Beyond BTC and ETH: The 3-5 Year Crypto Gems That Experts Are Betting On

Beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum: A Strategic View

The question was simple: What would you buy in crypto over the next 3–5 years if you couldn’t touch BTC, ETH, SOL, or meme coins?

But the answers? Anything but simple.

I’ve been sifting through replies from VCs, L1 architects, and chain engineers—people who don’t tweet for clout but code for impact. And one truth stands out: the era of pure speculation is over.

If you’re serious about long-term value capture in crypto—especially beyond the two giants—you need assets with real revenue engines or foundational infrastructure roles.

Let’s cut through the noise with cold logic.

The Real Winners Are Building Infrastructure

Jesse.base.eth (Base’s lead) bets on $COIN—not because it’s shiny, but because Coinbase has executed at scale. They’re not just a custodian; they’re a platform with deep product moats across trading, staking, and institutional access.

That’s not luck. That’s network effect built on execution.

Similarly, $STRK (Starknet) isn’t just another L2—it offers unique account abstraction (AA) features that turn gas fees into UX innovation. With its TPS now rivaling Solana’s—and a fully diluted valuation under $10B—it’s quietly undervalued relative to Arbitrum or Optimism.

Here’s my model: if Starknet becomes Bitcoin’s L2 someday—theoretically possible via zk-proof rollups—it could see multiple expansions in value. Not speculative hope. Calculated risk.

Privacy & Identity Are Back in Play?

Mert from Helius Labs leans into privacy: \(JTO (Jito) for Solana dominance retention; \)ZEC (Zcash) for the coming privacy resurgence.

And honestly? He might be right.

With governments tightening surveillance post-AI boom—and OpenAI already testing identity verification systems—I’m re-evaluating WLD (Worldcoin)’s role as an on-chain human verification layer.

It’s not just “proof of personhood” anymore—it could become decentralized identity for AI-era governance. An essential utility when bots start voting in DAOs or accessing financial services.

Chainlink Isn’t Just Oracle — It’s Regulated Gatekeeper

Alex Svanevik at Nansen says build diversified L1 portfolios—but I’d add one more filter: does it serve TradFi?

Because here’s where Chainlink shines: The ACE engine will automate compliance checks—KYC validation across borders instantly via smart contracts. The CCID system allows cross-chain identity without centralization risks. The DECO protocol uses zkTLS to keep private data off-chain while proving authenticity—patented tech backed by real institutions like JPMorgan and SWIFT.

This isn’t incremental progress—it’s industrial-grade adoption. When traditional finance starts trusting decentralized networks… this is how they’ll connect to them.

tokenomics aren’t enough anymore—they must solve real-world problems with regulatory-grade security.