Got $1,000? 2 Cryptocurrencies to Buy and Hold for Decades

Heading into 2026, crypto investors have an important decision to make: Should they go with recent winners in the crypto market, or stick to high-quality names that have established track records dating back a decade or longer?

Given the historic volatility of crypto, the better pick is to stick with the longtime winners that have shown the ability to weather the tough times. With that in mind, here are two cryptocurrencies that should be on your investment radar in 2026.

1. Bitcoin

The top pick is Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), which stands head and shoulders above all other cryptocurrencies in terms of historical performance. In the period from August 2017 to November 2025, Bitcoin gained at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 44%.

And if you go back even further in time, Bitcoin's performance becomes all the more impressive. In the period from 2012 to 2024, Bitcoin was the top-performing asset in the world in 10 of those 12 years. That includes seven years in which Bitcoin turned in triple-digit percentage returns.

Quite simply, it's hard to go wrong with a digital asset that has been doubling in value with astonishing regularity. For good reason, Bitcoin has skyrocketed in value from a price of $100 in 2013 to a price of nearly $90,000 today. How many other assets can boast 1,000-fold gains during the past decade?

Image source: Getty Images.

The only problem, of course, is that Bitcoin is also prone to stunning collapses every few years. In 2014, 2018, and 2022, Bitcoin lost 57% or more of its value before eventually recovering.

From this perspective, Bitcoin's downturn this year -- in which it has lost almost 8% of its value -- is nothing out of the ordinary. If history is any guide, Bitcoin will soon recover and soar to a new all-time high. That has been the pattern after its three previous market collapses.

In fact, J.P. Morgan still thinks Bitcoin could double in value next year to hit a price of $170,000. Looking even longer term, investors and strategists think Bitcoin could eventually soar to a price of $1 million or higher by the year 2030.

If you're willing to buy and hold Bitcoin for decades, you might see even more impressive returns. Michael Saylor, founder and executive chairman of Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, thinks Bitcoin is headed to a price of $21 million within the next two decades.

2. Ethereum

The other cryptocurrency with a stellar historical track record dating back more than a decade is Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH). From August 2017 to November 2025, Ethereum posted a CAGR of 29%. As a result, Ethereum has soared in value since its launch in July 2015. Earlier this year, Ethereum hit a new all-time high near $5,000.

What makes Ethereum particularly attractive is its highly diversified blockchain ecosystem that includes everything from blockchain gaming to decentralized finance (DeFi). More than a decade after its launch, Ethereum is still a blockchain juggernaut. For example, when it comes to DeFi, Ethereum has a dominant 64% market share.

As a result, Ethereum has become the preferred blockchain of Wall Street. As traditional finance continues to intersect with blockchain finance in the coming years, Ethereum stands to be the biggest beneficiary. In areas ranging from stablecoins to real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, Ethereum has the early first-mover advantage over competing blockchains. This should help to push up the price of Ethereum for years to come.

However, Ethereum -- just like Bitcoin -- is also a highly volatile asset prone to severe market declines. In 2022, for example, Ethereum tumbled by 68%. And in 2018, Ethereum fell by a stunning 82%. So it's understandable why crypto investors are having second thoughts about Ethereum this year, given that it's down more than 12% for 2025.

No guarantees for crypto investors

As a result, investors should keep in mind that historical performance is no guarantee of future results. In other words, just because Bitcoin and Ethereum have soared in value during the past decade doesn't mean that they will turn in encore performances during the next decade as well.

Still, it's hard not to feel confident about the long-term prospects for both Bitcoin and Ethereum. Together, they still account for an incredible 70% of the total value of the crypto market, and both have impressive long-term growth prospects. If you're looking to ramp up your exposure to crypto in 2026, both are must-adds for your portfolio.

Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.