When “altseason” hits, money often rotates out of Bitcoin and into smaller projects—volatility spikes, narratives move fast, and a few well-researched alts can run hard. Price per coin isn’t value, but sub-$5 tokens make it easier to build a position and learn the tech without overcommitting.
Quick primer: What are altcoins?
“Altcoin” = any crypto that isn’t Bitcoin. Many power smart-contract platforms, payment networks, scaling layers, or data infrastructure. They live on public blockchains, and their tokens secure the network (staking), pay fees, govern upgrades, or incentivize usage.
How to buy them (fast)
Pick a chain & wallet (e.g., an exchange account or a self-custody wallet for that chain). Then, purchase the base asset (e.g., USD → ETH) on a reputable exchange. You should be able to find the official listing/contract for the altcoin; make sure to avoid fakes. Finally, buy or swap; confirm the transaction in your wallet.
Here are some coins under $5; all prices are given at the time of reporting.
XRP — Cross-border rails in seconds
The XRP Ledger targets quick, low-cost value transfer with built-in features like decentralized exchange and issued assets. XRP pays fees on the ledger and is often used as a bridge asset for FX-style flows. Its pitch is utility: finality in seconds with tiny costs, and a long-running payments community experimenting with on-ledger tools. The price of XRP is $2.84. Most large exchanges list XRP; buy there and withdraw to an XRP Ledger address.
Cardano — Peer-reviewed smart money
Cardano sits at $0.83 and is a research-driven smart-contract platform built on Ouroboros proof-of-stake and an extended-UTXO model that emphasizes determinism and parallelism. ADA is staked to help secure the network and used for fees and governance. Fans point to formal methods and gradual, peer-reviewed upgrades; critics cite pace—either way, it’s a rich ecosystem to study. Most large exchanges list XRP; buy there and withdraw to an XRP Ledger address (mind any destination tag your exchange requires).
Hedera — Council-governed speed machine
Hedera uses Hashgraph (aBFT) consensus and a governing council of global companies to pursue high throughput and predictable fees. The price of HBAR is $0.2195, it fuels transactions and staking to nodes. Its enterprise-leaning partnerships and carbon-aware footprint have attracted brands experimenting with supply-chain, identity, and tokenized assets. Buy on major exchanges, then withdraw to your Hedera account ID (format 0.0.x, wallet e.g., HashPack).
Polygon — The EVM’s fast lane
Polygon is a family of Ethereum-compatible networks that bring cheaper, faster transactions to EVM apps—most famously via the Polygon PoS chain. MATIC underpins network security and economics across this ecosystem as it evolves toward “Polygon 2.0.” The draw is simple: huge developer mindshare, mainstream brand integrations, and fees low enough for everyday use. The price of Polygon is at $0.21 at the time of reporting. You can buy on major exchanges (e.g., Coinbase/Kraken/Binance), then withdraw on the Polygon PoS network to a wallet like MetaMask.
Arbitrum — Ethereum’s busiest rollup
Arbitrum is one of Ethereum’s leading Layer-2 rollups, moving computation off-chain while inheriting Ethereum’s security. Arbitrum is a great contender for under $5 coins as it sits at $0.499. ARB governs protocol upgrades and incentives (gas on Arbitrum is paid in ETH). If you use DeFi, you’ve likely touched Arbitrum. Buy on major exchanges and withdraw on the Arbitrum One network.
Optimism — One stack, many chains
This coin is at $0.71 and is another marquee Ethereum L2, but also a tech stack (the OP Stack) used to spin up new rollups—collectively branded the “Superchain.” OP governs the ecosystem and funds public-goods initiatives; fees on the network are still paid in ETH. The big idea: many chains, one shared standard, and liquidity. Buy on major exchanges and withdraw on the Arbitrum One network.
Sui — Move-powered, object-centric speed
Sui is a high-throughput Layer-1 blockchain from Mysten Labs that uses a Move-based language (“Sui Move”) and an object-centric data model. By treating assets as objects, Sui can execute many transactions in parallel (no global ordering when they don’t touch the same objects), delivering low-latency confirmations and cheap fees. The SUI token powers gas, staking for validators, and governance, with the network targeting consumer apps—games, payments, and NFT-style interactions. The price of Sui at the time of reporting is $3.38. Sui is listed on major exchanges; you can withdraw to a Sui Wallet (or compatible) on the Sui network.
The Graph — Google-for-blockchains data layer
Blockchains are noisy databases; The Graph makes them queryable. Developers publish “subgraphs” that index on-chain data, and a marketplace of indexers serves those queries. It’s Web3’s “picks and shovels.” This coin is on the lower price side at $0.08. The Graph can be purchased on major exchanges; GRT is an ERC-20 on Ethereum.
Fantom — Fast finality, tiny fees
Fantom is an EVM-compatible network using the Lachesis aBFT consensus for fast confirmation and low fees. FTM powers fees and staking for validators. It’s long punched above its weight in DeFi activity, with builders drawn to quick finality and inexpensive transactions for complex strategies and real-time apps. The current price of Fantom is $0.308. You can buy Fantom on major exchanges and withdraw to the Fantom Opera network (EVM).
Altseason rewards preparation, not luck. If you explore sub-$5 coins, focus on use case, token utility, developer traction, and risk management. Start small, verify contracts, mind fees and security, and remember: this isn’t financial advice—crypto is volatile, and fundamentals (not just price) should drive your decisions.
