Top 3 Cryptos That Could Reach $3 By 2026

The crypto market feels like it’s waking up again. After a shaky 2024, 2025 has brought a new wave of energy across DeFi and meme sectors. Some projects are quietly building while others are making bold moves. One of the most prominent of these is Little Pepe (LILPEPE); before its formal launch, early investors reported returns of 120% and the possibility of a 36.36% increase. If current trends continue, the coin, which is currently priced at $0.0022, may see huge returns by 2026.

Little Pepe (LILPEPE) – The Meme Infra Wildcard

This is where things get really interesting. Little Pepe (LILPEPE) has managed to steal attention from giants like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and PEPE. At the time of writing, it is in Stage 13 of its presale, priced at $0.0022 per token. The presale is 95.69% filled, with $27,137,602 raised out of a $28,775,000 target. That’s a lot of confidence for a meme coin still in its presale stage.

Unlike traditional memes, Little Pepe is building a Layer 2 blockchain for memes, featuring zero transaction tax, sniper bot protection, and a meme launchpad. It’s already listed on CoinMarketCap and audited by CertiK, showing strong credibility. The project is also hosting a $777K giveaway and a Mega Giveaway worth over 15 ETH for top presale buyers between Stage 12 and Stage 17. When the token sells at $0.0030, current purchases could still earn up to 36.36%, while early backers from Stage 1 have already profited 120%. The anticipated gains by 2026 might be transformative if Little Pepe keeps up its pace and community spirit.

Lido DAO (LDO) – The Staking Backbone

In the last week, the token has increased by roughly 5.6%, indicating that investors are once again confident. With more than 30% of all Ethereum staked, Lido is still one of the largest staking protocols. Lido's dominance grows as more people choose to stake Ethereum rather than sell it, which directly benefits LDO holders. Analysts believe that if staking growth continues, LDO could trade close to the $3 mark by 2026, from its current price of $0.87. Data from CoinCodex suggests a rally toward $3.85 in the next market cycle. The narrative fits, too. Lido remains the most reliable gateway to the Ethereum ecosystem, and staking on the platform is not slowing down. However, a 2.7x gain will be necessary to go from $1.12 to $3, and this will depend on both market sentiment and ongoing network fees.

Optimism (OP) – The Layer 2 Contender

By lowering gas costs and accelerating transactions, this layer two initiative has been significantly contributing to scaling Ethereum. The number of daily active users and DeFi projects integrating on the network's rollup chain has increased dramatically, as OP trades at $0.42. In competition with Arbitrum and Base, Optimism is regarded as one of Ethereum's most potent scaling partners. OP may move closer to $3, which would be about a six-fold increase from current levels, if the overall market enters another bull cycle. 

Final Thoughts

The road to $3 looks different for each of these coins. Lido DAO has a strong use case in staking, Optimism continues to lead the scaling race, and Little Pepe is rewriting what a meme coin can be. But Little Pepe offers something the others don’t: an early entry price and a passionate community driving it forward. If its Layer 2 network succeeds and listings roll out as planned, Little Pepe (LILPEPE) could see the largest projected gains among the three. 

For more information about Little Pepe (LILPEPE) visit the links below:

Website | Whitepaper | Telegram | Twitter/X