Crypto has been brutal lately. Prices have been sliding, sentiment is shaky, and a lot of strong projects have been dragged down with the rest of the market.
But that’s also where the opportunity shows up. When quality altcoins get sold off in broad panic, some of them end up trading at levels that feel completely disconnected from what they’re building.
Expert analyst Altcoin Buzz with 496k subscribers highlighted three altcoins still sitting under $1, two Layer 1 networks and one Layer 2, all with real ecosystems, serious DeFi activity, and long-term upside if the market eventually finds its footing again.
What you'll learn 👉
Sui (SUI)
The first name on the list is Sui, which has dropped back under $1 after spending a long time above that level. Altcoin Buzz called it one of the biggest bargains in this range because the chain continues to expand fast on both the tech and DeFi side.
Sui (SUI) is rolling out free stablecoin transfers, which could become a major usability boost. At the same time, the network has been improving validator efficiency, reducing storage and computing costs.
Privacy is also becoming a key theme, with programmable privacy tools being developed so builders can choose different levels of transaction shielding depending on the use case.
DeFi growth is another major driver. DeepBook, Sui’s liquidity protocol, now supports margin trading, which opens the door for more advanced trading products.
The team also mentioned that Coinbase is adopting Sui’s token standard alongside Solana and EVM networks, which is a big validation point for future adoption.
The main concern is token supply, since only part of the total supply is circulating, but the pace of development is why Sui (SUI) keeps staying in trader’s thoughts. The SUI price is trading at $0.9069.
Canton Network (CC)
Next up is Canton, a project that has climbed into the top ranks quickly because it sits at the intersection of two major crypto trends: privacy and real-world assets.
Canton (CC) is built with institutions in mind, aiming to bring on-chain trading into markets like tokenized assets, but with transaction privacy that banks and funds actually require.
The video explains this well: traditional finance needs shielding, because large players can’t operate on fully transparent public ledgers where competitors can track every move.
Canton already has an ecosystem of major partners, including ETF issuers, crypto-native funds, and even large banks.
One of the most eye-catching stats is that the network is already processing trillions of dollars per month in repo-style volume, which shows there is real institutional experimentation happening. The CC price is trading at $0.1636.
Tokenomics are strong in the sense that all tokens are already in circulation, but there is one clear risk: the theoretical max supply is infinite, which introduces dilution concerns over the long run.
Mantle (MNT)
The third pick is Mantle, one of the more established Layer 2 projects, especially in DeFi-focused circles. Mantle is positioned where DeFi starts blending into more traditional financial structures, offering scaling through rollup technology and additional privacy benefits through off-chain computation.
Mantle’s biggest product is its institutional-grade liquid staking token, which allows ETH stakers to earn yield while still being able to use that position as collateral across DeFi platforms. That creates a strong utility loop inside lending, borrowing, and trading ecosystems.
MNT is trading around $0.6106 after falling sharply from its highs, which reflects the broader altcoin drawdown more than anything project-specific. Supply metrics are decent, though not perfect, and the project still sits as a serious Layer 2 player if DeFi activity rebounds.
Read Also: Chainlink ($LINK) Price to Make a Comeback? Analysts Weigh In
However, Altcoin Buzz’s core message is simple: under-$1 altcoins aren’t automatically “cheap,” but in a market like this, some high-quality networks have been pushed down into bargain territory.
Sui offers high-growth Layer 1 momentum, Canton brings institutional privacy and RWA infrastructure, and Mantle remains a strong DeFi-focused Layer 2 ecosystem play.
If the market eventually turns, these are the kinds of projects that could recover first, not because of hype, but because they’re still building through the downturn.
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