2025 has been a volatile year for cryptocurrencies. Markets across all asset classes have seen volatile swings, and cryptos stayed true to form. Tap into the most volatile cryptocurrencies of the first half of 2025.
After a particularly successful fourth quarter of 2024, cryptocurrencies again took all the attention from markets. Like US equity markets, crypto prices went into a frenzy as soon as markets started to price Trump’s presidency. The US president made sure to make friends in the world of cryptos by advertising regulations for what was, until recently, a foreign market to financial institutions.
Bitcoin went from a low of $52,636 at the beginning of September 2024 to a high of $108,410 on the 17th of December — a 103.79% increase in a bit more than three months — a stellar performance from one of the most popular financial market assets.
Crypto markets have since retraced and returned to their highs, another proof of how volatile they have been since the beginning of the year.
Through the article, discover which major cryptocurrencies were the most dominant and which lagged the most. Also, learn about their utility and market caps and observe a technical analysis of each coin.
Top 5 most volatile cryptos in 2025 data, 27th of May:
BTC - 18.37%
XRP - 14.61%
XMR - 110.18%
SOL - -5.96%
ETH - -22.64%
*As of Tuesday, 27th of May 2025. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
| Currency | Rate of Change YTD |
|---|---|
| Bitcoin BTC/USD | +18.37% |
| Ripple XRP/USD | +14.61% |
| Monero XMR/USD | +110.18% |
| Solana SOL/USD | -5.96% |
| Ethereum ETH/USD | -22.64% |
Cryptocurrency performances in 2025, May 27, 2025. Source: TradingView. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Bitcoin - the number one stays number one
BTC/USD Daily chart, December 2024 - May 27, 2025. Source: TradingView. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
The number one crypto has been in a relentless rally since the April lows, enjoying steady inflows from ETFs and institutions.1
With a market cap standing at $2.18T, Bitcoin is close to 10% of the total value allocated to Gold.2 BTC overshadows other cryptos in that aspect, representing 64% of the total cryptocurrency market value.
For a reminder, Bitcoin, created in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, is the first decentralized digital currency. It was designed to enable peer-to-peer transactions without the need for a central authority like a bank. Its purpose is to provide a transparent alternative to traditional money.
Bitcoin technical analysis
As of May 27, 2025, Bitcoin is consolidating at its all-time highs. The cryptocurrency has an interesting dynamic as it is one of the first times near all-time highs that there is no theme of frenzies compared to the 2018 and 2021 highs.
Key levels to look out for in the present course of action
Support zones:
- Support 1 - 102,000 to 104,000
Support 2 - 93,000 to 96,000 - Support 3 - 87,500 to 89,500
- 2025 Lows* - 74,420
Potential resistance zones:
- Resistance 1 - 115,000 to 117,000
Resistance 2 - 120,000 to 122,000 - Resistance 3 - 124,000 to 126,000
- Current all-time high* - 112,030
*As of May 27, 2025
Ripple - some relief from previously damaging themes
XRP/USD Daily chart, November 2024 - May 27, 2025. Source: TradingView. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
XRP was involved in a significant lawsuit against the SEC between December 2020 and October 2023, which delayed the crypto’s potential.
The market took time to react, as the major rally happened between November 2024 and January 2025. This took the crypto from $0.50 to a $3.39 all-time high—a 570% increase in about two months.
Even after a stellar increase, the crypto hasn’t retraced much since the beginning of the year. It is trading 30% from its all-time highs, yet is still up 14.61% on the year and 347% from precisely one year ago.
XRP is a digital asset created in 2012 by Ripple Labs to facilitate fast and cost-efficient international payments. Unlike Bitcoin, it doesn’t rely on mining and uses a consensus protocol for transaction validation. Its main purpose is to serve as a bridge currency for cross-border transfers between different fiat currencies – to put it simply, it aims to replace the SWIFT system.
XRP technical analysis
XRP has been in volatile but range-bound price action throughout 2025, coming back into its range after a trough at 1.61, which it attained at a similar time as Bitcoin.
No particular news or momentum has moved the crypto, though its performance remains solid. Re-entering the 2025 range consolidates its prices.
Key levels to look out for:
Support zones:
- Support 1 - April 2025 Lows - 1.61
- Support 2 - 1.28 to 1.29
- Support 3 - 1.00 - 1.03
Resistance zones:
- Resistance 1 - 2.65
- Resistance 2 - 3.00
- Resistance 3 - 2025 all-time Highs - 3.39
Monero (XMR) - the surprise performer of the year
XMR/USD Daily chart, December 2024 - May 27, 2025. Source: TradingView. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Monero is the surprise of the year in terms of cryptocurrency performance. The cryptocurrency had a previous all-time high from the 2021 bull cycle at $520, though it had stayed at an average of less than $150 from June 2022 to November 2024 and is now trading closer to a $350 to $400 range.
While other altcoins remained in a range or went up similarly, a lack of supply for new XMR coins, followed by massive demand, ramped up the prices more than 100% since the beginning of the year, making it one of the best-performing major cryptocurrencies. Its market cap is above $6 billion, and it is the 29th largest crypto on the market.
XMR was created in 2014 as a privacy-focused cryptocurrency to provide anonymous and untraceable transactions. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, Monero uses advanced cryptographic techniques like ring signatures and stealth addresses to hide transaction details, sender and receiver identities, and amounts.
XMR technical analysis
XMR began its impulsive move up in April 2025 after being in a consolidation zone between $180 and $225 since December 2024.
The first leg of the move-up was a 150$ move, taking the coin to highs of $339 before consolidating around $280.
The subsequent leg took the coin to a measured move up of another $150 at highs of $418.
The coin has started a correcting move, hinting at a retracement towards the Support 1 Zone introduced in the XMR chart.
Key levels to look out for:
Support zones:
- Support 1 - 330 to 350
- Support 2 - 265 to 280
- Support 3 - 240 to 250
Resistance zones:
- Resistance 1 - 410 to 420
- Resistance 2 - 440 to 450
- Resistance 3 - 460 to 470
Solana - more to do to rival its 2024 performance
SOL/USD Daily chart, November 2024 - May 27, 2025. Source: TradingView. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Solana had a particularly strong performance towards the latter part of 2024. The coin held an average of $140 for most of 2024 before exploding to a high of $295 in January 2025. The coin presents a structure similar to Ethereum, beating the second-largest crypto in relative performance during its rally.
The surge is driven by renewed developer activity, growing on-chain volumes, and increasing adoption of Solana-based projects, particularly in DeFi and NFTs. With a year-to-date gain of more than 200%, Solana has reclaimed its spot as a top-tier smart contract platform, boasting a market cap exceeding $70 billion — making it the fifth-largest crypto by market capitalization.
Launched in 2020, Solana is a high-performance blockchain designed to offer fast, scalable, and low-cost transactions. It uses a unique hybrid consensus model combining Proof of History (PoH) and Proof of Stake (PoS), enabling it to process thousands of transactions per second. Solana’s mission is to provide the infrastructure needed for mainstream blockchain applications without sacrificing decentralization or speed.
SOL technical analysis
Solana experienced two consecutive bullish moves taking the coin to highs between $280 to $295 all-time highs between November 2024 and February 2025.
A failure to stay above these highs sent the cryptocurrency to a consequential correction after President Trump shook markets with his infamous trade tariff policy. The crypto has since experienced a solid comeback from a low of $95 and started to form an upwards channel as Bitcoin is dragging up the cryptocurrency market.
Having given back some of its upward performance and not recovered entirely, the crypto is back to levels seen at the very beginning of 2025 and is down close to 15% on the year.
Key levels to look out for:
Support zones:
- Support 1: 150 to 160
- Support 2: 125 to 132
- Support 3: 100 to 105
Resistance zones:
- Resistance 1: 200 to 205
- Resistance 2: 225 to 232
- Resistance 3: 255 to 265
Ethereum - lagging performance for the number 2
ETH/USD Daily chart, November 2024 - May 27, 2025. Source: TradingView. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Ethereum has delivered a steady and resilient performance through 2024 and into 2025, reaffirming its dominance as the leading smart contract platform. After stabilizing in the $1,600 – $1,800 range for much of 2024, ETH began climbing in late Q4 and reached a high of $4,109 in December. As ETH was lagging behind moves in SOL, there have been questions about its reliability and performance, although its fundamentals are still sane, and its market cap is still comfortably ahead.
The growth has been fueled by renewed institutional interest, notably with the advent of Ethereum ETFs. Ethereum remains the most used and developed blockchain, with a market cap nearing $500 billion — firmly securing its place as the second-largest cryptocurrency behind Bitcoin.
Launched in 2015, Ethereum introduced the concept of programmable blockchain contracts, known as smart contracts, enabling the birth of DeFi, NFTs, and countless other blockchain-based applications. Since it transitioned to Proof of Stake in 2022 (Ethereum 2.0), it has significantly reduced its energy consumption and enhanced scalability through upgrades like The Merge and Dencun. Ethereum’s vision continues to center on becoming a global decentralized computer that powers next-generation web and financial systems.
ETH technical analysis
2025 hasn’t been glorious for the number two crypto. After touching the $4109 high and coming close to the $4,870 ATH hit in the 2021 bull run, ETH has been sent into a descending channel, leading to its underperformance at the beginning of the year.
A brutal 69% correction took the coin to lows of $1,384 on the 9th of April, with a generally positive sentiment leading to a significant recovery. Local highs are $2,739; the crypto still has quite a run to do to come back to break its all-time highs.
Key levels to look out for:
Support zones:
- Support 1: 2,385 to 2,525
- Support 2: 2,035 to 2,167
- Support 3: 1,700 to 1,825
Resistance zones:
- Resistance 1: 2,850 to 2,992
- Resistance 2: 3,225 to 3,363
- Resistance 3: 3,660 to 3,800
- December 2024 highs: $4,095
The cryptocurrency market has had a formidable run since 2009, when Bitcoin was introduced. It has created an infinity of possibilities for technological and financial change. With many institutions and nations dipping their toes into this market, there is still room for growth.
A disadvantage, though, is that this market is volatile, to say the least, and a lack of precedent is leading to many financial and other abuses of this powerful tool.
Nonetheless, cryptocurrencies are now part of everyday life as more businesses accept payments with digital coins, and a growing lack of trust for fiat currencies is leading to an increasing demand for such decentralized tools.
Footnotes:
1https://sosovalue.com/assets/etf/us-btc-spot
2https://companiesmarketcap.com/gold/marketcap/
3https://www.oanda.com/us-en/trade-tap-blog/analysis/technical/uses-for-measured-moves/
4 https://solana.com/news/proof-of-history
5https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/proof-of-stake
6https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/understanding-dencun-upgrade-protodanksharding-surge-merge/
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