, coins can decline by over 50% in weeks, sometimes days. This presents an excellent opportunity to enter the market.

Sure, there’s no guarantee the price will recover. But if you believe in the project’s concept, it’s best to invest when prices retreat. For example, Jupiter, a popular decentralized exchange for Solana tokens, trades 61% below all-time highs. Jupiter often handles over $1 billion in daily trading volumes. So, at current prices, it could be a great long-term play.

Similarly, while Hivemapper has increased by over 365% in the past year, it is 85% below all-time highs. Hivemapper is building a decentralized global mapping network with over 242 kilometers of street-level imagery recorded. Rocket Pool, the liquid staking platform for Ethereum 2.0, is another option. It currently trades 80% below peak pricing levels.

Diversify Across Multiple Niches

Diversification is the most effective strategy when buying high-risk high-reward coins. Holding 10-20 different coins from multiple industries can be a solid option. Only one project needs to blow up during the next bull market to realize substantial returns.

For example, meme coins are a hot narrative in 2025, so you might consider new projects like Wall Street Pepe and Crypto All-Stars.

Methodology
How We Review Cryptocurrencies

It’s important that our readers can make an informed decision by receiving impartial, accurate, and transparent information about high-risk assets like cryptocurrencies. Therefore, we cover every angle imaginable using 12 different criteria, some of which include:

  • Legitimacy and Compliance – We guide users through the cryptocurrency market, focusing on safe, legitimate investments in vetted projects and reliable operators that comply with all legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Project Team – We analyze and rate cryptocurrency projects to help users find secure investments, focusing on team experience and legitimacy.
  • Price Potential – We assess cryptocurrency price potential based on market capitalization and growth opportunities.
  • Liquidity and Trading Volume – We prioritize cryptocurrency projects with at least one real-world use case, where the token serves a function beyond financial speculation.
  • Community and Support – We evaluate the size and strength of cryptocurrency communities by analyzing their social media presence, engagement levels, and activity on platforms like Telegram and Discord.
  • Risks and Ethics – We evaluate cryptocurrency risks, from stable projects to volatile, high-potential ones, while also considering ethics, avoiding discriminatory or misleading projects.

Crypto assets are highly volatile, driven by speculation and hype, making it hard to spot the next big project. That’s why reviewing cryptocurrencies is crucial to ReadWrite.

1500+

Cryptocurrencies

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Key Criteria

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Research Hours

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In-House Experts

Conclusion

It’s important to set realistic goals and assess your risk tolerance when investing in high-risk crypto coins. The significant upside potential can be life-changing. But equally, the value of your investment could also go to zero. The crypto market is inherently volatile, and a high-risk high-reward crypto is one of the most volatile. Think about the future crypto market developments when assessing your investments.

Diversification is a must, so ensure your portfolio is well-balanced across multiple crypto narratives. Most importantly, never invest more than you can afford to lose.

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About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech, gambling and blockchain industries for major developments, new product and brand launches, AI breakthroughs, game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to in-house staff writers with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Hamza Tariq
Crypto Expert

Hamza joined ReadWrite in 2024 is an experienced crypto editor with a deep understanding of blockchain technology, cryptocurrency markets, and digital finance. He is passionate about making complex topics accessible and helping readers navigate the fast-evolving world of crypto.

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