3 Cryptocurrencies to Buy for a Diversified Portfolio

Even with a steep market decline in early 2026, many top cryptocurrencies are still trading at sky-high prices. A single Bitcoin (BTC +0.10%), for example, will set you back about $71,000.

However, there’s a quick, simple way to put together a diversified crypto portfolio for the ultra-low cost of just $60. Here’s how to do it.

Start with Bitcoin

The building block of any cryptocurrency portfolio needs to be Bitcoin. After all, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency still accounts for a whopping 60% of the total market cap of the crypto market. As a general rule of thumb, then, Bitcoin needs to account for at least 60% of your portfolio. Otherwise, you’re not getting full exposure to crypto as a unique asset class.

Image source: Getty Images.

Although the cost of Bitcoin in the spot market is currently $71,000, there are cheaper ways to get access to it. For example, you could pick up one share of the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT 1.09%), which is currently trading for about $41. This spot crypto ETF gives you 1:1 exposure to the price action of Bitcoin, and can be used as a proxy for direct Bitcoin exposure.

Choose your favorite Layer 1 blockchain network

The next step is to choose your favorite Layer 1 blockchain network. For the majority of investors, this will be Ethereum (ETH 1.83%). It remains the world’s second most-popular cryptocurrency, with a huge $265 billion market cap.

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CRYPTO: ETH

Ethereum

Today’s Change

(-1.83%) $-40.05

Current Price

$2144.14

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$259B

Day’s Range

$2104.60 - $2187.65

52wk Range

$1398.62 - $4946.05

Volume

22B

The good news is that it’s possible to pick up a very affordably priced Ethereum ETF without paying $2,200 in the spot cryptocurrency market. The iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA 2.06%), for example, trades for about $17 right now, and can be added to your portfolio as easily as any tech stock.

That said, there are other Layer 1 blockchain networks that appear to be growing faster than Ethereum right now, and might have a bigger payoff later down the road. My top pick right now is Solana (SOL 1.17%), which is rapidly gaining ground on Ethereum, especially in the key area of decentralized finance (DeFi).

Add in a high-risk, high-upside altcoin

Finally, for maximum diversification benefits, it’s best to add at least one high-upside altcoin. One popular option right now is XRP (XRP 1.34%), which continues to tantalize crypto investors with the prospect of incredibly high future returns. XRP currently trades for a bargain price less than $1.50, making it an affordable addition to any portfolio.

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CRYPTO: XRP

XRP

Today’s Change

(-1.34%) $-0.02

Current Price

$1.45

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$89B

Day’s Range

$1.42 - $1.47

52wk Range

$1.14 - $3.65

Volume

2.4B

But you could just as easily add in an artificial intelligence (AI) crypto. Many of these are also bargain-priced and go for less than $1. My current favorite right now is Kite (KITE +0.00%), which bills itself as “the world’s first AI payment blockchain.” Kite launched at the end of 2025, and currently trades for a price of just $0.20.

The $60 crypto portfolio

And there you have it: the basic framework for a diversified crypto portfolio, all for the low, low price of less than $60. That’s $41 for the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, $17 for the Ethereum ETF, and $2 for 10 of the high-risk, high-upside Kite altcoins or about $1.50 for XRP.

Of course, you will need to rebalance this portfolio to get your allocation just right. But it’s hard to go wrong with a 70/30 blend of Bitcoin and Ethereum at the outset, which is roughly what you get with $41 allocated to Bitcoin and $17 allocated to Ethereum.

And, if you want, that 70/30 blend can easily be changed to a 60/40 or 80/20 blend, depending on your overall risk-reward profile. You also can rotate into different high-upside altcoins as new trends emerge in the blockchain and crypto space.

Crypto investing doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. Thankfully, new spot crypto ETFs make it possible to get exposure at a much lower price point, opening up crypto investing to a wider audience.