Now, investors are watching for the next Solana. This means a cryptocurrency that will gain in developers, general use, and value. This crypto that could follow in Solana’s footsteps is Algorand. It increased 416% last year. And there was an increase in developers on the platform to about 200 from more than 50 a year earlier, According to the Electric Capital data. Algorand is really starting to speed up. I think it could become as popular as Solana. Read on to find out why.

New validation methods

Solana and Algorand have one main point in common. Both of them offer a new way of validating transactions. Proof of history is used by Solana. It timestamps blocks of data, and this makes the  validation process more efficient. Proof of stake is utilized by a lot of blockchains. This gives validation power to people according to their holdings. But, pure proof of stake is used by Algorand. This means validation power is given to any stakeholder randomly.

Algorand’s system also makes the validation process more effective. And it is important that it favors decentralization and security. Pure proof of stake means the responsibilities of validation will not always be on the same group of high stakeholders.

Another plus for Algorand is a two-layer structure — that is because it increases transaction speed and reduces congestion. The first layer is the place for the creation of tokens and smart simple contracts. The 2nd layer is used for the making of decentralized applications and complex smart contracts.

Algorand takes care of about 1,200 transactions per second. The next goal is to get up to around 3,000 per second. Algorand is wanting to eventually get it up to 45,000 transactions per second. And transactions are completed instantly.

Earning huge returns requires some vision; traders need to assess which industries might dominate the future, and then purchase stocks that are most likely to benefit from those trends.  And in this instance, it is possible that the metaverse and electric vehicles might be the top transformative tech of the next twenty years.

Here are two top stocks that are leading the charge in those industries, and they might be the biggest businesses in the world by 2040.

1. The case for Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, which was formally known as Facebook, is a social media pioneer. The global population is currently around 7.9 billion people, and 2.9 billion of those people are using one of Meta’s platforms every month, whether it is Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp. But despite the overwhelming success it has had in the screen-based social media space, the business envisions a future that is slightly different for itself.

Meta rebranded itself in last year to reflect its new vision for the metaverse. This virtual-reality world provides so many diverse opportunities that its influence on businesses might be as significant as the internet has been. Meta Platforms’ users will exist as avatars of themselves, with the ability to hold an inventory of digital goods and teleport to other experiences. That is where the financial rewards could be, as the virtual world might sustain its very own economy.

Some estimates predict the metaverse might be an $800 billion opportunity by year 2024, but the kicker is its 12.4% compound yearly growth rate. It implies that by year 2040, assuming the growth rate remains constant, the metaverse might be worth $5.1 trillion each year to businesses like Meta Platforms. Since the company is expected to produce $140 billion in revenue this year, the potential upside by 2040 might therefore be enormous.

2. The case for Tesla

Data indicates that electric vehicles represented 4.2% of total car sales around the world during 2021, up from 2.5% in 2019. But they might skyrocket to 25% of total sales by year 2035, and 60% of total sales by year 2050.

That is great news for electric vehicle leader Tesla because it means its market will increase at least fivefold by year 2040, with plenty of upside potential. It produced over 930,000 cars last year and produced $47 billion in revenue, so this quickly expanding market opportunity might see the company remain one of the biggest in the world.

But the main difference between Tesla and other vehicle makers is its gross profit margin, which was at 25.3% for last year. By comparison, Ford’s gross margin is around 14%, and that supports the idea that Tesla is closer to a tech company than just a car maker, hence its premium stock valuation compared to that of Ford.

Its strong financial performance aside, Tesla is the top future-tech organization, and although it is already the sixth-biggest company in the world by market capitalization, it might have a clear view of first place by 2040.

Exchange-traded funds could be a great option for many investors, as they are investments that are low-maintenance. Each ETF might contain hundreds or even thousands of stocks, making portfolio that is instantly diversified, and the only thing you need to do is invest often.

While there are numerous ETFs to pick from, there is one type of fund, specifically, that might help you accumulate over $100,000 with very little effort being put in: S&P 500 ETFs.

Choosing the best ETF

S&P 500 ETFs can be a great investment for a lot of reasons. This kind of fund keeps track of the S&P 500 index. This means it does include the same stocks that are in the index, and it aims to replicate its performance.

The S&P 500 has stocks from 500 of the strongest and largest corporations in the United States, and it has earned positive avg. returns for decades.

Although the index has experienced short-term volatility, it has seen a recovery after every crash it has ever experienced. Historically, it has also earned an avg. rate of return of about 10% each year.

Your portfolio would experience downturns that wouldn’t last long if you were to invest in an S&P 500 ETF. Over time, you are almost guaranteed to have positive average returns.

How much could you earn by investing in an S&P 500 ETF?

The best part about trading the stock market is that it doesn’t require a large amount of money to get started investing. By investing a small amount each month, you could potentially accumulate thousands of dollars with time.

Let’s say you invested $1,000 right now. Let us also say you invested that $1,000 in an S&P 500 ETF that is earning an average 10% yearly return.

To earn the maximum profit in the stock market, it is best to invest often and give your investments time to grow.

In this scenario, let’s say that you are investing $150 each month in addition to your starting $1,000 investment. Assuming your investments get a 10% average yearly return, you would have about $110,000 after 20 years.

If you would like to earn even more, you could either increase your monthly investments or keep investing for longer durations.

For example, if you invested $300 each month each month, you would end up with about $213,000 after just 20 years. Or, if you were to continue investing $150 each month but for 35 years, you would have $516,000 in total.

Where to start

There are a lot of S&P 500 ETFs to pick from, and many of them are similar to one another. Their performances will be about the same because they are all tracking the same index.

Some of the more popular funds include the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and SPDR S&P 500 ETF. These funds have some of the smallest fees, making them much more affordable options to choose from for investors.

Regardless of which stock you invest your money, maintaining a longer-term outlook is the key. By investing the money, you can afford every month and giving your investment a lot of time to grow, you could earn more than you might think over time.

No, this year has not started out as any investor would have wanted. That has especially been true for anyone interested in the crypto market. Even the largest and most well-known cryptocurrencies are down by at least 20% or more.

Do not despair, though. There is still a long way to go before this year ends. Here are two cryptocurrencies that could still be big winners in 2022.

1. Ethereum

Ethereum (ETH) especially stands out as one of the most well-known cryptos that have crashed so far in 2022. The value of its native Ether coin is down to about 35%. However, there are two reasons to expect a big reversal for ETH.

Every big pullback for cryptos that we have seen in the past has presented an excellent buying opportunity. As the second-biggest cryptocurrency in the world based on market capitalization, ETH should bounce right back if investors flock back to cryptocurrency.

Perhaps a better argument about ETH’s comeback potential, though, is the major upgrade that is on the way. Originally known as ETH 2.0, this upgrade will eventually make the ETH blockchain faster, cheaper to use and more scalable.

The second phase of its upgrade is scheduled for later in 2022. The Beacon chain that has enabled staking will merge with the ETH mainnet. The third phase is scheduled for 2023. It will release shard chains that will dramatically grow the blockchain’s capacity.

Ethereum already comes in ranked as the most popular blockchain for creators. With this upgrade on the way, its appeal should only grow. And its price might once again skyrocket.

2. Terra

Terra (LUNA) has quickly become one of the leading blockchains. It currently comes in ranked at No. 9 on CoinMarketCap’s list of the largest cryptocurrencies based on market capitalization.

The cryptocurrency skyrocketed over 14,000% last year. There were numerous catalysts along the way. One of the largest came in Oct. with a proposal passing to start burning LUNA coins. Another was in Nov. with Terra stakeholders voting to begin upgrading the TrackTerra tax app. The upgrade has paved the way for LUNA to increase its popularity with governments around the world taxing cryptos.

But why might a stable coin be a big winner in 2022? Developers are increasingly picking the Terra blockchain to develop new decentralized finance (DeFi) apps. And Terra is not just a stable coin; it supports many other stable coins.

Also, owners of LUNA could earn big rewards by staking their coins. In a market that is highly volatile, Terra’s yields might be appealing.

American Well and Robinhood Markets are two stocks that have jumped in their early days of trading but have dropped hard of late. They are both trading under the prices they opened at on their first day, but is it worth it to add them to your portfolio today?

1. American Well

American Well, which is known as Amwell, is a telehealth company that first went public in Sept. 2020 at an opening price per share of $25.51. Even Google has invested $100 million in the promising business. Shares of Amwell ended up rallying to over $41 a few weeks later in Oct. But the rally did not last long, and investors who purchased the stock then likely cringe at the very sight of the stock value today, well under $5 per share.

The company is pivoting more toward being a provider of delivering digital care, which means it will depend less on telehealth visits for its revenue growth. Its new Converge platform has combined multiple health apps in one place for its patients, with Amwell stating that it has been “designed to better serve the full care spectrum across virtual, physical and automated modalities.” Health systems, businesses offering health plans, and innovators creating products pay subscriptions for access to its platform, which then enable them to provide telehealth solutions to their members and patients. Last quarter, Amwell’s revenue of about $62 million was flat from the same period a year before, and sales that have come from its platform subscription has totaled $26.7 million, increasing by a modest 3.5%.

Amwell might be a promising healthcare stock to add to your portfolio, but investors may want to wait until it releases its most recent numbers (which might not be until the end of March) to see just how well the adoption of its platform is coming along.

2. Robinhood

Robinhood is a newer stock than Amwell is; it went public in July of last year. Its starting price of $38 would end up doubling and reaching a high of $85 on August 4, 2021. But same as Amwell, the excitement and hype have died down, and as of today, shares of Robinhood are sitting around $12.

The fintech firm provides commission-free trading and it has been popular with new traders, getting them hyped about stock trading. Unsurprisingly, the hype of cryptos has played a large part in that, as well. The firm said for the period ending September 30, 2021, transactions connected to Dogecoin (CRYPTO:DOGE) has accounted for 40% of all of its cryptocurrency transactions. And that was down from 62% a quarter before that. While Robinhood’s stock value has suffered more significant losses than crypto over the last several months, the two have for the most part moved in similar directions.

Robinhood says it is creating more products to help drive its growth, such as cryptocurrency wallets, which it hopes to officially release in the first quarter of this year. In Oct. 2021, management said over a million people were signed up on the waiting list for its cryptocurrency wallet. Robinhood has also reported that its active monthly users as of Dec. 2021 totaled 17.3 million, increasing 48% from a year prior. That growth has helped drive the company’s 89% year-over-year boost in revenue.