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What Is the Best Crypto Index in 2025? Top Performers and How to Choose the Right One

What is the best crypto index in 2025? Discover the top-performing indices, including AI-managed and passive strategies, and learn how to choose the right one for your crypto portfolio.
Token Metrics Team
8 min
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With the explosion of cryptocurrencies, narratives, and sectors in 2025, the question for many investors is no longer should I invest in crypto—but how. For those looking for diversified, smart exposure, crypto indices have become the go-to option.

But what is the best crypto index in 2025?

In this guide, we’ll explore the top-performing crypto indices of the year, what makes them effective, and how to choose the best index for your goals—whether you want passive exposure, thematic investing, or AI-powered optimization.

What Makes a “Best” Crypto Index?

Before naming names, it’s important to understand the criteria that define a top crypto index:

âś… 1. Performance

Returns compared to BTC, ETH, and market benchmarks

âś… 2. Risk Management

Ability to avoid deep drawdowns and protect capital

âś… 3. Narrative Alignment

Exposure to emerging trends like AI, Memecoins, RWA, or DeFi

âś… 4. Rebalancing Strategy

How frequently and intelligently the index adjusts

âś… 5. User Access

Ease of investing, transparency, and platform reliability

🏆 Top Crypto Indices in 2025

Here are the top crypto indices dominating investor attention in 2025:

1. Token Metrics AI Memecoin Index

Type: AI-Powered
Strategy: Weekly dynamic rebalancing
Constituents: DOGE, SHIB, PEPE, WIF, BONK, FLOKI

Why It’s a Top Pick:
Memecoins dominated the first half of 2025. This AI-managed index captured upside by reallocating into trending tokens and exiting early during corrections. While risky, its weekly AI signals helped outperform most passive strategies.

Ideal For:
High-risk, high-reward investors looking to ride viral trends with smart protection.

2. Token Metrics AI DeFi Index

Type: AI-Powered
Strategy: Bullish/bearish signals per token
Constituents: AAVE, UNI, LDO, RUNE, GMX, DYDX

Why It’s a Top Pick:
DeFi remains a foundational sector. The AI DeFi Index adapts to fast-changing liquidity trends and trading volumes. It reduces exposure to underperformers and increases weight in strong, breakout tokens.

Ideal For:
Long-term crypto believers who want smarter DeFi exposure with reduced risk.

3. Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund (BITW)

Type: Market Cap Passive
Strategy: Holds top 10 coins by market cap
Constituents: BTC, ETH, SOL, BNB, ADA, etc.

Why It’s a Top Pick:
For conservative investors or institutions, Bitwise offers a simple, regulated way to get exposure to the largest digital assets. While it doesn’t capture emerging trends, it offers long-term stability.

Ideal For:
Traditional investors and institutions entering crypto via regulated vehicles.

4. Token Metrics RWA Index (Real World Assets)

Type: AI-Powered
Strategy: Thematic with dynamic risk adjustment
Constituents: MKR, ONDO, XDC, POLYX, CFG

Why It’s a Top Pick:
The Real World Asset narrative surged in 2025, driven by tokenized treasuries and institutional adoption. This index captured the upside while avoiding the fluff.

Ideal For:
Investors looking for exposure to crypto’s real-world utility and stable growth themes.

5. Index Coop – DeFi Pulse Index (DPI)

Type: Passive
Strategy: Weighted DeFi exposure
Constituents: AAVE, UNI, COMP, SNX, LRC

Why It’s a Top Pick:
One of the earliest thematic indices, DPI remains a favorite among DeFi-focused users who prefer full on-chain transparency and DAO governance.

Ideal For:
DeFi-native investors who want decentralized, trustless exposure.

How to Choose the Best Crypto Index for You

The best crypto index isn’t universal—it depends on your risk tolerance, time horizon, and investment goals.

Here’s a breakdown:

‍

AI vs. Passive: What’s Better in 2025?

Passive indices work well for long-term exposure to top tokens, but AI indices have outperformed in 2025 thanks to their ability to:

  • Exit before crashes
  • Rebalance more frequently
  • Shift capital to outperforming sectors

Platforms like Token Metrics offer weekly rebalanced AI indices that are tuned to market momentum, sentiment, and volatility.

Performance Snapshot (Q1–Q2 2025)

Note: Returns are hypothetical and reflect aggregated performance snapshots.

Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Crypto Index in 2025?

The best crypto index in 2025 is the one that aligns with your goals and risk profile.

  • If you want high growth and can handle volatility, explore AI-powered sector indices like Memecoins or DeFi.
  • If you want safer long-term exposure, the Bitwise 10 or Token Metrics HODL Series are smart.
  • If you believe in AI-driven investing, Token Metrics indices lead the market with real-time rebalancing and superior data analysis.

Crypto indices take the guesswork out of investing, allowing you to benefit from market trends without managing dozens of individual tokens.

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About Token Metrics
Token Metrics: AI-powered crypto research and ratings platform. We help investors make smarter decisions with unbiased Token Metrics Ratings, on-chain analytics, and editor-curated “Top 10” guides. Our platform distills thousands of data points into clear scores, trends, and alerts you can act on.
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Token Metrics Team
Token Metrics Team

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Token Metrics Team
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SUI, a rising Layer 1 blockchain network, has been gaining traction recently—and Token Metrics' AI-powered tools were ahead of the curve in identifying its bullish momentum. On April 24th, the Token Metrics Trader Grade issued a bullish signal for SUI, and since then, the price has climbed nearly 22%, confirming the strength of the short-term trend.

But there’s more to this move than just price action. Token Metrics offers a unique perspective by analyzing both short-term and long-term signals through its proprietary Trader Grade and Investor Grade ratings. These grades offer a layered view of an asset's potential by using machine learning to evaluate over 80 on-chain, off-chain, and technical indicators.

Token Metrics AI: Bullish for Traders, Bearish for Investors

As of the latest data, SUI holds a “Strong Buy” rating on the Token Metrics Trader Grade, signaling powerful momentum for short-term traders. This suggests that swing traders and scalpers could benefit from the current trend, particularly if the price can decisively break through the immediate resistance at $4.25.

However, the Investor Grade tells a different story. While the short-term outlook is bullish, the long-term view remains cautious. The Investor Grade currently recommends a Sell, suggesting SUI may face challenges in sustaining gains over a multi-month time frame. This divergence highlights the importance of aligning your investment strategy with the appropriate time horizon.

TVL Growth Validates SUI’s Ecosystem Expansion

Beyond AI ratings, Token Metrics also factors in fundamental metrics—and one of the strongest tailwinds for SUI right now is its rapidly growing Total Value Locked (TVL). According to DeFi Llama, SUI’s TVL has surged to a new all-time high of $2.11 billion, cementing its position as the 8th largest blockchain by TVL.

This growth in TVL indicates that more capital is being deployed in the SUI ecosystem. It reflects increased user engagement with decentralized applications (dApps) on the network and signals rising confidence among DeFi participants. From a fundamental standpoint, this bodes well for SUI’s long-term utility—even if its price action hasn't yet caught up to the full extent of this growth.

Key Technical Levels: Breakout or Pullback?

From a technical analysis standpoint, SUI is now testing a major resistance at $4.25. A confirmed breakout above this level could send the asset surging toward new all-time highs, potentially igniting a new wave of momentum-driven buying.

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Final Thoughts

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Announcements

AI Tokens and DeFi 2.0: Where Smart Capital is Flowing

Token Metrics Team
4 min

The crypto market is cyclical—not just in price, but in narrative. In recent months, attention has rotated from AI to DeFi, creating new opportunities for savvy investors. Let’s break down the trends.

AI Momentum Remains Strong

Projects like Vader AI, BitTensor, and Grass continue to dominate the conversation. Vader AI, part of the Virtua ecosystem, gained momentum from staking programs and Genesis Launchpad allocations. Grass, a data-layer AI protocol, claims $15M+ in revenue and recently flipped bullish on technical indicators.

BitTensor remains the leading infrastructure play in the AI space, drawing parallels to Bitcoin in its community enthusiasm and decentralization ethos. It has rebounded over 150% from its lows and is showing resilience in the current market cycle.

DeFi’s Comeback: Aerodrome and Beyond

Meanwhile, DeFi is showing signs of resurgence. Aerodrome, a DEX on the Base chain, is gaining traction through strong liquidity incentives and revenue-sharing mechanisms. Its user incentives echo the early days of Curve or Uniswap but on a chain optimized for scalability.

Virtua’s staking model is also driving a hybrid DeFi/AI strategy, blurring the lines between token utility, participation, and value capture.

Narrative Rotation: What It Means

Crypto narratives are rarely zero-sum. What we’re seeing now is a healthy diversification: AI remains dominant, but DeFi is catching a second wind. For investors, this means exploring tokens that sit at the intersection—offering strong tech, compelling incentives, and infrastructure integrations.

Closing Thoughts

Whether you’re riding the AI wave or positioning for the DeFi rebound, it’s clear that smart capital is flowing into ecosystems with tangible traction. Watch the flows, track the signals, and always be ready to pivot.

Track the Trends with Token Metrics

Token Metrics is your edge in navigating the ever-shifting landscape of crypto narratives. Our AI-powered research platform helps you spot bullish trends early, evaluate project fundamentals, and make data-driven investment decisions. Whether you're interested in AI tokens, DeFi protocols, or hybrid plays, Token Metrics provides real-time signals, technical grades, and curated indices to guide your next move.

Explore the platform at www.tokenmetrics.com and discover where smart capital is heading next.

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How Hyperliquid is Redefining Decentralized Perpetuals in 2025

Token Metrics Team
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While most exchanges compete on liquidity or UI, Hyperliquid is rewriting the rules entirely.
This decentralized perps exchange has not only survived the bear market—it’s thriving. Backed by real revenue, a growing user base, and a unique listing model, Hyperliquid is emerging as the “Uniswap of Perps.”

The Reverse Auction Listing System

Hyperliquid introduces a novel reverse auction system for listing tokens. Bidders compete for tickers, with starting prices set at 2x the previous auction. Some tickers have fetched over $1 million, with the fees used for buybacks and burns—driving long-term value to the ecosystem.

This model isn’t just a gimmick. It introduces scarcity and gamification into token listings—something no other exchange is doing at this level.

Sustainable Revenue and Strong UX

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Final Take

Hyperliquid is more than just another DEX—it’s a case study in how to build sustainable tokenomics and community alignment. If you’re looking for the next big infrastructure play in trading, don’t sleep on this one. And if you want to trade smarter, platforms like Token Metrics can be your secret weapon in decoding the market's next moves.

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