Kategorie: Crypto Analysis

• Ethereum is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency.
• Ethereum’s next major upgrade, Pectra, will go live on 7 May.
• Vitalik Buterin has proposed replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bytecode with RISC-V.

Ethereum is back in the spotlight as traders prepare for what could be a decisive breakout year.

With the Pectra upgrade scheduled for 7 May, combining two long-planned enhancements—Prague and Electra—the Ethereum blockchain is undergoing major changes.

At the same time, increased staking activity, improved scalability via Layer-2 solutions, and proposals to overhaul Ethereum’s virtual machine are shaping long-term expectations.

These upgrades, combined with falling gas fees and rising developer activity, are fuelling renewed forecasts that put ETH’s 2025 high at nearly $6,000.

Ethereum’s position as the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation continues to attract institutional attention, even amid volatility.

Its ability to support decentralised applications and token ecosystems makes it critical to crypto’s future.

As activity migrates to cheaper sidechains, the base layer is evolving with efficiency in mind.

Early signals show ETH building momentum

Ethereum has started showing early signs of recovery after months of price stagnation.

ETH is currently trading at $1,841, above the 9-day simple moving average, with the relative strength index at 58.3, suggesting building momentum.

Source: CoinMarketCap

Analysts note that the price is consolidating in a range between $1,600 and $1,900, forming a potential rounding bottom pattern.

If ETH breaks through $1,900, the next resistance could appear near $2,200.

Although gas fee revenues fell to 3.18 ETH in April and average gas prices hit a four-year low at $0.16, the drop in network costs is making Ethereum more accessible for users.

The sharp fall in base-layer activity has raised sustainability concerns, but also indicates the shift of transactions to Layer-2s like Arbitrum and Base.

Pectra and staking add long-term value

Ethereum’s next major upgrade, Pectra, will go live on 7 May and is expected to introduce a range of technical improvements.

By combining the Prague and Electra upgrades, Pectra aims to streamline validator operations and reduce latency.

Alongside this, co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bytecode with RISC-V, a widely used open-source instruction set architecture.

If implemented, this would help Ethereum align more closely with traditional computing infrastructure and enhance future compatibility.

ETH staking has also increased, with the Ethereum 2.0 network drawing growing interest from long-term holders.

Combined with Layer-2 scaling solutions and low transaction costs, these developments are strengthening Ethereum’s fundamentals as a decentralised application platform.

ETH forecast shows a broad range

Ethereum’s price outlook for 2025–2030 varies significantly depending on market sentiment, adoption rates, and global macroeconomic factors.

In the near term, ETH could test resistance at $2,400 by the end of 2025 if the broader crypto market trends positively.

However, upside is expected to be capped near $2,500 unless momentum builds.

CoinPedia forecasts suggest that ETH could reach a new high of $5,925 in 2025, assuming favourable conditions.

Their predicted price range for 2025 lies between $2,917 and $5,925, with an average around $4,392.

By 2026, the upper range increases to $6,610, and by 2030, projections go as high as $15,575.

Across longer timeframes, the estimates show further growth.

For 2040, ETH could hit $123,678, and in 2050, a potential peak of $255,282 is suggested.

However, each yearly estimate also includes lower and mid-range possibilities, showing that investor caution remains.

Other firms have varied forecasts: Changelly expects $4,012.41 in 2025 and up to $24,196 in 2030; Coincodex sees a 2025 high of $6,540.51; and Binance projects a more conservative $3,499.54.

These predictions underscore how Ethereum’s value is tied to both its network upgrades and broader market adoption.

Its future trajectory will depend on continued technical innovation, staking incentives, and decentralised finance use cases.

The post Ethereum price prediction 2025–2030: ETH could reach $5,925 if upgrades succeed appeared first on CoinJournal.

• Analyst Budhil Vyas flagged the rally as “liquidity hunting” by whales.
• Traders used spot buys and futures to manipulate demand and price.
• Similar patterns are seen in South Korean exchange delistings like Upbit.

Alpaca Finance (ALPACA) is at the centre of controversy after a sudden 1,000% rally in the days following Binance’s announcement to delist the token.

While such a notice usually triggers a steep decline in asset value, ALPACA’s price trajectory defied market norms.

The spike has raised concerns over potential manipulation, with experts pointing to deliberate strategies by large traders to drain market liquidity.

Binance stated on 24 April that it would delist ALPACA and three other assets, effective 2 May.

In contrast to the expected outcome, ALPACA’s value rose sharply, then dropped 34.5% in a single day.

ALPACA trades at $0.55 after extreme volatility

Data from BeInCrypto shows that ALPACA traded at just $0.02 before the delisting announcement.

It then surged as high as $1.27 before falling back to $0.55 at the time of writing.

The spike was not mirrored by the other three tokens set for delisting, which all saw declines.

This has led many analysts and traders to believe that the token was targeted by entities engaging in aggressive liquidity extraction.

Market analyst Budhil Vyas described the activity as a classic example of “liquidity hunting.”

He explained that whales may have initially driven down the price to spark panic and forced liquidations.

Then, shortly before the two-hour delisting deadline, they executed a rapid 15X price pump.

The aim, he said, was to drain remaining market liquidity before the token became illiquid post-delisting.

According to Vyas, no substantial accumulation occurred, meaning the rally was not based on investor confidence or platform developments.

Futures trading tactics fuelled the rally

Further details were shared by crypto trader Johannes in a recent X post, highlighting how the structure of perpetual futures markets may have enabled the ALPACA price rally.

Traders allegedly took large long positions in futures while simultaneously buying ALPACA in the spot market to artificially boost demand.

Since they held a majority of the supply, selling pressure was limited, allowing the price to climb significantly.

This tactic works because perpetual futures contracts often remain liquid even when the underlying asset is delisted from spot exchanges.

When the token is removed from Binance, forced closures of positions can occur with minimal price slippage, allowing profits to be locked in.

The approach depends on short-term market dominance and access to large capital reserves, effectively crowding out retail participants.

Similar trends were observed in South Korea

The ALPACA case is not isolated. DeFi analyst Ignas noted that similar behaviour has occurred during token delistings on South Korean exchanges like Upbit.

In such cases, tokens experience sudden price pumps as retail investors rush to exit positions, or speculators try to capitalise on restricted inflows before the trading window closes.

One example cited was Bitcoin Gold (BTG), which surged 112% after Upbit announced its removal from the platform.

Ignas said delisting announcements can now generate as much speculative activity as token listings.

This dynamic has caught the attention of analysts who believe that “pump → delist” cycles may be emerging as a repeatable pattern in some trading circles.

These trends suggest a growing need for investor education and possibly tighter regulation, particularly when exchange decisions can be exploited for strategic gains.

The post Analysts raise red flags on ALPACA’s 1,000% rally after delisting news appeared first on CoinJournal.

• The MACD indicator shows a bearish crossover, confirming a trend reversal.
• Next major support lies at $0.0165, with risk of further losses.
• Recovery is possible if XCN reclaims $0.0187 and retests $0.0214.

Onyxcoin (XCN) has recorded a steep drop of nearly 14% this week, signalling a sharp turn in market sentiment after the altcoin failed to break past a critical resistance level of $0.0214.

The failed breakout attempt, coupled with a bearish technical signal, has ended a six-week upward trend for the token.

At the time of writing, XCN is trading at $0.0182, having slipped below the local support of $0.0187.

Source: CoinMarketCap

This weakness has triggered a cascade of liquidations, putting further pressure on Onyxcoin’s short-term outlook.

The recent downturn follows a period of relative optimism, during which XCN attracted renewed investor attention amid rising on-chain activity.

However, its inability to hold above key price levels suggests growing caution among traders.

Traders liquidated as XCN fails to hold support

The shift in momentum for XCN was first flagged by the MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence) indicator, which registered a bearish crossover around 72 hours ago.

This reversal has been confirmed by real-time liquidation data, which shows that nearly $2 million worth of long positions have been liquidated.

That figure represents roughly 16% of the $12 million total open interest for Onyxcoin.

These liquidations are significant given XCN’s relatively low market cap and trading volume compared to major assets.

The size of the liquidations suggests that a sizeable portion of retail traders were caught off guard by the sudden shift, intensifying negative sentiment.

If bearish conditions persist, further liquidations could push the token even lower, as leveraged traders rush to exit their positions.

Technical levels signal more downside for XCN

With XCN now trading below both the $0.0187 local support and the key $0.0214 resistance level, the next major downside target is $0.0165.

This support level is critical for preventing further losses. A decisive breakdown below $0.0165 could lead to a new wave of long position liquidations, extending the current downtrend.

The price failure comes after two attempts in April to reclaim the $0.0214 resistance.

Both were met with rejection, confirming that the level is acting as a strong ceiling in the current market environment.

Until XCN can retest and successfully break above this mark, sentiment is likely to remain bearish.

Recovery hinges on reclaiming $0.0187

There is still a narrow path to recovery. If Onyxcoin can reclaim the $0.0187 level as support and consolidate above it, the token could stage another attempt to challenge the $0.0214 barrier.

A successful breakout above that level would invalidate the current bearish trend and potentially trigger a short-term bullish reversal.

However, broader market sentiment will also play a role. With Bitcoin and Ethereum showing signs of consolidation and risk appetite fluctuating among altcoin investors, Onyxcoin may need more than technical support to stage a rebound.

For now, traders are watching closely to see whether $0.0165 holds, or if further downside is on the cards.

The post Onyxcoin price drops 14% as $2 million in liquidations hit XCN traders appeared first on CoinJournal.

• Market cap stands at $130 billion as of 30 April.
• XRP Ledger now handles 3,400+ transactions/sec.
• Despite positive momentum, economic risks could cap near-term gains.

XRP has rallied 8.63% over the past week, trading at $2.22 as of 30 April 2025, according to CoinMarketCap.

The token’s latest market capitalisation stands at $130.09 billion, with 58.44 billion XRP in circulation and $2.89 billion in 24-hour trading volume.

While XRP is down 3.04% in the past 24 hours, it remains up sharply from its April lows.

The recent momentum is largely attributed to optimism surrounding the launch of XRP futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs), despite the delay of ProShares Trust’s product to 2025.

Analysts say XRP’s recent breakout above its 21-day and 50-day moving averages—combined with the end of a multi-week downtrend—suggests continued strength in the short term.

The current focus is whether XRP can retest 2025 highs and potentially reach $3.40, although macroeconomic uncertainties remain a limiting factor.

Legal win and SEC approval drive sentiment

Ripple’s March 2025 legal victory against the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has revived investor confidence.

The ruling cleared the path for XRP-based futures ETFs, providing institutional investors with new avenues for exposure.

The surge in XRP follows a similar pattern seen with Bitcoin’s reaction to its spot ETF approvals in early 2024.

Market observers believe XRP could mirror Bitcoin’s post-ETF rally, especially as investor sentiment continues to improve.

XRP’s price strength, even amid broader volatility, reinforces its position as a leading altcoin heading into the second half of 2025.

Trump policies and Fed caution weigh on upside

Despite positive momentum, economic risks could cap near-term gains. President Trump’s expanded tariff programme and renewed trade disputes have fuelled concerns of stubborn inflation.

This, in turn, may keep the US Federal Reserve in a hawkish stance longer than markets would prefer.

These factors increase the likelihood of risk-off behaviour among investors, which could impact high-volatility assets like XRP.

As a result, while some traders have speculated about XRP surging toward $10, this scenario appears unlikely unless broader market conditions shift significantly.

Ripple network and adoption expand

Beyond price action, Ripple’s ecosystem continues to grow. The December 2024 launch of the RLUSD stablecoin has enhanced on-chain liquidity and transaction flexibility.

Upgrades to the XRP Ledger have also boosted transaction speeds, now capable of handling more than 3,400 transactions per second, improving its appeal for institutional use.

The Trump administration’s pro-crypto stance—including the appointment of Paul Atkins as SEC Chair—suggests that regulatory clarity may continue to improve.

In March, Trump identified XRP as a key digital asset that could be included in the US government’s digital stockpile initiative.

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