Developer activity keeps serving as a key factor to indicate the health of the blockchain network. This data still reflects innovation, long-term sustainability, and community engagement. Based on the data from Santiment, Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Polygon are the leading blockchains in terms of developer activity. The other prominent players include Arbitrum, Optimism, Solana, Cosmos, Avalanche, Harmony, and Cardano.
Ethereum Continues to Dominate 30-Day Developer Activity Ethereum is the top name on the list of key blockchains in line with developer activity. Over the past thirty days, the blockchain has recorded 263.3K developer activity events with a 40.29% decline. Additionally, these events witnessed 1.1K contributors, expressing a 13.23% drop. In addition to this, BNB Chain has become the 2nd top player, witnessing 121.8K developer activity events with a 40.72% decrease. At the same time, the respective events had 603 contributors, highlighting a 17.62% dip.
Following that, Polygon has become the 3rd top blockchain ecosystem when it comes to developer activity over the past 30 days. In this respect, it saw 100.4K developer activity events, displaying a 40.85% plunge. Additionally, the 452 contributors of these events show a 16.14% decrease. Additionally, as the 4th top name on the list, Arbitrum accounted for 79K events with a 45.22% decline, while its 373 contributors expressed an 18.02% dip.
Solana, Avalanche, Harmony, and Cardano Bottom List As per sanbase data, Optimism’s 78.4K monthly developer activity events indicated a 45.3% dip. Simultaneously, its 355 contributors signified an 18.01% drop. Then comes Solana with 77.4K developer activity events, showing a 32.14% decline. However, its 377 developer activity contributors show a 1.62% rise over the same period.
According to Santiment, Avalanche is the 8th top blockchain when it comes to 30-day developer activity. It thus recorded 73.4K events with a 43.93% dip alongside 320 contributors, reflecting a 15.34% decrease. Additionally, Harmony’s 62.9K monthly developer activity events show a 39.45% dip, while its 287 contributors present a 10.87% drop. Concluding the list, Cardano’s 62.6K events and 295 contributors account for 34.58% and 11.41% dips.
AUTHOR
Crypto journalist with years of experience providing in-depth analysis and news on blockchain and decentralized finance. With a keen eye for detail, Shahzaib delivers insightful articles that explore the latest trends, market movements, and innovations within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. His work focuses on educating readers while offering expert commentary on the evolving landscape of digital assets, DeFi protocols, and the broader impact of blockchain technology.
Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson addressed criticism from Director of Research of the Digital Asset team at Ark Invest, Lorenzo Valente, in an X post.
Valente, in an X post, had questioned why Cardano continues to receive industry attention, criticizing its continued prominence in the space. He claimed that the crypto sector undermined its own credibility by continuing to invite Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson to conferences, accepting sponsorships, and featuring Cardano in podcasts.
"It's 2026, and we're still talking about Cardano. We're still inviting Charles to conferences, treating Cardano as newsworthy, accepting its sponsorship money, and giving it airtime on podcasts. Then we wonder why this industry struggles for credibility. We deserve the reputation we have. No serious industry keeps rewarding irrelevance like this," Valente wrote.
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Engaging with Valente's post, Hoskinson responded, pointing out the Ark Invest Director of Research's bias outright. Hoskinson dismissed the criticism, suggesting that the comments reflected personal bias rather than an objective assessment of Cardano.
Well, I don't think I'll get a fair shake from @ARKInvest anytime soon :( It's sad that VCs hire people like this. An entire institution is biased by one person https://t.co/d5SA5ovsfH
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) July 25, 2026 "Well, I don't think I'll get a fair shake from ARK Invest anytime soon :( It's sad that VCs hire people like this. An entire institution is biased by one person," Hoskinson wrote.
Valente's criticism of Cardano and its founder appears to reflect a personal opinion rather than the company's position, as Cardano was named among the assets in Ark Invest's ETF filing.
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In January this year, ARK Invest, the asset management firm led by Cathie Wood, filed with U.S. regulators to launch a new cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) that would track the CoinDesk 20, a benchmark of the most liquid digital assets, which includes Cardano.
Cardano community counts downThe Cardano community is counting down as August 9, 2026 marks the completion of the six-month observation window following the ADA futures launch, opening the path for streamlined U.S. SEC regulatory reviews necessary for an ETF approval.
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Regulated ADA futures debuted on CME Group on February 9, 2026. Cardano has yet to receive its own spot ETF, with many in the community now considering late Q3/Q4 2026 as the most realistic window for potential final U.S. spot market approvals or trading commencements.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson publicly responded to criticism from Lorenzo Valente, Director of Research for the Digital Asset team at Ark Invest, following a social media exchange that drew significant attention across the cryptocurrency sector.
Lorenzo Valente posted on platform X questioning why Cardano continues to garner industry attention, expressing skepticism about its ongoing visibility at conferences, podcasts, and sponsorship activities. He argued that the crypto sector weakens its reputation by treating Cardano as a significant project, stating that inviting Hoskinson and granting air time to Cardano “rewards irrelevance.”
Valente wrote, “It’s 2026, and we’re still talking about Cardano. We’re still inviting Charles to conferences, treating Cardano as newsworthy, accepting its sponsorship money, and giving it airtime on podcasts. Then we wonder why this industry struggles for credibility. We deserve the reputation we have. No serious industry keeps rewarding irrelevance like this.”
It’s 2026, and we’re still talking about Cardano. We’re still inviting Charles to conferences, treating Cardano as newsworthy, accepting its sponsorship money, and giving it airtime on podcasts. Then we wonder why this industry struggles for credibility. We deserve the reputation we have.
Hoskinson dismisses Ark Invest critiqueCharles Hoskinson, the creator of Cardano, addressed Valente’s remarks directly on X, highlighting what he described as bias from Ark Invest’s digital asset research leadership and questioning the objectivity of the critique. Hoskinson indicated that Valente’s comments reflected a personal perspective rather than an institutional viewpoint, and he expressed skepticism about receiving support from Ark Invest in the near future.
He argued, “Well, I don’t think I’ll get a fair shake from ARK Invest anytime soon 🙁 It’s sad that VCs hire people like this. An entire institution is biased by one person.”
Well, I don’t think I’ll get a fair shake from ARK Invest anytime soon 🙁 It’s sad that VCs hire people like this. An entire institution is biased by one person.
Ark Invest’s Cardano exposureDespite Valente’s comments, official filings indicate that Ark Invest, a U.S.-based investment management firm led by Cathie Wood, continues to include Cardano among the digital assets tracked by its proposed exchange-traded fund (ETF). In January, Ark Invest applied to launch a new cryptocurrency ETF that would replicate the CoinDesk 20 Index, which features some of the most liquid digital assets, including Cardano.
Valente’s critique therefore appears to be a personal opinion and does not necessarily represent Ark Invest’s official investment outlook or strategy regarding Cardano or its ADA token.
Mini dictionary: Ark Invest, founded by Cathie Wood, is an investment management firm known for its focus on disruptive innovation. CoinDesk 20 is a digital asset index featuring the 20 most liquid crypto assets traded on trusted exchanges.
Anticipated Cardano ETF progressThe Cardano community is closely watching developments as August 9, 2026, will mark six months since the launch of regulated ADA futures on CME Group. Completion of this observation period is seen as an important milestone for any streamlined U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) review process, which is required before potential approval of a Cardano spot ETF.
ADA futures began trading on CME Group on February 9, 2026, expanding institutional accessibility to Cardano. However, Cardano does not yet have its own spot market ETF, and some market participants are now projecting that the earliest reasonable opportunity for such regulatory approval could come in the latter part of 2026.
Many in the Cardano ecosystem see late Q3 or Q4 2026 as the period most likely for any final U.S. approvals or the commencement of spot ADA ETF trading. The event is considered by Cardano proponents as a potential turning point for broader institutional adoption in the United States.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cardano [ADA] ranked among the weakest-performing crypto tokens in the market, losing significant ground since its launch. ADA plunged to around $0.16 at press time, down from an all-time high near $3.10.
ADA slipped 2.14% over the past 24 hours, while trading volume plummeted 23% to $177.3 million. Price action told only part of the story, though.
On-chain metrics did little to strengthen ADA’s recovery case.
Why is Cardano’s network activity so weak? ADA’s on-chain footprint pointed to real weakness in transaction flow.
The Cardano network logged just 21,700 transactions over the past day, a steep drop from roughly 57,000 at its peak.
That pattern held across recent trading and much of this year. Daily Transaction Count hovered between 11,000 and 20,000, a subdued range for a network of Cardano’s standing.
By contrast, Active Addresses ticked up to roughly 13,860. That divergence suggested a larger pool of users still generated only limited on-chain activity.
In broader terms, Active Addresses mostly sat between 10,000 and 20,000. Thin address activity paired with a low Transaction Count weighed heavily on the chain’s utility.
Source: Alphratcal Are whales behind ADA’s selling pressure? Exchange activity told a similar story. Heavy investor participation failed to lift a bearish outlook.
Spot Average Order Size data showed large whales dominated ADA trading on centralized exchanges. Whales are investors who control enough liquidity to influence an asset’s performance.
Weighed against Spot Market Netflow, that whale dominance translated into net selling of ADA over the past two weeks.
Source: CryptoQuant CoinGlass reported ADA’s Spot Netflow this week came in at roughly $1.41 million, against about $143.43 million in Exchange Inflows.
The pattern stretched back several weeks: the week beginning 13th of July logged roughly $167.39 million in inflows and a netflow of $1.82 million, consistent with continued net selling.
Sustained selling from the group kept ADA at risk. The only saving grace was buyers holding netflow within range.
Can Cardano’s 500 million ADA treasury plan turn the tide? For now, the bullish case for ADA rests on its development plan for the Cardano blockchain.
The plan raises the treasury’s spending allocation from 350 million to 500 million ADA, giving the network more room to build out core infrastructure.
The move matters most if it drives higher on-chain activity, pulls in more active addresses, and attracts protocols to build on Cardano.
DeFiLlama data shows just 62 protocols currently operate on the chain—a low figure for a network active for years—holding a combined total value locked (TVL) of $61.7 million.
Final Summary Cardano’s Active Addresses rose while transactions collapsed – a split that hints at hollow, low-value engagement. A treasury raised to 500 million ADA offers ammunition, but ammunition without demand rarely wins battles.
Kripto para piyasasında haftalık görünüm pozitif seyrini korurken, analistler Ethereum (ETH), XRP, Cardano (ADA), Binance Coin (BNB) ve Hyperliquid (HYPE) gibi altcoinler için önemli destek ve direnç seviyelerine dikkat çekti. Değerlendirmeye göre Ethereum ve Cardano toparlanma sinyalleri verirken, XRP yatay seyrini sürdürüyor. BNB zayıf görünümünü korurken HYPE için ise düzeltme riski öne çıkıyor.
Ethereum 2.000 dolar direncine yaklaştı Ethereum son bir haftada yaklaşık %3 yükseldi. Haziran sonundan bu yana alıcıların güç kazanmasıyla başlayan toparlanma hareketi, 1.500 dolar desteğinin korunmasının ardından hız kazandı.
Analistler, şimdi gözlerin 2.000 dolar seviyesine çevrildiğini belirtiyor. Bu seviyenin güçlü bir psikolojik direnç oluşturabileceği ve kısa vadede satış baskısını artırabileceği ifade ediliyor.
Buna karşın Ethereum’un uzun vadeli düşüş trendinden tamamen çıkabilmesi için 2.000 doların destek seviyesine dönüşmesi gerektiği vurgulanıyor.
XRP 1,20 dolar direncini aşmakta zorlanıyor XRP de haftayı yaklaşık %3 yükselişle tamamladı. Fiyatın 1 dolar desteğinin üzerinde kalması olumlu değerlendirilirken, 1,20 dolar seviyesindeki direncin henüz aşılamaması dikkat çekiyor.
Analistler, işlem hacmindeki kademeli düşüş nedeniyle XRP’nin güçlü bir kırılım gerçekleştirecek momentuma sahip olmadığını düşünüyor. Şubat ayındaki sert düşüşün ardından yatırımcı ilgisinin tam olarak geri dönmediği belirtiliyor.
Yine de fiyatın 1 dolar üzerinde kalmayı sürdürmesi, satış baskısının sınırlı kaldığını gösteren önemli bir gelişme olarak değerlendiriliyor.
Cardano yükseliş sinyali veriyor Cardano haftalık bazda yaklaşık %6 değer kazanarak incelenen altcoinler arasında en güçlü performansı gösterdi.
Analistler, fiyat grafiğinde oluşan omuz-baş-omuz dönüş formasyonunun ardından 0,15 dolar desteğinin korunmasını olumlu görüyor. Ancak kalıcı bir trend değişiminin teyit edilmesi için daha yüksek dipler ve daha yüksek zirveler oluşması gerektiği belirtiliyor.
Bu senaryoda 0,25 dolar seviyesinin aşılması kritik önem taşıyor. Ayrıca haftalık MACD göstergesinin yükseliş sinyali üretmesi, satıcıların güç kaybedebileceğine işaret ediyor.
BNB zayıf görünümünü sürdürüyor Binance Coin son bir haftada kayda değer bir yükseliş gösteremedi. Analistlere göre 580 dolar direnci aşılmadığı sürece fiyatın yatay hareketini sürdürmesi veya daha düşük seviyeleri test etmesi olası görünüyor.
Azalan işlem hacmi ve volatilite de alıcıların piyasaya yeterince güçlü dönmediğini gösteriyor. Değerlendirmede, Avrupa Birliği’ndeki son düzenlemelerin de BNB üzerindeki talebi sınırlayan faktörlerden biri olabileceği ifade edildi.
Bu nedenle analistler, olası geri çekilmelerde 500 dolar seviyesini önemli destek olarak izliyor.
HYPE için düzeltme uyarısı Hyperliquid (HYPE) ise haftayı yatay tamamlasa da son bir ayda yaklaşık %5 değer kaybetti. Analistler, fiyatın 60 doların altında kalmasının satış baskısını artırabileceğini belirtiyor.
60 dolar seviyesinin altında kalıcılık sağlanması durumunda daha geniş çaplı bir düzeltmenin başlayabileceği ifade edilirken, 56 ve 52 dolar seviyeleri önemli destek noktaları olarak öne çıkıyor.
Önümüzdeki günlerde altcoin piyasasının yönü, Bitcoin’in fiyat hareketi ve kritik direnç seviyelerinin aşılıp aşılamayacağına bağlı olacak.
Bu içerik genel piyasa verilerine dayanır ve yatırım tavsiyesi değildir. Kendi araştırmanızı yapmanızı öneririz.
Son Dakika kripto para haberleri için hemen tıkla.
Konu ile ilgili yorumlarınızı bize yazabilirsiniz. Ayrıca, bu tarz bilgilendirici içeriklerin devamının gelmesini isterseniz, bizleri Telegram, Youtube ve Twitter kanallarımızdan takip edebilirsiniz.
Kripto para piyasasında satış baskısı etkisini sürdürürken, Bitcoin (BTC) son 24 saatte yaşadığı değer kaybıyla 63 bin dolar seviyesine geriledi. Lider kripto paradaki geri çekilme, altcoin piyasasında da geniş çaplı satışları beraberinde getirirken, Kripto paraların büyük bölümü günü düşüşle geçirdi. Sui (SUI), Cardano (ADA), NEAR Protocol (NEAR) ve Solana (SOL) en fazla değer kaybeden büyük kripto paralar arasında yer alırken, Uniswap (UNI) ise yükseliş kaydeden tek önemli altcoin oldu.
Bitcoin 63 Bin Dolar Seviyesine Geriledi Bitcoin, son işlem gününde satış baskısının artmasıyla birlikte 63 bin dolar seviyesine kadar geriledi. Gün içerisinde toparlanma denemeleri görülse de lider kripto para son 24 saatte yaklaşık yüzde 1 değer kaybetti. Analistler, Bitcoin’deki geri çekilmenin yalnızca teknik nedenlerden kaynaklanmadığını, yatırımcıların küresel ekonomik gelişmeler ve makro belirsizlikler nedeniyle daha temkinli hareket ettiğini belirtiyor. Kısa vadede 63 bin dolar seviyesinin korunup korunamayacağı ise piyasanın yönü açısından kritik önem taşıyor.
İlginizi Çekebilir: Kripto Piyasasında Kapanma Dalgası: Bir Proje Daha Veda Ediyor!
Bitcoin’deki düşüş, altcoin piyasasında daha sert fiyat hareketlerini beraberinde getirdi. Kripto paraların büyük bölümü değer kaybederken en dikkat çeken düşüşler şu varlıklarda görüldü:
Sui (SUI): Yaklaşık yüzde 4 düşüş Cardano (ADA): Yaklaşık yüzde 3-4 düşüş NEAR Protocol (NEAR): Yaklaşık yüzde 3-4 düşüş Solana (SOL): Yaklaşık yüzde 2,5 düşüş Bu tablo, yatırımcıların riskli varlıklardan çıkış yaparak daha temkinli bir pozisyon almaya devam ettiğini gösteriyor.
Bitcoin ve Altcoinlerde Gözler Destek Seviyelerinde Piyasa uzmanları, Bitcoin’in 63 bin dolar seviyesinin üzerinde tutunmasının kısa vadeli teknik görünüm açısından kritik önem taşıdığına dikkat çekiyor. Bu seviyenin korunması, satış baskısının hafiflemesiyle birlikte tepki alımlarını destekleyebilir ve yatırımcı güveninin yeniden artmasına katkı sağlayabilir. Özellikle işlem hacminde yaşanabilecek artışın, Bitcoin’in kayıplarını telafi ederek daha yüksek direnç seviyelerini test etmesinin önünü açabileceği değerlendiriliyor. Buna karşın 63 bin dolar seviyesinin aşağı yönlü kırılması halinde satış baskısının güçlenmesi ve fiyatın daha düşük destek bölgelerine doğru geri çekilme riskinin artabileceği ifade ediliyor.
Altcoin piyasasında ise risk iştahının zayıf seyretmesi nedeniyle oynaklığın bir süre daha yüksek kalması bekleniyor. Bitcoin’deki yön arayışının netleşmemesi, yatırımcıların büyük bölümünü temkinli hareket etmeye yönlendirirken, özellikle orta ve düşük piyasa değerine sahip altcoinlerde fiyat dalgalanmalarının daha sert yaşanabileceği belirtiliyor. Analistler, önümüzdeki günlerde hem Bitcoin’in kritik destek seviyelerindeki performansının hem de makroekonomik gelişmelerin, kripto para piyasasının genel yönü üzerinde belirleyici olmaya devam edeceğini vurguluyor.
Değerlendirme Bitcoin’in 63 bin dolar seviyesine gerilemesi, kripto para piyasasında satış baskısının yeniden güç kazandığını gösteriyor. Altcoinlerde görülen daha sert düşüşler, yatırımcıların riskten kaçınma eğiliminin arttığına işaret ederken, Uniswap’ın pozitif ayrışması günün dikkat çeken gelişmelerinden biri oldu. Önümüzdeki günlerde Bitcoin’in kritik destek seviyelerindeki performansı ve küresel piyasalardaki gelişmeler, hem BTC’nin hem de altcoinlerin kısa vadeli yönü üzerinde belirleyici olmaya devam edecek.
Son dakika kripto para haberleri için hemen tıkla
Konu ile ilgili yorumlarınızı bize yazabilirsiniz. Ayrıca, bu tarz bilgilendirici içeriklerin devamının gelmesini isterseniz, bizleri Telegram, Youtube ve Twitter kanallarımızdan takip edebilirsiniz.
A Governance Problem, Not Just a Technical One@IOHK_Charles, co-founder of @Cardano, has issued a pointed warning: $BTC could lose its position as the world's leading cryptocurrency not because quantum computers will break its cryptography outright, but because Bitcoin's governance culture may be too slow and too fragmented to coordinate a response in time.
"The issue with Bitcoin is it's frozen in time. It's very difficult to change anything," Hoskinson told The Block's The Starting Block podcast on Friday. He also framed @Cardano as a natural successor to Bitcoin's founding vision. "Cardano is, in many ways, a spiritual successor [to Bitcoin]. It reflects correcting a lot of things that I think that Satoshi couldn't get around to because of expertise or time but was directionally moving there," he said.
The concern is grounded in real exposure. As of March 1, 2026, over 34% of all Bitcoin has a revealed public key on-chain, meaning those holdings could be stolen by an attacker with a sufficiently powerful quantum computer. Bitcoin's proposed answer is BIP-361, a phased migration plan designed to move the network toward quantum-resistant addresses. Hoskinson argues the proposal is mischaracterized as a soft fork and would in practice require a hard fork, which conflicts directly with Bitcoin's anti-hard-fork culture.
The stakes are significant. The agonizing problem is the coins that cannot migrate: an estimated 1.7 million $BTC sit in ancient addresses, including roughly a million believed to be Satoshi Nakamoto's, whose owners are lost, dead, or permanently absent. Those coins predate modern wallet standards and cannot be recovered under BIP-361's proposed mechanism.
"What made Bitcoin so strong is it survived external threats, including the loss of its founder," Hoskinson said. "Quantum computers are yet another threat. If Bitcoin's governance is such that it's impossible to actually make meaningful progress, or they compromise the core reason to use Bitcoin, I don't think Bitcoin's going to stay the number one cryptocurrency."
Cardano's Case and the Broader Stakes"If you had on-chain governance, you could solve it," Hoskinson said. His argument is that the cryptography itself is solvable, but Bitcoin's decentralized, consensus-dependent upgrade process is not built for a transition of this scale. Hoskinson explained that Cardano's governance system makes large-scale upgrades easier to coordinate, and that the network is already voting on a quantum strategy while preparing a research proposal, with a long-term migration path designed to help users transition toward quantum-resistant infrastructure.
"With Cardano, we're going to have to make some decisions about what to do with quantum-vulnerable infrastructure. And if there needs to be a migration, we can have a vote, and then there could be an onchain function to do that," Hoskinson said. He added that Cardano is also preparing for what he described as its biggest upgrade to date, one that will make the network 60 times faster.
BIP-361 matters because Bitcoin moves slowly by design, and cryptographic migrations can take years to plan, debate, test, and adopt. How Bitcoin navigates that tension, with no CEO to mandate migration and no central authority to set deadlines, will set a template for every major chain facing the same challenge.
Sources:
CoinDesk: Hoskinson says Bitcoin's quantum fix can't save Satoshi's coins
Decrypt: Quantum Proposal Won't Save Satoshi's Bitcoin, Says Hoskinson
Crypto Times: BIP-361's Post-Quantum Migration Plan Sparks Debate
There’s roughly $1.6 trillion worth of Bitcoin sitting in wallets doing essentially nothing. Cardano’s development company, Input Output Group (IOG), thinks it has a solution: a platform called Pogun that “mirrors” Bitcoin onto the Cardano blockchain, giving holders access to lending, yield, and stablecoins while they keep custody of their own coins.
Charles Hoskinson, Cardano’s founder, publicly outlined the initiative on May 3, 2026. The core pitch is straightforward. Bitcoin holders get DeFi access. Cardano gets the liquidity. And nobody has to hand their keys to a centralized intermediary to make it work.
How mirroring actually works Instead of wrapping Bitcoin in a tokenized form, Pogun clones the representation of Bitcoin assets onto Cardano’s chain. The original Bitcoin stays put. The mirrored version on Cardano can interact with DeFi protocols.
The key technical ingredient arriving later in the roadmap is BitVM-powered mirroring, which aims to minimize the trust assumptions baked into most cross-chain bridges today.
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The platform is being built on top of interoperability groundwork Cardano has already laid, including atomic swaps between the two chains.
What makes Pogun genuinely different from the crowded field of Bitcoin DeFi experiments is its credit market design. The platform operates without traditional oracles or collateral pools. There are no margin calls. Instead, transactions rely on bilateral agreements between counterparties.
The rollout timeline The non-margin credit market is slated to hit Cardano’s mainnet by Q2 2026. A yield-generating application follows in Q3 2026. The trust-minimized BitVM mirroring implementation is planned for Q4 2026.
The project is led by Omer Husain and sits within a broader package of nine IOG proposals requesting nearly $50 million in funding for 2026. That funding encompasses network scalability upgrades and performance improvements beyond just the Pogun platform itself.
All transactions within Pogun require ADA fees. Revenues from the project flow back into the Cardano treasury.
What this means for investors The competitive landscape includes Stacks, Babylon, and several other projects also vying for Bitcoin’s idle capital. Cardano’s eUTXO model shares architectural DNA with Bitcoin’s own transaction model.
The $50 million funding request across nine proposals signals that IOG is making a substantial bet on cross-chain interoperability as Cardano’s growth strategy. The Q4 2026 BitVM implementation is the linchpin, and trust-minimized bridges have proven extraordinarily difficult to ship securely.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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Cardano (ADA) price is down by 3.74% today, July 24, to trade at $0.167 at the time of writing. This drop comes as Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson warns that President Trump’s ties to the crypto sector are delaying the passage of the CLARITY Act bill.
Besides Cardano, the rest of the crypto market remains down today, July 24, after the Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that the CLARITY bill might not pass before August.
Charles Hoskinson Sounds CLARITY Act Warning In a recent post on X, Hoskinson revealed that the debate around the CLARITY Act has been reduced to three talking points: crypto, Trump, and corruption.
He says that Trump’s ties to the crypto sector, including the recent disclosure that he made $1.4 billion in profit from crypto activities in 2025, will continue to push Democratic senators away from voting for the CLARITY Act and all other crypto bills.
“The process was mismanaged, and it led to this talking point. No progress can be made if crypto is partisan,” the Cardano founder said.
Hoskinson’s remarks come as Senator Elizabeth Warren asks Trump to disclose any profits that he has made from crypto since July 15. Warren says that the disclosure should come before Senate can vote on CLARITY Act.
Democratic Senators also argue that the White House concessions on ethics rules are not enough, saying that state Attorneys General, and not the DoJ, should ensure that the President does not issue digital assets.
Cardano Price Tests Ascending Channel Support Amid Selling Pressure The price of Cardano has been moving within a rising channel since July 14. This channel suggests that ADA has been on an uptrend for ten days.
But ADA is now testing the support at the lower boundary of the rising channel. If it closes below this support, it will suggest that ADA price is about to start a downtrend, and the price could drop to the psychological support of $0.15.
The RSI reading of 42 supports a bearish long-term Cardano price prediction. The RSI line is also creating a lower low on the four-hour chart, suggesting that the selling pressure is rising.
ADA/USDT: 4H Chart (Source: TradingView) The AO bars that are red and negative also suggest that bears are tightening their grip, and this further strengthens a bearish case of a move to $0.15.
Whales Scoop 30M ADA After Van Rossem Upgrade Whales have scooped 30 million Cardano tokens despite the recent decline in price, per analyst Ali Charts.
The purchases come after the Van Rossem hard fork went live on Cardano to pave the way for the Leios upgrade that will make the network 60 times faster.
Still, Hoskinson notes that Cardano and other blockchain networks need to improve their security and prevent hacks, failure to which the crypto industry could die within 15 years.
His remarks come after a recent hack on the Wanchain bridge that links Cardano to BNB Chain.
The SecondFi protocol is also shutting down after being hacked in June with this marking the third project on Cardano to shut down after TapTools and JPG Store.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has argued that President Donald Trump should not actively participate in the cryptocurrency market while serving in office.
Hoskison’s comments came after Senator Elizabeth Warren urged lawmakers to reject the latest version of the Clarity Act, claiming it does not adequately prevent President Trump from financially benefiting from his crypto-related activities.
Warren Raises Conflict-of-Interest Concerns According to Warren, the bill lacks sufficient safeguards to stop the president from profiting from cryptocurrency ventures while in office. She also argued that the legislation does not do enough to combat illicit finance or protect investors and the broader financial system.
Additionally, Warren described the proposal as a missed opportunity to address potential conflicts of interest involving Trump’s crypto businesses, which she claimed generated approximately $1.4 billion in revenue last year.
It is worth noting that the U.S. President is associated with several cryptocurrency ventures, including the Official Trump meme coin and the World Liberty Financial project, which have fueled broader discussions about potential conflicts of interest.
Cardano Founder Reacts Reacting to Warren’s criticism, Hoskinson revealed that he had expressed similar concerns more than a year ago during several interviews. He argued that the political approach to cryptocurrency regulation had been misguided from the outset.
According to Hoskinson, those decisions ultimately strengthened the narrative that cryptocurrency regulation revolves around President Trump, making bipartisan cooperation increasingly difficult.
He stressed that meaningful progress cannot occur if cryptocurrency becomes a partisan political issue.
Hoskinson Calls Trump “the Ultimate Insider” In a follow-up statement, Hoskinson argued that no sitting president should participate directly in financial markets because of the extraordinary influence and privileged access associated with the office.
He stated that the president occupies a unique position of power and information, making Trump “the ultimate insider.” Although Hoskinson acknowledged that he rarely agrees with Senator Warren, he said her concerns about presidential involvement in financial markets were justified.
He added that stronger safeguards are necessary to prevent potential conflicts of interest and preserve public confidence in cryptocurrency policymaking.
Updated Clarity Act Introduces Ethics Restrictions Meanwhile, the Clarity Act continues to attract significant attention in Washington.
Earlier this week, Republican lawmakers introduced an updated draft of the legislation that includes a new ethics provision. The proposal would prohibit the President, Vice President, members of Congress, and their spouses from issuing or sponsoring digital assets while serving in office.
Congressional leadership is reportedly aiming to bring the bill to a Senate floor vote before the upcoming August recess. However, a packed legislative schedule and continued Democratic criticism over the strength of the ethics provisions could delay its passage.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
A closer look at everything most interesting surrounding ADA, BTC, and ETH.
Cardano’s ADA has rebounded over the past week, with some key factors supporting a more substantial upward trend ahead. Another element, though, suggests a renewed correction might be on the way.
Several analysts believe Bitcoin (BTC) has yet to reach its bottom for this cycle, while the recent exodus from exchanges hints that Ethereum (ETH) might be gearing up for a rally.
ADA Stuck in an Indecisive Zone Earlier this week, Cardano’s native token soared to a two-week high of around $0.18 before retracing to the current $0.166 (per CoinGecko). This represents a 5% weekly increase, while the latest whale activity hints at a further upswing in the near future.
The large investors recently boosted their total holdings to 25.6 billion coins (the highest level since February). The stash translates into roughly 70% of the token’s circulating supply. Moreover, whales have bought 30 million ADA (worth more than $5 million) over the last 30 days.
These market participants rarely make intuitive decisions, as some believe they enter the ecosystem after careful research or inside information that others lack. That said, their activity may encourage smaller players to hop on the bandwagon, too.
Another bullish ADA element is its Relative Strength Index (RSI), which yesterday (July 23) slipped to 28 and now stands at 31. It remains quite close to the oversold zone that is usually seen as a buying opportunity.
On the other hand, exchange inflows have recently exceeded outflows, meaning that investors have moved some of their holdings to centralized platforms, thereby increasing immediate selling pressure.
You may also like: Bitcoin’s Sharpe Ratio Signals an ‘Optimal’ Spot Accumulation Window Ethereum (ETH) Is Cheap, But Not at Bottom Yet: Analysts Ethereum’s Next Leg Higher? Historic Indicator and Whale Activity Align Major BTC Warning The bear market over the past several months has been quite persistent, briefly dragging Bitcoin’s price below $60K. It currently trades at nearly $65,000, and every resurgence gives some investors hope that the bulls might finally regain full control.
However, X user BATMAN poured cold water on these expectations, drawing a parallel between BTC’s current performance and that of the autumn of 2022, which was later followed by a massive collapse to roughly $16,000.
Other short-term skeptics include Kabuki and Ali Martinez. The former predicted a plunge to $47,000 by August, while the latter noted that the following month has historically been an unfavorable period for BTC, resulting in a correction every time since 2022.
ETH’s Next Move? Earlier this week, the second-largest cryptocurrency made another attempt to surpass the $2,000 psychological level but was rejected and currently trades at around $1,880.
Still, the declining amount of ETH stored on exchanges suggests the bears may soon loosen their grip. Over the past month, investors have withdrawn approximately 1 million units (worth over $1.8 billion at ongoing rates) from centralized platforms. The total figure dropped to a 10-year low of roughly 15.1 million ETH as the development results in reduced immediate selling pressure.
Analysts on crypto X remain largely optimistic about the asset. Not long ago, Arthur Hayes acquired ETH for over $2.5 million, while popular pundits like KALEO think the price could rise toward $2,400 within the next month. However, the latter warned that the pump might be short-lived and followed by a major crash to nearly $1,200 by September.
Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) founder Charles Hoskinson says the next phase of cryptocurrency adoption will be driven less by faster blockchains and more by safety, governance and consumer protections.
Ethereum ‘Keeps Doing Things Wrong’In an interview with CoinDesk on July 23, Hoskinson, a co-founder of Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) before launching Cardano, was sharply critical of the network’s governance model.
He argued Ethereum lacks an on-chain treasury capable of sustainably funding long-term development and instead depends on a handful of influential organizations.
"If Ethereum was to just take 5% of protocol revenue and give it to the Ethereum Foundation, they’d have $390 million a year to work with," he said.
Hoskinson also criticized Ethereum’s reliance on large companies to shape development priorities, arguing that meaningful decentralization requires token holders, not corporations, to determine the network’s future through on-chain voting.
He said Cardano’s governance framework, while slower to develop, provides a more sustainable long-term model.
"People are starting to wake up, especially in the age of AI hacking where everything is getting broken, that speed to market is not necessarily the most desirable thing," Hoskinson said.
Crypto Needs An Insurance LayerFollowing a recent bridge exploit involving Cardano-related infrastructure, Hoskinson said the industry’s biggest missing component is insurance.
He proposed optional insurance products for crypto wallets and cross-chain bridges, funded through premiums and backed by collateral pools.
Under the model, users would pay recurring fees while protocols meeting defined security standards could qualify for coverage.
Insurance would compensate victims after hacks and encourage better software practices across the industry, he said.
"You need financial systems with rule of law and checks and balances and the ability to get restitution when bad things happen," Hoskinson said.
Hoskinson expects the next wave of crypto adoption to come from integrating blockchain with identity, privacy, insurance and real-world financial infrastructure rather than simply increasing transaction throughput.
Image: Shutterstock
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Cardano has emerged as one of the fastest-growing blockchains for real-world assets (RWAs), reinforcing its expanding role in the rapidly evolving tokenization sector.
According to data shared by the RWA Foundation, citing Token Terminal, Cardano ranked as the fifth fastest-growing blockchain by RWA value over the past 30 days. During the period, the value of tokenized real-world assets on the network surged 23.1% to $55.3 million.
The ranking tracks month-over-month growth in RWA value across leading blockchain ecosystems, providing insight into where tokenized assets are expanding at the fastest pace.
Cardano Outpaces Several Larger RWA Ecosystems Despite hosting a smaller RWA market than several competing networks, Cardano outperformed many established blockchains in terms of growth.
For instance, Avalanche recorded a 22.6% increase, even though it maintains one of the largest RWA ecosystems at $2.5 billion. Sonic followed with 22.1% growth, bringing its RWA value to $124.2 million.
Meanwhile, Fraxtal expanded 18.4% to $39 million, while BNB Chain, which hosts the largest RWA market among the ranked blockchains at $9.2 billion, posted a 16.5% monthly increase. TON completed the top 10 with 6.4% growth, lifting its RWA value to $670.4 million.
Notably, four blockchain networks recorded even stronger monthly RWA growth. Robinhood Chain dominated the rankings with an extraordinary 11,416.2% surge, increasing its RWA value to $323.7 million. Tempo claimed second place with 74.3% growth, followed by Monad at 36.7% and Plume Network at 35.7%.
Cardano Ranks Among Fastest-Growing Blockchains in July Charles Hoskinson Says RWA Could Spur Crypto Growth The real-world asset sector continues to gain momentum as analysts project it could evolve into a multi-trillion-dollar industry over the coming years.
Specifically, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has projected that the RWA market could reach $10 trillion by 2030, fueled by the tokenization of traditional financial assets. He expects tokenized real-world assets to account for a substantial share of the crypto industry’s growth before the end of the decade.
Cardano Expands Its Presence in RWA Tokenization As the RWA market grows, Cardano continues to position itself as a key infrastructure provider for asset tokenization.
Recently, the network participated in an initiative involving the London Stock Exchange, which introduced the MCM Fund I from Members Capital Management (MembersCap). While the investment was recorded on the London Stock Exchange’s private blockchain, Archax tokenized the fund on the Cardano blockchain.
Cardano has also continued to strengthen its RWA ecosystem through strategic partnerships. Earlier this year, Kinka partnered with EMURGO to issue gold-backed tokens on Cardano. In addition, EMURGO collaborated with compliant tokenization platforms, including Haus, OpenEden, and DigiFT, to bring tokenized assets such as private credit, U.S. government bonds, and insurance factoring onto the network.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
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Cardano saw a significant drop in spot flows in a matter of hours as traders reacted to the ongoing decline in the market.
The crypto market largely traded in the red on Friday, with most cryptocurrencies, especially in the top 100, posting losses between 1% and 11%.
Cardano itself was down 4.60% in the last 24 hours to $0.166. Amid the drop, the spot flow metric, which depicts the capital moving into and out of spot markets across crypto exchanges, is flashing a signal that might be hard to ignore.
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Cardano spot flows dropped by 1,917.11% in four hours, with outflows exceeding inflows, according to CoinGlass data. In this time frame, $1.19 million was recorded as inflows while outflows amounted to $1.49 million, with a negative net flow recorded at $303,100. The negative net flow might suggest increased withdrawals from crypto exchanges rather than deposits in the timeframe, indicating a rise in buying activity at the time.
Cardano prepares for next major upgradeFollowing a successful van Rossem hard fork upgrade, Cardano, through the Intersect hard fork working group, is already discussing, assessing, and coordinating preparations for the next major Cardano upgrade, the Dijkstra era hard fork, which will introduce Ouroboros Leios to the network.
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The van Rossem hard fork governance action was enacted at the epoch boundary in epoch 644 on July 18, 2026, at 21:44:51 UTC. The hard fork marked an achievement for the Cardano ecosystem and the whole community, being the first hard fork in the full governance era, voted on by all three governance bodies: DReps, SPOs, and CC.
In a fresh post-hard fork update, Intersect reported that there was a nearly 10-minute gap before the first block was produced after the enactment of the hard fork governance action. Although transient in nature, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and engineering teams continue to monitor the network behavior.
Observations made while entering a new epoch showed no issues, with a block being created just under 15 seconds into the new epoch, well within the standard average 20-second block range.
Cardano faced a sharp decline in spot flows within a few hours on Friday as the broader crypto market remained in negative territory. Most major cryptocurrencies from the top 100 traded lower, with losses ranging from 1% to 11% during the day.
Cardano’s spot flows see sharp declineADA, the native token of Cardano, dropped 4.60% over the past 24 hours to $0.166. The decrease came amid strong selling pressure, with traders reacting to continued weakness across digital assets.
Spot flow, a key metric that tracks capital moving in and out of cryptocurrency exchanges, saw a drastic swing. According to data from CoinGlass, Cardano’s spot flows fell by 1,917.11% in just four hours. Inflows during this period reached $1.19 million, while outflows totaled $1.49 million, leaving Cardano with a negative net flow of $303,100.
A negative net flow in spot markets generally reflects more assets being withdrawn from trading platforms than deposited, which can indicate increased accumulation by holders and a temporary rise in buying activity despite overall price declines.
Mini dictionary: CoinGlass is a data analytics platform widely used by cryptocurrency traders for on-chain metrics, derivatives, and spot flow analysis.
MetricValue (4-hour window)Inflows$1.19 millionOutflows$1.49 millionNet Flow-$303,100Change in Spot Flows-1,917.11% Cardano’s spot flows dropped by 1,917.11% in four hours with outflows surpassing inflows by $303,100, suggesting investors pulled more funds from exchanges than they deposited.
Cardano’s recent hard fork activityCardano, a public blockchain platform focused on scalability and research-driven development, recently completed the van Rossem hard fork. This upgrade, enacted at epoch boundary 644 on July 18, 2026, marked a first for Cardano as it was voted on by all three governance entities: Delegated Representatives (DReps), Stake Pool Operators (SPOs), and the Constitutional Committee (CC).
The upgrade was carried out by the Intersect hard fork working group, an organization dedicated to coordinating key changes within the Cardano ecosystem. The successful execution of the van Rossem hard fork transitioned Cardano into its official “full governance era,” accelerating plans for further upgrades.
Preparations are already underway for the Dijkstra era hard fork, which intends to bring Ouroboros Leios to the network.
Mini dictionary: Ouroboros Leios is a protocol upgrade aimed at improving network efficiency, consensus security, and scalability in the Cardano blockchain.
Post-upgrade network performanceShortly after the van Rossem hard fork, Intersect reported a nearly 10-minute delay before the network produced its first block. While initially notable, this lag proved transient. Both Site Reliability Engineering and core engineering teams continue to monitor for irregularities as the network stabilizes.
As the blockchain entered the new epoch, block creation normalized. The first block appeared just under 15 seconds into the new epoch, aligning well within the typical target of a 20-second average block interval. No technical issues were observed and network operations remained stable through the transition.
Block production following the van Rossem hard fork resumed within standard parameters despite a brief initial delay, according to updates from Intersect.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
A crypto market analyst has highlighted that Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Cardano are nearing a pivotal technical crossroads at a time when U.S. Senate action on the Clarity Act and renewed tensions involving Iran signal a period of heightened uncertainty for the digital asset market.
Regulatory moves and geopolitical uncertaintyCurrent uncertainty centers on both the evolving situation in the Middle East, where the U.S. continues to strike Iranian military positions, and the lack of clear progress in Washington on the Clarity Act, a crypto market structure bill before the Senate. The market observer noted that digital assets historically react poorly to extended periods of uncertainty, and stressed the importance of imminent news from the U.S. Senate.
On the legislative front, Patrick Witt, a lead negotiator for the Clarity Act, reportedly expressed confidence about the bill advancing, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune cast doubt, reportedly telling reporters the measure remains unlikely to reach a floor vote before the August recess.
The risk of indefinite delays in the Senate could sustain recent volatility and extend ongoing price consolidation in the crypto market. Market participants are paying close attention to the possibility that Senate leadership may decline to call the bill to a vote prior to the recess, which could postpone regulatory clarity.
The analyst identified the next several business days as especially critical, with August 7 cited as the latest practical deadline before the U.S. Senate breaks for recess. Positive signals from lawmakers or easing geopolitical tension could help digital assets break out of their current patterns, while negative developments are likely to reinforce risk-off sentiment.
Technical set-ups for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and CardanoFrom a technical perspective, Bitcoin is now forming a potential inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, which has historically been viewed as a bullish reversal signal. However, the analyst noted this formation has not yet been confirmed and depends on Bitcoin’s ability to hold or move higher. A push toward the 200-day moving average, now close to $72,000, would mark a significant bullish development and could reverse weeks of declining momentum.
Key support for Bitcoin lies in the $61,000 to $59,000 range. A sustained breakdown below this area could push the asset toward a broader Fibonacci retracement band from approximately $48,000 to $57,000, with $56,000 highlighted as a crucial pivot level.
AssetKey ResistanceInitial SupportCritical Support ZoneBitcoin$72,000$61,000-$59,000$48,000-$57,000Ethereum$2,100Near downtrend line$1,500CardanoTesting moving averages$0.13$0.10-$0.12Ethereum currently trades just above a descending trendline, while its 20-day moving average attempts to cross above the 50-day average. The analyst cautioned that similar patterns have failed in the past, but a solid rally toward the 200-day average near $2,100 would be a notable bullish signal. Conversely, if weakness returns, Ethereum may target the $1,500 zone.
Cardano is also grappling with declining momentum, testing key moving averages after several unsuccessful reversal attempts. A sharp downturn could cause ADA to revisit $0.13 or even fall toward the $0.10 to $0.12 range.
Legislation, charts, and investor strategyThe analyst emphasized that while regulatory developments are not the only factor shaping market direction, they are arriving at a moment when technical indicators for major cryptocurrencies are at critical levels. This convergence makes support, resistance, and proactive allocation strategies increasingly important for investors in the coming weeks.
As markets await clarity from U.S. lawmakers, traders are closely monitoring geopolitical updates and technical inflection points on major crypto charts. Outcomes over the next business days may set the tone for price action into the end of the summer.
Mini dictionary: Clarity Act, a proposed U.S. law aiming to define the regulatory status of digital assets and clarify the roles of federal agencies regarding cryptocurrency oversight.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cardano (ADA) is trading near a critical support zone as the community spotlights the network’s reliability ahead of its ninth anniversary. The cryptocurrency changed hands at $0.1694 on Wednesday, reflecting a 2.92% loss over the previous 24 hours.
Price action stalls near key EMA levelsCardano’s price has found some stability within the $0.167 to $0.170 range, with buyers stepping in throughout July to prevent deeper declines. Despite the support, ADA remains under its 20, 50, 100, and 200-day exponential moving averages (EMAs), signaling continued pressure from sellers and an overall bearish trend in the near term.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 50.73. This neutral reading comes after the indicator recovered from earlier oversold levels, indicating neither bullish nor bearish dominance at present. Cardano needs a close above the 50-day EMA, currently at $0.177, to indicate a potential shift to upward momentum. Conversely, a breakdown below $0.167 could accelerate further declines as sellers assert control.
IndicatorCurrent LevelBullish SignalBearish SignalPrice$0.1694Above $0.177Below $0.167RSI50.73Rises above 55-60Falls below 45Support zone$0.167–$0.170HoldsBreakdownOperating continuously for over eight years, Cardano has never experienced downtime, according to Cardanians (CRDN), a leading voice in the Cardano community. As the blockchain approaches its ninth year, CRDN emphasized the network’s long-standing stability and resilience, noting, “Reliability isn’t the most exciting metric, but it’s one of the most important. Reliability and security always come first.”
Reliability isn’t the most exciting metric, but it’s one of the most important. Strong foundations matter. Reliability and security always come first.
This uninterrupted uptime has reinforced trust among developers, institutional participants, and investors who place a premium on robust infrastructure. While the reliability milestone may not spark an immediate price rally for ADA, it serves to strengthen Cardano’s reputation for long-term operational stability within the competitive blockchain sector.
Mini dictionary: Cardanians (CRDN), an independent Cardano-focused community group known for sharing network developments and analytical insights about Cardano’s ecosystem.
Stable open interest and network activity signal cautious optimismMarket data from CoinGlass shows that open interest on Cardano has held steady in July, indicating traders are not significantly increasing leveraged bets but are instead maintaining existing positions. Meanwhile, DeFiLlama reports a recent uptick in active addresses, reflecting consistent network usage even as the token trades sideways.
If buyers can reclaim the $0.177 resistance area, short-term bullish sentiment could return and potentially push ADA higher. Until such a development materializes, analysts expect the price to remain stuck in its current range as participants await a technical breakout or major catalyst.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cardano (ADA) extends its decline, trading below $0.168 on Friday after facing rejection at the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) earlier this week. Mixed derivatives metrics indicate traders' indecision, while neutral momentum indicators suggest ADA lacks a catalyst for a sustained move in either direction.
Mixed positioning clouds ADA outlookDerivatives data for Cardano show mixed sentiments among traders. CoinGlass’ long-to-short ratio for ADA read 1.07 on Friday. The ratio being above one, indicates bullish sentiment, as traders are betting the asset's price will rise.
Cardano long-to-short ratio chart. Source: CoinglassMeanwhile, the funding rates show a bearish bias. ADA funding rates flipped negative on Thursday, reading -0.014 on Friday, indicating that shorts are paying longs and signaling a negative outlook.
Cardano funding rate chart. Source: CoinglassSantiment chart below shows that Cardano’s whales holding between 1 to 10 million (yellow line) and 10 to 100 million (blue line) ADA tokens have added 120 million ADA tokens since Monday, while wallets holding 100,000 to 1 million ADA remained largely inactive. This modest accumulation by larger holders suggests underlying buying interest but is not yet strong enough to confirm a bullish shift in sentiment.
Cardano supply distribution chart. Source: SantimentCardano Price Forecast: Bears defend the 50-day EMACardano trades at $0.167 on Friday, holding in a bearish configuration as price remains below the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) at $0.176, $0.202 and $0.267 respectively.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) around 48 is neutral, hinting at a lack of strong directional momentum. At the same time, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line stays modestly positive, suggesting only mild recovery attempts within a broader capped structure defined by the reclaimed long-term downtrend line, whose break level now acts as resistance at $0.197.
On the topside, immediate resistance appears at the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement at $0.173, closely followed by the 50-day EMA at $0.176; a sustained break above these would open the way toward the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement at $0.195, and the former trendline break around $0.197.
On the downside, initial support is seen at the horizontal level of $0.150 ahead of the Fibonacci anchor near $0.138, where failure to hold would expose fresh lower lows in the broader bearish cycle.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, believes the network methodical development strategy (criticized by many for taking ages) is beginning to gain recognition as the industry battles ongoing attacks and exploits.
In a recent interview, Hoskinson compared Cardano’s development trajectory to Anthropic’s path in the evolution of the artificial intelligence industry. He outlined that the firm is currently the leader of the pack despite entering the market later than existing powerhouses like Google and OpenAI.
Instead of chasing speed, he said that Anthropic is successful because it adopted a disciplined philosophy regarding its development practices from the get-go. He believes Cardano is now experiencing a very similar shift in perception. This comes as developers and investors are increasingly prioritizing security and governance over “speed to market.”
“Google initially had the big lead and then OpenAI had the big lead and then somehow this Anthropic thing came out and they were able to leapfrog everybody. […] They hadn’t fundamentally changed, they just had the right mindset,” Hoskinson said in the interview with CoinDesk.
He also added that the same principle could eventually benefit Cardano:
“People are starting to wake up, especially in the age of AI hacking, where everything is getting broken, where speed to market is not the most desirable way.”
.@IOHK_Charles compares Cardano’s strategy to Anthropic’s rise.
Google had the lead. Then OpenAI. Then Anthropic leapfrogged both, not by moving faster, but by building differently.
Hoskinson says the same lesson could apply to crypto in the latest episode of Markets Outlook… pic.twitter.com/h36GiShZYV
— CoinDesk (@CoinDesk) July 23, 2026
You may also like: Cardano’s NIGHT Hits All-Time Low After 290M Token Dump Charles Hoskinson Says Ethereum Is Adopting Cardano Ideas Without Credit Charles Hoskinson Reveals What Happened to 1,096 BTC From Cardano’s Early Days Security Incidents Strengthen Cardano’s Case Hoskinson specifically referenced the most recent Kelp DAO exploit and the knock-on effects it had on Aave as examples of the risks, which are associated with prioritizing innovation over resilience.
In April, Kelp DAO suffered a massive exploit where $292 million was drained after attackers were able to forge cross-chain messages and withdraw unbacked rsETH through a misconfigured LayerZero bridge.
While Aave’s smart contracts were in no way compromised, the attacker deposited the fraudulent rsETH as collateral to borrow real assets. This essentially left the lending protocol with significant exposure to bad debt and triggered billions of dollars in TVL outflows before the team implemented recovery measures.
For Hoskinson, this particular episode demonstrated how vulnerabilities in one protocol can rapidly spread through the broader DeFi ecosystem and cause massive outflows and reputational damage:
“The recent AAVE thing and Kelp thing shows you how quickly you can lose your TVL (total value locked) and how uqickly you can lose your customer base. So, it works until it doesnt, and when it doesn’t, it’s catastrophic for the ecosystem.”
He argued that for stability to be lasting, this requires more than technically sound code:
“People want stability and it only comes from having a clear governance system, a clear software development system, and really goo dideas on how to develop a roadmap in a sustainable way.”
ADA’s Longstanding Underperformance Hoskinson’s comments also come after a long time of built-up criticism from parts of the crypto community about how Cardano has prioritized academic research (arguably one of the protocol’s standout differentiators) at the expense of ecosystem growth.
Cardano remains one of the largest protocols by market capitalization. At the time of this writing, it’s at $6.2 billion, ranking as the 20th largest project in the industry – but that’s a far cry from where it used to stand, let alone from where proponents were hoping it would be. ADA is one of the worst performers of the past year, down 80% in the past 365 days. Ethereum, the smart contract platform Hoskinson often compares Cardano to, including in this interview, is down 48% in contrast. Bitcoin, the industry’s benchmark, is down 44%.
Source: CoinGecko Hoskinson acknowledged that their decision-making hasn’t been flawless.
“It took us a long time to get here. A lot of mistakes were made, and I own the lion’s share of them as the leader.”
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the network is now positioned much better than in previous market cycles.
“Ultimately, I’m very happy with where wi sit, and I think we will grow very strongly over the next 12 to 24 months.”
Of course, it remains to be seen whether that prediction will come to fruition, but his broader argument also reflects an ongoing debate across industry proponents about whether the next phase of crypto adoption will come from protocols that come strong and move fast or those that prioritize security, governance, and long-term sustainability. Or perhaps both are not mutually exclusive?
Bitcoin hovered near the $65,000 mark on Friday as escalating Middle East tensions weighed on sentiment in the cryptocurrency market, while Ethereum also traded lower.
Bitcoin was trading at $65,345, while Ethereum was at $1,877.
Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin declined 0.43% and Ethereum fell 2.23%. Among major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Hyperliquid, Dogecoin and Cardano dropped by as much as 4.09%, while Tron edged up 0.05%.
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Nischal Shetty, founder of WazirX, said that Bitcoin remained under pressure as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East dampened investor sentiment, prompting a shift toward safer assets. Ethereum also weakened, with traders closely monitoring institutional positioning and broader market uncertainty.
“Bitcoin's daily technical indicators remain neutral, with immediate support around $64,200–$64,500, while Futures traders are watching whether BTC can sustain a move back toward $66,000. For Ethereum traders, $1,840–$1,860 remains the key support zone, while $1,900 is the next major resistance,” Shetty further said.
The global crypto market capitalisation went down 0.7% to $2.22 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Akshat Siddhant, Lead quant analyst, Mudrex said fresh attacks in the Middle East have pushed crude oil above $90 a barrel, while driving US bond yields to their highest levels in 18 months, weighing on risk assets.
Despite the weakness in price, US spot Bitcoin ETFs extended their inflow streak to seven consecutive sessions, attracting nearly $1 billion in total, Siddhant further said.
In the past week, Bitcoin and Ethereum were up 2.98% and 1.58% respectively. Among the major altcoins, BNB, Hyperliquid, and Dogecoin corrected upto 4.17% whereas XRP, Solana, Tron, and Cardano gained upto 4.47%.
Crypto markets are also facing pressure from tighter financial conditions. Bitcoin remains relatively stronger than Ethereum and major altcoins, with its four-hour structure constructive above $65,000, said Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst, Delta Exchange.
Here is what other analyst say
Vikram Subburaj, CEO, Giottus: Institutional demand has improved materially. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded approximately $999.3 million in inflows across seven consecutive positive sessions from July 14 to July 22. These inflows more than offset the $424.7 million outflow recorded on July 13. July 23 showed a preliminary $22.6 million outflow, although BlackRock’s IBIT figure remained unavailable.
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Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder & CEO, Pi42: The latest correction across the crypto market reflects how quickly global geopolitical developments can influence investor sentiment across asset classes. Bitcoin’s pullback towards the mid $64,000 range, alongside weakness in Ethereum and other leading digital assets, comes amid heightened uncertainty following the escalation in the Iran conflict and a broader shift away from high-growth assets.
CoinSwitch Markets Desk: The July recovery could lose momentum if BTC fails to reclaim $65K, with the 21-day moving average near $64K acting as key support and $68K as the next major resistance. Investors may prefer disciplined positioning, limited leverage and gradual accumulation near support rather than chasing short-term rebounds.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
This Friday, we examine Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano, Binance Coin, and Hyperliquid in greater detail.
Ethereum (ETH) Ethereum moved higher by 3% this week as buyers gained control of the price action since late June. This relief rally started once the support at $1,500 was tested and held.
At the time of this post, ETH is facing some resistance as the price approaches the key psychological level at $2,000. It is likely to bring back sellers and could send the price into a pullback.
Looking ahead, the cryptocurrency remains in a macro downtrend. While this rally is a positive change, sustaining it beyond $2,000 seems a big ask right now. Only if $2,000 turns into support does ETH have a good shot at breaking the prevailing downtrend.
Source: TradingView Ripple (XRP) XRP also managed to book a 3% gain this week as buyers have kept the price well above the key support at $1. The current resistance is at $1.2, and until it is broken, it is unlikely this cryptocurrency can make sustained gains.
With volume declining steadily month-over-month, XRP currently lacks the momentum for a major breakout. Market participants seem to have retreated since the drop in February and have not returned to date.
Looking ahead, the current consolidation above $1 is a positive development. However, it can equally be a pause taken by sellers before they attempt another go at the key support.
Source: TradingView Cardano (ADA) ADA had a positive week, closing 6% higher. This comes after the price made a head and shoulders reversal pattern with the key support around $0.15. As long as that level holds, buyers have the advantage.
Nevertheless, Cardano still has to make clear higher lows and higher highs before we can be confident in a reversal and end to the current macro downtrend. For that to happen, the price will have to move beyond $0.25.
Looking ahead, the weekly momentum indicators such as the MACD are giving a bullish bias. This is a promising sign that sellers could be exhausted here, which may allow buyers to take back control for a longer period.
Source: TradingView Binance Coin (BNB) Binance Coin looks weak throughout the past seven days and made no gains. The price still needs to break the resistance at $580, which has kept buyers in check over the past month. Without a clear breakout, BNB is forced to move sideways or even seek lower levels to find buyers.
The price also saw decreased volatility and volume. This could also be related to the recent regulatory changes that forced EU users to find a new exchange. That is bearish for the BNB price as it lowers demand for the token.
Looking ahead, this cryptocurrency is found in a downtrend with no signs that this will end any time soon. As such, watch the support at $500, which could be tested in the future before buyers return.
Source: TradingView Hype (HYPE) Surprisingly, HYPE was flat this week and lost 5% of its valuation in the past month. This highlights that the uptrend may be over. The price is also under $60 at the time of this post, which is concerning since it may encourage sellers to push even lower.
If this cryptocurrency loses its macro uptrend, then a larger and more significant correction could follow. Right now, the longer the price sits under $60, the higher the chance that HYPE will fall much lower. Key support levels are found at $56 and $52.
Looking ahead, HYPE had a fantastic rally in the first half of 2026, and it seems the second part of the year could end up in a major correction. That may see HYPE revisit previous levels under $50. If so, this can also be a key buying opportunity.
Whales keep increasing their exposure to the cryptocurrency.
Cardano’s native token is among the best-performing cryptocurrencies (from the top 100 club) over the past week, with its price rising by 8% to around $0.17.
Two key developments suggest the uptrend might be just at its starting point, while another factor hints that an upcoming correction is just as likely.
Bulls vs. Bears Earlier this month, the large ADA investors, known across the crypto space as whales, increased their total holdings to 25.6 billion coins. This represents almost 70% of the token’s circulating supply and is the highest level since February 2023. At the same time, retail investors have reduced their exposure to ADA, with Santiment explaining that this combination could create a healthy setup for the asset.
Just recently, the renowned analyst Ali Martinez revealed that whales have purchased 30 million units (worth over $5 million at current rates) over the last month. The obvious revival of this cohort of investors signals that they are positioning for the next potential price upswing.
There is a common theory in the crypto world that whales have access to inside information about events or news that could impact the valuation of a certain asset and that they rarely jump on the bandwagon out of pure intuition. That said, their efforts may encourage smaller players to join the ecosystem and distribute fresh capital.
The second bullish element is ADA’s Relative Strength Index (RSI). The technical analysis tool measures the latest speed and magnitude of price changes to evaluate whether the token is poised for a trend reversal. Readings below 30 put ADA in oversold territory and due for a possible rally, while anything above 70 serves as a warning for an impending correction. Currently, the RSI stands at around 28.
ADA RSI, Source: RSI Hunter However, there is also a bearish factor to be considered. Lately, exchange inflows have surpassed outflows, meaning that investors have abandoned self-custody and flocked toward centralized platforms: a development that increases immediate selling pressure.
You may also like: Whales Keep Loading Up on Cardano While Retail Dumps ADA Bitcoin (BTC) Starts July Under $60K, Cardano (ADA) Finally Rebounds: Market Watch ADA Faces Heavy Pressure, But Cardano’s On-Chain Data Tells Another Story ADA Exchange Netflow, Source: CoinGlass Recent Predictions Several analysts on X have noted ADA’s rebound, expecting a much more substantial push north in the short term. Master of Crypto claimed that if the positive trend continues, the price could surge to $0.219.
Others like JAVON MARKS are even more bullish, envisioning hard-to-believe explosions (at least from the current perspective). The analyst opined that ADA moves towards “a key convering/breaking point” which could open the door to an increase to as high as $2.90. Celal Kucuker also chipped in lately, predicting a major ascent to $5.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson made a statement following the security incident in the Midnight ecosystem that led to a sharp drop in the price of the NIGHT token. Hoskinson stated that the attack did not affect the Midnight protocol or the NIGHT smart contract on Cardano, but rather the problem occurred in the third-party bridge infrastructure.
Hoskinson stated, “Midnight itself wasn’t hacked. NIGHT’s smart contract on Cardano wasn’t hacked. What was hacked was the third-party bridge.”
Hoskinson stated that initial findings indicate the incident is entirely limited to the Wanchain infrastructure, noting that the system has four core components—on-chain and off-chain—running on Cardano and BNB Chain. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive audit to determine which component was affected and how the vulnerability was exploited.
Hoskinson stated that they were awaiting an explanation from the Wanchain team, saying, “Questions must be answered and audits must be conducted. We will get to the truth about why this happened, who is responsible, how much the loss is, and how the damage will be remedied.”
Cardano’s founder also warned that similar attacks could become more frequent in the future due to advancements in artificial intelligence technologies. Hoskinson stated that AI has made significant progress in the field of information security, noting that vulnerabilities in systems can be found and fixed much faster than humans can.
Hoskinson, who noted that he has been in the cryptocurrency sector for 15 years, said that the sector has started to become desensitized to these events due to the constant attacks and bridge security problems. Stating that this situation seriously undermines consumer confidence, Hoskinson argued that there is a need for next-generation financial infrastructures.
According to Hoskinson, the NIGHT project aims to combine the regulatory mechanisms, insurance products, and asset recovery capabilities of the traditional financial system with the features of cryptocurrencies, such as individual custody and self-sovereign identity. Hoskinson stated that this model aims to give users back control over how their money works.
Hoskinson stated that the NIGHT token has begun to recover after the sharp drop, indicating that the Midnight ecosystem has overcome its first major crisis. Hoskinson commented, “NIGHT experienced its first major event and emerged stronger. Midnight has begun to recover and has passed its first major test.”
*This is not investment advice.
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Cardano is trading at roughly $0.175, bouncing 27% off a June low that touched 2020-era levels at $0.138, and Crypto Banter analyst Sheldon says the altcoin is coiling inside a textbook descending wedge with a September detonation window. The price prediction: a move to $0.50–$0.60, contingent on one make-or-break level holding the key.
The central tension here is straightforward: a pattern-based bull case targets 186%–243% upside from current prices, while the wedge’s upper resistance has limited upside attempts. Something has to give, and Sheldon has a timeline for when that will happen.
ADA is up +7% over the past week, capping an impressive stretch that has seen the Charles Hoskinson-led token surge nearly +14% in July. Daily trading volume for Cardano is sitting at over $271M.
What the Descending Wedge Is Telling You A descending wedge is a chart pattern in which both the upper resistance line and the lower support line slope downward. It is generally read as a bullish continuation or reversal pattern; the narrowing range signals that selling pressure is exhausting itself, and the eventual breakout tends to be sharp and directional.
Sheldon analyzed the 1-week ADA chart and identified exactly this structure. The wedge’s lower support boundary traces back to the October 10 crash low of $0.27; the upper resistance originates from the early December high of $0.48.
Cardano has persistently slid lower within this wedge, shuffling between the descending upper and lower boundaries, most recently tagging the lower rail at $0.138 in June before bouncing.
Crucially, that lower boundary held again. The +27% rebound from June’s multi-year floor has pushed ADA toward the wedge’s upper resistance line, where the trade thesis either validates or collapses.
$ADA moves towards a key convering/breaking point and a positive response could kick start a massive run towards the $2.90 areas which we are targeting!
This target is over ~1,500% away…
(Cardano) pic.twitter.com/qvPj1K2svb
— JAVON⚡️MARKS (@JavonTM1) July 21, 2026
DISCOVER: The Next 1000x Crypto Gem Before It Lists on Binance
The $0.20 Line and the September Window Sheldon identified $0.20 as the critical breakout confirmation level. Reclaiming and sustaining price above that zone, roughly a 14% move from current levels, would constitute a structural break from the wedge and signal that the multi-month compression has resolved to the upside.
Once above $0.20, Sheldon’s measured target is in the $0.50–$0.60 range, representing 186%-243% upside from $0.175. Those price levels were last visited in November 2025, meaning the trade is essentially asking whether ADA can retrace a significant portion of last year’s decline.
According to Crypto Banter’s Sheldon, the wedge is likely to keep the altcoin range-bound until around September 2026, when he expects the breakout to materialize, a timeline that aligns with the broader market narrative of a more sustained crypto recovery in Q4 2026.
It is worth noting that Sheldon’s target is a significant departure from conservative baseline forecasts. Quantitative models from CoinCodex, for example, project ADA in a $0.16–$0.18 range across 2026 under neutral assumptions, a reminder that the wedge breakout thesis carries meaningful execution risk.
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A Shorter-Term Setup for Cardano is Also in Play
(SOURCE: TradingView)
While Sheldon’s wedge trade frames the multi-month thesis, Cardano stake pool operator Ssebi identified a separate, shorter-duration pattern on the daily chart: an inverse head-and-shoulders (IH&S) formation. In a standard IH&S, three swing lows form – and a sustained move above the neckline signals a bullish reversal.
Ssebi’s pattern has the left shoulder at the June 6 low of $0.148, the head at $0.138 on June 25, and the right shoulder at $0.155 on July 13. The measured target from that setup is $0.25, representing a 43% gain from current prices. The invalidation condition is clean: a daily close below the right shoulder at approximately $0.155 would negate the pattern.
The two analyses stack neatly; Ssebi’s $0.25 IH&S target would represent an early waypoint on the road toward Sheldon’s $0.60 wedge target, assuming the broader structure plays out. The upgrade adds context on scalability, explaining why Q3 2026 is being watched as a potential inflection point for ADA.
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Large Cardano investors significantly increased their holdings over the past week, signaling growing confidence in ADA’s near-term outlook.
According to on-chain data from Santiment, Cardano wallets controlled by large holders accumulated more than 30 million ADA over the past seven days. The data also shows that whale holdings steadily climbed to 5.69 billion ADA, suggesting consistent accumulation rather than isolated purchases.
Whale accumulation often draws market attention because these investors have the financial resources to influence price trends. Although sustained buying does not guarantee an immediate price rally, it generally reflects growing confidence among major market participants and is often viewed as a bullish on-chain signal.
Accumulation Extends an Ongoing Trend The recent buying activity is part of a broader accumulation trend rather than a one-off event. Cardano whales have remained highly active in recent weeks as they continue to expand their exposure to ADA.
Previously, The Crypto Basic reported that wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million ADA increased their combined balance to 25.6 billion ADA, the highest level in more than three and a half years.
The addition of another 30 million ADA further strengthens the view that major holders are positioning themselves ahead of a potential market move.
Cardano Reclaims a Spot Among the Top 15 Cryptocurrencies Meanwhile, renewed whale accumulation has coincided with improving sentiment across the broader crypto market, helping Cardano regain ground in the market-cap rankings.
Notably, ADA overtook Stellar (XLM) to reclaim its position as the 15th-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Cardano currently boasts a market cap of $6.39 billion, narrowly edging past Stellar’s $6.30 billion valuation.
Moreover, the gap separating Cardano from the projects immediately above it remains relatively small. Chainlink (LINK), ranked 14th, has a market capitalization of $6.43 billion, while Monero (XMR) occupies the 13th position with a valuation of $6.61 billion. If ADA maintains its current momentum, it could challenge both cryptocurrencies in the coming days.
Cardano Re-enters Top 15 Crypto Rankings Hoskinson Still Expects a Return to the Top 10 Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has also remained optimistic about the project’s long-term prospects. He recently reiterated his belief that ADA could re-enter the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap before the end of the year.
To achieve that milestone, Cardano’s market value would need to surge 76.05% from its current level of $6.39 billion to around $11.25 billion, assuming the market cap of Dogecoin, the current 10th-largest cryptocurrency, remains unchanged. Under that scenario, ADA would surpass Dogecoin to reclaim a place among the industry’s top 10 digital assets.
At press time, ADA trades at $0.1752, up 0.97% over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency has also spiked 6.30% over the past seven days, reflecting improving market momentum alongside the latest wave of whale accumulation.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
The Cardano wallet says it will shut down after attackers derived private keys from public transaction data, as affected users still wait on recovery tools promised weeks ago.
Original Image Credits: Igor Kyrlytsya / Shutterstock.com
Posted July 22, 2026 at 3:58 pm EST.
Cardano wallet SecondFi said it will wind down its own service and the Yoroi wallet it took over, roughly a month after attackers exploited a flaw in its software to steal about 16.1 million ADA, worth around $2.6 million, from 374 wallets. The company confirmed the shutdown in an update this week, saying it will not resume normal operations even though the vulnerability has been patched.
The flaw let attackers derive users’ private keys from transaction data already visible on the Cardano blockchain. SecondFi stressed that the Cardano network itself was not compromised and that people using hardware wallets were unaffected. The service had earlier managed to secure 129 million ADA before attackers could reach it.
Investigators Point to a Sophisticated Attacker An independent investigation by blockchain intelligence firm Groom Lake, hired by Yoroi developer EMURGO, concluded the main attacker was sophisticated and well-funded. Some indicators point to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, though the firm said no attribution has been confirmed. A separate attacker went after another set of wallets during the same period.
Users Are Still Waiting on Recovery The wind-down has frustrated users who were told relief was close. Back on June 27, SecondFi promised a recovery route within about two weeks. Nearly a month later, the tools are still not out. “But many of us were told our funds could be recovered within two weeks. Now we’re being asked to wait even longer,” one user wrote in reply to the update.
SecondFi now says it is building a zero-knowledge recovery tool and a wallet export function, both targeted for August, and that EMURGO has funded an asset recovery wallet. It has warned users to wait for official instructions, saying independent moves “create additional risks” for the claims process.
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AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
Cardano (ADA) has seen significant accumulation from its largest holders over the past seven days, with more than 30 million ADA added to major whale wallets. The activity, brought to attention by crypto analyst Ali Martinez using Santiment data, highlights a pattern of ongoing accumulation despite a cautious tone across broader crypto markets.
Institutional Investors Increase ADA HoldingsLarge Cardano addresses, often referred to as whales, increased their combined holdings from approximately 5.66 billion ADA to nearly 5.69 billion ADA during the past week. This figure represents a notable influx among entities controlling sizable portions of circulating supply. Martinez shared via his X account that these large ADA holders appear to be positioning themselves in anticipation of upcoming market movements.
Large Cardano holders seem to be preparing for potential changes in ADA’s price trajectory, as their sustained accumulation has pushed their collective balance up by more than 30 million ADA within just one week.
Whale accumulation is viewed within the industry as a possible sign of institutional or high-net-worth investor confidence. However, analysts frequently caution that this metric should not be interpreted in isolation. Buying activity among whales can reduce ADA’s available supply, especially if coins are transferred to long-term storage, but price outcomes remain reliant on additional factors.
Experts recommend evaluating whale behavior alongside trading volumes, market trends, and on-chain activity before reaching conclusions about price direction. When whales increase their exposure during periods of market uncertainty, it can signal optimism regarding an asset’s long-term value. However, such moves do not guarantee near-term price gains.
MetricPrevious WeekCurrent WeekChangeWhale ADA Holdings5.66 billion5.69 billion+30 million ADAFor retail traders, tracking the behavior of large holders can offer clues about market sentiment. When combined with other indicators—such as exchange balances and network activity—it can help clarify broader trends within ADA markets.
Continued Growth in Cardano’s EcosystemCardano, a proof-of-stake blockchain developed by Input Output Global, continues to emphasize both technical progress and network expansion. The platform has maintained a high rate of ADA staking, underscoring steady user engagement. Ongoing upgrades and the rollout of decentralized governance under the Voltaire era remain key areas of developer interest.
Improvements to scalability and governance continue to be central to Cardano’s roadmap, supporting a vibrant developer community. The network’s evolving ecosystem, which includes an expanding range of decentralized applications, is frequently cited as a factor in the platform’s long-term outlook.
Mini dictionary: Voltaire era, a phase in Cardano’s development focused on bringing decentralized decision-making and on-chain governance to the network, allowing ADA holders to participate in protocol upgrades and treasury management.
These advancements are complemented by Cardano’s consistent efforts to promote regulatory compliance and ensure network resilience within a fast-changing digital asset landscape.
Key Considerations for ADA InvestorsAs the recent accumulation trend draws industry attention, market participants are expected to watch whether whale wallets continue to expand their ADA holdings. Momentum from large investors, combined with increases in trading activity or network participation, may be seen by some as a sign of growing confidence.
Conversely, renewed selling by these holders could challenge positive sentiment. Analysts note that broader cryptocurrency market conditions, Bitcoin’s performance, and global economic factors remain highly influential for altcoins such as ADA.
Ultimately, whale accumulation should be considered alongside technical analysis, project fundamentals, and macroeconomic developments. A comprehensive approach helps investors better assess potential risks and opportunities related to ADA price movements.
Market analysis suggests that tracking whale movements is best used as part of a multifaceted research strategy when evaluating ADA investment decisions.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cardano (ADA) has gained renewed bullish traction after reclaiming a key technical support level, with a surge in network activity suggesting growing adoption. Market analysts indicate that these developments could further strengthen ADA’s long-term outlook if current buying momentum is sustained.
Technical breakout and price outlookADA is currently trading at $0.1747, recording a 24-hour trading volume of $290 million and holding a market capitalization of $6.37 billion. The rebound above an essential support level has prompted analysts and participants to anticipate a potential bullish reversal.
Crypto analyst Sssebi observed that Cardano has closed above its 50-day moving average, a common market indicator used to assess trend direction and investor sentiment. Closing above this level is often interpreted as the early phase of a possible trend reversal when accompanied by steady buying pressure.
Cardano’s close above its 50-day moving average is seen as an initial confirmation of strengthening momentum and a sign that buyers are beginning to take control, provided the upward trend persists in the near term.
To confirm this bounce, analysts emphasize that Cardano must continue to trade above the recovered moving average and form a series of higher highs. Maintaining this technical posture could open the door to additional upward moves, with the next significant target at $0.20. However, a sustained hold above the support line is considered crucial for this scenario.
MetricCurrent ValueTrendADA Price$0.1747Upward24-hour Trading Volume$290 millionHighMarket Capitalization$6.37 billionStableNext Resistance Level$0.20TargetNetwork activity and ecosystem growthData from Mintern, a blockchain activity analytics platform, showed Cardano’s network activity has soared by 4,457% over the past year. This substantial rise in active transactions indicates increasing demand for the Cardano blockchain and its underlying ecosystem.
The growth in daily transactions underscores broader user adoption, pointing to real-world usage beyond speculative interests. This trend suggests the recent rally is being driven by actual demand for Cardano’s platform and services.
Experts say the surge in network usage underscores solidifying fundamentals for Cardano, improving prospects for further investment and ecosystem expansion.
Mini dictionary: Mintern, a platform that specializes in analyzing blockchain network activity and transaction data, enabling deeper insights into user adoption and engagement metrics for ecosystems like Cardano.
Rising network activity, together with an improving technical setup, supports the narrative that Cardano’s momentum may continue if buying pressure persists and resistance levels are surpassed.
Cardano’s latest gains coincide with broader market recovery, as Bitcoin’s price has begun moving upward, lifting the sentiment across major cryptocurrencies. Should Cardano hold above its recovered technical level, supported by continued large investor interest and robust transaction growth, analysts expect the bullish pressure may intensify.
An upward breakout beyond immediate resistance is regarded as a strong signal the recovery can lead to additional investor inflows and further momentum for the ADA price.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cardano wallet SecondFi is shutting down after a software exploit allowed attackers to steal 16.1 million ADA ($2.4 million) from 374 wallets.The breach stemmed from a vulnerability in transaction signing software that enabled the derivation of private keys from blockchain transaction data.SecondFi will release wallet export tools in early August and a recovery portal later that month, though no distribution date for recovered funds is set.Cardano wallet SecondFi is winding down after attackers exploited a flaw in its transaction signing software to steal 16.1 million ADA, worth roughly $2.4 million, from 374 wallets.
The service, which replaced EMURGO’s Yoroi wallet, said it will not resume normal operations despite patching the vulnerability.and at the time securing 129 million ADA before attackers could reach the funds.
The flaw allowed attackers to derive private key material from transaction data visible on the Cardano blockchain, SecondFi said. The Cardano network itself was not compromised, and hardware wallet users were not affected.
Groom Lake, the blockchain intelligence firm hired by EMURGO, found that the main attacker was sophisticated and well-funded. Some indicators point to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, though no attribution has been confirmed, the firm said.
A separate attacker targeted another set of wallets during the same period.
SecondFi expects to release wallet export tools in early August and a zero-knowledge recovery portal later that month. EMURGO has funded an asset recovery wallet, but no firm distribution date has been given.
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Crypto Flows, Share and the Selective Rotation
Crypto Flows, Share and the Selective Rotation
Markets repositioned since June, but Binance held share (~55% user funds, ~24% spot) and drew net inflows in early July while the tracked market saw outflows.
5 hours ago
Markets repositioned since June, but Binance held share (~55% user funds, ~24% spot) and drew net inflows in early July while the tracked market saw outflows.
Why it matters:
Markets repositioned since June, but Binance held share (~55% user funds, ~24% spot) and drew net inflows in early July while the tracked market saw outflows.
SecondFi, a Cardano wallet provider that succeeded EMURGO’s Yoroi wallet, is shutting down after a critical software vulnerability enabled attackers to steal 16.1 million ADA, valued at $2.4 million, from 374 user wallets. The company confirmed that the breach allowed bad actors to derive sensitive private keys directly from blockchain transaction data, enabling unauthorized access to users’ funds.
Details of the exploitSecondFi stated that the vulnerability was found in the transaction signing software, which failed to securely protect key material. This flaw made it possible to reconstruct users’ private keys using information displayed in Cardano blockchain transactions. Notably, the Cardano blockchain itself remained uncompromised and unaffected by the incident, and users of hardware wallets did not face any risk due to the isolation provided by secure devices.
The platform managed to secure 129 million ADA before attackers could reach those funds, helping to reduce the impact of the breach. Normal wallet operations have been discontinued, as SecondFi confirmed that it does not intend to resume business despite fixing the software error.
Groom Lake, a blockchain intelligence firm retained by EMURGO, investigated the incident and concluded that the primary attacker showed a high degree of sophistication and access to substantial resources. While some indicators suggested links to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, Groom Lake stated there is no definitive confirmation of attribution at this time.
A secondary attacker also exploited the vulnerability, targeting a separate set of wallets during the same breach period. SecondFi provided assurances that hardware-stored wallets had no exposure to these attacks.
Mini dictionary: Groom Lake, a blockchain security and intelligence firm specializing in forensic investigations and threat attribution for on-chain exploits. The firm was chosen by EMURGO to analyze the SecondFi security breach.
SecondFi described the breach as originating from a weakness in its transaction signing software, which let attackers reconstruct private key material and compromise user accounts, but emphasized that hardware wallet users were not affected.
User support and next stepsSecondFi plans to release wallet export tools in early August, enabling users to safely retrieve and transfer their Cardano holdings. In addition, a zero-knowledge recovery portal is scheduled for launch later in the same month to facilitate a privacy-preserving recovery process for affected users.
EMURGO, the blockchain technology company that initially developed the Yoroi wallet and later transitioned to SecondFi, has funded an asset recovery wallet. However, SecondFi has not announced any specific timelines for the return of lost ADA, and the distribution date for recovered assets remains undetermined.
The Cardano blockchain was not compromised by these exploits, and users employing hardware wallets face no risk from this vulnerability, SecondFi reported.
A separate attacker who used the same exploit also targeted wallets during the breach period. SecondFi stated that coordination with blockchain security partners and the broader Cardano community is ongoing as they work toward mitigating further fallout from the incident.
Wallet typeAffected by breachSoftware wallet (SecondFi)YesHardware walletNoSecondFi’s decision to shut down comes as the company continues to collaborate with stakeholders to deliver support tools for users and investigate the source of the incident.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cardano [ADA] is in the middle of new security concerns after a mammoth SecondFi exploit worth $2.4 million. However, ADA traders don’t seem shaken at all!
SecondFi shuts down after 16.1 million ADA theft SecondFi is winding down after attackers stole 16.1 million ADA, worth about $2.4 million, from 374 wallets. The breach came from a flaw in the wallet’s transaction-signing software.
The flaw allowed attackers to derive private key material from transaction-signing data, giving them access to affected wallets. Importantly, the Cardano network was not breached, and hardware wallet users were unaffected.
…given the gravity of this event and as previously announced, we have made the difficult decision to wind down SecondFi and Yoroi wallet.
SecondFi patched the vulnerability and secured 129 million ADA before attackers could reach it, but the service will not return to normal operations. It plans to release wallet export tools in early August, followed by a zero-knowledge recovery portal later that month.
Blockchain intelligence firm Groom Lake found signs that may point to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, but no link has been confirmed. A separate attacker also targeted other wallets during the same period.
ADA holds, derivatives traders keep positions open ADA was trading near $0.17 at the time of writing, with no notable sell-off after news of the SecondFi wallet theft. On the daily chart, the token was at $0.1725, down only slightly during the session. ADA had already pulled back from its early-July rise toward $0.19, but has since recovered and stayed steady.
The RSI indicated balanced pace, with a modest positive tilt.
Source: TradingView The derivatives numbers look similarly unbent. Aggregated Open Interest rose to above $210 million before settling near $206.3 million. Meanwhile, the Average Funding Rate proved that long traders were still willing to pay to keep their positions open.
Source: Coinalyze Traders have not rushed to reduce leveraged exposure following the exploit; however, they seem measured in their approach.
Just an isolated wallet issue? The exploit exposed private key material, affected 374 wallets, and led SecondFi to shut down. The involvement of a second attacker and the possible [but unconfirmed] Lazarus Group link add to things.
While there is no evidence that the vulnerability extends beyond SecondFi, the incident highlights the importance of continued security reviews across the wider Cardano wallet ecosystem.
Final Summary SecondFi is shutting down after a signing flaw led to the theft of 16.1 million ADA. ADA held its price, there was no broad bearish reaction.
Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano and key developer behind the privacy-focused blockchain project Midnight, emphasized the need to move past outdated bridge technology in the cryptocurrency industry after a recent exploit on the Wanchain bridge led to a significant theft and price crash for the NIGHT token.
Bridge exploit sinks NIGHT priceOn Monday, an exploit targeting a legacy Wanchain bridge resulted in the theft of 290 million NIGHT tokens. The tokens were quickly sold across the Binance-Cardano corridor, pushing the price of NIGHT down approximately 43% to a historic low before partial recovery.
Within 24 hours, NIGHT recovered roughly 19%, rebounding to trade around $0.022. Hoskinson, responding to coverage that primarily highlighted the crash, drew attention to the market’s recovery and stated the rebound was being overlooked by some observers.
Wanchain, a company dedicated to developing decentralized cross-chain bridge technology, was responsible for the bridge infrastructure involved in the incident.
Mini dictionary: Wanchain, a blockchain project that provides decentralized bridges to enable interoperability between different blockchain networks.
“All software is under this enormous assault,” Hoskinson said, pointing to a rise in Linux kernel vulnerabilities and attributing this trend to AI-powered exploit discovery. He noted that, while robust systems may reduce risk, constant exposure still leaves them vulnerable over time.
Security challenges in cross-chain bridgesBridge hacks remain a persistent and damaging threat within the crypto sector. In recent years, attacks on bridges like Ronin, Wormhole, and Nomad have collectively cost the industry over $1.5 billion.
These exploits typically target the smart contracts and multisignature (multisig) setups that facilitate token movements between blockchains. Once compromised, large sums can be drained rapidly due to limited underlying security.
BridgeYearLossRonin2022$620 millionWormhole2022$320 millionNomad2022$190 millionWanchain (NIGHT)2024290 million NIGHTHoskinson advocated for zero-knowledge systems such as Midnight, explaining that these platforms can eliminate the need for trust in bridge operators and multisigs by substituting cryptographic proofs for human intervention.
The case for zero-knowledge systemsHoskinson suggested that attackers are increasingly using AI tools to identify vulnerabilities across all types of software, not just within the crypto sector. He reiterated that, while improved architecture can help, legacy solutions often fail to fully protect projects from sophisticated attacks.
Zero-knowledge proof systems, like those used in Midnight, establish transaction validity without revealing underlying data. Hoskinson described this approach as the next step in advancing blockchain security and building greater resilience into cross-chain solutions.
Mini dictionary: Zero-knowledge systems are cryptographic protocols that allow one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any specific details beyond the validity of the claim itself.
The incident has highlighted the ongoing debate about the best ways to secure rapidly evolving digital assets and infrastructure, especially as both attackers and defenders turn to advanced technologies.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Midnight (NIGHT) token price is up by 9% today, July 22, to trade at $0.021 at the time of writing. These gains come shortly after more than $13 million worth of NIGHT tokens were stolen in a hack on the Wanchain bridge that links Cardano to BNB Chain.
The hack pushed the price of NIGHT to an all-time low of $0.015, but an analyst now forecasts that the token could be on the verge of a massive recovery.
NIGHT Token Rallies as Analyst Eyes More Gains The NIGHT token crashed on July 21 after concerns emerged that the hacker who stole 515 million NIGHT from the Wanchain bridge hack would dump them in the market.
The resulting selling pressure pushed the price of NIGHT to $0.015, but analyst Crypto Dossier now says that this drop created a chance for traders to buy.
The analyst notes that the 39% increase from the record low price of $0.015 to $0.021 between July 21 and July 22 suggests that the NIGHT token is resilient and it could see more gains in the long-term.
“The community saw the dip as an opportunity, bought aggressively, and pushed it back up ~30% from the lows already… This kind of quick recovery shows real strength for the long term,” the analyst said.
This forecast comes after Midnight said it is in talks with exchanges to freeze the stolen NIGHT tokens, with such a move set to reduce the selling pressure.
Despite the optimism, NIGHT price is down by 98% from the all-time high of $1.81.
NIGHT Price Prediction as Bull Flag Pattern Forms The two-hour chart for the NIGHT token shows a bull flag. This pattern usually suggests that the price is cooling off after the recent gains.
This bull flag appeared as the price of NIGHT moved from $0.015 to $0.022. If the price closes above the obstacle at $0.022, it could gain by 63% and reach $0.0358.
The CMF reading of 0.13 suggests that the buying pressure is more than the selling pressure, and this could aid NIGHT token price in closing above the resistance of the bull flag.
However, if more traders sell to take profits, NIGHT price could move below the support of the bull flag at $0.021. This drop could invalidate the bull flag, and NIGHT could drop to the July 21 low of $0.019.
NIGHT/USDT: 2-hour Chart (Source: TradingView) The MACD line that is negative suggests that the momentum is still favoring bears despite NIGHT gaining by 39% from its all-time low of $0.015. This negative sentiment likely stems from escalating geopolitical tensions that are weighing on crypto prices.
NIGHT’s Open Interest Soars Amid Surging Short Bets Data from Coinglass shows that the open interest for the NIGHT token has increased by 10% today, July 22, to $23 million at the time of writing.
This OI has also climbed from $15 million on July 19 to $25 million on July 22, marking its highest reading since June 4.
NIGHT Token Open Interest (Source: Coinglass) The OI is likely rising because of short sellers who are opening new positions to bet that the price of NIGHT token might drop again. This rise in short sellers is shown by the funding rate that has a reading of -0.021.
The long/short ratio for the NIGHT token has also dropped to 0.52 on Binance, which shows that there are more short sellers than long buyers.
This suggests that despite analysts flipping bullish that NIGHT might recover after the recent crash, futures traders are predicting that the token will crash.
$10 Million Wanchain Bridge Exploit Shakes Cardano EcosystemCardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) has used a major bridge exploit to make a pointed argument about the future of crypto security. Speaking publicly after the attack, he said the incident illustrated an accelerating threat landscape that legacy infrastructure is no longer equipped to handle.
On July 21, 2026, Wanchain's bridge connecting Cardano to BNB Chain was exploited, resulting in the theft of approximately 515.2 million $NIGHT tokens worth around $10 million from the bridge treasury. The incident unfolded in just four rapid transactions over an eight-minute window.
According to blockchain security firm BlockSec, a single valid signature was used to authorize a payout roughly 65,000 times larger than Wanchain had approved. The bridge had built its signed message by raw-concatenating 14 variable-length redeemer fields without delimiters or length prefixes, allowing different field combinations to collapse to the same byte string and hash. The attacker sold roughly 300 million $NIGHT on exchanges, pushing the token down more than 30% to a record low near $0.016.
The Midnight Foundation confirmed that its protocol, validators, consensus system and core infrastructure continued operating normally throughout the incident.
Hoskinson Points to Zero-Knowledge and Privacy Tech as the FixHoskinson argued that AI-powered attacks are accelerating and that conventional bridge designs cannot keep pace. He explained why bridge hacks are, in his view, inevitable without zero-knowledge infrastructure, and outlined what wallet insurance, selective identity disclosure, and privacy technology like Midnight would mean for an industry that currently leaves victims with no recourse.
Midnight is a privacy-focused layer-1 blockchain built within the Cardano ecosystem. It uses a hybrid model and selective disclosure so users and businesses can prove facts about themselves without revealing underlying personal data. The project operates as a privacy-focused Cardano partner chain with a dual-token economic model built around $NIGHT and DUST. It launched its mainnet in March 2026.
The wider context is hard to ignore. High-profile bridge cases including Ronin ($624 million) and Wormhole ($326 million), alongside more recent 2026 incidents, underscore how bridges often become the weakest link in DeFi due to complex message verification, validator dependencies, and economic incentives for attackers. Wanchain had operated across dozens of blockchains for over eight years without a major incident, making the breach a notable exception to its track record.
Hoskinson's comments add to a broader push by the Cardano ecosystem to position zero-knowledge and privacy infrastructure not merely as a feature but as a security necessity. Whether the industry moves fast enough to act on that argument remains to be seen.
Sources
Crypto Times: Wanchain Cardano Bridge Exploited, Hackers Stole $10M in NIGHT Tokens
CoinLaw: Wanchain's Cardano Bridge Hack Drains 515 Million NIGHT
CoinDesk: Charles Hoskinson's $200M Midnight Bet Goes Live
Cardano (ADA) price edges lower on Wednesday after the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $1.770 capped two consecutive days of recovery seen earlier this week. ADA futures point to waning retail traction as Open Interest and trading volume decline amid elevated long liquidations. The technical outlook for ADA is bearish, as momentum remains subdued below a resistance trendline near $0.1782.
Demand wanes in Cardano futures Cardano derivatives market witnesses a decline in retail activity and conviction. CoinGlass data show that ADA futures Open Interest (OI) is down 7% over the last 24 hours to $402.74 million, with trading volume down 41% to $352.30 million. Typically, a decline in volume and OI suggests easing retail interest.
At the same time, long liquidations of $241,350 outpace short liquidations of $175,480, indicating a sell-side dominance. Meanwhile, the positive funding rate of 0.0044%, down from a peak of 0.0088% the previous day, reaffirms easing bullish sentiment among traders.
ADA derivatives data. Source: CoinGlassCould Cardano sustain its bullish momentum?Cardano edges lower on Wednesday, capped under the 50-day EMA at $0.1770 and well below the 200-day EMA at $0.2858. The downward resistance trendline, near the 50-day EMA at $0.1782, reinforces the overhead supply cluster, while the upward support trendline break level at $0.1629 underpins the recent higher lows.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram stays marginally positive, hinting at mildly constructive momentum, but the Relative Strength Index (RSI) around 52 suggests only neutral directional pressure, leaving the broader bias constrained by the dominant resistance band.
On the topside, immediate resistance is seen at the 50-day EMA at $0.1771, followed by the downward resistance trend line reference at $0.1782. A sustained move above this zone would be needed to ease the current bearish cap and open the way toward the more distant $0.2205 horizontal level.
ADA/USDT daily price chart.On the downside, first support aligns with the upward-trending structural level at $0.1629, while a deeper pullback would expose the horizontal support area near $0.1486, where buyers are likely to defend a broader range floor.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Key Takeaways Cardano maintains its position around $0.16, supported by a crucial weekly demand zone spanning $0.14 to $0.17 Weekly RSI indicators show one of the most extreme oversold conditions in ADA’s trading history Technical analysts identify an emerging inverse head-and-shoulders formation awaiting confirmation Primary resistance barrier located between $0.224 and $0.236; successful breach could propel prices toward $0.31 Technical fair value projections place ADA at $0.56, with extended targets reaching $4.55 Cardano (ADA) currently exchanges hands around the $0.16 level, registering a decline of approximately 1.88% in the last 24-hour period. The cryptocurrency maintains a market capitalization hovering near $6.07 billion, accompanied by daily transaction volume of roughly $188 million.
Cardano (ADA) Price The digital asset currently rests marginally above a significant weekly demand region that market observers have been monitoring with particular attention. This critical zone extends from $0.14 through $0.17 and has consistently absorbed selling pressure across multiple attempts.
While bearish pressure remains evident, successive downward movements are demonstrating diminishing strength. Market technicians interpret this behavior as a potential indication that downward momentum may be exhausting itself.
Technical analyst Master of Crypto highlighted on X that Cardano has been establishing consecutive higher lows within an ascending channel formation. According to his assessment, the price has climbed above $0.175 following a rebound from support, positioning the subsequent objective near $0.219 — representing approximately 25% appreciation potential from present values.
$ADA has made higher lows inside a rising channel.
Price is now above $0.175 after bouncing from support.
If this trend continues, the next target is around $0.219.
That is about 25% upside from the current price. pic.twitter.com/vAcK1Kpcuz
— Master of Crypto (@MasterCryptoHq) July 21, 2026
Weekly RSI Indicators Hit Unprecedented Oversold Levels Cardano’s weekly Relative Strength Index has descended to among its most extreme oversold zones throughout its historical data. Technical analyst Quantum Ascend drew attention to this development on X, emphasizing $0.14 as the critical foundation and $0.236 as the primary obstacle for any upward trajectory.
While deeply oversold RSI conditions don’t provide absolute assurance of trend reversal, they frequently materialize when downward pressure reaches excessive extremes. Such conditions typically create more favorable risk-reward scenarios for prospective buyers entering positions.
Should Cardano maintain stability above the $0.14 threshold, the base-building framework remains viable. Conversely, a decisive move beneath this level might leave the token vulnerable to additional downside toward the subsequent support region around $0.10.
Potential Inverse Head-and-Shoulders Formation Develops Market analyst CryptoJack has detected a prospective inverse head-and-shoulders configuration taking shape on shorter timeframe charts. The pattern’s components—left shoulder, central head, and right shoulder—are materializing within the $0.16 to $0.17 price corridor.
This technical formation remains unvalidated at present. Cardano must successfully penetrate above the neckline established by recent local peaks to confirm the pattern.
Upon confirmation, initial upside objectives would target the $0.18 to $0.19 zone, followed by advancement toward the $0.224 to $0.236 resistance cluster. Analyst The Boss has projected additional upside milestones at $0.3136, $0.3825, and $0.4488 based on weekly chart analysis.
An independent analyst calculated ADA’s theoretical fair value at $0.56 utilizing their proprietary technical indicator framework. Their research also pinpointed a support corridor between $0.11 and $0.17 that has undergone numerous tests dating back to 2022.
The immediate resistance barrier on daily charts is positioned near $0.23. Should accumulation activity strengthen beyond this point, Cardano could advance toward $0.32, according to that technical evaluation.
Current weekly momentum indicators have yet to reflect substantial increases in purchasing demand, maintaining uncertainty around the sustainability of any potential upward movement at this juncture.
Key Takeaways Approximately 515 million NIGHT tokens valued at $13 million were stolen from Wanchain’s Cardano-to-BNB Chain bridge infrastructure on July 21, 2026. Exploiters leveraged a critical signature reuse vulnerability, transforming an authorization for roughly 3,110 NIGHT into more than 203 million tokens — representing a 65,000x amplification. The NIGHT token price plummeted over 30%, reaching an all-time low around $0.016 following mass selling of the compromised assets on DEX platforms. Midnight Foundation verified that its blockchain infrastructure, validator network, and consensus mechanisms remained completely secure — the vulnerability was confined exclusively to bridge operations. Bridge services have been suspended by Wanchain while investigators work on a comprehensive technical analysis report. On July 21, 2026, a significant security breach targeted the Wanchain-managed bridge connecting Cardano to BNB Chain. Malicious actors successfully extracted approximately 515 million NIGHT tokens from the bridge’s treasury, representing roughly $13 million in market value.
Market reaction was swift and severe, with NIGHT experiencing a price decline exceeding 30% in the following day. According to CoinGecko tracking data, the token reached approximately $0.0186, marking a new historical low point.
Midnight (NIGHT) Price Following confirmation of the security incident, Wanchain immediately disabled bridge functionality. The development team announced plans to release a comprehensive incident report with full technical disclosure.
Technical Breakdown of the Exploit Security researchers at BlockSec Phalcon pinpointed a critical vulnerability within the TreasuryCheck validator component deployed by Wanchain’s bridge architecture.
The fundamental issue stemmed from how the bridge constructed signed messages. It concatenated 14 variable-length data fields directly without incorporating delimiters or length indicators. This design flaw created a scenario where different input combinations could generate identical byte sequences and resulting hash values.
Exploiting this weakness, attackers executed a signature replay attack. They repurposed a valid signature originally authorizing approximately 3,110 NIGHT tokens to instead withdraw more than 203 million NIGHT in one transaction — achieving an approximately 65,000-fold multiplication effect.
The compromised tokens were subsequently liquidated across various decentralized exchange platforms, creating intense selling pressure that drove the dramatic price decline.
BlockSec analysts observed that the smart contract already incorporated Cardano’s SerialiseData function, but the bridge implementation failed to utilize it during signature hash construction. Proper implementation of this function would have effectively prevented this attack vector.
Midnight’s Core Infrastructure Remains Intact The Midnight Foundation moved quickly to clarify the scope of the incident. Official statements emphasized that the security compromise was entirely limited to Wanchain’s external bridge solution.
“The incident is isolated to the Wanchain Cardano–BNB bridge and does not involve the Midnight Network itself,” the foundation said.
Throughout the entire security event, Midnight’s underlying protocol, validator operations, consensus architecture, and fundamental infrastructure maintained complete operational integrity.
The stolen assets originated from the bridge’s reserve holdings used to facilitate cross-chain transactions — not from any modification to NIGHT’s maximum supply cap, which remains fixed at 24 billion tokens. The affected volume of approximately 515 million tokens represents roughly 2% of the total token supply.
Midnight activated its mainnet in March 2026. The network functions as a privacy-oriented partner chain within the Cardano ecosystem, employing a dual-token economic model centered on NIGHT and DUST tokens.
Following the mainnet deployment, NIGHT experienced price appreciation exceeding 20%. The bridge compromise has eliminated a significant portion of these earlier gains.
2026’s Growing Bridge Security Crisis This Wanchain incident represents another chapter in an expanding series of bridge-related security failures throughout 2026. Humanity Protocol experienced a $31 million loss when attackers compromised multisig wallet credentials through an infected employee device. Gnosis Pay disclosed a $1.8 million breach impacting more than 5,000 user wallets, though the platform provided complete reimbursement to all victims.
Prior to this security breach, Wanchain had maintained cross-chain operations spanning dozens of blockchain networks for more than eight years without experiencing a major security incident.
Critical upcoming developments include Wanchain’s detailed technical post-mortem publication, potential victim compensation strategies, and whether NIGHT can achieve price stabilization and recover on-chain activity metrics in upcoming trading sessions.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has emphasized that Midnight’s long-term fundamentals remain strong despite the recent Wanchain bridge exploit that briefly rattled the market.
In a post on X, the Cardano founder said Midnight continues to hold significant fundamental value and revealed that the project has a roadmap packed with major upcoming developments. He also praised the ecosystem’s technology, commercialization strategy, and leadership team.
“There is fundamental value in Midnight, and we have some huge things coming for Midnight. It’s an incredible ecosystem with wonderful technology, commercialization, and leadership,” Hoskinson stated.
However, Hoskinson did not reveal details about the upcoming initiatives planned for the Cardano partner chain or provide a timeline for when they will be unveiled.
NIGHT Rebounds After Massive Sell-Off Hoskinson made the remarks shortly after NIGHT staged a sharp recovery following a severe market sell-off triggered by the unauthorized withdrawal of 515 million NIGHT tokens from the Wanchain bridge.
As previously reported, the perpetrators quickly sold hundreds of millions of NIGHT tokens across decentralized exchanges, driving the token’s price down to a low of $0.01582.
However, buying pressure returned as panic selling subsided. Consequently, NIGHT climbed back to $0.024, leaving it just a fraction of a cent below its pre-incident price of $0.02689.
At press time, NIGHT has gained 36% over the past 24 hours while recording approximately $114 million in trading volume. The strong rebound has boosted optimism that investor confidence is gradually returning despite the exploit.
Hoskinson Calls the Incident Midnight’s First Major Stress Test Addressing the exploit in a livestream, Hoskinson described the event as Midnight’s first real stress test. He argued that the ecosystem demonstrated remarkable resilience even after hundreds of millions of tokens suddenly entered the market.
According to him, Midnight’s ability to absorb such a significant liquidity shock without collapsing highlights the strength of its community and reinforces its long-term growth prospects.
Hoskinson also expressed confidence that the exploit would eventually become only a small chapter in Midnight’s broader development story.
Exploit Did Not Affect Midnight or Cardano Infrastructure Hoskinson also moved to dispel misconceptions surrounding the incident, stressing that the exploit did not compromise Midnight’s core infrastructure or the Cardano network.
He explained that the attack was confined to the Wanchain bridge and did not impact Midnight’s blockchain, smart contracts, or day-to-day ecosystem operations.
According to Hoskinson, both Midnight and the NIGHT smart contract running on Cardano have continued operating normally around the clock without any interruptions.
He further noted that the Glacier Drop distribution remains on schedule and emphasized that none of Midnight’s infrastructure was hacked. Likewise, he stated that no Cardano systems connected to Midnight were compromised during the incident. The development comes days after the Glacier Drop achieved a significant milestone, with 1.5 billion NIGHT tokens successfully redeemed through the distribution process.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
Several leading cryptocurrencies are displaying renewed signs of strength after extended periods of downward movement, with technical signals pointing to potential trend reversals across the digital asset market.
XRP builds bullish pattern amid low volumeXRP, the token associated with Ripple Labs, has shown a notable turnaround after a lengthy decline earlier this year. Currently trading at $1.13, XRP has formed an ascending triangle on the daily chart—a pattern frequently linked to bullish continuation or possible upward reversals.
The current price structure is reinforced by a series of higher lows that have formed throughout July, illustrating steady buying interest as buyers stepped in earlier on each successive pullback. The rising trendline beneath the price supports this optimistic configuration.
Meanwhile, XRP continues to encounter resistance from several moving averages positioned just overhead. The 50-day exponential moving average (EMA), located near $1.17, serves as the first major obstacle. A sustained break above this level could shift market focus toward the 100-day EMA at approximately $1.24.
XRP’s relative strength index (RSI) has moved above the neutral 50 mark after months of softness, signaling an upswing in trader optimism, although trading volumes remain subdued as the market awaits confirmation.
Beyond these resistance points, the $1.30 area marks a key psychological and technical barrier. Conversely, failing to hold the rising trendline could leave XRP vulnerable to further losses, potentially targeting the $1.05–$1.00 support zone and invalidating the bullish outlook.
Resistance LevelApproximate Price50-day EMA$1.17100-day EMA$1.24Key psychological level$1.30200-day EMA$1.44Cardano targets $0.20 as recovery stabilizesCardano (ADA), a blockchain platform known for its research-driven approach, is emerging from one of its longest downturns. Trading now at $0.175, ADA has reclaimed several key short-term moving averages and is holding above its June lows, strengthening the technical picture despite still lagging major resistance levels.
A notable breakout from the prolonged horizontal range near $0.15–$0.16 has helped shift momentum in favor of buyers. This move established a firm higher low structure, which has been reinforced by continued support from both the 20-day and 50-day EMAs.
ADA’s RSI has climbed above 56, reflecting increased bullish momentum while not yet suggesting overbought conditions, and the next hurdle to watch is the $0.20 mark near the 100-day EMA.
A decisive move above $0.20 could open the path toward the $0.22–$0.25 zone. Improved trading volume since earlier in the year also points to renewed investor interest. However, the $0.16 support remains critical for ADA’s ongoing recovery prospects.
LevelApproximate PriceJune lows/support$0.16Current price$0.175Next resistance (100-day EMA)$0.20Potential target range$0.22–$0.25Stellar’s uptrend supported by strong baseStellar (XLM), known for its blockchain-based cross-border payment solutions, continues to quietly build a robust recovery structure. As of now, XLM trades near $0.19, consolidating above key moving averages after rebounding from its June lows.
Three critical EMAs—the 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day—have converged near its current price, setting the stage for an increase in volatility. Large volume surges seen in June signal growing market engagement, even as sellers have repeatedly tested the $0.18 support zone.
Despite multiple pullbacks, XLM has not set lower lows since the rallies, indicating that buyers are absorbing ongoing supply. Momentum indicators such as the RSI, which is near 52, further bolster the case for extended gains without the threat of immediate overheating.
A move above the $0.20–$0.21 resistance could see XLM revisiting previous highs near $0.23 and $0.25. Maintaining support above $0.18 is key for the integrity of the current uptrend, while a breakdown could shift attention back to $0.16.
Mini dictionary: Stellar (XLM) is a decentralized open-source protocol focused on enabling low-cost, fast international transfers and asset issuance.
Bitcoin faces crucial battle at $68,000Bitcoin, the market-leading cryptocurrency, has staged a recovery from its sharp June decline and is now trading near $66,300. The token has set successive higher lows, a pattern suggesting buyers are gradually regaining control of price action.
This rebound has lifted Bitcoin above both short- and medium-term moving averages. Yet, the region surrounding the 100-day EMA at $68,000 has proved a major challenge during recent rallies, repeatedly capping upside attempts.
A confirmed break above $68,000 could open the door for an advance to the $72,000–$75,000 range and reinforce a stronger medium-term trend for BTC. On the flip side, support between $63,000 and $64,000 remains pivotal for maintaining the current recovery phase.
The RSI has surpassed 60, highlighting improved demand, while trading volumes have steadied after the June sell-off. Whether Bitcoin can retake the $68,000 barrier in the coming days may prove decisive in setting the tone for the next market phase.
Key LevelApproximate PriceSupport zone$63,000–$64,000Current price$66,300Major resistance (100-day EMA)$68,000Potential target range$72,000–$75,000Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
On-chain analysis showed no increase in NIGHT's total supply, suggesting the selloff was linked to existing tokens rather than new issuance.
NIGHT, the token behind Cardano’s privacy-focused Midnight network, plunged more than 43% earlier today to hit an all-time low of $0.01524.
Speculation then mounted that the Midnight blockchain may have been hacked, causing the steep selloff, but according to The Midnight Foundation, the price drop came after roughly 2% of NIGHT’s supply was moved out of a two-year-old contract tied to Wanchain’s Cardano-to-BNB Chain bridge.
Foundation Says Blockchain Was Not Hacked Independent on-chain researcher Paul was among the first to flag the withdrawal and noted in his preliminary findings that between 14:46 and 14:55 UTC on Monday, some 515 million NIGHT tokens had been withdrawn from a contract identified as Wanchain’s Cardano-side bridge lock address, which backs the Wanchain-wrapped NIGHT on BNB. Nothing else in that contract, including Mynth, XER, and WMT, was touched.
According to his analysis, around 290 million tokens were then sold across decentralized exchanges, sending the price down, while another 200 million were transferred to a second wallet, leaving what he described as a large unsold overhang. Furthermore, he said that the total NIGHT supply itself did not change, meaning no new tokens had been minted.
Soon after, the Midnight Foundation published a community update on X, saying it was aware of reports involving the Wanchain Cardano-to-BNB bridge and stressed that the available information pointed to a cross-chain bridge issue and not a problem with the Midnight network. It also urged users to only rely on official updates and to watch out for phishing attempts while investigations were going on.
In a second statement, issued a few hours later, the organization confirmed that Midnight’s protocol, validator network, consensus mechanism, and core infrastructure were all operating normally.
CoinGecko data shows that before the plunge, NIGHT had traded as high as $0.026, with the sudden sale of 290 million tokens dragging it down to $0.01524, its lowest ever price level. It has since pulled back some of those losses and was trading more than 28% above that ATL at the time of writing, although it was still 27% in the red over 24 hours. It has also erased all the gains it had made in the last year and is about 34% lower than where it was a week ago.
You may also like: Scammer Makes $135K After Hijacking SpaceX, Starlink Accounts to Shill Meme Coin Charles Hoskinson Says Ethereum Is Adopting Cardano Ideas Without Credit Was It a Hack or Governance? BONK’s $21M Treasury Vote Divides Crypto Bridge Security Back in the Spotlight Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson also weighed in, saying an automated alert on his phone had flagged NIGHT’s unusual price action, after which the Midnight Foundation and other parties set up an informal war room to track the situation as it unfolded.
His message boiled down to three points: that Midnight’s own smart contracts had kept on running without interruption; the problem came from one of the four components in Wanchain’s bridge architecture; and that the industry needs to be more vigilant given how fast AI tools can now find such flaws.
According to Hoskinson, bridge infrastructure is one of the weakest points in crypto because it depends on trust assumptions outside the underlying blockchain. But he believes that technologies, including zero-knowledge proof-based bridges and trusted execution environments, as well as multisig systems, could reduce such risks.
His point on AI is something OpenZeppelin co-founder Manuel Aráoz touched on in late May, when he warned people to get out of DeFi, saying AI-powered coding agents have tilted the security game in favor of attackers, making it difficult for any protocol to hold user funds with any level of confidence. DeFi Investor, an analyst who monitors the sector, repeated the warning recently when Anthropic announced the launch of its Mythos AI, which experts say is extremely good at finding software vulnerabilities.
After a decline that dominated the majority of the year, XRP is alive again. On the daily chart, the asset, which is currently trading at $1.13, has clearly formed an ascending triangle. This pattern is frequently linked to bullish continuation or reversal attempts.
The structure indicates that buying pressure is steadily building even though the breakout has not yet happened. The sequence of higher lows that have developed throughout July is the most prominent aspect of XRP's present configuration. There is a rising support line beneath price action because buyers have been drawn to each pullback earlier than the last.
XRP/USDT Chart by TradingViewConcurrently, XRP is still testing resistance from a group of moving averages that are directly above it. Usually, a powerful directional movement resolves this compression between support and resistance. Near the 50-day EMA at $1.17 is the first significant barrier. The focus would shift to the 100-day EMA around $1.24 if a close above that level were successful.
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After that, bulls would move on to the psychologically significant $1.30 area. Additionally, momentum indicators are improving. After months of weakness, the RSI has risen above the neutral 50 level, indicating a change in sentiment. However, trading volume is still low, suggesting that the market is still awaiting confirmation before making large capital commitments.
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While XRP is trading below its longer-term moving averages, especially the 200-day EMA around $1.44, the overall trend is still negative. However, this is one of the strongest price structures seen in a few months.
XRP may enter a much longer recovery phase if buyers are able to overcome the current resistance. On the other hand, the asset would be vulnerable to another decline toward the $1.05–$1.00 support zone if the rising trendline support were lost, invalidating the bullish setup.
Cardano's recovery potentialOne of Cardano's longest stretches of persistent weakness is slowly coming to an end. ADA, which is currently trading at $0.175, has spent the past few weeks regaining important short-term moving averages while laying a foundation above its June lows. The technical picture has significantly improved, even though the asset is still far below significant long-term resistance levels.
ADA's breakout from the horizontal consolidation range that dominated price action for the majority of the spring is among the most significant developments. Before eventually drawing enough buying pressure to move higher, the asset moved sideways for months in the $0.15-$0.16 area. A higher low structure was established by that breakout, which also turned the momentum back to buyers.
ADA/USDT Chart by TradingViewFollowing the initial recovery rally, price action has stabilized thanks to the support provided by the 20-day and 50-day EMAs. In the meantime, the RSI has risen above 56, suggesting that bullish momentum is getting stronger without getting close to overbought territory. If market conditions continue to be favorable, this allows for further upside. The next important level is located around $0.20, close to the 100-day EMA.
This region denotes a significant psychological threshold as well as technical resistance. ADA's outlook would be greatly enhanced by a clear move above $0.20, which might also lead to a wider advance toward the $0.22-$0.25 range.
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Additionally, volume activity has improved since the first half of the year, indicating a resurgence of market participation. Even though the long-term trend is still improving, ADA seems to be building a foundation for a more significant reversal later in the year.
The $0.16 support zone is still crucial for the time being. The current recovery will continue as long as Cardano stays above that area, and there is a high likelihood that it will continue to rise toward higher resistance levels.
Stellar's clear recoveryAmong the major altcoins, Stellar is quietly building up one of the cleanest recovery structures in a while. After rising from its June lows, the asset has been consolidating above important moving averages for the past few weeks, currently trading close to $0.19. The technical picture has significantly improved since the first half of the year, even though the overall trend is still cautious.
The convergence of the 20-, 50-, and 100-day EMAs around current price levels is one of the most significant developments. This compression frequently indicates an impending increase in volatility, and XLM seems to be getting close to that turning point. Despite multiple attempts by sellers to drive it lower, the asset has consistently maintained the $0.18 support zone. Market participants are once again paying attention to Stellar, as evidenced by the enormous volume spikes in June.
XLM/USDT Chart by TradingViewEven though those rallies were initially rejected, the pullbacks that followed did not result in lower lows, indicating that buyers are progressively absorbing supply. This narrative is supported by momentum indicators. Before overbought conditions become a concern, the RSI is holding close to 52, providing ample opportunity for additional upside.
The next targets appear close to $0.23 and $0.25, where prior rallies stalled, if bulls can push XLM above the $0.20–$0.21 resistance zone. The key level is currently $0.18. By staying above it, the recovery is maintained and the potential for a more significant trend reversal is preserved.
Any significant breakout attempt would be postponed if there were a breakdown below that support, which would probably draw attention back to the $0.16 region.
Bitcoin is reboundingThe top cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, is currently trading at about $66,300 as it continues to rebound from its severe decline in June. After being under pressure for weeks, Bitcoin has finally started to establish a sequence of higher lows, indicating that buyers are progressively taking back control of the market.
BTC/USDT Chart by TradingViewBitcoin's market structure has significantly improved as a result of the recent recovery, which has propelled it back above both its short- and medium-term moving averages. But the biggest obstacle is still directly above. Throughout the recent decline, the 100-day EMA, which is now close to $68,000, has frequently halted attempts at upside.
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This means that in the near future, the $68,000 area will be the crucial battlefield for Bitcoin. A clear breakout above it could pave the way for the $72,000-$75,000 range and greatly bolster bullish momentum. After months of decline, such a move would also put BTC back in a stronger medium-term trend.
The RSI has risen above 60, indicating a rise in buying pressure without entering overheated territory. Additionally, volume has stabilized, indicating that the panic selling that occurred in June has mostly stopped.
Support between $63,000 and $64,000 is still crucial on the downside. The current recovery is sustained as long as Bitcoin stays above that range. Whether Bitcoin can reclaim the $68,000 mark and demonstrate that a more sustainable advance is in progress is currently the market's main concern.
Cardano is weighing a proposal that could allocate 120 million ADA, valued at approximately $19.2 million, to increase its decentralized finance (DeFi) total value locked (TVL) by $200 million over the next year. While the initiative aims to advance Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem, some analysts caution that financial incentives alone may not address the network’s deeper challenges.
Alpha Growth’s PRIME proposal and phased funding safeguardsCrypto commentator Linda recently explored the PRIME proposal, developed by Alpha Growth, which seeks to enhance liquidity, develop DeFi products, and attract longer-term capital beyond short-lived incentive schemes. Cardano currently holds about $90 million in DeFi TVL and $45 million in stablecoins.
Alpha Growth’s strategy begins with a comprehensive audit covering 20 to 25 DeFi categories. This would be followed by a public gap analysis to identify specific ecosystem weaknesses. Only after these assessments would the actual incentive programs and capital deployment start.
The proposal’s structure includes key safeguards. The transition to the critical third phase, where most funds would be distributed, requires approval from a five-member operating group featuring representatives from Blink Labs, CoinseLion, Midgard Labs, Input Output, and Tweag. If this panel does not agree to proceed, roughly 90 million ADA will remain untouched in the treasury.
Linda highlighted her support for the safeguard: “I personally really, really like that safeguard.”
The preliminary budget allocates $5.6 million to ecosystem grants, $4.3 million for liquidity provider incentives, and $2.4 million for marketing, events, and partnerships. Alpha Growth would receive a $1.7 million fixed management fee, with as much as $4.6 million additionally tied to performance milestones. Remaining funds are designated for audits and compliance expenses.
Budget ItemPlanned AllocationEcosystem grants$5.6 millionLiquidity incentives$4.3 millionMarketing & partnerships$2.4 millionAlpha Growth fixed fee$1.7 millionPerformance-based feeUp to $4.6 millionAudits & complianceRemaining fundsBefore any spending can occur, Cardano governance may need to lift its Net Change Limit—the treasury cap for funding cycles—from 350 million ADA to 500 million ADA. Linda argued that the current ceiling leaves insufficient room to accommodate the proposed initiative.
Mini dictionary: Alpha Growth, a blockchain consulting firm, develops strategies for DeFi project growth and helps optimize liquidity and capital efficiency for emerging crypto ecosystems.
Key adoption barriers and the debate over incentivesAlpha Growth’s analysis points to Cardano’s fragmented and inefficient liquidity as a primary DeFi obstacle. The proposal claims that increasing “organic APR”—returns based on genuine transaction activity rather than external incentives—will help retain capital and users.
Linda, however, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of such incentives. She noted that despite past campaigns offering high, relatively low-risk yields, Cardano has struggled to achieve broad DeFi adoption. She believes the network needs a unique “killer app” to persuade users to overcome operational hurdles such as new wallets, cross-chain bridges, and unfamiliar DeFi interfaces.
“We don’t just need competitive APRs. We need something that only exists on Cardano”—an application compelling enough to offset onboarding friction, Linda stated.
Additional headwinds include the lack of native USDC stablecoin support; Cardano currently relies on bridged USDCX, which Linda argued may not deliver the trust, liquidity depth, or integrations that users expect. She also cited slower settlement times and less responsive liquidation processes compared to other leading chains.
Alpha Growth’s proposal essentially represents a test case for whether Cardano can cultivate a robust, sustainable DeFi environment. Should efforts fall short of significantly boosting on-chain activity, Linda suggested that Cardano might need to shift focus toward real-world financial infrastructure—a core vision that shaped the project’s initial development.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Key Highlights Van Rossem hard fork successfully deployed on Cardano’s network July 18, implementing Protocol Version 11 First blockchain upgrade in Cardano’s history approved through decentralized community governance instead of Input Output directives Smart contract execution fees reduced with enhanced Plutus built-in functionalities added ADA price hovers around $0.1663, gaining approximately 1.2% in the past day after the network upgrade Large wallet holders controlling 100K–100M ADA tokens have amassed more than 25.6 billion coins, reaching levels unseen since early 2023 The Cardano blockchain successfully implemented the Van Rossem hard fork on July 18, transitioning the entire network to Protocol Version 11. The deployment occurred at 21:44 UTC, experiencing just a brief ten-minute interruption in block production with zero impact on end users.
Cardano (ADA) Price What makes this upgrade particularly significant is that it represents Cardano’s inaugural hard fork executed without direction from Input Output, the founding entity behind the network. The entire process—from initial proposal through community discussion to final approval—happened exclusively through Cardano’s decentralized governance infrastructure established during the Voltaire phase.
. @Cardano's Van Rossum hard fork is now live! 🚨
The upgrade brings lower smart contract costs and introduces fully onchain community governance.
A big step forward for the Cardano ecosystem. pic.twitter.com/XbVs46KNfL
— CryptoBusy (@CryptoBusy) July 20, 2026
Delegated representatives delivered a decisive 78.97% approval vote, surpassing the required 60% threshold by a comfortable margin. The constitutional committee provided unanimous support. Stake pool operators, though more divided, still passed the measure with 53.02% in favor.
Prior to official ratification, network requirements mandated that a minimum of 85% of stake pools operate compatible node software. Blockchain metrics confirmed approximately 93% of block-producing nodes had already upgraded to version 11 before the activation deadline.
DRep Jason Appleton highlighted the governance achievement on X, stating: “The best part: it was ratified on-chain by delegated community reps before activation. Upgrades by governance, not decree.” This transition fundamentally alters Cardano’s development trajectory—token holders now exercise direct voting authority over protocol modifications instead of passively accepting top-down decisions from centralized leadership.
Technical Modifications in Version 11 From a technical perspective, version 11 functions as an intra-era enhancement. It operates within the existing Conway governance architecture without altering transaction formats, minimizing the integration burden across the wider ecosystem.
The enhancement standardizes Plutus built-in functions across all three platform iterations, enabling legacy smart contracts to leverage modern capabilities. Additionally, it strengthens ledger validation protocols, including implementing safeguards that prohibit multiple stake pools from utilizing identical cryptographic identity credentials.
Regular ADA token holders will experience no perceptible changes. Wallet applications require no updates, standard transaction fees remain constant, and payment processing continues operating identically.
Paving the Way for Future Scalability Beyond immediate improvements, Van Rossem establishes critical infrastructure for the forthcoming Dijkstra era hard fork, which will deploy Ouroboros Leios—an ambitious scaling framework designed to dramatically boost transaction throughput while maintaining security guarantees. Developers anticipate this major upgrade arriving sometime during 2026.
Cryptocurrency analyst Sssebi observed on X that ADA recently closed above its 50-day moving average and characterized the technical structure as “looking bullish right now,” projecting that a rally toward the $0.20 price zone is “highly likely” provided the token maintains current support.
$ADA closed the day above the 50day MA and is looking bullish right now.
It has to stay above that line now and start setting higher highs.
A pump to the $0.20 area is highly likely. pic.twitter.com/11sIkNCYn5
— Sssebi🦁 (@Sssebi) July 21, 2026
ADA is currently trading around $0.1663, registering gains of roughly 1.2% across the last 24 hours. Large-scale wallets containing between 100,000 and 100 million ADA have collectively acquired over 25.6 billion tokens, marking their highest accumulation threshold since February 2023.
Looking ahead, Input Output plans to transfer ownership of essential infrastructure components, including the Plutus development platform and Daedalus wallet software, to independent organizations beginning this August.
Cardano's ADA is among the top performers in the past 24 hours.
Bitcoin’s price rebounded swiftly after the Monday morning dip below $64,000 and has gained over two grand since then, climbing to a monthly peak of over $66,000.
The altcoin space has turned green as well. ETH is inching closer to $1,950, XRP is testing the $1.13 resistance, while ADA has stolen the show from the larger caps.
BTC Sees Monthly Peak The previous business week began on a familiar note, as BTC priced in the weekend attacks in the Middle East and dropped below $62,000 from over $64,000. The bulls stepped up after the favorable CPI data for June, pushing the asset to $65,500 for the first time in three weeks.
However, its progress stalled there, and bitcoin dipped to $62,500 by Friday. Nevertheless, the bulls were more persistent once again and initiated an immediate recovery right before and during the weekend, in which the cryptocurrency climbed back to $64,000.
It tried to take down $65,000 on Sunday, but it was stopped and dropped once again on Monday morning. This time, it was a lot less painful, and it quickly rebounded from the daily low of $63,750.
It jumped past $65,500 earlier today before another leg up drove it to its highest price tag since June 17 at $66,300. It remains above $66,000 as of press time, and its market cap has jumped to $1.330 trillion on CG. Its dominance over the alts is also on the rise, currently at 57.2%.
BTCUSD July 21. Source: TradingView Alts Turn Green As mentioned above, green dominates almost all altcoin charts. Ethereum is challenging the $1,950 level before a potential run to $2,000. BNB has neared $580, while XRP and HYPE are up by approximately 4% daily. DOGE, ZEC, and XLM have marked similar gains, while Cardano’s native token has exploded by over 8% and now trades at a local peak of $0.175.
Impressive daily increases are evident from BCH, UNI, AAVE, DOT, and WLD. ONDO has rocketed by over 14% and sits close to $0.40.
The cumulative market capitalization of all crypto assets is up by $70 billion in a day. The metric has climbed to $2.320 trillion for the first time in a month.
Cryptocurrency Market Overview July 21. Source: QuantifyCrypto
In This Article Three Bodies Voted, All Said YesWhat the Cardano Protocol Version 11 Actually ChangesVan Rossem as a Stepping Stone to Ouroboros LeiosCardano (ADA) Price Analysis: Can $0.18 Resistance Break as Bullish Price Action Continues? Cardano activated the Van Rossem hard fork on July 18, 2026, moving the network to Protocol Version 11, as the hard fork reached Mainnet after months of testing, coordination, and governance discussions among developers, infrastructure providers, DReps, SPOs, founding entities, and the wider community.
It is a governance milestone within Cardano’s Voltaire era on-chain decision framework. Whether there is a price reaction after activation depends on broader market conditions as well as event-specific flows.
This news dropped as ADA surged nearly +10% overnight, making it one of the top-performing major cap tokens in recent days. It has a daily trading volume of $466M, a +12% uptick from yesterday.
🚨CARDANO ACTIVATES VAN ROSSEM HARD FORK, FIRST UPGRADE FULLY APPROVED VIA ON-CHAIN GOVERNANCE!
Cardano activated the Van Rossem hard fork (Protocol Version 11).
This is the first Cardano hard fork initiated, debated, and ratified entirely through the Voltaire on-chain… pic.twitter.com/5aYKfEk6Dp
— Crypto Banter (@crypto_banter) July 19, 2026
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Three Bodies Voted, All Said Yes The Van Rossem hard fork initiation action was ratified on July 13, 2026, by all three governance bodies Cardano’s constitution requires. DReps, Delegated Representatives, the community-elected delegates who vote on behalf of ADA holders, approved the upgrade at 77.63% against a 60% constitutional threshold, according to the official Intersect MBO announcement.
SPOs (Stake Pool Operators – the companies and individuals running Cardano’s block-producing nodes) cleared the 51% minimum at 52.7%, a razor-thin margin that drew attention inside the community. The Constitutional Committee, a seven-member oversight body, voted 6-0-0-1: six in favor, zero against, zero abstentions, one absent.
For context on how Cardano arrived here: Van Rossem represents a governance-led milestone within Cardano’s Voltaire-era on-chain decision framework. The technical work remains essential, but the decision to proceed ultimately rests with the community’s governance bodies.
What the Cardano Protocol Version 11 Actually Changes The headline technical goal is updating the Plutus Cost Model, Cardano’s smart contract cost model that underpins how smart contract execution is priced on-chain.
The update includes increases in the cost model of some existing primitives (effective immediately after enactment) and is preferred before the hard fork to provide settings for new primitives enabled by the fork itself.
The Intersect source also notes that the protocol includes ledger-related consistency improvements and updated reference input rules, marking a huge step for Cardano’s future.
van Rossem hard fork update 🍴
The van Rossem hard fork has been successfully enacted on Cardano Mainnet! 🎉
We would like to take a moment to recognise the work of the Hard Forking Working Group to get us to this moment. Coordinating ecosystem partners, SPOs, DApps,… pic.twitter.com/SSleGfA5zE
— Intersect (@IntersectMBO) July 18, 2026
Van Rossem as a Stepping Stone to Ouroboros Leios The upgrade is part of the broader path toward Ouroboros Leios, Cardano’s planned transaction processing overhaul.
Meanwhile, broader market narratives around whale positioning and technical indicators may influence how investors interpret post-upgrade conditions.
Whether ADA reprices materially depends on what comes next: Leios testnet metrics, DeFi adoption driven by changing Plutus economics, and whether the community’s on-chain governance system, now battle-tested with a live mainnet upgrade, can continue executing without its founding company in the room.
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Cardano (ADA) Price Analysis: Can $0.18 Resistance Break as Bullish Price Action Continues? $ADA
Cardano is finally trying to plant its feet after tagging the next downside target. A corrective wave 4 bounce is on the table, with room toward the $0.23 area if buyers actually show up.
The catch: the bigger bear structure still has not signed off. Until the smaller… pic.twitter.com/vinelSBn6D
— MCO Global (@moretradingonl) July 20, 2026
Cardano is trading around $0.17-$0.176, up +9% over the past 24 hours, making it one of the top performers in the market today. This move comes from a July low near $0.14-$0.15 after clearing multi-year lows earlier in the month.
The recent bounce coincides with the network’s Van Rossem hard fork, activated on July 18, which upgraded Cardano to Protocol Version 11 with faster, cheaper smart contracts and stronger node security, a milestone traders hope will translate into sustained buying interest rather than a “sell the news” event.
Technically, ADA is trading above its 20-, 50-, 100-, and 200-day moving averages, with RSI above 60 and a positive MACD, suggesting constructive short-term momentum. Near-term targets sit in the $0.188-$0.195 range if resistance breaks.
That said, longer-term fundamentals remain mixed: staking participation is among the highest in crypto, but DeFi activity, user growth, and fresh capital inflows have lagged, capping upside versus ADA’s past highs near $3.
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Alex Ioannou
On-Chain Journalist
Alex is a seasoned cryptocurrency trader and market analyst with over seven years of active experience in the digital asset space. Since entering the markets in 2017, Alex has specialized in identifying emerging "meta" trends and high-volatility narratives. Notably, Alex... Read More
