Despite the current downward trend in the cryptocurrency market, the overall crypto industry looks confident, as in recent years its institutional adoption has grown impressively. At present, its total capitalization is holding around $2.62 trillion, and Bitcoin (BTC) is still holding the leaderboard of the biggest cryptocurrencies.
As the digital asset sector is finally getting regulatory clarity after years of ambiguity, many investors are going for explosive opportunities in Layer 1 blockchain tokens. These networks are continuously making collaborations and expanding their ecosystems through various areas like applications, payments, institution-level solutions, and high-speed transactions.
While most altcoins, like Ethereum (ETH) and XRP, are already trading at high prices, tokens with lower prices are quickly becoming a hot favourite for small traders. If you are one who are looking for such tokens, here are the best layer 1 and layer 2 tokens under $1 in 2026, which might help you to bring possible profit if the crypto market goes for another bull run this year.
1. Dogecoin
The biggest memecoin is Dogecoin (DOGE), which has Layer 1 roots. At the time of writing, DOGE is trading at around $0.1059 with a market capitalization of $17.86 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. While it launched as just a joke back in 2013, DOGE has also evolved into a popular payment service at some level, thanks to its fast 1-minute block times, ultra-low fees, and community.
In 2026, the Dogecoin ecosystem is expected to grow with new integrations with payment platforms. Apart from this, this memecoin has received an endorsement from popular public figures like Elon Musk in the past. Recently, tech mogul Elon Musk confirmed its plan for the Dogecoin moon mission with SpaceX.
Elon Musk says SpaceX will likely put Dogecoin on the moon next year 🌕
He called a “Dogecoin to the moon” moment inevitable. pic.twitter.com/6HCAaTbF54
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) February 3, 2026
Many analysts believe that DOGE is expected to grow at least 5 times from its current position.
2. Tron
Justin Sun’s Tron blockchain is also standing as a leading layer-1 solution for stablecoin settlements (such as USDT) and decentralized applications. TRON is known for its high TPS, low fees, and its compatibility with Solidity. At present, TRON processes billions in daily volume.
Tron’s current main focus is on enterprise, partnerships, and role in global payments, which can make it a real hit for 2026. As cross-border transactions grow amid regulatory clarity, TRX’s $27 billion market capitalization can provide it with ground for steady climbs toward $1. However, the reason behind this surge is inspired by real utility rather than hype alone.
At the time of writing, TRON is trading at around $0.28 with an impressive surge of over 27%, according to CoinMarketCap.
3. Mantle
Mantle is a leading modular Layer 2 scaling on Ethereum. However, it is built on Layer 1 foundations with high-performance rollups. It has a staking integration on EigenLayer with low-cost finality.
At the time of writing, the Mantle token is trading at around $0.71 with an impressive market capitalization of $2.31 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Backed by strong ecosystem growth and perpetual markets, Mantle is enticing those builders who are looking for Ethereum security without the gas pain. Mantle is backed by strong ecosystem growth along with perpetual markets.
According to the expert, it is expected to reach a point of $1 averages in 2026 as L2 adoption grows.
4. Polygon (POL)
Polygon has transitioned to POL as its upgraded token. These layer-2 solutions are boosting Ethereum’s scaling ecosystem with zk technology. Its main focus is on payments.
As a Layer 2 aggregator with Layer 1-like sovereignty in some aspects, Polygon boasts massive DeFi and gaming adoption.
The cryptocurrency is trading at around $0.1074 with over 12% drop in a month, according to CoinMarketCap.
The main reason behind the surge in POL could be renewed layer-2 narratives, ecosystem grants, and real-world integrations.
According to some technical analysts, it is a leading network with low entry for 5-10x upside in a scaling-based cycle.
5. Shiba Inu (SHIB)
The second-biggest memecoin is currently priced at around $0.056725 as it works on its own Shibarium Layer 2. However, this memecoin has managed to increase its ties into different Layer 1 ecosystems via Ethereum connections and community-based expansions.
The memecoin has its price momentum with a burn mechanism. Apart from this, it has also metaverse integration and other DeFi tools.
If the community sees a bull run in 2026, SHIB’s loyal community could send it toward new peaks.
6. Hedera (HBAR)
This cryptocurrency is currently trading at around $0.09099 with a market capitalization of $3.9 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Hedera’s Hashgraph (layer 1) is capable of providing enterprise-level speed with over 10,000 TPS. Apart from this, it has carbon-negative certification along with low fees.
HBAR comes with real-world use cases in supply chain, finance, and Web3. As it is continuously making partnerships and collaborations, it will become the leading blockchain network in 2026.
Final Words
These layer 1 tokens are expected to potentially grow in 2026, as most of them come with real utility and a larger community. This year, the U.S. is expected to get regulatory clarity in forms of new bills such as the CLARITY Act. Apart from this, institutional adoption of the crypto market is growing rapidly, which could spark a rally in the major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. This could also spark upward momentum in other altcoins trading under $1 at present.
However, one might do their own independent research and consider risk appetite before investing in the crypto market, as this market is known for its high volatility.
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