Crypto

The Best Cryptocurrency to Buy With $100 Right Now | The Motley Fool

Published

3 months ago

December 2, 2025

The Best Cryptocurrency to Buy With 0 Right Now | The Motley Fool

Bitcoin is still the best crypto investment for cautious investors.

Bitcoin‘s (BTC +2.34%) price hit an all-time high of $126,198 on Oct. 6. That marked a gain of more than 30% from the beginning of the year. But as of this writing, it trades at about $85,000 — and it’s declined about 9% year to date. Bitcoin gave up all of its gains for the year as the unpredictable macro environment drove more investors to take profits and retreat from the speculative crypto market. A lack of clear near-term catalysts likely exacerbated that pressure.

But despite those near-term challenges, I think Bitcoin is still the best cryptocurrency to nibble on in this volatile market. I wouldn’t invest my life savings in Bitcoin, but I think a modest $100 investment — which would only get you about 0.0011 Bitcoin right now — could still be churned into a few thousand dollars as some longer-term catalysts kick in.

Image source: Getty Images.

What are Bitcoin’s long-term catalysts?

Bitcoin is the world’s most valuable cryptocurrency. With a market cap of $1.7 trillion, it’s also the third most valuable commodity after gold ($29.3 trillion) and silver ($3.2 trillion). Three long-term catalysts drove it to the top of the crypto market. First, it launched its coin in 2009, back when the concept of cryptocurrencies still seemed like a fantasy. That first-mover advantage helped it stay ahead of the other blockchains and tokens that followed its lead.

Today’s Change

(2.34%) $2013.86

Current Price

$88092.00

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1753B

Day’s Range

$83989.00 – $87818.00

52wk Range

$74604.47 – $126079.89

Volume

75B

Avg Vol

Gross Margin

0.00%

Dividend Yield

N/A

Second, Bitcoin was mined with an energy-intensive proof-of-work mechanism that required its miners to solve cryptographic puzzles with their computers to earn the coins as rewards. Every four years, the rewards for mining are cut in half with a scheduled halving — so it becomes increasingly difficult to mine the token for a profit.

Bitcoin also has a fixed maximum supply of 21 million coins, and 19.9 million of those have already been mined. The last Bitcoin is expected to be mined by 2140. That scheduled scarcity makes it more similar to gold and silver than other cryptocurrencies.

Lastly, Bitcoin is attracting a lot of attention from retail, institutional, corporate, and government investors. The approvals of its first spot price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) made it easier to invest in Bitcoin, and big financial institutions like BlackRock and tech companies like Strategy are still accumulating the token.

El Salvador and the Central African Republic already recognize Bitcoin as legal tender, and more inflation-wracked countries could follow that lead. The Trump administration also proposed the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve — to store the government’s seized Bitcoins and use tax-free methods to accumulate more Bitcoin — earlier this year. That firm support indicates that Bitcoin, which is priced in U.S. dollars, could become a global hedge against inflation.

Why should investors tune out the near-term noise?

Bitcoin remains a divisive investment for the bulls and bears. Strategy’s co-founder and Executive Chairman Michael Saylor expects Bitcoin’s price to reach $21 million by 2046, but Nobel Prize-winning economist Eugene Fam believes it will go to zero within the next decade.

I believe both arguments are too extreme. Bitcoin has already gained too much momentum among the big investors to go back to zero, but soaring 23,000% to $21 million would boost its market cap to nearly $416 trillion. That’s nearly 10 of today’s Nvidias, the world’s most valuable company.

For Bitcoin’s price to soar that high, the U.S. dollar might need to crash. That hyperinflation probably wouldn’t occur unless the U.S. economy collapsed in a cataclysmic event.

So instead of betting on a huge global depression, I believe Bitcoin will land somewhere between those two targets. If we go back 20 years, gold was trading at just $477 per ounce. Today, it trades at about $4,200 per ounce. So if Bitcoin is actually digital gold — as many of its proponents claim — it could rise at least 10-fold during the next two decades. That makes it a good cryptocurrency to invest in today, even if it goes through some wild swings during the next few years.

Crypto

Debate Brews Over Crypto Kiosks As Lawmakers Consider Potential Ban

Published

5 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Debate Brews Over Crypto Kiosks As Lawmakers Consider Potential Ban

Lawmakers Consider Crypto ATM Ban as Scam Losses Rise — Including in Central Minnesota

Minnesota lawmakers are considering banning cryptocurrency kiosks as scam losses continue to rise across the state—including in Central Minnesota.

There are currently about 350 crypto kiosks operating statewide, located in places like gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores. These machines allow users to deposit cash and convert it into cryptocurrency, which can then be sent electronically.

Law enforcement officials say scammers are increasingly directing victims to use these kiosks because once the money is sent, it is extremely difficult—if not impossible—to recover.

Police say scams often begin with a phone call, text, or online message. In many cases, scammers pose as government officials, tech support workers, or even romantic partners. Victims are eventually told to withdraw cash and deposit it into a crypto kiosk to “protect” their money or resolve a supposed emergency.

Central Minnesota has seen similar cases. Because St. Cloud serves as a regional hub for shopping and services, crypto kiosks are available locally, giving scammers access points to target area residents.

Some say kiosks also serve legitimate users

Despite the concerns, crypto kiosks do offer legitimate benefits. They allow people to purchase cryptocurrency quickly using cash, without needing a traditional bank account, credit card, or online exchange. Supporters say this can make cryptocurrency more accessible, especially for people who prefer cash transactions or have limited access to banking services.

Crypto kiosks can also be used to send money quickly, including international transfers, without relying on traditional wire services. Some users view them as a convenient way to invest in cryptocurrency or move money electronically without going through a bank.

Companies that operate the machines say the vast majority of transactions are legitimate and that kiosks include warnings about scams. They argue the focus should be on stopping scammers, not banning the machines entirely.

Lawmakers weighing next steps

Supporters of the proposed ban say removing the kiosks could help prevent fraud and protect vulnerable residents, particularly older adults. Law enforcement officials told lawmakers that crypto kiosk scams have resulted in significant financial losses statewide.

Minnesota passed regulations in 2024 requiring some safeguards, including limits on deposits for new users and refund requirements in certain fraud cases. But officials say scammers have continued to adapt.

The bill remains under consideration at the Capitol.

In the meantime, authorities urge Central Minnesota residents to be cautious. Officials emphasize that legitimate government agencies, law enforcement, and businesses will never ask someone to deposit cash into a cryptocurrency kiosk.

As cryptocurrency becomes more common, lawmakers are now weighing whether the risks to consumers outweigh the convenience and accessibility these machines provide.

10 (More) Hilariously Bad Google Reviews of Central MN Landmarks

Crypto

Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud: Bizman loses Rs 2.6 cr to crypto, investment fraud | Hyderabad News – The Times of India

Published

17 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Hyderabad: A 69-year-old businessman from Somajiguda lost 2.65 crore allegedly in a cryptocurrency and stock investment fraud. Based on his complaint, Hyderabad Cyber Crime police have registered a case.The complainant was first contacted by a fraudster posing as Ramya Krishnan on Aug 30, 2025 through Facebook. She persuaded the victim to invest in a cryptocurrency and stock trading platform, Polyus Finance PFP Gold, hosted at the domain pfpgoldfx.vip, promising high returns to finance his proposed resort and apparel ventures.Fraudsters provided the victim a contact number for daily communication and sent screenshots showing notional profits credited in his wallet in USDT cryptocurrency. To build trust, the fraudster even allowed the victim a token withdrawal of 4,300 on Sept 12, 2025.Encouraged, the victim transferred over 2.65 crore in 10 transactions between Sept 10 and Dec 39, 2025 to various current accounts provided by the accused.When he attempted to withdraw his ‘earnings’, the accused demanded an additional 15% conversion commission. After he refused, the website became inaccessible and calls to the fraudsters went unanswered.Realising that he was duped, the victim filed an online report on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) before approaching the Cyber Crime police on Feb 25.Based on his complaint, a case was registered under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act and Sections 111(2)(b) (Organised crime), 318(4) (Cheating), 319(2) (Cheating by personation), 336(3) (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 338 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc.) and 340(2) (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Wednesday. Police were analysing financial transactions to identify and arrest the accused.

Crypto

Terror groups receive $1.7b. from Iran through Binance | The Jerusalem Post

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Terror groups receive .7b. from Iran through Binance | The Jerusalem Post

Iranians were able to access more than 1,500 Binance accounts last year, and $1.7 billion was transferred from two of them to terrorist proxies, The New York Times reported Monday.

That was a potential violation of global sanctions, the report said, citing company records and documents collected by internal investigators.

The cryptocurrency exchange site reportedly fired or suspended at least four employees cited in the internal investigation. The company blamed “violations of company protocol” relating to its clients’ data, the Times reported.

The report came days after The Jerusalem Post spoke with experts from blockchain intelligence platform NOMINIS.io about how the Iranian regime was evading Western sanctions through cryptocurrencies.

The regime maintains a steady income using cryptocurrency through oil sales to Russia and China, NOMINIS CEO Snir Levi said at the time.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to failing to implement a program to prevent money laundering, arrives for his sentencing in federal district court in Seattle, Washington. (credit: REUTERS/Deborah Bloom)

Regarding the latest scandal, he told the Post this week: “The latest allegations about Binance come months after the lawsuit by the victims’ families of October 7 – the ongoing Balva [versus] Binance case.

The majority of the allegations can be easily confirmed by on-chain data. There are thousands of cases where money has been sent and received to and from wallets that have clear connections to Iran.”

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao is being sued by the families of American victims and hostages of the October 7 massacre. He has been accused of knowingly enabling Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to transfer more than $1b. through its platform, including more than $50 million after the October 7 massacre.

Zhao pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering violations in connection with Binance in 2023. US President Donald Trump pardoned him last October.

“They say what he did was not even a crime,” Trump told reporters last October. “It wasn’t a crime. That he was persecuted by the Biden administration, and so I gave him a pardon at the request of a lot of very good people.”

Binance representative Rachel Conlan said the accounts linked to the $1.7b. in Iranian transactions have been removed and the relevant authorities were informed.

“Any suggestion that Binance knowingly allowed sanctionable activity to continue unchecked is incorrect and defamatory,” she said, despite Zhao’s earlier admission of anti-money-laundering violations.

More than half a dozen compliance officials have left Binance, including a sanctions manager and the leader of the enterprise compliance team, over the past few months, the Times reported.

“No investigator was dismissed for raising compliance concerns or for reporting potential sanctions issues,” Conlan said in a statement to The Guardian.

Democrat senator opens inquiry into cryptocurrency company

While Conlan insisted there was no wrongdoing, US Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) opened an inquiry into Binance on Tuesday, seeking records of the company’s dealings in Hong Kong , where funds have previously been transferred in a network against sanctions.

“Binance appears to have ignored warnings and recommendations to prevent Iranian money-laundering schemes on its cryptocurrency exchange,” Blumenthal wrote in a letter to Binance co-chief executive Richard Teng.

“According to documents obtained by the Times and the Journal, Binance was even warned that Hexa Whale was financing terrorist organizations such as the Yemeni Houthis, and internal investigators found cryptocurrency transfers to wallets associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and payments to crew members of Russia’s sanctions-evading shadow fleet of oil tankers,” he wrote.

“Instead of actually preventing illicit use, Binance has sought to evade accountability and influence the White House through lobbying and a financial partnership with World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the cryptocurrency firm owned by the sons of President Trump and his special envoy Steve Witkoff… This influence campaign has worked: In May 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it was dismissing a lawsuit against Binance for lying to regulators and mishandling funds, followed in October by the stunning Presidential pardon of founder Changpeng Zhao.”

“The scale of the newly revealed illicit transfers – uncaught until nearly $2 billion flowed to sanctioned entities – and the unexplained firing of internal investigators call into question Binance’s compliance with American sanctions and banking laws, and its 2023 agreement to resolve the previous federal investigation,” Blumenthal wrote.