There isn't really a safe coin so to speak. With any coin, there is a chance for lost, especially if you are the jittery type who panics when things start going down (which you can see is quite often these days). 12k dollars is a big chunk of money. Are you sure about this? But if you still want to invest, maybe try testing the waters first and see how much you are willing to risk. You can try the mainstream coins like btc and eth so atleast you know they are widely used and traded.