Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. BitPinas has no commercial relationship with any mentioned entity unless otherwise stated.
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Is ₱500 enough for Noche Buena?
As inflation concerns continue to dominate public discourse, the purchasing power of ₱500 has become a central topic of debate, particularly regarding the traditional Noche Buena feast:
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently suggested that a budget of ₱500 could still suffice for a simple Noche Buena meal for a small family. However, this claim has been met with skepticism online; virtually everyone online pointed out the rising prices of staples like ham, fruit salad ingredients, and spaghetti.
While ₱500 might struggle to fill a grocery basket today, it remains an accessible entry point for the digital asset market. Checking the price data from CoinMarketCap, a ₱500 budget can still acquire significant quantities of various cryptocurrencies:
What Crypto to Buy For ₱500
Based on market prices as of late 2025, here are five digital assets that a ₱500 budget can purchase. The tokens range from established tokens to newcomers in the scene:
1. Dogecoin (DOGE)
Trading at roughly ₱8.96, a ₱500 budget secures approximately 55 DOGE. While it originated as a meme, DOGE is a digital asset that often goes through distinct “phases” of price surges during broader market rallies.
2. Sui (SUI)
At approximately ₱92.68, an investor can acquire about 5.3 SUI. As a Layer 1 blockchain, SUI is viewed as a strong technical project with significant room for recovery and growth. Hence, it is a “value play” for those betting on its long-term ecosystem development.
3. Hedera (HBAR)
Priced at ₱8.76, ₱500 buys roughly 57 HBAR. Hedera is unique in that it is not a traditional blockchain but a hashgraph, which is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) that offers an alternative architecture. It might appeal to investors looking to diversify away from standard blockchain tech.
4. Aster (ASTER)
With a price of ₱65.57, a budget of ₱500 allows for the purchase of approximately 7.6 ASTER. Market participants increasingly view Aster as a strategic “proxy bet” to the rising Hyperliquid ecosystem (since $HYPE is also out of range for our ₱500 budget).
5. XRP
Trading at ₱130.24, a ₱500 investment yields about 3.8 XRP. Despite the lower quantity, XRP remains a staple in Philippine portfolios due to its massive “following” and its positioning as a top-tier bet on the future of institutional finance and cross-border payments.
The ‘Blue Chip’ Alternative: Peso Cost Averaging
For investors wary of the volatility associated with altcoins, or an absolute beginner in the world of cryptocurrencies, the suggestion is to stick to the market leaders: Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) and by extension XRP, Solana, and BNB.
While a ₱500 budget will not buy a whole coin (you will be getting approximately 0.00009 BTC (9,000 Satoshis) or 0.0027 ETH at current prices), the strategy of Dollar or Peso Cost Averaging (PCA) should be highlighted:
- This strategy involves allocating a fixed amount, such as ₱500, at regular intervals (e.g., every month) regardless of the asset’s price.
- By consistently buying ₱500 worth of Bitcoin or Ethereum monthly, investors can mitigate the impact of short-term volatility.
- Over time, this approach aims to lower the average cost per unit and build a significant position in “safer,” established assets without needing large upfront capital.
Here’s an example in crypto exchange PDAX. The interface should be similar in other crypto exchanges:
Strategic Entry Point
For many Filipinos, allocating ₱500 to digital assets represents a low-barrier entry into the web3 economy.
Whether betting on the unique technology of Hedera, the market cycles of Dogecoin, or slowly accumulating Bitcoin via peso-cost averaging, these allocations allow users to participate in the market without significant capital risk.
However, unlike a Noche Buena ham, cryptocurrency values are highly volatile and can fluctuate wildly in short periods! Consider this a risk warning and non financial advice.
This article is published on BitPinas: Noche Buena or Crypto? Here Are Five Tokens You Can Buy For ₱500
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