How to Find the Next Big Crypto Project Before It Explodes

Despite the crypto space being crowded, fast-moving and full of noise, some investors manage to consistently find promising projects while they're still under the radar.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Those who enjoy spotting crypto trends early know how to read on-chain data, they understand tokenomics, they read GitHub commits, and they follow the money.

It’s not just about jumping ahead of the hype. Rather, serious trendspotters use a combination of technical analysis, on-chain metrics, and community activity to identify projects with real potential.

This guide will explore how to find crypto projects early using lessons from past winners like Solana, Arbitrum, Chainlink, and even memecoins like Pepe. Along the way, it will highlight the tools that matter, red flags to avoid, and the difference between organic growth and manufactured buzz.

How the real winners took off

Solana launched in 2020 with one big edge: speed. Its proof-of-history tech made it one of the fastest chains around, which drew builders, especially in DeFi and NFTs.

Early adopters who paid attention to on-chain growth — like wallet activity and DEX volume — could see something brewing. Slowly, Solana (SOL) went from under $1 to $50+.

Arbitrum launched in 2021 as an Ethereum layer 2, but its big moment came with the Arbitrum (ARB) token airdrop in March 2023.

At launch, Arbitrum was already processing more transactions than many layer 1s and had billions in total value locked (TVL) in decentralized applications (DApps).

Smart investors were watching. Even before the token, the signs were there: user activity, rising liquidity, and growing app adoption. When ARB dropped, the pump stuck because the foundation was real.

Chainlink is a classic example of a project with long-term utility. It doesn’t have flashy branding or meme power, but it does one thing incredibly well: feed real-world data into smart contracts.

By 2024, it had become the backbone of much of DeFi, gaming, and even tokenized real-world assets. If you were watching closely in 2019-2020, you saw LINK (LINK) getting integrated everywhere.

That kind of early utility often flies under the radar — until price action catches up.

Let’s not pretend memes don’t matter. Pepe (PEPE) launched in 2023 with no roadmap, no utility, and no VC backing. But it hit a nerve, and the internet ran with it.

The coin hit a billion-dollar market cap within weeks. That run is rare — and risky. But for traders tracking social sentiment, wallet distribution, and community activity, the early signals were all there.

PEPE didn’t promise anything, but it delivered returns by becoming a viral moment.

How to find crypto projects early

So, how do you separate the next Solana from the next rug pull? Here’s how serious trendspotters approach it.

1. Start with onchain metrics

Public blockchains are transparent. Use that to look at:

daily active wallets

transaction volume

tokenholder growth

liquidity on decentralized exchanges (DEXs)

TVL (for DeFi projects).

If users and capital are moving in — before the token moons — that’s a great sign.

Tools like Dune Analytics, Nansen, and DefiLlama are your best friends here.

2. Understand the tokenomics

Ask questions like:

What’s the total supply? How much is circulating?

Are there upcoming unlocks or vesting cliffs?

Who holds the tokens, and how concentrated are the top wallets?

Is there utility? Does the token do anything?

Tokens with capped supply, smart incentives (like staking or burn mechanisms), and fair distribution models tend to do better long-term.

3. Check developer activity

Is the team actually building?

GitHub is a goldmine. Look at how often code is pushed, how many contributors are active, and whether the repo looks alive.

No updates for months? Big red flag. You don’t need to read code — just track commits and releases.

Projects with real traction are always shipping.

4. Look for ecosystem signals

Are other developers building on top of it? Are DApps launching? Is liquidity growing? Are users coming back week after week?

Ecosystem growth is hard to fake, and it’s often the strongest early indicator that a project has legs.

5. Follow the community

X, Discord, Telegram, Reddit — yes, it’s noisy. But it’s also where trends start.

Look beyond the price talk. Are people actually using the product? Are devs answering questions? Is the tone constructive or just hype?

Use LunarCrush or Santiment to track social momentum, but always double-check it with onchain data.

Key tools to spot