New Bull Market Start Date Revealed After Bank of Japan Rate Decision: Best Crypto To Buy Now?

The Bank of Japan’s interest rate decision turned out to be a nothing burger, giving investors the go-ahead to keep accumulating the best crypto to buy now. 

The BoJ increased its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%, the highest in 20 years, but in line with the market expectations. 

However, BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda surprised the markets with a dovish press conference, indicating that Japan’s central bank will continue its loose monetary policy to sustain robust economic activity. 

While Ueda didn’t outright deny the possibility of more rate hikes, especially if growth and inflation continue to tick up, he did signal that Japan’s real interest rates are likely to remain very low. This substantially reduces the risk of the unwinding of the yen carry trade. 

Into The Cryptoverse’s Benjamin Cowen notes that the last instance of policy divergence between the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan triggered a sharp, short-lived correction across crypto markets. At the time, the Fed was easing while Japan was tightening, pressuring risk assets in the immediate aftermath.

However, Bitcoin established a clear local bottom just one week later, which ultimately marked the beginning of the next broader market advance.

With the Bank of Japan set to hike rates on December 19, traders are increasingly watching the December 26 window as a potential inflection point. That date also coincides with quarterly options expiry, when roughly $23.5 billion in Bitcoin options are set to roll off, a setup that historically leads to heightened volatility and decisive price moves.

Best Crypto To Buy Now

Crypto prices are already showing bullish strength, with Ethereum ecosystem coins leading the rally. 

BTC beta coins, zero-knowledge projects and AI coins are also in high demand. 

We list the best crypto to buy now for outsized returns in the coming weeks. 

Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum continues to make a strong case for being the best large-cap crypto to buy now, especially as the ETHBTC trading pair remains in an uptrend. 

ETHBTC broke out of a multi-month downtrend earlier this month and has since successfully retested the breakout level. It is now resuming the uptrend and is up by 2.5% today, on Friday. 

Meanwhile, ETH is up over 5% as well and is extremely close to reclaiming the crucial $3000 level. 

Top analysts are still highly bullish on Ethereum’s prospects for 2026. Jelle highlights that ETH is trading within a descending wedge and is currently at a key support level. A breakout from the wedge’s flat top bodes extremely well for the second-largest crypto in the long term. 

Similarly, The Long Investor has highlighted Ethereum as his highest-conviction allocation, identifying it as his top priority for capital deployment going forward.

Zcash (ZEC)

The top privacy coin Zcash continues to show bullish strength, indicating that its rally wasn’t just a bear market fad and that it is still an attractive investment for the next crypto bull run. 

ZEC is one of the top performers in the market, rallying by more than 10% in the past 24 hours as Bitcoin surged past the $88,000 mark. It is currently trading at $450, with a market capitalization of $7.4 billion. 

The strong institutional demand for Bitcoin has tremendously helped the largest cryptocurrency. However, BTC maxis and crypto pioneers are disenchanted with Wall Street’s growing impact on the ecosystem. Many early Bitcoin investors are now pivoting to Zcash. 

Machi Big Brother has opened a 10x long position in ZEC, while Altcoin Sherpa projects that the privacy coin will surge past the $500 mark in the coming days. 

WIZZ, who is highly optimistic about the top privacy coin, predicts that the Zcash price could hit $3000 in the coming months, highlighting the strength of its monthly chart. 

Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER)

Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) is positioning itself as a Bitcoin layer-2 built around zero-knowledge architecture, a design choice that has already proven to be a major value driver in past crypto cycles. 

Historically, projects that successfully implemented zk technology have seen powerful rallies once adoption and narrative alignment kicked in. 

Zcash was one of the earliest examples, while newer platforms like zkSync benefited heavily once zero-knowledge scaling became a dominant theme during Ethereum’s layer-2 expansion.

Bitcoin Hyper is attempting to bring that same high-impact narrative to the Bitcoin ecosystem, where scalability remains one of the biggest structural limitations. By using zk proofs to move execution off-chain while settling securely on Bitcoin, the project aims to unlock faster transactions and richer on-chain activity.

With nearly $30 million raised in its presale and multiple six-figure allocations from whales already secured, many investors see HYPER as a high-beta bet on Bitcoin and a zk-driven expansion of Bitcoin rather than a short-term trade.

Several top analysts project that Bitcoin Hyper could be the next 100x crypto in the long term. 

Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL)

Virtuals Protocol is vying to become the best AI crypto to buy now. 

It is back to being one of the top performers in the crypto market, up by nearly 7% over the past 24 hours. Once the broader market outlook improves, it could emerge as an excellent bet to capture outsized returns. 

For the uninitiated, Virtuals Protocol is a decentralized blockchain platform focused on enabling the creation, co-ownership and monetization of autonomous AI agents, allowing them to interact with virtual environments, games and on-chain systems.

It is increasingly standing out as one of the few AI-focused crypto projects with real revenue traction. Industry estimates suggest the protocol could generate around $75 million in fees in 2025, putting it well ahead of most peers in the sector.

Bittensor (TAO)

Bittensor is another AI coin that is gaining significant traction, with analysts backing it as one of the best cryptocurrencies to buy now. 

TAO is currently trading at $225, with a market capitalization of $2.4 billion. It is trading at 70% below its all-time high, making it one of the most undervalued coins on the market. 

On the weekly chart, TAO is repeatedly defending the $220 support zone, with the latest downside probe finding a low near $218, suggesting buyers are stepping in around this level.

It is also trading within a descending broadening wedge and has successfully defended the lower trendline of the structure. Captain Faibik reveals that he has added to his TAO position following the latest retest. 

Sentiment and engagement data reinforce this view. According to Dami-Defi’s rankings, TAO currently holds the highest bullish sentiment in the market at 91.9%, topping all tracked assets. 

Social activity remains elevated as well, with TAO ranking second among AI crypto projects by 24-hour engagement, recording approximately 1.01 million interactions, trailing only Chainlink.

While TAO doesn’t have the 100x upside of Bitcoin Hyper, it could still be an attractive multi-bagger play for investors. 

For a deeper dive into market leaders and emerging plays, see our guide on the best cryptocurrencies to invest in.