Here's the 1 Crypto I'd Buy If I Could Pick Only One
Key Points
For much of its 17-year history, Bitcoin has been the top-performing asset in the world.
In addition to its upside potential, the cryptocurrency offers some downside risk protection.
Bitcoin continues to be a unique portfolio diversifier with a long track record of overcoming bearish market cycles.
It's easy to see why some high-profile investors have given up on Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) entirely. After all, it's still down nearly 35% from its October 2025 all-time high of $126,000. Moreover, other cryptocurrencies are suddenly soaring in value, making Bitcoin look like a laggard.
That being said, if I could pick only one cryptocurrency, it would be Bitcoin. Here's why.
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Bitcoin's long-term track record
Bitcoin now has an enviable track record that dates back to 2009. For more than 17 years, it has demonstrated its staying power across multiple crypto market cycles.
For much of that time period, Bitcoin was the top-performing asset in the world. Bitcoin has routinely turned in triple-digit annual returns. As a result, it has produced exponential returns for investors over the past decade. Even more impressively, Bitcoin has never had back-to-back losing years.
Image source: Getty Images.
Yes, Bitcoin is highly cyclical, with alternating periods of boom and bust. Some of Bitcoin's drawdowns have been truly dramatic, with losses of 65% or higher for investors. But here's the thing: Bitcoin's good years have more than made up for the bad years. In years when Bitcoin is not collapsing in value, it often doubles.
By way of comparison, smaller altcoins simply do not have the same track record as Bitcoin. Take Hyperliquid (CRYPTO: HYPE), for example. It ranks as one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies of the year, up more than 230%. But the HYPE token only started trading in late 2024, and there simply isn't enough data to be convinced it has long-term staying power beyond the current hype cycle.
Downside protection
What makes Bitcoin truly unique is its ability to act as a portfolio diversifier. For much of its history, Bitcoin has been uncorrelated with any major asset class. That makes it a useful tool for portfolio diversification. Asset management giant BlackRock, for example, has extolled the virtues of Bitcoin as a "unique portfolio diversifier."
In short, Bitcoin can zig when other assets zag. That means it can perform well even against the backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical tension. Some have even referred to Bitcoin as a potential safe-haven asset.
Thus, Bitcoin is the rare asset that offers stratospheric upside potential with at least a modicum of downside risk protection. The same cannot be said for other risk assets, which tend to perform well only during favorable economic conditions.
The market bellwether
At the end of the day, Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency for a reason. As Bitcoin goes, so goes the crypto market. So, if forced to load up on only one cryptocurrency, I'm putting my trust in Bitcoin.
Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, BlackRock, and Hyperliquid. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.