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New Milestone Reached: 100 Cryptocurrencies Hit a Market Capitalization of $1 Billion

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Are you a crypto enthusiast? Want to get updated and stay tuned regarding the crypto sector? This article has got you covered. 

Table of Contents 

  • What’s This New Milestone All About?
  • Driving Forces for the Growth of Crypto Ecosystem
  • Concluding Lines 

What’s This New Milestone All About?

As cryptocurrencies continue to gain traction among investors and traders, the crypto sector has risen to a total valuation of more than $1.2 trillion. In Feb 2021, it was seen that there were more than 55 unicorn status projects that had a market capitalization of over $1 billion at that time. 

Now, according to Cointelegraph, there has been a surge in the number of crypto projects. It reports that a new milestone has been reached as 100 cryptocurrencies reach a $1B market capitalization.

Want to get started with cryptocurrencies? Become a Certified Cryptocurrency Expert now!

Driving Forces for the Growth of Crypto Ecosystem

Now comes the question, what are the significant factors that are responsible for the growth of the crypto ecosystem. Let’s explore all these factors in detail.

Multi-Billion Dollar Companies Investing in Cryptocurrencies 

One of the driving forces that contribute to multi-billion dollar companies such as Tesla, MicroStrategy, and others.

MicroStrategy, which is a prominent business analytics platform, has adopted Bitcoin as its primary reserve asset. Unlike other CEOs who generally hide their personal investments, he announced in October 2020 that he holds around 17,732 BTC. In December 2020, the company announced that it had raised $650 million worth of convertible bonds to finance more Bitcoin purchases. 

Also, in February 2021, it was announced that electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and is expected to begin accepting the digital token for its cars and other products. After the announcement, it was seen that the BTC price soared. Square bought $170 million worth of bitcoin with the belief that BTC has the potential to become the native cryptocurrency of the internet. 

DeFi Takes Center Stage 

For the past year, Decentralized Finance, also commonly known as DeFi, has been one of the most contributing factors in the growth and development of the cryptocurrency sector. 

For instance, Uniswap, a decentralized exchange (DEX), has evolved from a basic exchange framework dApp to a sprawling trading network with an average trading volume of $6.72 billion. Similarly, SushiSwap, a competitor to Uniswap, has also attained unicorn status with a current value of over $1.8 billion. Moreover, PancakeSwap (CAKE), a BSC-based DEX that promotes the trading of BEP-20 tokens and implements AMM, is recently gaining attraction, rapidly climbing up the charts, ranking as the fifth-largest DeFi platform by total value locked, with $6.18 billion currently locked in the protocol.

At the time of writing, the total DeFi crypto market cap is $95.83B. 

Stablecoins and their Associated Protocols Received a Boost 

After the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States of America provided the clear run for national banks to run independent nodes for distributed ledger networks, stablecoins gained momentum. 

One protocol with a stablecoin component that is helping in establishing a stable store of wealth in nations undergoing hyperinflation like Venezuela is Reserve, whose Reserve Rights (RSR) token has increased by around 400% this year. Another emerging entrant to the field of stablecoin is TerraUSD (UST), whose market cap skyrocketed from $182 million on January 1 to $1.66 billion on April 2. 

Interest in Non-Fungible Tokens is Surging

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have been around for a while, but their value has skyrocketed in the last few months. As interest in NFTs is surging by celebrities and influencers, it is bringing more sales and distribution worldwide. It was announced that Christie’s auction house sold its first NFT-linked digital art for $69 million.

As NFTs are becoming popular, Enjin Coin (ENJ) has been one of the biggest beneficiaries. On March 15, ENJ witnessed an all-time high of $3.08 and raised the project to Unicorn status with a $2.6 billion market capitalization.

Decentraland (MANA), a virtual reality network that allows the acquisition of digital plots of land that can be created and monetized, and Flow (FLOW), a blockchain intended to be the framework for “the next generation of games, applications, and the digital assets that fuel them, are two other prominent NFT-related additions to the Unicorn club.

Concluding Lines 

This has brought us to the end of our discussion. From the above discussion, we can infer that crypto space is going to bring revolutionary changes that none of us ever imagined.
As this space is continuously growing and showing no sign of slowing down, scope for Crypto Experts is booming. 

If you want to gain all the ins and outs of cryptocurrencies and become a Certified Crypto Expert, get started today with Blockchain Council. 

To get instant updates about Blockchain Technology and to learn more about online Blockchain Certifications, check out Blockchain Council. 

New Milestone Reached: 100 Cryptocurrencies Hit a Market Capitalization of $1 Billion

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Price analysis 4/12: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, DOT, UNI, LTC, LINK, XLM

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Bloomberg Intelligence senior commodity strategist Mike McGlone equated the current consolidation in Bitcoin (BTC) price to that of a “caged bull, well-rested to escape.” When compared with the rallies a year after the previous two Bitcoin halvings in 2012 and 2016, the strategist called the current price action “tame.’

According to McGlone, Bitcoin is “still in price-discovery mode” and its plateau is still far away.

While Bitcoin remains in focus, altcoins have continued to steal the show. Bitcoin’s market dominance, which stood closer to 70% on Jan. 4 has continued to slide even though its price has risen more than 104% year-to-date. The current market dominance at 54.3% is the lowest since April 2019 according to data from CoinMarketCap. This suggests that several altcoins are outperforming Bitcoin by a large margin.

Daily cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360

However, approval of a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund could tilt the advantage back in favor of Bitcoin. Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital became the latest to file an application with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for a Bitcoin ETF on Monday. The growing list of candidates applying to launch a Bitcoin ETF shows that there is still huge demand for the digital asset

Will Bitcoin continue to trade sideways while altcoins rally or will it resume its uptrend and lead from the front. Let’s analyze the charts of the top-10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

BTC/USDT

Bitcoin formed an inside day candlestick pattern on April 11, indicating indecision among the bulls and the bears. The bulls tried to resolve this uncertainty to the upside today by piercing the all-time high at $61,825.84, but the bears had other plans. They again successfully defended the overhead resistance.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

Although the bears are defending the overhead resistance, they have not been able to sink the price further away from $60,000. This suggests the bulls are not closing their long positions in a hurry as they anticipate the uptrend to continue.

If the bulls can drive and sustain the price above $61,825.84, the BTC/USDT pair will complete a bullish inverse head and shoulders pattern. That could result in a rally to the pattern target at $69,540. If the momentum sustains, the next target to watch out for is $79,566.

This bullish view will invalidate if the pair turns down and breaks below the 50-day simple moving average ($54,7823). Such a move could signal the start of a deeper correction.

ETH/USDT

Ether (ETH) has been trading above the breakout level at $2,040.77 for the past three days, but the up-move lacks momentum. The long wick on the April 10 candlestick and the inside day candlestick pattern on April 11 suggests hesitation by the bulls to push the price higher.

ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If the price does not pick up momentum within the next few days, the bears will try to pull the price back below $2,040.77. If the ETH/USDT pair breaks below the 20-day exponential moving average ($1,985), the next stop could be the trendline. A break below this support could signal the start of a deeper correction.

However, the upsloping 20-day EMA and the relative strength index (RSI) above 61 indicate advantage to the bulls. If the bulls punch the price above $2,200 with force, the pair may start the next leg of the uptrend that could reach $2,618.14.

BNB/USDT

Binance Coin (BNB) is in a strong uptrend, but the up-move of the past two days is showing signs of a melt-up. The long wick on today’s candlestick suggests some traders are booking profits at higher levels.

BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

Although the 20-day EMA ($385) is sloping up, the RSI above 84 indicates the rally is overheated in the short term. This could result in a minor correction or consolidation for the next few days. In strong uptrends, the corrections generally do not last for more than three days.

The first support on the downside is the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level at $483.95. If the price rebounds off this support, it will suggest the sentiment remains positive and bulls are buying on dips. They will then try to resume the uptrend by pushing the price above the all-time high at $638.56.

If they succeed, the next leg of the uptrend could begin, which may propel the BNB/USDT pair to $888.70. On the contrary, if bears sink the price below $483.95, the pair could drop to the 20-day EMA.

XRP/USDT

The volatility contraction on April 9 was resolved to the upside on April 10 and XRP rallied above $1.11. The bulls continued their purchase on April 11 and pushed the price to $1.50. However, the long wick on the day’s candlestick suggests traders booked profits at higher levels.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The bears could not build up on the advantage today and start a correction. The bulls tried to resume the uptrend but failed, resulting in the formation of a Doji candlestick pattern. This suggests indecision among the bulls and the bears about the next directional move.

If the buyers can propel the price above $1.50, the XRP/USDT pair could rally to $2. Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down and dips below $1.30, the pair could start a correction.

The major support on the downside is $1.11. If the buyers can flip this level into support, the pair will make one more attempt to rise above $1.50. On the other hand, a break below $1.11 may result in a drop to the 20-day EMA ($0.89).

ADA/USDT

The bulls successfully held Cardano (ADA) above the 50-day SMA ($1.17) in the past few days and are currently attempting to start an up-move. However, the long wick on today’s candlestick suggests that buying dries up above $1.33.

ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If the bulls fail to sustain the price above $1.33, the aggressive bears may again try to sink the price below the 50-day SMA. If they manage to do that, the ADA/USDT pair could drop to the $1.03 to $0.98 support zone.

A rebound off this zone could keep the pair range-bound for a few more days. Alternatively, if the bears sink the price below the zone, the pair could decline to $0.80.

This negative view will invalidate if the pair sustains the price above $1.33. That could push the price to $1.48. A break above this resistance could start the next leg of the uptrend that may reach $2.

DOT/USDT

Polkadot (DOT) has been sandwiched between the 20-day EMA ($39.30) and the overhead resistance at $42.28 for the past few days. However, this tight range trading is unlikely to continue for long.

DOT/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If the bulls can propel the price above $42.28, the DOT/USDT pair could rally to $46.80. The bears may again offer resistance at this level but if the bulls can overcome the barrier the pair could climb up to $53.50 and then $57.

The marginally upsloping 20-day EMA and the RSI above 54 suggest only a minor advantage to the bulls. If the bears can sink the price below the moving averages, it will open the gates for a decline to $32.50 and then $26.50.

UNI/USDT

Uniswap (UNI) has soared above the all-time high at $36.80 today. Although the moving averages are yet to turn up, the RSI has risen close to the overbought territory, indicating a pick-up in momentum.

UNI/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If the bulls can sustain the price above $35.20, it will suggest strong demand at higher levels. The UNI/USDT pair could then march up to $43.43 and if this level also gets taken out, the up-move may hit $50.

Contrary to this assumption, if the bulls fail to sustain the price above $35.20, it will suggest that traders are booking profits at higher levels. If the price dips and sustains below $35.20, the range-bound action in the pair could continue.

LTC/USDT

Litecoin’s (LTC) volatility contraction on April 8 and 9 was followed by an expansion in favor of the bulls. The buyers pushed the price above $246.96 on April 10 and have successfully managed to sustain the price above it since then.

LTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The upsloping 20-day EMA ($218) and the RSI above 63 suggest the path of least resistance is to the upside. If the buyers can drive the price above $262.93, the LTC/USDT pair could rally to its next target objective at $307.42.

This bullish view will invalidate if the price breaks and sustains below $246.96. Such a move will suggest that traders booked profits at higher levels. The critical support to watch on the downside is the 20-day EMA.

A strong bounce off it will suggest the sentiment remains positive and the bulls will once again try to resume the uptrend. Conversely, a break below the 20-day EMA could pull the price down to $170.

LINK/USDT

Chainlink (LINK) is stuck between $24 and $36.93. The marginally rising 20-day EMA ($30.92) and the RSI above 55 suggest the bulls have a slight edge. However, the failure of the bulls to challenge the $36.93 overhead resistance indicates that demand dries up at higher levels.

LINK/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The bears are currently trying to sink the price below the $32 support. If they can accomplish that, the possibility of a break below the moving averages increases. Such a move could pull the price down to $24.

Contrary to this assumption, if the price bounces off the 20-day EMA, the bulls will make one more attempt to drive the price above $36.93. If they succeed, the LINK/USDT pair could resume its uptrend and rally toward $40 and then $50.

XLM/USDT

The bulls are attempting to resume the uptrend in Stellar Lumens (XLM) but they are facing stiff resistance at the $0.60 level. The bulls pushed the price above the overhead resistance on April 11 and today but they could not sustain the breakout.

XLM/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If the bulls do not allow the price to slip below $0.55, it will suggest accumulation on dips. The upsloping 20-day EMA ($0.47) and the RSI near the overbought territory suggest the bulls are in control.

A breakout and close above $0.60 will be the first sign that bulls have overpowered the bears. If that happens, the XLM/USDT pair could resume the uptrend and rally to $0.72 and then $0.85.

On the other hand, if the bears sink the price below $0.55, the pair could drop to the 20-day EMA.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph. Every investment and trading move involves risk. You should conduct your own research when making a decision.

Market data is provided by HitBTC exchange.

Price analysis 4/12: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, DOT, UNI, LTC, LINK, XLM

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Solana(SOL) Price Rallied More Than 50%

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Solana(SOL) Price Rallied More Than 50%

According to the recent announcement, Solana, which is a fast, secure, and censorship-resistant Blockchain, has rallied more than 50%. Such upsurge in Solana is due to new projects conducting airdrops on SOL blockchain and high Ethereum fees that have pushed investors to explore more economical and affordable options.

Solana is a secure and censorship-resistant blockchain that provides open infrastructure. It is a high-performance cryptocurrency blockchain supporting smart contracts and decentralized applications(dApps) to provide decentralized finance solutions. SOL is a cryptocurrency native to the Solana blockchain.

In the past few months, projects that have issued token airdrops have emerged. One such project is Solana that utilizes Blockchain technology.

Although Solana isn’t explicitly making a collective effort to launch these projects, its main decentralized exchange, Serum known as SRM, was responsible for the recent COPE airdrop, which distributed 2,000 tokens to users who participated in the shared DeFi hackathon held by Solana and Serum. 

The airdrops by Uniswap (UNI) and MEME are going to be remarkable as it was noted that users were rewarded with profits from $20,000 to $600,000 for holding the tokens.

According to the announcements, after the airdrop, COPE eventually listed on Serum(SRM) for $0.50 on March 30, and the token’s price rose to a high of $5.43 on April 11. It was noted that after the airdrop, the rewarding holders profited with a $10,860 reward.

The success of the COPE airdrop proposed a series of token launches and airdrops such as HOPE, ROPE, and KOPE, whose launches on the Solana have coincided with a 55% rise in SOL price since the beginning of April.

Airdrop Era Has Begun

Recently on Twitter, the list of new and emerging projects building on Solana was mentioned, including Hedgehog, Solstarter, Hxro. Network, Step Finance, COPE, Synthetify, and others. Solana’s Twitter feed hints that its ecosystem is just getting started, and there is a lot more for all.

As more and more DeFi apps are emerging, all fighting for users’ attention, experts believe that the airdrop trend will continue in the years to come. 

To get instant updates about Blockchain Technology and to learn more about online Blockchain Certifications, check out Blockchain Council.  

Solana(SOL) Price Rallied More Than 50%

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Price analysis 4/9: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, DOT, UNI, LTC, LINK, THETA

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Hong Kong tech company Meitu revealed on April 8 that it had added $10 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) to its holdings which were purchased at an average rate of $57,000 per coin. After the latest purchase, Meitu’s total cryptocurrency portfolio consists of $49.5 million worth of Bitcoin and $50.5 million worth of Ether (ETH). This acquisition shows that institutional investors are confident that the rally in Bitcoin is still in its early stages.

Tom Jessop, Fidelity’s head of the crypto division, believes that Bitcoin has reached a tipping point and that traditional finance companies will continue to adopt cryptocurrency aggressively in the next few years. Jessop believes the massive monetary stimulus from governments and central banks has accelerated institutional adoption and this is a trend that could extend for at least another year.

Daily cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360

It is not only institutional investors who are rushing into cryptocurrencies. Data shows that the number of retail investors trading cryptocurrency has also increased. Popular trading app Robinhood reported on April 8 that crypto trading on its platform surged to 9.5 million users in Q1 2021, a six-fold increase over Q4 2020.

While crypto adoption is on the rise, some legacy finance firms are still taking an anti-crypto approach. HSBC has reportedly blacklisted MicroStrategy stock and will not allow customers on its HSBC InvestDirect platform to buy shares from the company.

Will Bitcoin and major altcoins extend their uptrend and attract more buyers or will they enter a corrective phase? Let’s analyze the charts of the top-10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

BTC/USDT

The bears could not capitalize on Bitcoin’s break below the 20-day exponential moving average ($57,043) on April 7. Their failure to break the 50-day simple moving average ($54,572) support could have attracted buying from the aggressive bulls, resulting in the rebound on April 8.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

However, today’s Doji candlestick suggests the bulls are struggling to sustain the momentum at higher levels.

The BTC/USDT pair has formed an inverse head and shoulders pattern that will complete on a breakout and close above $60,000. This bullish setup has a target objective at $69,540. If the bulls sustain the momentum and clear this hurdle, the uptrend may reach the next target at $79,566.

Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down from the current level, the bears will once again try to break the critical support at the 50-day SMA. If they succeed, the selling could intensify as short-term traders may rush to the exit. That could pull the pair down to $50,460.02 and then $43,006.77.

ETH/USDT

Ether’s (ETH) drop on April 7 was arrested at the 20-day EMA ($1,933), which shows the bulls are accumulating on dips. The price rebounded sharply on April 8 and rose above the resistance at $2,040.77.

ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The bulls will now make one more attempt to climb above the all-time high at $2,150. If they manage to do that, the ETH/USDT pair could resume its uptrend and march toward the next target objective at $2,618.14.

However, the bears are likely to have other plans. They will try to pull the price below the 20-day EMA. If that happens, several aggressive bulls may get trapped. That could intensify the selling, resulting in a drop to the trendline. A break below this support will suggest a change in trend.

BNB/USDT

Binance Coin (BNB) continues to be in a strong uptrend. The bulls flipped the $348.69 level to support on April 7 and followed that up with a breakout to a new all-time high on April 8. This shows a strong appetite from the bulls.

BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The upsloping moving averages and the relative strength index (RSI) above 75 indicate that the bulls are in command. The next target objective on the upside is the $500 to $530 zone where the bears may mount a stiff resistance.

On any correction, the first support to watch out for is the 20-day EMA ($334). A strong rebound off this support will suggest the sentiment remains bullish and traders are buying on dips.

However, if the BNB/USDT pair dips below the 20-day EMA, it will suggest that the bullish momentum is weakening.

XRP/USDT

XRP made successive inside day candlestick formations on April 7 and April 8. The current price action is pointing to another inside-day candlestick pattern today. The drop in daily volatility shows the altcoin is still digesting the recent gains.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

This tightening of the intraday range usually ends with a strong breakout. If the uncertainty resolves to the upside and the bulls drive the price above $1.11, the XRP/USDT pair could start the next leg of the rally that could take it to $1.34 and then $1.66.

Alternatively, if the indecision resolves to the downside, it will suggest that supply exceeds demand and traders have dumped their positions. If that happens, the pair could drop to the 20-day EMA ($0.72). A break below this level could pull the price down to $0.65.

ADA/USDT

Cardano (ADA) dipped below the 20-day EMA ($1.18) on April 7 but the bulls did not allow the price to slip below the 50-day SMA ($1.16). This shows the bulls are defending the moving averages aggressively.

ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The buyers will now try to push the price above $1.33. If they manage to do that, the ADA/USDT pair could rise to $1.48. This is an important level to watch out for because the pair has returned from it on two previous occasions.

If the price again reverses direction from $1.48, it will suggest that the range-bound action may continue for a few more days. On the other hand, if the bulls can drive the price above $1.48, the pair could resume the uptrend toward the next target objective at $2.

A break below the moving averages will be the first sign of weakness and that could result in a drop to the $1.02 support. If this level breaks down, the bears could start a deeper correction to $0.80.

DOT/USDT

Polkadot (DOT) bounced off the 20-day EMA ($38.68) on April 7, indicating buying on dips. The bulls will now try to push the price above the overhead resistance at $42.28.

DOT/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If they succeed, the DOT/USDT pair will retest the all-time high at $46.80. A breakout and close above this level could start the next leg of the rally that has a target objective at $53.50 and then $57.

The gradually upsloping 20-day EMA and the RSI in the positive territory suggest the bulls have the upper hand.

However, if the price turns down from the current level and breaks below the moving averages, it will indicate that traders are closing their positions on rallies. That could result in a fall to $32.50 and then $26.50.

UNI/USDT

The bulls successfully held the $27.97 support on April 7, which is a positive sign as it shows accumulation on dips. Uniswap (UNI) bounced back above the 20-day EMA ($29.65) on April 8 and the buyers will now try to push the price above $32.50.

UNI/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If they succeed, the UNI/USDT pair could rally to the $35.20 to $36.80 overhead resistance zone. The bears are likely to defend this zone aggressively. If the price turns down from this resistance, the pair may extend its stay inside the range for a few more days.

Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down from the current level, the bears will make one more attempt to pull the price below the $27.97 to $25.50 support zone. If they manage to do that, the pair could start a deeper correction to $20.74.

LTC/USDT

Litecoin (LTC) successfully completed the retest of the breakout level from the symmetrical triangle on April 7. That was followed by a rebound on April 8, but the bulls are struggling to pick up momentum.

LTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

This shows hesitation to buy at higher levels. If the bulls do not overcome the hurdle at $246.96 within the next few days, the possibility of a break below the 20-day EMA ($207) increases. In such a case, the LTC/USDT pair could drop to the support line.

Contrary to this assumption, if the bulls sustain the momentum and propel the price above $246.96, the pair could start the next leg of the uptrend that may reach $307.42. The gradually rising 20-day EMA and the RSI above 59 suggest a minor advantage to the bulls.

LINK/USDT

Chainlink’s (LINK) sharp reversal on April 7 could not break below the 20-day EMA ($30.29). This shows the sentiment remains positive and the bulls are buying on dips. The rebound on April 8 rose above the $32 resistance but the bulls are struggling to build on this strength today.

LINK/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If the price turns down and breaks below the moving averages, it will suggest that supply exceeds demand at higher levels. That could pull the price down to the critical support at $24.

On the other hand, if the bulls again defend the 20-day EMA, the LINK/USDT pair could rise to the all-time high at $36.93. A breakout and close above this resistance will suggest the bulls have absorbed the supply and that may indicate the start of the next leg of the uptrend.

However, if the price again turns down from $36.93, the pair could extend its stay inside the range for a few more days.

THETA/USDT

After the large range day on April 7, THETA made an inside day candlestick pattern on April 8 and has followed it up with another one today. This shows indecision among the bulls and the bears about the next directional move. While the bears are defending the overhead resistance, the bulls are buying on every minor dip.

THETA/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The upsloping 20-day EMA ($11.33) and the RSI above 62 suggest a minor advantage to the bulls. The buyers will have to clear the hurdle at $14 to signal the start of the next leg of the uptrend. If they manage to do that, the THETA/USDT pair could rally to $17.65 and then $22.50.

On the contrary, if the bears sink the price below the 20-day EMA, it will be the first sign of a possible change in sentiment. It will suggest that the bulls are no longer buying the dips to the 20-day EMA. The next critical support to watch will be $10.35. If this level is taken out, a deeper correction to the 50-day SMA may start.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph. Every investment and trading move involves risk. You should conduct your own research when making a decision.

Market data is provided by HitBTC exchange.

Price analysis 4/9: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, DOT, UNI, LTC, LINK, THETA

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WINk (WIN) soars as retail DeFi investors flee high Etheruem gas costs

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Decentralized finance has exploded in popularity over the past year and many analysts have pointed to the 2020 ‘summer of DeFi’ as the primary catalyst for the rallies seen in Ether (ETH)  and Bitcoin (BTC). 

In the beginning, investors were able to easily secure 4-digit annual percentage yield (APY) on an almost endless number of attractively priced assets on Uniswap but the increased activity on the Etheruem network eventually led to unsustainable spikes in gas fees and serious network congestion.

These skyrocketing gas fees have priced out the average retail investor from participating in even the simplest protocol interactions like token approval or staking. The current Etheruem proposals do not provide an immediate solution to these issues and this has motivated investors to look for non-Ethereum-based networks that offer yield farming and other DeFi opportunities.

Average Ethereum gas price. Source: Etherscan

With no simple network-wide solution to high ETH fees planned in the near future, it is worthwhile to explore some of the other options available on competing blockchain networks.

One such option is WINk (WIN), a Tron-based (TRX) gambling platform that allows users to play, socialize and stake assets across multiple blockchain ecosystems through the utilization of the native WIN token.

Low-fee, multi-asset staking

Interacting with the WINk protocol requires a Tron wallet with about 8 TRX which is roughly $0.48 at the current price. 

When compared to $40 (or more) in fees per transaction on Ethereum, the ability to make multiple transactions over several days for less than a dollar becomes quite appealing to the average investor.

Similar to many DeFi platforms, WINk’s platform has many staking opportunities for tokens within the ecosystem, including TRONbetDice (DICE) and TRONbetLIVE (LIVE), which allow token stakers to earn a portion of the proceeds from the activity which takes place within those games.

According to the most recent monthly report from the project, the APRs for staking WIN, DICE and LIVE on the protocol for the month of January were 64%, 123% and 137% respectively.

With WIN currently trading at $0.000394 and DICE and LIVE priced less than $0.05, the low entry cost and price of staking and unstaking might be more appealing for the average retail investor when compared to the sky-high valuations of tokens like Yearn.Finance (YFI) and Aave.

Evidence that traders have begun to notice this opportunity can be found in the recent price performance of WIN which has rallied 700% from a low of $0.000058 on Jan. 1 to a high of $0.000477 on March 20 thanks to a record $344 million in trading volume.

WIN/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

VORTECS™ data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro began to detect a bullish outlook for WIN on March 18, prior to the recent price rise.

The VORTECS™ Score, exclusive to Cointelegraph, is an algorithmic comparison of historic and current market conditions derived from a combination of data points including market sentiment, trading volume, recent price movements and Twitter activity.

VORTECS™ Score (green) vs. WIN price. Source: Cointelegraph Markets Pro

As seen in the chart above, the VORTECS™ Score registered a high of 65 multiple times on March 18 and the most recent pop to 65 occurred roughly six hours before WIN rallied 90%.

Increased activity for the cryptocurrency sector due to mainstream exposure from institutional investors and big-name influencers like Elon Musk and Mark Cuban has the ecosystem poised to see a continued influx of new users looking to earn a high return on smaller-sized investments.

Projects like WIN are well-positioned to capture some of this growth as smaller investors look for options outside the Ethereum network.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

WINk (WIN) soars as retail DeFi investors flee high Etheruem gas costs

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New version of 1inch’s DEX aggregator makes it cheaper than Uniswap

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The 1inch team has released the third iteration of its Aggregation Protocol, a tool that routes trade orders across all decentralized exchanges on Ethereum and, as of recently, Binance Smart Chain.

The Aggregation Protocol calculates the most profitable trade for a given token and size of the order, potentially splitting a large order into several chunks across several decentralized exchanges. Previously, the tool was mostly useful for wealthy traders for whom slippage was an important factor when trading in decentralized finance. The system consumed more gas than using a DEX protocol directly, which meant that the product was unattractive for smaller traders.

The V3 release introduces gas optimizations that the team claims make the protocol cheaper than using either Uniswap or 0x directly. In tests conducted by the team, the 1inch V3 aggregator was about 10% cheaper in terms of gas than the same trades done via Uniswap, and about 5% cheaper than on 0x. Compared with 1inch V2, gas costs decreased by up to 30%.

Gas cost comparison for a variety of trades, courtesy of the 1inch team.

Anton Bukov, chief technology officer of 1inch, told Cointelegraph that Uniswap is the cheapest protocol to use in terms of gas fees. This resulted in many copycats appearing on Ethereum and other blockchains, the most notable of which is SushiSwap. However, it appears that Uniswap’s trade router is not as efficient as it could be, with Bukov noting:

“Our router is more effective than theirs. The same goes for SushiSwap and other forks.”

Thus, 1inch’s router merely replaces Uniswap’s while using the same pools, which explains how an aggregator can be cheaper than direct use. The higher effectiveness on Uniswap has been the result of targeted optimizations, Bukov said. Sergej Kunz, CEO of 1inch, added: “We just optimize where we can, sweeping the dust, so to speak, after the other DeFi guys.” This wouldn’t be the first time that 1inch targeted Uniswap in its actions, having recently launched a “vampire airdrop” for active Uniswap users. In this case, however, the targeting makes the most technical sense. Since Uniswap’s codebase is so popular, optimizing for it gives the best return and the most liquidity.

The new V3 has been already deployed, and it has replaced the previous iteration, which will remain available for use. Switching platforms would require setting new token allowances, which would cost gas. Nonetheless, it appears that the migration could quickly pay for itself.

New version of 1inch’s DEX aggregator makes it cheaper than Uniswap

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