Some of the links on this site may be affiliate links. ICOBench may receive advertising commissions when users visit recommended platforms via our affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. All recommendations are based on a comprehensive review process. 
In a groundbreaking development, the Canadian digital asset firm SOL Strategies has asked US regulators for permission to list its stock on the Nasdaq exchange. The institution has applied via the 40-F form – the paperwork that Canadian issuers must file before listing shares in the US – and if the SEC approves the application, the stock will trade on the American markets under the symbol STKE.
SOL Strategies gives investors stock market exposure to Solana’s ecosystem. Operating under the ticker HODL on Canada’s CSE, the firm accumulates and stakes the SOL cryptocurrency, runs validators, and even backs related ventures – and its treasury now holds over 420,000 SOL. If the company’s shares get listed in the US, its efforts to stockpile SOL could go into overdrive throughout the coming months.
In the meantime, as more capital flows into Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, market commentators are bullish on the prospects of a potential altseason. Keeping this in mind, we’ve highlighted five of the best cryptos to buy before the next big bull run.
Solana
Solana (SOL), the high-performance Layer 1 blockchain, has seen a much-needed resurgence this year due to its technical upgrades and rising institutional interest from companies like SOL Strategies.
A huge vote of investor confidence came earlier this week, as the asset manager VanEck’s proposed Solana ETF (ticker: VSOL) appeared on the DTCC’s list – which is one of the final steps before a new asset potentially gets approved by the SEC. This development has boosted long-term sentiment around SOL, suggesting that Solana is graduating into the same league as Bitcoin and Ethereum when it comes to regulated investment products.
Meanwhile, SOL is still trading around 50% below its $295 all-time high, leaving ample room for it to recover during the next altcoin-focused market pump.
At the same time, Solana’s on-chain metrics point to firm long-term holder conviction. Over the past week, SOL holders have added over 5 million SOL into staking contracts, even as the market saw a prolonged price dip.
The network is also implementing major performance upgrades – including a new “Firedancer” validator client to boost throughput and reliability, increase Solana’s block space, and speed up confirmations.
Solaxy
Solaxy (SOLX) is a highly anticipated Layer 2 scaling project for the Solana blockchain that’s wrapping up a massive presale. As early backers continue to show unwavering support, the Solaxy presale has steadily raised almost $55 million.
By offloading traffic onto its own secondary chain, Solaxy can boost transaction throughput for everything from DeFi trades to NFT mints on Solana. This comes just as Solana usage is rebounding, and institutions like SOL Strategies are doubling down on the ecosystem.
Solaxy also has plans to launch a new “Igniter Protocol” launchpad, which will let SOLX holders create new cryptos and decentralized applications on the network. It’s also building a cross-chain bridge in partnership with Hyperlane, enabling assets to flow between Solana, the Solaxy L2, and Ethereum.
The project opened a bug bounty contest with $30,000 in rewards for anyone who finds vulnerabilities in Solaxy’s code – and assuming that no further adjustments are required, the mainnet will go live on July 7, while the SOLX token claim is set for June 23.
Early buyers now have only three days to grab SOLX tokens at the final presale price of $0.001766, which could prove to be an early-bird discount in hindsight following its major exchange listings. Visit Solaxy.
Toncoin
Toncoin (TON) is the native token of the TON (The Open Network) blockchain, which has emerged as a rising star in the Web3 space because of its deep integration with Telegram.
In a strategic push this year, Telegram made TON the exclusive blockchain for its Mini App ecosystem, meaning that third-party crypto apps on Telegram must use TON’s wallet connectivity and infrastructure. This effectively crowns Toncoin as the leading token of Telegram’s user community – driving a level of adoption that could facilitate seamless crypto app transactions.
TON’s price has been consolidating since April due to the broader market’s uncertainty, but is still trading well above the psychological support of $2.75.
Telegram’s official TON-based Web3 wallet has onboarded millions of users – and new use cases are quickly proliferating. One notable example is TON Travel, a mini-app that lets users make reservations at over 3 million hotels and pay directly in Toncoin without leaving the Telegram interface. Beyond travel, TON’s ecosystem is expanding with DeFi apps, NFT marketplaces, and games, which are all integrated into Telegram.
Snorter Token
Snorter Token (SNORT) is a new utility coin powering a Telegram-based crypto trading bot that enables anyone to automate on-chain trades, and monitor new-to-market tokens in real time.
The SNORT presale has already attracted over $1.1 million in contributions, reflecting strong demand at the current price of $0.0957 per token.
Through the bot, users can set limit orders, execute ultra-fast sniping (buying the moment liquidity appears), and even mirror the moves of experienced traders via copy-trading.
Built on Solana’s high-speed network, Snorter Bot boasts the lowest fees among Solana trading bots – just 0.85% per trade for SNORT holders, who can also stake their tokens for up to 281% APY.
The SNORT presale’s momentum (including whale investors grabbing large allocations) signals confidence that Snorter Bot’s blend of meme branding (featuring a cheeky aardvark mascot) and genuine trading utility will resonate with the huge Telegram crypto community. Visit Snorter Token.
Virtuals Protocol
Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) is an innovative project at the intersection of AI and blockchain. The platform allows the creation and launch of tokenized AI agents – essentially autonomous programs (like bots or digital assistants) that can be owned and monetized by the community.
The VIRTUAL token is currently valued around 68% below its January peak – but it could experience explosive rallies during the next bull run, as long as the AI-crypto crossover hype continues.
A recent highlight is the launch of I.R.I.S., Virtuals Protocol’s first AI agent on Ethereum, which is designed to be a real-time smart contract auditor. I.R.I.S. introduces an automated “AuditAgent” system that analyzes smart contracts for vulnerabilities, and scans social media channels to catch security threats as they emerge.
Investor enthusiasm for this launch has been enormous – and the I.R.I.S. token sale was oversubscribed by 15x. Virtuals Protocol’s highly engaged community of supporters makes VIRTUAL a promising pick with potentially significant upside as the Web3 AI agent sector evolves.
