Kategorie: Altcoin News

Altcoin news about alternative blockchains and its crypto ecosystems.

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River price defies market downturn, explodes 40% to new ATH

  • River price rose sharply as bulls defied the broader market downturn.
  • The token exploded more than 40% in 24 hours to hit a new all-time high above $87.
  • RIVER recently received backing from Justin Sun and Arthur Hayes.

Several altcoins are deep in the red amid a broader cryptocurrency market downturn that has pushed Bitcoin well under $90,000.

But as BTC struggles, River’s native token RIVER has defied the odds, with price surging 40% in the past 24 hours to reach a new all-time high above $87.

The move sees the token rank as one of the top gainers across the altcoin sector.

River price explodes to new all-time high

River is a crypto protocol building a chain abstraction stablecoin platform.

The protocol eyes traction across the ecosystem with its liquidity and yield offering.

RIVER, the native governance and utility token, has surged significantly in recent days and skyrocketed 40% over the past 24 hours to smash through resistance to a new all-time high.

The token has pumped more than 200% in the past week and by more than 2,070% in the past month.

It peaked at $87.79 across major exchanges on January 26, 2025, more than 70x off the all-time lows reached in September 2025.

River’s explosive rally comes as the token’s market capitalisation ballooned past $1.6 billion, which aligns with the robust demand highlighted by a 39% jump in daily trading volume.

CoinMarketCap data shows the altcoin’s trading volume spiked to over $108 million in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, total value locked (TVL) climbed to over $162 million, as DeFi users flocked to the protocol’s cross-chain offerings.

In terms of gains, River’s performance stands in stark contrast to the prevailing market sentiment.

Bitcoin, the bellwether asset, dipped below $88,000 amid macroeconomic jitters.

Ethereum and other altcoins followed suit as risk-off sentiment grips traders.

The same headwinds could see RIVER ‘s price retreat sharply.

What catalysed the RIVER price rally?

Likely catalysts for RIVER’s meteoric rise include the latest listings and major backing in a fresh round.

Of the more than $14 million in capital raised, a landmark $12 million is from a strategic funding round backed by heavyweight investors that attracted TRON DAO, Justin Sun, Maelstrom Fund founder Arthur Hayes, and The Spartan Group.

Notably, the round also drew commitments from Nasdaq-listed companies and blue-chip institutions across the United States and Europe, lending unprecedented credibility to River’s vision.

River plans to plough this capital infusion into its multi-chain expansion plans, with DeFi applications available across Sui, Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Polygon.

Amplifying the momentum for the token is fresh exchange listings.

Both HTX and OKX have injected new liquidity and retail access to the token. Bulls capitalised on this, stacking positions as open interest in RIVER perpetuals.

Resistance looms at $90, but with funding secured and listings live, RIVER could test $100 in the coming days. However, a sharp pullback is possible given profit-taking deals.

 

The post River price defies market downturn, explodes 40% to new ATH appeared first on CoinJournal.

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LayerZero defies token unlock pressure, ZRO breaks above $2.20

  • LayerZero (ZRO) has absorbed a major token unlock as demand outweighs new supply.
  • Speculation and leverage have led to a clean breakout above $2.20 resistance.
  • Holding $2.20 support could open upside toward the $2.60–$2.70 zone.

LayerZero is currently commanding attention across the crypto market as its native token ZRO pushes higher despite heavy supply-side headwinds.

The ZRO price has surged decisively above the critical $2.20 resistance level, defying expectations tied to recent token unlocks.

At the time of writing, ZRO is trading near $2.21, posting gains of over 12% in 24 hours, 35% over the past week, and more than 74% on the monthly timeframe.

This move has positioned LayerZero as one of the strongest outperformers in an otherwise flat broader crypto market.

LayerZero demand overwhelms token unlock pressure

One of the most notable aspects of the current ZRO price rally is how the market has handled new supply.

On January 20, LayerZero unlocked approximately 25.71 million ZRO tokens, representing around 6.36% of the circulating supply.

Token unlocks of this magnitude are typically bearish, as they increase sell pressure and dilute existing holders.

Instead, ZRO demand absorbed the new supply with little visible impact on price.

On-chain data showed large transfers moving into institutional-grade custody solutions rather than exchanges.

This suggests accumulation rather than distribution by large holders.

In market terms, predictable supply increases lose their bearish influence when buyers are willing to absorb them.

The ability of LayerZero to withstand repeated unlocks reinforces confidence in its long-term value proposition.

This dynamic has turned what is normally a negative catalyst into a bullish signal for the ZRO price.

Speculation and momentum fuel LayerZero price strength

Beyond supply dynamics, speculative interest has played a major role in pushing ZRO higher.

Traders are positioning ahead of a teased LayerZero ecosystem event scheduled for February 10, 2026.

The clearly defined date has created a countdown effect, encouraging pre-emptive buying.

In slow market conditions, assets with identifiable upcoming catalysts often attract disproportionate capital.

As demand increased, ZRO broke above the $2.20 resistance that had capped previous rallies.

This breakout triggered short liquidations worth roughly $236,000, adding forced buying pressure.

LayerZero’s futures open interest surged by more than 30% in a single day, signalling fresh leverage entering the market.

Momentum indicators reflect this intensity, with the RSI reaching extreme overbought levels.

While this confirms strength, it also introduces short-term volatility risk.

LayerZero price forecast

The LayerZero price forecast now hinges on whether ZRO can maintain its breakout structure.

The $2.20 level is the most important area for traders to watch in the near term.

Holding above this zone would confirm former resistance as new support.

If that support holds, the next upside targets sit near $2.60 and $2.70, where prior liquidity zones emerge.

A strong continuation driven by event-related news could even open a path toward the $3.00–$3.40 range.

On the downside, failure to hold $2.20 could trigger a short-term correction.

In that scenario, traders should monitor support between $1.80 and $2.00.

The sustainability of the current bullish momentum, however, will depend on follow-through buying and concrete announcements around the upcoming LayerZero event.

The post LayerZero defies token unlock pressure, ZRO breaks above $2.20 appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Optimism (OP) slips toward $0.25 ahead of Jan. 22 buyback vote

  • The Optimism Foundation’s proposal for a token buyback goes to a vote on January 22, 2026.
  • OP price has fallen sharply over the past year, and sentiment is largely bearish.
  • The buyback could catalyze gains, with OP eyeing $0.52-$0.75.

Optimism’s OP token changed hands around $0.30 on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, slightly up in the past 24 hours as the community edges towards a key governance vote.

But having traded to intraday highs of $0.37 last week, the token’s dip to current levels risks allowing for a pullback to all-time lows of $0.25 reached in December.

Can Optimism Foundation’s plans for a buyback program that commits Superchain revenue to monthly OP purchases bolster bulls?

​Optimism buyback details and implications

Optimism is set for a governance vote on January 22, 2026, following a proposal floated earlier this month.

The Optimism Foundation wants community approval to allocate half of the sequencer fees for open-market buybacks of OP.

If the vote passes, the program will start in February, with 50% of Superchain revenue flowing to Optimism. Repurchases are set to occur over the next year.

The remaining 50% funds will be allocated to ecosystem grants, maintaining flexibility.

As with other  models, such as dYdX’s 75% fee buybacks, Optimism aims to buy from the market. However, the tokens go back to the OP treasury rather than direct burns.

If the latter happens, supply reduction will signal confidence in OP and Superchain’s dominance.

“With this buyback mechanism, OP transitions from a pure governance token to a token that is tightly aligned with the growth of the Superchain,” Optimism wrote at the time.

The mechanism targets every enterprise that creates a new chain on the Superchain, with these expected to add to the underlying demand for OP.

​OP token price forecast

The Optimism (OP) price is down nearly 94% from its peak of $4.85 reached in March 2024. The downtrend has crushed holder sentiment, and despite the buyback proposal, the outlook is largely bearish.

Bears may hold this advantage unless Optimism for instance, burns the repurchased tokens. BNB’s quarterly burns have helped the token’s price storm to new highs.

In the short term, a post-vote rally could push prices to $0.52.

Optimism Price Chart
Optimism price chart by TradingView

As the daily chart above indicates, the 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages act as supply zones at $0.32 and $0.51 (currently).

Targets in the $0.60-$0.75 range are a possibility should the crypto market experience a rebound from current downward pressure.

Gains for Ethereum and top ecosystem tokens will catalyse this likely OP bounce.

However, bearish pressure means the psychological $1 mark remains well off the threshold for now.

Major token unlocks will continue to cap gains, too, and a dip to $0.25 on fresh downward catalysts will encourage sellers.

The post Optimism (OP) slips toward $0.25 ahead of Jan. 22 buyback vote appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Story Protocol’s IP token surges 22%, outpacing top altcoins: check forecast

  • Story traded at lows of around $2.12 on Monday but has since staged a sharp recovery.
  • IP rose to above $2.65, with trading volume spiking over 400% to $198 million.
  • Buyers may ride bullish sentiment to target $3 or higher.

IP, the native token of the Story Protocol, has outperformed top altcoins in the past 24 hours.

At the time of writing, the token’s price had pumped by more than 22% to its highest level since early December 2025.

Other coins seeing notable gains include Monero, Canton and Aerodrome Finance. Ethereum targets $3,500 as price holds key level.

Story is a layer-1 blockchain project focused on tokenizing and making intellectual property programmable for creators in the AI era, leading this pack.

Its gains come amid broader upside moves for privacy-focused altcoins, and the IP price was up amid a more than 400% increase in daily trading volume.

IP price breaks above $2.50 on mega volume

As noted, the Story token has experienced a breakout moment.

But as its price decisively broke above the $2.50 level, buyers did so on a significantly higher 24-hour trading volume.

With bulls breaching $2.10,  the asset soared to above $2.65. Data showed trading volume exploded by more than 450% to $198 million.

The surge reflects strong bullish momentum, and IP could extend its upward trajectory toward the $3 mark. Bulls see the level as a psychological barrier and a breakout might allow for new gains.

From a technical perspective, the token trades above the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $2.31, providing solid support for further advances.

If broader top cryptocurrencies flip decisively positive, IP could see additional rally potential.

Story IP Chart
Story price chart by TradingView

However, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart stands at 73 and in the overbought zone.

This suggests a potential retreat as profit-taking emerges. Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator shows indecisiveness, with the histogram showing increased weakness.

Story gains as Monero leads top altcoins higher

As the chart below shows, IP has posted impressive gains today.

The fresh bullish wave to highs of $2.65, with the token pumping more than 22% in 24 hours, aligned with notable upticks for several other cryptocurrencies.

Monero (XMR) led privacy coins higher as XMR price hovered near $600 in a strong rally.

As the coin gathered pace, coins that had dumped in recent sessions, including Zcash (ZEC), also rose. The token is looking to ignore developer turmoil to recover and was up 5% to above $410.

Monero and Zcash remain top privacy coins, but with regulatory scrutiny, such as Dubai’s ban, putting the tokens into the spotlight.

 

The post Story Protocol’s IP token surges 22%, outpacing top altcoins: check forecast appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Sky token slides over 5% as altcoin weakness deepens

  • Sky token price dropped over 5% as altcoins struggled.
  • The token could fall further amid broader market weakness.
  • Anchorage Digital has reportedly transferred over 69 million SKY tokens.

Sky (SKY), the governance asset of the decentralized Sky Protocol (formerly MakerDAO), has dropped by over 5% in the past 24 hours as major cryptocurrencies face downward pressure.

After renewed uptrends in early 2026, Bitcoin has retreated to support at $90,000, Ethereum to $3,000 and XRP to around $2.15.

Increased trading volume as the token faces significant downward pressure suggests there could be further downside movement.

SKY price falls amid large token transfer

SKY’s price declining nearly 6% to trade near $0.056 is a drop that aligns with a broader altcoin market weakness observed on Friday.

Sky Price Chart
Sky price chart by TradingView

The token’s struggles come as profit-taking adds to risk-off sentiment.

For Sky, sellers have been on top since prices fell from highs of $0.096 in July 2025.

Bears even tested the support levels around $0.041 in November.

Recent gains saw buyers top $0.068, but things have looked tough on the upside across the cryptocurrency market, and SKY is following a similar trajectory.

On Jan. 9, the price decline happened as onchain data showed that Anchorage Digital, a prominent institutional crypto custodian and federally chartered bank, had moved over 69 million SKY tokens.

This significant on-chain transfer is likely a repositioning for custody services, institutional allocation, or other strategic purposes.

However, such large transfers often trigger heightened selling activity.

What next for SKY price?

Technical indicators on the daily chart point to continued downside risk for SKY in the near term.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is hovering in the mid-40s, suggesting weakening momentum and leaving room for a further slide toward oversold conditions.

At the same time, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) remains bearish, with the MACD line below the signal line and a negative histogram.

Despite the recent decline of roughly 9% over the past week, some investors remain constructive on the token’s longer-term outlook.

Supportive factors cited include ongoing token buybacks funded by protocol revenue and signs of growing real-world usage.

Data also shows that annualised SKY repurchases have risen sharply alongside a jump in revenue, placing the project among the top-ranked protocols by buyback activity.

While Hyperliquid leads the group, Sky ranks second, ahead of names such as Pump.fun, TRON and Solana.

The positive fundamentals may provide a boost that could see bulls counter macro-driven headwinds.

If bulls take control, bullish price targets include $0.080 and $0.10. Conversely, bears might eye $0.050 and $0.037 lows.

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