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Crypto Twitter's Top Long-Term Holds
What are the best tokens to hold for 3-5 years?
Cobie, an influential OG, asked it on crypto Twitter. It went viral with >1.2M views and >2.6k replies. There were a ton of replies. It was an opportunity to find good long-term holds.
But there were a ton of people shilling their bags. We needed some criteria to find good stuff.
- Product-market fit. We can't include the hot new SocialFi project.
- Token value accrual. Uniswap primarily directs value to the equity of its team, not $UNI.
- Survived multiple downturns. While $KAITO has PMF in InfoFi, the token is new. So no.
- Fundamentals. There should be real growth for protocol. You can't pick memes like $DOGE.
(Hot L1s like BTC, ETH, SOL, & HYPE were excluded as options.)
So here's a list of the most popular long-term holds with actual theses:
#1. AAVE
Aave is the GOAT of money markets.
- It's the largest DeFi protocol by TVL.
- Metrics such as new users, deposit volume, & borrow volume are also trending upwards.
- Most importantly, there's actual product market fit. Its lowest monthly revenue in 2025 was $4.79M.
But they're not sitting on their laurels. They've consistently announced new ventures. Its roadmap is filled with catalysts.
- They released $GHO, a (not-so-successful) stablecoin.
- Horizon is their initiative to tokenize RWA. Institutions might be able to collateralize those RWAs on Aave.
- They're constantly improving with upgrades. Aave v4 has many innovations like the Universal Liquidity Layer.
Unlike $UNI, the $AAVE token actually accrues value through mechanisms such as buybacks and rewarding stakers.
So Aave was the most popular option.
But I'd also highlight $MORPHO as a credible competitor. It differentiates from $AAVE via modularity. It can grow via other big projects, such as Coinbase, by allowing them to run their own lending vaults.
#2. PENDLE
This is another protocol that dominates its category: yield trading. The competitors only have <1% TVL of Pendle.
It splits yield-bearing assets like stETH into a yield token (YT) & principal token (PT). Users can provide liquidity for new tokens, earn fixed income from the principal token, and speculate on yield tokens.
Pendle already has product-market fit. In 2025 alone, it has already made $18.72M in revenue.
This category is guaranteed to grow as well. TradFi interest rate derivatives do>$400T in trading volume. Pendle is the onchain protocol for it. With their items in the roadmap, like Boros upgrade, they're looking to bring TradFi products onchain as well.
They've also constantly added value to $PENDLE via mechanisms like $vePENDLE.
As DeFi matures, demand for fundamental tokens like $PENDLE will grow.
#3. $ENA
Stablecoin is the most successful crypto product. The chart below tracks the total stablecoin market cap. It shows consistent growth. Soon, it'll hit exponential growth.
Even TradFi is going crazy by valuing Circle higher than $USDC market cap. But $CRCL is a TradFi stonk. We need a crypto native stablecoin play.
$FRAX, $SKY, & $ENA are all good options with different trade-offs. But Ethena was the popular option for several reasons.
- Execution. USDe became the biggest semi-decentralized stablecoin within ~1 year.
- New tokens. They've introduced promising new tokens like USDtb, backed by BlackRock's tokenized money-market fund (BUIDL) and iUSDe, a TradFi wrapper on $sUSDe.
- Converge chain & products. It's an upcoming chain from the Ethena team. They'll work closely with institutions to capture that market. It'll also have apps like Ethereal that'll increase demand for $USDe.
Betting on stablecoins is a guaranteed win. And $ENA is the most popular crypto token to do that.
$4. $WLD
Artificial Intelligence is another massive narrative. Current consensus play is $TAO ($7.4B FDV). But for the long term, World ($9.3B FDV) seems better positioned.
Worldchain is a blockchain with a global identity system. Every single human can create a unique WorldID by creating zk-proofs of eyeball scans. This proof-of-personhood can verify that each WorldID is a real, unique human. This proof is table stakes in an AI-dominated world of deep fakes and AI Agents.
There are many bullish factors for $WLD.
- It's from OpenAI & Sam Altman. Apart from narrative hype, any future Crypto play from OpenAI will benefit $WLD.
- It already has >12M orb-verified users. Unique human identity is a massive category with applications in sectors like undercollateralized identity.
- They're gaining more traction day by day. They're even building a new orb factory in Texas to scale operations.
- Worldchain has many unique applications that require proof-of-personhood. They have an app platform with those apps. This is a moat that cannot be copied. Even Tinder has integrated WorldID.
Currently, the two major concerns are privacy & token unlocks. World has claimed Orb-data is private, and there's no single global database of eyeball-data.
Right now, WLD token value accrual isn't as clear as others in this list. But in the future, it has potential for value accrual.
Team token unlocks will only affect prices in the short term. And a large chunk of locked tokens is for new users who verify their identity. These unlocks are actually bullish.
In the long term, relative to its potential, $9.3B in FDV looks good.
#5. $JPO
Right now, Jupiter is Solana's leading DEX aggregator. It's my go-to trading platform from PC.
But they aren't limited to DEX. They're building a vertically integrated DeFi platform. They offer Perp product, Dollar Cost Averaging tool, Portfolio tool, and more.
Two key announcements prove their long-term potential.
- Jupiter Lend. They've partnered with Fluid, the most innovative lending protocol, to integrate a money market into their platform.
- JupNet. It's an omnichain network that'll aggregate all the L1s from Solana to Ethereum. This will get them to a much bigger market.
The market is trending towards vertically integrated DeFi platforms. And in Solana, Jupiter is the leader in that category.
There were many more good suggestions on that question:
- $XMR is the leading privacy-focused L1.
- $AERO to get exposure to Base, the leading L2.
- $JTO has a key position in the Solana MEV & blockbuilding ecosystem.
- $BNB is backed by Binance & Justin Sun backs $TRX.
If you want to find new picks on your own, click here.
Sponsored by Mantle
Mantle's UR: The Fiat & Crypto Bridge
Mantle announced a new product that'll change the crypto experience.
It's called UR (yes, pronounced You Are). Its goal is to merge both fiat & crypto worlds. Everyone, both crypto natives & normies in the fiat world, will be able to use it in their daily life.
A single app & account for all assets, both crypto and fiat.
When all web3/crypto users flock to it for their banking needs, it'll evolve Mantle into a banking chain.
What's UR? It's a crypto-native neobank. It's built from the ground up with blockchain at its core. It runs on the Mantle Network, so it's Web3 through and through. Your keys, your assets.
But it also connects to a Swiss IBAN account, meaning it can handle regular fiat transactions just like your old-school bank. Think buying coffee, paying rent, or sending money to your aunt in Europe—all from the same app you use to stake crypto.
UR promises to improve our lives with numerous features. Let's look at what they're bringing to the table.
#1. A Swiss-Backed Multi-Currency Account.
Every UR account is offered through a Swiss-regulated financial institution. That means compliance, reliability, and all the other good stuff from having a TradFi bank account.
- Fully 1:1 backed deposits
- Supports major currencies: EUR, CHF, USD, and RMB
- It integrates tokenized deposits and NFT-based identity
#2. Global Banking Rails
We've said that UR will allow transfers across crypto networks like Mantle and Ethereum. But it'll support TradFi banking rails as well.
You can transfer money via traditional rails like SWIFT, SEPA, and SIC.
#3. Mastercard Debit Card
UR users will get a Mastercard debit card that works with both Apple Pay and Google Pay. Finally, you can pay with your crypto or fiat anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
#4. Fiat & Crypto On/Off Ramps
Many people have identified the on/off ramp friction as the biggest blocker for blockchain adoption.
With UR, you can easily move money between your fiat and crypto wallets. Whether you're cashing out or buying in, UR will make it simple.
#5. DeFi opportunities
Initially, you'll be able to invest directly into Mantle-native products like MI4 and mETH. In the later stages, other DeFi opportunities like crypto-collateralized credit and yield farms will be available as well.
It'll basically give DeFi opportunities within TradFi comforts.
And There's More Coming
The roadmap's packed with features, including:
- Foreign exchange support
- Support for more currencies
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Integrating more crypto networks
All these promises sound amazing. How is it possible? Weren't fiat & crypto built on different foundations? How's UR & Mantle combining the two?
The image below explains it.
In short, UR is building a compliant, secure system that satisfies Fiat's strict regulations while utilizing crypto as the backend.
Every user will need to complete KYC to use the app. That's non-negotiable, thanks to the TradFi regulations. But behind the scenes, they're using DIDs (Decentralized IDs) and NFT-based credentials to keep it Web3-native.
When Can You Use It?
UR has already started rolling out. As of June 19, it's in private testing with real users. The public launch is coming in Q3, and after that, they'll start supporting more jurisdictions based on regulatory progress and infrastructure.
Bonus for $MNT Holders: Bybit Megadrop
If you're holding $MNT, there's a sweet side quest for you.
Bybit Megadrop is a token launch platform that lets users earn airdrops by completing simple tasks.
Staking $MNT in their Fixed-Term Bybit Savings plan will give you guaranteed returns: 3.5% APR for staking 14 days & 5% APR for 30 days.
Additionally, right now, you can earn $XO tokens by staking $MNT. It's the token of a POP shooter with an RPG progression called XOCIETY.
- Your airdrop will be based on the amount of points you earn.
- Staking more MNT will give you more points. Staking for 30 days will give you a 1.2x multiplier.
- If you complete at least one spot trade per day on ByBit, you can earn more points & rewards.
You can learn more about the opportunity here. You can also calculate the potential rewards from the program here.
(The calculation is assuming the $XO price. The Airdrop APY will change according to the $XO price assumption. Play around with various values for the $XO price for better projections.)
$MNT stakers in the previous MegaDrop events had massive returns. In the OBOL airdrop, the total APY was ~182%, 42.49% for the ELDE airdrop, and 48.3% in the case Skate airdrop. (You can find the calculations here.)
So, the Mantle ecosystem is filled with opportunities & their roadmap is even more exciting.
🚀 DeFi Catalysts
PancakeSwap has launched CrosschainSwap. It allows users to swap tokens across BNB Chain, Arbitrum, and Base in one click.
Sky Ecosystem has gone live on Optimism. Users can now mint USDS and stake it from the superchain.
Fluid has integrated EIP-7702. It allows users to combine multiple transactions/clicks into a single click/transaction.
CoW Protocol has launched Fair Combinatorial Batch Auctions (FCBAs). It increases efficiency, removes toxic extraction, and more.
Jupiter has launched Radar on its mobile application. It enables notification on stuff like new airdrops and when your LP position is out of range.
Derive introduced Derive Pro. It claims to provide 2- 3x better capital efficiency, faster execution, and more customization.
Spectra Finance is expanding to Avalanche and BNB Chain. It's a yield trading protocol with permissionless pool creation.
🚀 DeFi Catalysts
Rumpel has launched on HyperEVM. It allows users to tokenize and sell reward points from protocols to get liquidity and maximize yield.
Dualmint shipped AirUp. It installed A/C units that cut power bills by 20% per month and stream the savings to wallets in USDC.
Ethena released the public testnet of Ethereal. It's a spot & perpetual trading platform that Ethena's USDe will power.
Fliq Predictions public testnet is live. It's a prediction market that allows users to trade real-world events. A campaign with $500/week in rewards is also live.
Hyli testnet is live. It's a new generation of L1 that's powered by zk-proofs. The apps will be executed offchain and settled onchain.
📰 Industry News
Kazakhstan launched the first Solana Economic Zone in Central Asia. It'll accelerate experimentations and RWA integrations.
Celestia is discussing a new consensus mechanism called Poof-of-Governance, a controversial permissioned mechanism.
Polygon released Agglayer v0.3. It lays the groundwork for non-CDK chains to join the AggLayer. Polygon PoS will join it by the end of Q3.
🐦⬛ X Hits
- Comparison of crypto-powered cards.
- The story of catching a gem before it moons.
- The core concept of Yieldbasis, an AMM without IL.
- Hyperliquid's Money Market & LST Landscape
- Convenience: the next frontier of crypto
😂 Meme
Until next time,
Edgy
Today's email was written by Edgy and Yayya.
DISCLAIMER: I'm NOT a financial advisor. This content is for education and information purposes only. Crypto and DeFi are risky and speculative. Please do your research before investing.
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