As the cryptocurrency market enters February 2026 under significant pressure, with Bitcoin trading below $61,000 and the total market capitalization shedding over $1.2 trillion from its October peak, expert analysis is focusing on assets with strong fundamentals. Ethereum (ETH), Sui Network (SUI), and Ripple (XRP) are consistently highlighted as top investment picks backed by real-world utility, regulatory clarity, and institutional demand.
Ethereum (ETH) trades around $1,914, down over 40% in the last 30 days. Despite the price weakness, on-chain data shows whales added close to four million ETH throughout January, signaling strong conviction. Spot Ethereum investment products have recorded net inflows, led by funds from BlackRock and Grayscale. Ethereum's massive developer community and its dominance in decentralized finance (DeFi) continue to support long-term stability. Upcoming upgrades like Glamsterdam (targeting efficiency gains) and Hegota (aiming to reduce state bloat and lower fees) are set to maintain its relevance. Nic Puckrin from Coin Bureau views large-cap assets like ETH as long-term anchors likely to outperform.
Sui Network (SUI) trades near $0.91, down over 50% in the last 30 days. This decline starkly contrasts with rapid ecosystem expansion. The Mysticeti consensus engine has pushed transaction latency below 390 milliseconds, making Sui one of the fastest production blockchains. Native USDC integration through Circle has turned the network into a stablecoin liquidity hub. The ecosystem is growing through applications in gaming, finance, and social platforms, supported by the Grayscale Sui Trust. Total Value Locked (TVL) has climbed above $1.5 billion despite market weakness, signaling strong underlying growth potential.
Ripple (XRP) trades at $1.32, down over 41% in the last 30 days, with the decline attributed to broad market stress rather than project weakness. The end of Ripple's legal battle with the SEC in 2025 removed a critical barrier, providing regulatory clarity that secondary-market XRP trades are not securities. This has led to tangible effects: Ripple secured an EMI license in Luxembourg and regulatory approval in Dubai. Spot XRP ETFs launched in late 2025 have already attracted over $1.3 billion in inflows. Japan's Gumi is planning a ¥2.5 billion XRP treasury allocation by February 2026. Ripple's technology supports fast, low-cost international payments, driving utility-based demand.
The broader analysis also mentions other notable projects like Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), Zcash (ZEC), Hedera (HBAR), and Stellar (XLM), each showing strong adoption signals despite the market downturn. However, the core expert consensus repeatedly centers on ETH, SUI, and XRP as assets with a unique mix of developer trust, technological innovation, and proven real-world utility, positioning them for potential recovery and growth as risk appetite returns.
