Ethereum begins new week on strong footing as bulls target key breakout levels

Key takeaways

  • Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP started the week holding onto last week’s strong gains.
  • Ethereum is approaching its 50-day EMA near $1,806, a key hurdle for extending its recovery.

Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) began the week on a constructive note after surging over 6%, 13% and 10% in the previous week. 

BTC holds steady below $63,000, ETH approaches a key technical resistance at $1,800, while XRP has broken above the upper boundary of a falling channel, strengthening the bullish outlook.

Ethereum tests key resistance near the 50-Day EMA

Ethereum (ETH) is also extending last week’s recovery after climbing more than 13%, trading near $1,784 on Monday.

The cryptocurrency is approaching a significant technical hurdle at the 50-day EMA around $1,806, which currently serves as the first major resistance level.

Despite the recent rebound, Ethereum remains below the 100-day EMA near $1,972 and the 200-day EMA around $2,241, leaving the broader trend tilted to the downside.

However, technical momentum continues to strengthen. The RSI is hovering near 57, indicating healthy buying momentum, while the MACD remains firmly positive, suggesting bulls continue to regain control after recent weakness.

If ETH successfully breaks above the 50-day EMA, attention would shift toward resistance near $1,972, followed by the psychologically important $2,000 level and the 200-day EMA around $2,242.

On the downside, the strongest support remains near $1,385, where buyers previously stepped in to defend the market.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP have all entered the new week with improving momentum following strong performances last week.

ETH/USD 4H Chart

While each asset faces important technical resistance, bullish indicators continue to strengthen.

A decisive move above $64,000 for Bitcoin, $1,806 for Ethereum, and continued strength above XRP’s channel breakout could reinforce the recovery across the broader cryptocurrency market and set the stage for further gains.

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Bitcoin dips below $63K amid ETF outflows and geopolitical risks

Key takeaways

  • Bitcoin is trading below $64,000 after rallying more than 6% last week.
  • U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $526.64 million in net outflows, marking an eighth consecutive week of withdrawals.
  • Renewed geopolitical concerns surrounding the Strait of Hormuz are limiting demand for risk assets.

Bitcoin (BTC) is trading slightly lower on Monday after climbing more than 6% last week, with buyers struggling to push the cryptocurrency above the key $64,000 resistance level.

Although last week’s rebound improved short-term sentiment, persistent institutional selling and renewed geopolitical uncertainty continue to cap upside momentum.

For now, Bitcoin remains caught between improving technical conditions and cautious macroeconomic sentiment.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs extend historic outflow streak

Institutional demand for Bitcoin remains under pressure. According to CoinGlass data, U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $526.64 million in net outflows during the previous week.

The withdrawals mark the eighth consecutive week of net redemptions, extending the longest outflow streak since spot Bitcoin ETFs began trading.

If institutional investors continue reducing exposure this week, Bitcoin could face renewed selling pressure despite last week’s rebound.

Global geopolitical uncertainty remains another obstacle for Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency rallied last week after easing tensions between the United States and Iran briefly improved investor sentiment.

However, optimism has faded as concerns surrounding the Strait of Hormuz resurfaced.

Reports that Iran may introduce new service fees for vessels passing through the strategically important shipping route have renewed uncertainty, while the United States and several Gulf allies continue opposing such measures.

The lingering geopolitical risks have kept investors cautious, limiting demand for higher-risk assets such as cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin price outlook: Bulls defend long-term support

From a technical perspective, Bitcoin continues to trade above a critical long-term support level.

Last week’s rally allowed BTC to reclaim the 200-week Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $62,867 after bouncing from an ascending trendline that has supported prices since early 2023.

Holding above this level keeps the broader recovery intact. If buyers maintain control above the 200-week SMA, Bitcoin could extend its advance toward the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement level at $65,520, measured from the August 2024 low to the October 2025 record high.

On the daily timeframe, Bitcoin continues to trade below its major moving averages. The cryptocurrency remains beneath the 50-day EMA at $65,744, the 100-day EMA at $69,455, and the 200-day EMA at $75,471, leaving the broader trend tilted to the downside despite recent gains.

Immediate resistance is located around $64,004. A successful breakout above that level could allow Bitcoin to challenge the 50-day EMA, with additional upside targets at the 100-day EMA, the 200-day EMA, and eventually the major resistance area near $84,410.

While momentum has improved, the daily RSI near 49 and a positive MACD crossover indicate buyers are gradually regaining strength, although confirmation of a sustained uptrend is still lacking.

The 200-week SMA at $62,867 remains the most important support level in the near term.

A sustained move below that area would weaken the current recovery and expose the long-term ascending trendline near $58,000. If selling pressure intensifies further, Bitcoin could revisit its yearly low around $57,800.

Bitcoin has recovered significantly from recent lows, but the rally is encountering resistance just below $64,000.

BTC/USD 4H Chart

Persistent ETF outflows, geopolitical uncertainty, and overhead technical resistance continue to limit upside potential.

As long as BTC holds above its 200-week SMA, the recovery remains intact. However, buyers will need to reclaim $64,004 and then $65,744 to build momentum for a broader move higher.

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Chainlink price prediction: record network growth meets bearish technicals

  • Chainlink added 6,182 new wallets in two days.
  • LINK’s price must clear $8.31 to strengthen its recovery.
  • Technical indicators lean more bearish than bullish.

Chainlink (LINK) is showing a rare divergence between its on-chain activity and price action.

While the token has struggled to recover from recent losses, network activity has accelerated at its fastest pace this year, raising questions about whether the increase in network activity can eventually translate into a price rebound.

At the time of writing, LINK is trading around $7.30, up just 0.3% over the past 24 hours.

Despite the modest daily gain, the broader trend remains weak.

LINK has declined 8.7% over the past week, 20.3% over the last 30 days, and 45.8% over the past year.

Chainlink network activity reaches highest level of 2026

Recent on-chain data showed that the Chainlink network added 6,182 new wallet addresses in just two days, marking its strongest two-day growth of 2026.

The increase was spread across two consecutive days, with 3,142 new wallets created on June 25 and another 3,040 on June 26.

Such growth is often viewed as a sign of rising user participation because it reflects fresh addresses interacting with the network during a period when the token itself has been under selling pressure.

The surge is particularly notable as it came while LINK was trading close to multi-month lows instead of a rally.

In many cases, rapid wallet growth accompanies rising prices as new investors enter the market.

This time, the increase in network activity arrived even as the token remained below several important resistance levels.

Chainlink continues to maintain a total value locked (TVL) of about $28.841 billion, showing that the protocol remains one of the largest decentralised oracle networks despite recent weakness in its token price.

Some market observers have pointed to the divergence between improving on-chain metrics and weaker prices as evidence that network usage has remained resilient.

However, address growth alone does not guarantee higher prices, particularly when broader market conditions remain under pressure.

Bearish technical indicators continue to dominate

Despite the encouraging on-chain data, technical indicators still favour the sellers.

From a technical perspective, LINK is trading below its 10-day, 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day EMAs, leaving every major moving average above the current price and acting as resistance.

Remaining below the 200-day EMA also suggests that the longer-term trend has yet to turn positive.

Momentum indicators offer a slightly more balanced view.

The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 32.21, keeping the token above the traditional oversold threshold of 30 but still close enough that trading volume could play a decisive role in the next move.

On the weekly timeframe, the RSI is 33.23, indicating that bearish momentum has eased compared to earlier weeks, although the broader trend remains under pressure.

Key Chainlink price levels to watch

The technical structure leaves several important price levels in focus.

Immediate support sits at $7.02. If the token closes below that level, the current support structure would weaken significantly and could expose LINK to additional downside.

Chainlink price chart

On the upside, traders are watching $8.31, which represents the first major resistance level.

A confirmed close above that price would improve the technical outlook and could allow LINK to challenge the next resistance around $9.19.

Some technical analysts have also highlighted the possibility of a double-bottom formation if support continues to hold.

Under that scenario, a sustained breakout above resistance could eventually open the path toward the $9 region.

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What Binance’s EU exit means for the BNB token price

  • Binance will halt services for EU users after MiCA setback.
  • BNB token price has fallen 13.2% over the past month.
  • Bitcoin miner inflows to Binance hit a four-month high.

BNB token remained under pressure on Friday as investors weighed Binance’s regulatory setback in Europe against the token’s long-term role within the Binance ecosystem.

The token traded at $566.26, down 0.3% over the previous 24 hours.

During that period, Binance coin (BNB) moved between $541.77 and $569.04, showing that buyers managed to push the price close to the day’s high despite negative headlines.

Even so, the broader trend has remained weak.

BNB has fallen 1.4% over the past seven days, 5.5% in the last two weeks, 13.2% over the past month, and 12.5% over the last year.

The latest decline in sentiment comes after Binance confirmed that it will stop providing services to customers across the European Union after failing to obtain a license required under the bloc’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations.

Regulatory setback raises fresh questions

Binance’s withdrawal from the European market represents another regulatory challenge for the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

The company informed affected users that services in the European Union will end after it failed to secure the required MiCA authorisation before the regulatory deadline.

Binance had previously sought approval through Greece before withdrawing its application and has indicated that it intends to pursue authorisation through another EU member state.

Although Binance said Europe remains an important market and expects to secure a license in the future, the interruption creates uncertainty for one of its largest regional user bases.

That uncertainty matters because the BNB token is closely tied to the Binance ecosystem.

While the token has expanded well beyond its original purpose as an exchange utility token, Binance’s trading activity still plays an important role in overall demand.

Any reduction in exchange activity could temporarily affect demand for BNB tokens, particularly from users who hold the token to receive trading fee discounts or participate in Binance products.

BNB token still has utility beyond the exchange

Despite the regulatory headwinds, the BNB token is no longer dependent solely on Binance’s centralised exchange.

The token serves as the native asset of BNB Chain, where it is used to pay transaction fees, support decentralised finance applications, participate in staking, and access Binance Launchpad token offerings.

These use cases continue to generate demand independent of spot trading on the exchange.

The BNB token also benefits from a deflationary supply model.

The token launched with a maximum supply of 200 million coins, and Binance continues to remove tokens from circulation through scheduled burns.

The token burn mechanism has so far removed 289,896.29 BNB tokens from the circulating supply, according to BNBBurn info, and remains one of the key features supporting the asset’s long-term economics.

However, utility alone may not fully offset the impact of negative regulatory developments in the short term.

Investor sentiment often reacts quickly to news involving Binance because of the close relationship between the exchange and its native token.

The wider crypto market decline adds another layer of pressure

The regulatory news arrives at a time when the broader cryptocurrency market is already facing fresh concerns.

Recent blockchain data showed that Bitcoin miners transferred more than 150,000 BTC to Binance during June, marking the highest miner inflows to the exchange in four months.

Large transfers from miners to exchanges are closely monitored because they can precede increased selling activity.

Although deposits do not automatically mean that coins have been sold, they often indicate that miners are preparing to access liquidity after periods of lower mining profitability.

If Bitcoin (BTC) experiences additional selling pressure, the effect can extend beyond the largest cryptocurrency.

And major altcoins, including the BNB token, frequently move in the same direction as Bitcoin during periods of broader market weakness.

If that happens, then the BNB token price could drop below the key support at $541.

However, if the market sentiment improves, then we could see the token recover above $588 and above.

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CertiK joins XDC Network to secure trade finance and RWA tokenization

  • CertiK joins XDC Network as institutional masternode validator.
  • Partnership strengthens security, resilience and decentralization.
  • SkyNode infrastructure delivers 24/7 protection and monitoring.

CertiK has joined the XDC Network as an Institutional Masternode Validator, marking a new step in the network’s push to build trusted blockchain infrastructure for enterprise finance, trade finance, and real-world asset tokenization.

The New York-headquartered Web3 security services provider has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with XDC Network under which it will deploy and operate validator nodes on the blockchain.

The partnership will use CertiK’s enterprise node solution, CertiK SkyNode, to strengthen XDC Network’s security, resilience, and decentralization.

The move comes as digital assets and traditional finance continue to converge, with institutions increasingly looking for blockchain networks that can support secure settlement, asset tokenization, and operational resilience at scale.

CertiK to operate validator nodes on XDC Network

Under the agreement, CertiK will participate as an Institutional Masternode Validator on the XDC Network, an open-source, EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain built for payments, trade finance, and real-world assets.

XDC Network’s hybrid architecture combines public transparency with private subnetwork capabilities.

The network is designed to support institutional settlement and RWA tokenization, while offering high throughput, low fees, and enterprise-grade security.

By joining as a validator, CertiK will embed security controls into the infrastructure layer of the network.

The companies said this is aimed at reducing operational and network-related risks as enterprise blockchain adoption gathers pace.

“CertiK is one of the most recognized names in blockchain security, and having them validate our network is a meaningful signal to institutions,” said Atul Khekade, Co-founder, XDC Network.

This is not just a technical partnership. It is a statement about the standard of infrastructure we are building for enterprise finance. The institutions moving into trade finance and asset settlement are making long-term infrastructure decisions, and we want XDC Network to be the answer they keep coming back to.

Security focus targets institutional adoption

CertiK will use its SkyNode infrastructure to provide 24/7 proactive defences for XDC Network.

These include continuous vulnerability scanning, automated threat mitigation, and node-level penetration testing.

The infrastructure will also use a multi-region sentry node architecture with redundant failover protection.

According to the companies, this setup is designed to maintain consensus continuity and support high availability during periods of peak network congestion.

For institutions evaluating blockchain rails for trade finance and asset settlement, operational resilience remains a central requirement.

The collaboration is positioned around that need, with CertiK bringing its security and infrastructure expertise to XDC Network’s validator ecosystem.

“CertiK is honored to join the XDC Network as an Institutional Masternode Validator,” said Ronghui Gu, Co-Founder and CEO of CertiK.

Traditional trade finance and RWA tokenization require rigorous risk management, strong security foundations, and operational resilience. Through this collaboration, we are bringing our security and infrastructure expertise to help strengthen the network and support the trusted infrastructure needed for institutional adoption.

XDC expands validator ecosystem for enterprise finance

The partnership adds CertiK to a wider group of institutional validators already supporting XDC Network.

These include regulated financial institutions, global telecoms companies, and Web3 digital asset firms.

XDC Network’s existing institutional validators include Animoca Brands, BCW Group, Blueprint, Clearpool, Credora, Deutsche Telekom, HashKeyCloud, Hivemind Digital Group, InvestaX, IXS, RedStone, Republic Crypto, SBI Holdings, StakeFi, and UOB Venture Management.

The collaboration will focus on supporting trusted infrastructure for trade finance, asset tokenization, and institutional digital asset ecosystems.

Both organizations said they aim to support the secure adoption of blockchain technologies across these areas.

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