Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the kinds of returns the crypto sector has provided thus far in 2025. In an effort to be transparent, the overall crypto sector has surged nearly 60% over the course of the past year. And that’s after the entire market dipped hard on news that tariffs would be put in place by the Trump administration.
Now, since this announcement, many risk assets have rallied as the market appears to be pricing in both the chance that these tariffs come off at some point (or don’t go into effect at all), as well as the reality that we could be living in a world in which tariffs don’t have the kind of impact on the economy many expect.
I have no idea what to believe anymore. But with crypto absolutely rocketing higher in recent months, I thought it would be a good idea to dive into three of the top crypto ideas I have for investors looking to put some capital to work in August.
Hyperliquid (HYPE)
Blockchain visual
One of the cryptocurrencies I think hasn’t received the kind of news flow it probably should have in recent months is Hyperliquid (CRYPTO:HYPE).
That’s because this particular token, now the 11th-largest crypto project by market capitalization, has surged more than 1,200% over the course of the past year. That’s right: this token has become a 12-bagger for investors who simply bought and held this fast-growing layer-1 network.
I think of Hyperliquid as a Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) competitor, in that this layer-1 network is where so much building activity from developers is taking place. Additionally, users have been flocking to this blockchain network, with Hyperliquid gaining market share of around 60% in the high-growth decentralized derivatives trading platform.
In essence, investors who are betting on crypto overtaking traditional finance one day are clearly placing their bets on platforms like Hyperliquid that are bringing this vision to reality. The network’s TVL and other key metrics have continued to move in the right direction, and as overall utilization continues to pick up over time, I’d expect to see significant upside for those investing in this name.
That’s not to say there aren’t risks with investing in such a high-growth network (that’s difficult to value). But for those looking at Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) alternatives in this market with similar long-term upside, this is a top token to at least consider.
MakerDAO (MKR)
Stablecoin visual
With so much ado being made about the recently-passed GENIUS Act, and what that will mean for the future of the stable coin market, many investors are picking right now as the time to pump more capital into projects like MakerDAO (CRYPTO:MKR).
The MKR token is the native token of the Maker blockchain, which supports the DAI stable coin. In essence, an investment in MKR is a bet that stable coin usage will increase over time. And with Maker’s overall network remaining one of the leading options for those looking to borrow, lend, and have collateral, this is a space I think will likely continue to gain more attention over time.
What’s been perhaps lost in the shuffle, at least among many investors who may be unfamiliar with Maker, its DAI token, or how the overall stable coin space works, is that Maker has recently undertaken a rebrand. Shifting toward its SKY token, the idea behind this rebrand is to provide even better functionality to end users, while paving the way for additional upgrades over time which should further improve the story around this name.
Given DAI’s entrenched status as a leading stable coin project, that’s really the thesis behind this token being a potential portfolio holding. My outlook on this token would be shorter than the other two (a year or two investing time horizon), but that’s plenty of time for investors to reap big gains.
Sui (SUI)
Briefcase full of cash
For investors seeking a next-generation layer 1 network to invest in, Sui (CRYPTO:SUI) has become a leading low-cost layer-1 network to consider investing in.
Now the 14th-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, Sui has seen impressive capital inflows of late, as investors look to capitalize on the token’s 400% year-over-year gain, and bet that this rally can continue.
Of course, there are plenty of other high-growth crypto projects that have seen larger gains over this time frame (such as Hyperliquid). But for those looking to invest in key networks which could be pivotal in providing the level of decentralization and low-cost transaction capabilities Sui provides, this is a top project to consider in August.
What I like most about Sui is there are much more favorable fundamentals to look at when it comes to this project. With a total transaction count nearing 5 billion, this is a network that’s the opposite of many of the phantom rug pull projects many associate with this sector. For those thinking long-term, this is a project I see as being one with meaningful upside.
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