Cryptocurrency’s next bull run has already begun. One of the most significant differences compared to past cycles lies in the type of new investors entering the market. Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) effectively opened the door for wider participation by making it easier to get a piece of the action, and Ethereum (ETH) ETFs are widely expected to arrive soon.

Newcomers may have some difficulty understanding crypto, but there is a worthwhile framework to be considered in light of their first investments.

Easy start, modest gains 

Beginners often start by investing in the big names like Bitcoin and Ethereum. For the most part, you can invest in Bitcoin and wait at least six months before checking its price to see if it's grown enough to sell. But for those with only a few thousand dollars to invest, investing in Bitcoin isn’t going to make you a millionaire. The near to mid-term growth potential is 2-3 times its current value.

Related: The Runes protocol will ignite a new season for Bitcoin after the halving

Experienced players understand that they need to check the latest trends. If done right, investing in a dozen small projects could really pay off. Assets that proved popular in the previous bull run, like new layer-1 protocols and lending platforms, might offer a chance to grow your investment by five to 10 times.

However, risk and return are two sides of the same coin. How much one is willing to gain or lose in crypto really boils down to the time, resources, and energy one is ready to put into studying the market. That’s where the beauty of crypto lies: for those willing to learn, it's perfectly accessible.

Three narratives to watch

There are three narratives that the average new user without any impressive experience behind him comprehend and qualifiedly believe. The key is to figure out the story behind each product. Innovation stands at the forefront of this space because people in crypto are innovative and constantly looking for something new. I see three such trends emerging.

First is the marriage of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. A large number of projects are now trying to innovate at the intersection of blockchain and AI. While it's not guaranteed that these efforts will have fruitful outcomes, the narrative itself is strong. This trend, riding the wave of both blockchain's potential and AI's cutting-edge advancements, could capture the imagination of investors and enthusiasts alike. I’m following RitualNet and Morpheus.

The second trend delves into more fundamental aspects related to the tokenization of real assets or the tokenization of debt. In a traditional market, the debt market is larger than the stock market. Yet, in the crypto realm, there is currently no debt market. Stablecoin can be considered its starting point, since companies issue stablecoin in exchange for real dollars and then themselves buy short-term U.S. bonds. However, the concept of corporate debt remains untouched within crypto. Therefore, everything related to debt tokenization has enormous potential. PV01 and Ondo Finance are two projects in this area.

The third trend focuses on enhancing blockchain technology itself — improving its efficiency, increasing throughput, and lowering operational costs. It uses new tech like parallel Ethereum Virtual Machines (EVMs) to process many things at once, speeding up transactions. Likewise, zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs keep things private but simple, making the whole system work smoother and cost less. Sei and Monad are projects to watch in this area.

Related: Solana illustrates the dark side of monolithic blockchains

But how can we use these narratives to delve into the product? Imagine an investor who studies a product. He is interested, maybe even excited about a project. Every time he encounters something incomprehensible in the document, he highlights it in red. Then he looks at the whole description and sees that there is too much red in the document: there is too much he does not understand about the product description. And he doesn't invest. This is a straightforward strategy: if an investment is too complex to understand, it might not be the right one. This approach emphasizes the need for clarity.

So, when you're thinking about investing in a trend, remember that the big funds have probably already made a move. If there is some kind of noticeable narrative, then they will most likely have already invested in it. This is a good reminder to stay informed — understanding that, in the world of investment, it’s the giants who often lead the game.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.