Merlin Chain price gains as Binance adds MERL perpetual contracts

  • Merlin Chain (MERL) price rose sharply as Binance announced the launch of MERL perpetual futures.
  • The MERL token, native to the Bitcoin layer-2 solution, reached highs of $0.13 and could target $0.20.
  • Altcoins have often spiked in price after such announcements by Binance.

Merlin Chain (MERL), a Bitcoin Layer-2 solution, has witnessed a significant price surge following a major announcement from Binance.

On May 28, 2025, Binance revealed the launch of USD-margined MERL Perpetual Contracts, a move that has sparked renewed interest in the token.

The news saw the price of Merlin Chain rise amid an increase in volume, with traction likely to push MERL beyond the $0.14 mark.

Binance Futures adds MERL perpetual contracts with 50x leverage

Binance Futures, the derivatives arm of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, announced the addition of MERL perpetual contracts on May 28, 2025.

According to the official announcement, the USD-M MERL Perpetual Contract will go live on May 29, 2025, at 08:30 UTC, allowing traders to access up to 50x leverage.

This high-leverage offering is designed to attract both seasoned traders and those looking to capitalize on MERL’s momentum.

The announcement follows Binance’s earlier listing of MERL on its Binance Alpha, which occurred on May 20, 2025.

It’s a move that introduced MERL to a broader audience, and the addition of perpetual contracts now amplifies its appeal in the derivatives space.

Binance Futures has a history of boosting token visibility and liquidity through such listings, as seen with previous launches of other perpetual contracts.

For MERL, this move underscores Binance’s confidence in the project’s potential to drive trading activity.

Merlin Chain (MERL) price surges

The market response to the Binance Futures listing has been swift and positive.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, Merlin Chain price rose to $0.1346, doing an upward flip of over 10% in the past 24 hours.

This surge has been accompanied by a decent spike in trading volume, with MERL recording a 17% surge in daily volume to over $803 million.

The token’s market cap has reached $95.5 million.

Merlin Chain’s price gains highlight the growing interest in its ecosystem, which focuses on enhancing Bitcoin’s layer-2 capabilities.

The project supports popular Bitcoin protocol tokens like BRC20 and BRC420, and its integration of ZK-Rollups and decentralized oracle networks has made it a standout in the decentralized finance space.

While price remains well off the all-time high of $1.55 hit in April 2024, the Binance Futures listing could be a key catalyst.

In this case, the token’s value could jump to $0.2 and target December 2024 highs of $0.48 in coming weeks.

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Best crypto to buy as global companies continue to load up on BTC

  • Retail focus is turning to alternative narratives like Bitcoin Pepe, which is nearing the end of its presale.
  • Bitcoin Pepe’s presale has raised over $11.8 million, investors can still scoop up the coin at $0.0377.
  • To advance its Layer 2 ecosystem, Bitcoin Pepe has formed strategic partnerships.

The total crypto market capitalisation has slipped 0.8% over the past 24 hours to $3.43 trillion.

The retreat is notable, especially given the uptick in risk appetite across equity markets over the last two days, underscoring a more restrained mood in the crypto sector.

Bitcoin has traded within a narrow range since May 22, moving between $106,600 and $111,700. It currently sits near $108,000, suggesting continued consolidation.

As BTC holds steady and some investors take profits, retail focus is turning to alternative narratives like Bitcoin Pepe, which is nearing the end of its presale.

Bitcoin’s maturing profile, with lower volatility and increased institutional involvement, has made it less attractive to high-risk, high-reward traders.

In contrast, interest is building around speculative plays such as Bitcoin Pepe, where investors are betting on early-stage momentum and the potential for outsized returns.

Corporations continue to purchase BTC

Metaplanet has issued its largest tranche of 0% ordinary bonds to date, raising $50 million through a deal with venture capital firm EVO FUND.

The issuance, announced recently, marks the Tokyo-based investment firm’s 16th series of ordinary bonds and continues its strategy of using bond proceeds to increase Bitcoin holdings.

The company confirmed that the $50 million will be allocated toward additional Bitcoin purchases.

As of May 19, Metaplanet holds 7,800 BTC, with its total Bitcoin investments valued at approximately $846.9 million at current market prices.

CEO Simon Gerovich has reiterated the company’s goal of reaching 10,000 BTC by the end of 2025.

In a similar move, GameStop announced on Wednesday that it has purchased 4,710 Bitcoins, marking its entry into cryptocurrency investment.

The acquisition, valued at around $513.6 million based on Wednesday’s BTC price of about $108,000, signals a strategic shift for the video game retailer, echoing a playbook made famous by MicroStrategy.

Why Bitcoin Pepe is grabbing attention

Bitcoin’s recent advance to new highs is reinforcing market sentiment, a pattern that has historically signaled the start of broader rallies within the crypto sector.

As funds flow back into digital assets, speculative areas like meme coins are gaining traction among investors.

Bitcoin Pepe is emerging as a prominent beneficiary of this trend.

As the first meme-centric Layer 2 protocol on the Bitcoin network, Bitcoin Pepe combines meme culture with practical blockchain utility. 

To advance its Layer 2 ecosystem, Bitcoin Pepe has formed strategic partnerships, including with Super Meme and Plena Finance. Furthermore, collaboration with the GETE Network aims to expand its presence into the cross-chain Web3 gaming arena.

This strategy clearly seeks to blend real-world utility with meme-driven appeal—a combination positioned to resonate in the current market climate.

Investor response is strong. Bitcoin Pepe’s presale has raised over $11.8 million, with BPEP tokens currently priced at $0.0377.

With the presale ending on May 31, 2025—just three days away—the project is attracting significant attention.

A centralized exchange listing is anticipated soon after, potentially serving as a near-term price catalyst.

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Chainlink price prediction amid increased selling pressure despite DeFi integrations

  • Chainlink (LINK) faces resistance despite a recent 22.14% monthly price gain.
  • On-chain data shows selling pressure and weak buyer momentum.
  • DeFi integrations support a long-term bullish outlook for Chainlink.

Chainlink, a prominent decentralised oracle network, is currently navigating a pivotal phase as the price of its native token, LINK, grapples with mounting selling pressure.

Although LINK has enjoyed notable gains in recent weeks, the broader market sentiment reveals a fragile balance as technical and on-chain indicators flash warning signs of a potential correction.

Profit taking outweighs LINK accumulation impact

Despite recovering to a recent price of $15.99, marking a robust 22.14% gain over the past month, Chainlink’s upward momentum appears to be tapering off amid weakening demand.

The recent climb, which began in late April 2025, was largely fueled by investor accumulation and strategic withdrawals from exchanges, suggesting long-term holding behaviour.

According to CryptoQuant data, over the past two weeks, approximately $66 million worth of LINK has been moved out of cryptocurrency exchanges, a move typically interpreted as a bullish signal.

Chainlink Exchange Reserve

However, this accumulation has yet to overcome the short-term pressure exerted by traders taking profits following the token’s earlier surge above the $15 threshold.

Chainlink price outlook

Chainlink’s current trading range, tightly constrained between $14.84 and $18.00, underscores a period of consolidation that could precede either a breakout or a downturn.

Although the asset recently breached key levels earlier in May, its failure to sustain higher highs has introduced hesitation among bullish investors.

Technically, LINK is encountering a long-standing descending trendline that dates back to December 2024, forming a structural resistance zone now under repeated testing.

This trendline, validated through several contact points across February and May 2025, continues to limit upside potential unless decisively broken.

Market analysts suggest that a confirmed breakout above this descending resistance could initiate a stair-step rally toward resistance levels at 17.28, 18.00, and even 21.99 USDT.

Nonetheless, indicators such as the On-Balance Volume (OBV) and Mean Coin Age paint a more cautious picture, revealing a decline in buying pressure and a tendency for holders to liquidate.

The OBV’s persistent downtrend signifies increased distribution, while Mean Coin Age data implies that long-held tokens are re-entering circulation.

Chainlink price chart

Furthermore, Chainlink’s Stochastic RSI hints at the potential for a short-term rebound, yet without sustained volume and broader market participation, such movements may remain fleeting.

Adding to the complexity, liquidation heatmap data has exposed dense liquidity zones near $14.80, highlighting a possible 7–8% drawdown if bearish pressure intensifies.

The presence of heavy liquidation volumes around local highs of $17.30 also underscores the vulnerability of any unconfirmed breakout attempts.

Although short-term weakness remains evident, Chainlink continues to benefit from its increasing integration within the decentralised finance sector.

Key partnerships, including collaborations with JPMorgan’s Kinexys, Ondo Finance, and deployment on the Solana mainnet, have reinforced LINK’s role as a crucial data bridge in blockchain ecosystems.

The adoption of Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) in these networks further strengthens its utility, enabling secure cross-chain data exchange for smart contracts.

These integrations are not only expanding Chainlink’s use cases but also setting the foundation for potential long-term appreciation once market sentiment recovers.

Currently, LINK’s position above the 200-day moving average and within a rising channel pattern supports the broader bullish structure that has yet to fully materialise.

Nevertheless, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovering at 54.92, sentiment remains neutral to slightly bearish, indicating that bulls have not regained firm control.

The BBPower reading of 1.37 reflects a slight advantage for buyers, though it lacks the confirmation required to suggest a sustained rally.

In conclusion, while Chainlink’s long-term outlook remains positive thanks to DeFi growth and increasing utility, the short-term narrative is clouded by on-chain selling and technical resistance.

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