Next Cryptocurrency to Explode, 15 January — Lido DAO, STP, Gala, Cardano

The altcoin market looks promising, and many altcoins are recording gains. Late last year, the cryptocurrency market experienced heightened volatility as several tokens experienced price fluctuations. But things have mostly been on the green side for many investors since November. Investors need to stay alert during this consolidation phase, as it could be a chance to catch a ride on a rising trend.

Prices of various altcoins are already showing positive movements, even before the market takes off entirely. This article is dedicated to identifying the next cryptocurrencies to explode and inform investors and traders about each token.

Next Cryptocurrency To Explode

Savvy investors capitalized on this year’s boom in the altcoin market and taking positions in upcoming tokens like the Meme Index. Meme Index simplifies investing in meme coins by offering exposure to a curated collection of meme coins, reducing individual risks.

1. Lido DAO (LDO)

Lido Finance is the largest liquid staking protocol in the DeFi ecosystem, showcasing remarkable dominance. According to DeFiLlama, Lido currently boasts a total value locked (TVL) of $38.4 billion, significantly outpacing competitors like Rocket Pool and Jito, which hold $2.9 billion and $3.1 billion, respectively. This impressive lead underscores Lido’s strong foothold in the market.

Moreover, Lido achieved a groundbreaking milestone in 2024, marking its fourth year of operation. For the first time, the platform recorded a net profit of $5 million, supported by $99 million in revenue and $94 million in expenses. Steakhouse Financial, a leading crypto advisory firm, confirmed that this achievement represents a pivotal moment in Lido’s journey toward profitability and sustainability.

Lido’s native token, LDO, has also experienced noteworthy growth. Over the past month, the token surged by 33.36%, reaching $1.53. Additionally, its trading volume increased by 38.50% in the last 24 hours, highlighting rising interest in Ethereum staking. Although its market capitalization slightly declined to $1.37 billion, these numbers demonstrate Lido’s growing influence and appeal in the staking sector.

Reminder: Lido on Polygon will be paused temporarily from tomorrow, January 15th, as part of the sunsetting process and will resume on January 22nd.

No withdrawals will be processed during this period.

For more info, check out https://t.co/icgidJsbqF.

— Lido (@LidoFinance) January 14, 2025

However, not all news has been expansion-focused. On December 16, the Lido Finance team announced plans to discontinue operations on Polygon following a community vote. The decision, initiated by Shard Labs in 2021, was approved by LDO token holders through the Lido DAO forum. 

Between January 15 and January 22, 2025, Lido on Polygon operations will be temporarily paused, making withdrawals unavailable. Moreover, frontend staking support will cease on June 16, 2025, after which withdrawals will only be accessible via Explorer tools.

2. STP (STPT)

STP (STPT) is gaining attention with its recent price increase of 9.07%, bringing its value to $0.07419. This growth is further supported by a market capitalization of $144.32 million and a sharp rise in 24-hour trading volume to $158.85 million—a massive 563.35% increase compared to the previous period. With a circulating supply of 1.94 billion tokens and no specified maximum supply, the token’s fully diluted valuation (FDV) matches its market cap at $144.32 million.

Moreover, market sentiment for STPT is highly optimistic. The token boasts a Fear & Greed Index score 70, signaling extreme greed and strong market confidence. Technically, it trades above its 200-day simple moving average (SMA), which highlights a positive long-term trend. Over the past 30 days, STPT has performed well, with 60% of the days closing at a higher price than they opened.

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— STP (@STP_Network) January 14, 2025

Furthermore, STPT benefits from excellent liquidity, making it an appealing choice for traders and investors. Its recent price surge, favorable technical trends, and robust market sentiment point to a promising outlook for short-term growth.

3. Meme Index (MEMEX)

The Meme Index introduces an innovative approach to cryptocurrency by becoming the world’s first decentralized index fund for meme coins. Drawing inspiration from the S&P 500, it combines the price movements of various meme coins into a single asset. This unique strategy simplifies investing in meme coins, providing a clear market overview without the hassle of tracking individual coins.

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Moreover, the Meme Index caters to different investor preferences with four distinct offerings: Meme Titan, Meme Moonshot, Meme Midcap, and Meme Frenzy. These options range from low-volatility indexes featuring established meme coins like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Pepe to high-volatility ones with smaller, lower-cap meme coins. This flexibility allows investors to choose an index that suits their risk tolerance and goals.

Additionally, the platform capitalizes on the vast $120 billion meme coin market, offering a solution that reduces the risks typically associated with individual meme coin investments. By providing a diversified and straightforward way to enter the market, the Meme Index makes investing in meme coins more accessible and less daunting.

The process is user-friendly for beginners. Investors can easily participate in the Meme Index presale using popular wallets like MetaMask, Wallet Connect, or Coinbase Wallet. Tokens can be purchased with Ethereum (ETH), USDT, or BNB. Once acquired, these tokens can be staked immediately to earn passive income through the platform’s high-yield staking program.

Buy MEMEX Tokens Now

4. Gala (GALA)

Gala (GALA) is making steady progress in its recovery, breaking free from a prolonged downtrend and showing promising upward momentum. After retreating to a key support range, the token rebounded, reaching its first target and achieving a 6.40% gain within 24 hours. This marks a crucial turning point for the GALA/USDT pair, fueled by technical improvements and ecosystem upgrades.

At press time, GALA is trading at around $0.0365, reflecting a modest increase over the past day. Its 24-hour trading volume also grew slightly by 1.44%, climbing to $210.08 million. Technical indicators suggest that GALA maintains strong support levels, indicating the potential for continued gains.

Moreover, this price growth reflects more than a general market trend—it highlights Gala Games’ efforts to strengthen its ecosystem. The team is addressing key user concerns by enhancing decentralization, reducing fees, and improving liquidity. These efforts have bolstered GALA’s appeal and positioned it for long-term growth.

One of the most notable advancements is the ongoing transformation of GalaChain’s blockchain infrastructure. Gala Games is transitioning from a Raft consensus mechanism to the more secure Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) consensus algorithm. This upgrade, a first for a hyperledger fabric chain, aims to create a safer and more decentralized blockchain environment. Although currently in the testing phase, the update is expected to launch on the mainnet soon.

5. Cardano (ADA)

As 2024 came to a close, Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, unveiled ambitious plans for the protocol’s future. This year, Input Output Global (IOG) has set its sights on key areas, including Bitcoin DeFi integration, the Midnight Network, Partnerchains, and upgrades for decentralized applications (dApps). These initiatives signal a transformative phase for Cardano, aimed at solidifying its place in the blockchain ecosystem.

One of the most exciting developments is the potential integration of Ripple’s new stablecoin, RLUSD, into the Cardano blockchain. Launched in December, RLUSD has already gained attention as a regulatory-approved stablecoin with strong potential. If integrated, it could significantly boost Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem by attracting more users and increasing adoption.

Moreover, Cardano’s light wallet, Yoroi Wallet, recently achieved a significant milestone with the release of Yoroi Wallet 5.0. This update was made possible through partnerships with Banxa and Encryptus, a licensed cryptocurrency trading platform that introduces advanced fiat-to-crypto capabilities. These partnerships are crucial in enhancing the wallet’s functionality and user experience.

Meanwhile, the ADA token has shown positive momentum, with its price rising by 9.42% in the past 24 hours to $1.033. This growth marks a notable recovery from its earlier performance during a market downturn. The current price level is seen as a psychological zone, sparking optimism among analysts. Some predict ADA could reach $3 by the end of 2025, especially if asset managers file for Cardano ETF products and secure approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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