Next Cryptocurrency to Explode, 12 March — Mantle, Virtuals Protocol, Celo

After closing 2024 and starting this year on a positive note, the crypto market struggled with bears for a couple of months, but things are looking up for altcoins. After a couple of months of losses, many investors have reported decent gains, while still hoping for more reminiscent of the November/December 2024 bull run.

Finding the next cryptocurrency to explode might be challenging, as most funds are attracted to pumping assets. However, this article will explore the performance of cryptocurrencies with much growth potential, especially before the year runs out. Read on to find out about tokens we believe have the potential to record massive gains before the year runs out.

1. Mantle (MNT)

Mantle (MNT) has had a rough patch recently, with its price going through several big drops. Although a full recovery hasn’t happened yet, some early signs of improvement are showing. A few crypto experts believe MNT might be gearing up for a strong move upward, supported by several on-chain data points.

Over the past few months, MNT has experienced many ups and downs. But despite those setbacks, it’s slowly showing signs of bouncing back. Like other coins in the market, Mantle is gaining strength, and right now, its price remains above an important support level, giving investors more confidence.

In the last 24 hours, MNT has increased by over 16%, reaching $0.8222. This gain matches the overall rise in the crypto market. According to CoinMarketCap, Mantle ranks 43rd among all cryptocurrencies, with a market cap of $2.76 billion. Investor interest is growing, which is boosting the amount of trading activity around the token.

In recent news, Mantle launched the Mantle Index Four Fund (MI4). It’s a new type of crypto index fund built for big investors, and it was created with the help of Securitize, a company that handles digital asset tokenization. The MI4 fund is set to launch in the second quarter of 2025 and aims to give institutions a reliable way to earn yield through crypto within a traditional fund structure.

Earlier this year, the Mantle DAO gave the green light for the project’s Treasury to invest $400 million into MI4. This is a big step forward, showing how serious the team is about supporting long-term growth.

2. Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL)

Virtual Protocol (VIRTUAL) brings fresh ideas to the digital world by mixing artificial intelligence with metaverse tech. It’s designed as a plug-and-play gaming AI system, which means anyone can help build and own interactive online spaces. This approach pushes the limits of what’s possible in virtual environments and makes online experiences feel more alive.

Virtual Protocol is creating more engaging and lifelike digital spaces by combining AI and the metaverse. This bold idea has helped the project stand out among other AI-focused Web3 platforms, gaining attention from both tech fans and investors. Many see VIRTUAL as one of the most exciting projects in the current crypto market.

1/ Virtuals Monthly Update April 2025 TLDR:
Genesis deployed. Points live. Enforcement activated.
Here’s what we shipped, protected, and scaled last month: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/R6FI1NGxHg

— Virtuals Protocol (@virtuals_io) May 12, 2025

Right now, the mood around VIRTUAL is very optimistic. According to the Fear & Greed Index, market sentiment is now in the “Greed” zone, which usually leads to short-term price increases. VIRTUAL is also seeing more activity, with a daily transaction volume jump of over 51%, showing that more people are getting involved.

Looking ahead, VIRTUAL’s success will rely on building new partnerships and improving its AI systems. If the team can connect with strong partners, this could support long-term growth and help VIRTUAL become the next cryptocurrency to explode.

3. Solaxy (SOLX)

Solana has earned a solid reputation for its lightning-fast transactions and low fees, but the network has dealt with ongoing congestion and occasional downtime. That’s precisely where Solaxy (SOLX) aims to make a difference. Solaxy is a Layer-2 solution built on top of the Solana blockchain. It processes off-chain transactions and then passes the final results to the main network. This design helps take the load off Solana’s core, allowing for smoother performance and higher capacity.

Much of the buzz around Solaxy is fueled by its presale, which is gathering serious momentum. The popular YouTube channel 99Bitcoins, followed by over 724,000 subscribers, recently said the SOLX token could rise by 100x once it goes live. While that’s a bold claim, it reflects the project’s growing optimism.

A key highlight of Solaxy is its staking program, which offers an eye-catching 117% annual return. That’s a huge incentive for token holders ready to lock up their SOLX. Investors have already poured $34.7 million into the presale, putting it among the top crypto presales of the year.

Curious about what’s been going on behind the scenes at Solaxy? 🤔

Take a peak at the Dev Updates 👇 and get up to speed! 🚀🔥https://t.co/EpiIjplyoe pic.twitter.com/E2N55jwzRt

— SOLAXY (@SOLAXYTOKEN) May 11, 2025

Backed by strong community interest, a high-yield staking model, and a clear solution to Solana’s ongoing issues, Solaxy (SOLX) is one of the year’s most promising crypto projects. If you’re considering jumping in early, the SOLX presale is still active. 

Tokens are currently priced at $0.001722 and can be purchased using BNB, ETH, USDT, or a bank card. But a price increase is scheduled in just over a day, so now may be the best time to grab SOLX at its lowest rate.

Join the SOLX Presale

4. Celo (CELO)

Celo started as a decentralized platform designed for running crypto index funds and investment portfolios on the Solana blockchain. It uses a special engine to handle on-chain funds, indices, and pools that manage several tokens at once. It also connects smoothly with decentralized exchange (DEX) services, making it very useful in the DeFi world.

After two years of development, Celo recently made a big change. As of March 26, it has officially become an Ethereum Layer 2 network. This update was made possible through Optimism’s OP Stack and EigenDA for data handling. With the new setup now live at block height 31,056,500, Celo is ready to take advantage of the Ethereum ecosystem’s strength, backed by Forno nodes.

The price of CELO has done well recently. It hit a 24-hour high of $0.4601 after falling to a low of $0.4195. At the time of writing, it’s priced at $0.4493—an increase of 6.60%. This rise shows more buyers are stepping in, and the general mood around CELO is becoming more positive.

Even though CELO is still 34.49% below its 200-day simple moving average of $0.689111, it’s had 18 green days out of the last 30. That’s a 60% success rate, which suggests the token is slowly gaining ground. As of May 12, 2025, most technical signals point to a hopeful outlook.

Another strong point for Celo is its set of public APIs. These tools let other DeFi developers build on top of Celo’s system. Fund managers can create and control portfolios that include different tokens. These funds can be adjusted using rules for reweighting or filtering, and users can even make their own custom investment funds or trade funds created by others.

5. The Sandbox (SAND)

The Sandbox is a virtual gaming world built on blockchain. Users can make, sell, and interact with digital items in a shared online space. By using DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) and NFTs, The Sandbox builds a strong, user-driven gaming world that gives players real ownership of their creations.

SAND is the token that powers this platform. It’s currently priced at $0.3655, a huge 40.28% increase over the last month. This rise in value has also lifted its total market cap, which now stands at $927.92 million.

The team behind The Sandbox has always aimed to bring blockchain into gaming. Their whitepaper focuses on the “play-to-earn” model, where players earn rewards while they play. This model gives users a chance to earn crypto while also being creative. SAND is used for buying, selling, and trading inside the game, making it a key part of the experience.

Experts are optimistic about where SAND is heading. If The Sandbox can build strong new partnerships, the price could surpass $0.952 by the end of June. If the market keeps trending upward, the token could reach an average price of $1.19 before the year ends. On the flip side, the price might drop to around $0.092 if things go south.

The Sandbox is shaping a bright future by merging gaming and blockchain. Its fun, technology, and community make it a standout project in the growing metaverse space. With all its progress, some investors believe SAND could be the next cryptocurrency to explode.

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