Crypto Is Surging After President Trump Pushes Congress to Pass the Clarity Act. Which Cryptocurrencies Are Worth Buying Now?

Crypto markets are surging once again after President Trump urged Congress to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act -- more commonly referred to simply as the Clarity Act -- on Aug. 20.

The Clarity Act aims to clarify federal crypto regulations by establishing a comprehensive rulebook for how crypto companies and assets will be regulated. Many industry insiders are proponents of the legislation, arguing that it will unlock growth, adoption, and innovation across the crypto space.

"We need Congress to take the next step by passing the Clarity Act – a fair version of the Clarity Act," Trump stressed. "It's a very, very powerful structured legislation which will keep us ahead of China, keep us ahead of everyone else, will open the door to the next wave of innovations and innovators."

Trump called for the passage of the Clarity Act alongside industry CEOs, including the leader of Ripple(CRYPTO:XRP), a popular crypto company that wrapped up a lawsuit filed by the SEC last year. While Ripple agreed to pay a $125 million fine, the resolution was another sign that regulators wish to move forward with a more friendly stance toward crypto businesses as a whole.

As the regulatory environment continues to improve, which cryptocurrencies are worth buying today? Perhaps surprisingly, my top pick remains arguably the most popular crypto asset of all time.

Bitcoin remains the best long-term cryptocurrency

Many cryptocurrencies have come and gone over the years. But none will ever surpass the durability of Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC).

Launched in 2009, Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency in the world. And while many new crypto assets have appeared, many with more advantageous designs for certain use cases, none will ever match Bitcoin's history. Put simply, there will never be another "first" cryptocurrency. In this way, Bitcoin's position in crypto history is rather permanent.

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It can be tempting to expand your crypto investment universe beyond plain vanilla Bitcoin. But Bitcoin's history offers significant advantages for downside protection.

As mentioned, the sheer duration of Bitcoin's history will never be surpassed. Its historical significance in the industry will likely never be forgotten. These characteristics have led to more retail and corporate adoption of Bitcoin than any other crypto asset. In many ways, Bitcoin has become the "digital gold". It will retain appeal as a store-of-value asset simply for being itself. That's promising when you compare Bitcoin's $1.5 trillion valuation against traditional gold's $32 trillion valuation.

There will always be a slew of new, innovative cryptocurrencies better adapted to certain use cases. Ripple, for example, has designed itself specifically for cross-border transactions and corporate adoption. Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH), on the other hand, is clearly superior when it comes to programmability and the development of a decentralized application ecosystem.

Bitcoin, meanwhile, remains a relatively "boring" blue chip crypto asset with minimal innovation. That could be a huge plus in a more friendly regulatory environment. If industry innovation accelerates, so will adoption. Already with leading market adoption, Bitcoin could further cement its competitive moat in the coming years -- much like gold has much like gold has throughout its history.

So while recent events may garner newfound attention for alternative crypto assets, Bitcoin should remain a long-term winner.

Ryan Vanzo has positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.