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Hashflow (HFT) Leads DEX Tokens With Over 100% Surge — What’s Fueling the Rally?

PANews reported on May 22nd that, according to an official announcement, Binance will add a watchlist label to the following tokens on May 22nd, 2026, based on recent reviews: Alchemix (ALCX), Cookie DAO (COOKIE), DODO (DODO), Epic Chain (EPIC), Heima (HEI), Hashflow (HFT), Storj (STORJ), Synapse (SYN), and Alien Worlds (TLM). Watchlist-labeled tokens may have higher volatility and risk compared to other listed tokens, and Binance will closely monitor and continuously review them. Trading these watchlist-labeled tokens carries risk; these tokens may no longer meet listing standards and could be delisted.

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In a research report released on July 18, 2024, Thor Hartvigsen, a crypto researcher, strongly cautioned against the investment strategy of purchasing high-beta altcoins within the Ethereum ecosystem as a leveraged tactic, particularly with the forthcoming launch of the spot Ethereum ETFs in the United States.

Hartvigsen’s analysis titled “ETH Beta – a Recipe for Disaster?” provides an analysis of whether buying ETH-correlated altcoins, commonly referred to as ‘ETH betas,’ constitutes a good investment strategy. These assets, including tokens like OP, ARB, MANTA, MNT, METIS, GNO, CANTO, IMX, STRK (all L2’s), MKR, AAVE, SNX, FXS, LDO, PENDLE, ENS, LINK (all DeFi) PEPE, DOGE (all memes), SOL, AVAX, BNB and TON (alternative L1’s) are traditionally viewed as offering leveraged exposure to movements in Ethereum’s price, assuming a higher volatility relative to Ethereum itself.

The report dissects several critical areas: price performance comparison between these altcoins and Ethereum, their correlation and beta coefficients relative to Ethereum, and their risk-adjusted returns measured by the Sharpe ratio. The researcher highlights the inherent risks and inefficiencies in banking on these altcoins for enhanced Ethereum exposure.

Why Buying ‘Ethereum Beta’ Altcoins Is Generally A Bad Idea Discussing price performance, Hartvigsen points out, “The TOTAL3 (altcoin market cap) against the ETH market cap is at around 1.48. Since 2020, this chart has only been this low on a few rare occasions, signaling the outperformance of ETH against most alts.” This historical context sets a grim precedent for those hoping for altcoin outperformance concurrent with Ethereum’s growth. The researcher elaborates that despite periodic recoveries at these levels, the overarching trend has been one of decline—a troubling signal for altcoin investors.

“Notably, not a single L2 token has outperformed ETH YTD, with the best performing token, GNO, up 34%, whereas ETH has seen a 44% gain. Worst performers include MANTA, STRK, and CANTO, all down more than 60% this year,” Hartvigsen stated. With regard to the top alternative L1’s, AVAX is the only one down on the year vs ETH. “Of the 8 DeFi tokens in this basket, 3 have outperformed ETH, namely PENDLE (+254%), ENS (+163%) and MKR (+78%). The remaining 5 are all down on the year with FXS as the worst performer down 73%,” the researcher added.

Meanwhile, memecoins have been the best bet this year so far. “This can also be seen in the performance of the largest Ethereum-native memecoins. PEPE is the largest gainer of the sample, up +708% while SHIB is up 74% and DOGE 31%,” according to Hartvigsen.

The correlation section of the report digs deeper into the relationship these altcoins have with Ethereum. “The sample of altcoins has not been chosen at random but consists of tokens usually assumed to be correlated with the performance of ETH,” Hartvigsen explains.

He further notes that “Correlation between ETH and ETH is obviously perfect and therefore is 100%. The alts most correlated with ETH are GNO, SNX, METIS, AAVE, and ARB.” However, despite some tokens showing a decent correlation with Ethereum, the researcher cautions that these do not necessarily guarantee similar performance outcomes, especially in this crypto cycle.

Correlation to ETH | Source: X @ThorHartvigsen In terms of beta, which measures the volatility of an asset compared to the market, the findings are telling. “From this analysis, it’s clear that only a few alts have a high beta coefficient in relation to ETH, namely PEPE, METIS, ENS, and PENDLE,” Hartvigsen states. This suggests that while certain altcoins exhibit higher volatility and thus potential for greater returns relative to Ethereum, they also carry a proportionately higher risk.

Altcoin beta relative to ETH | Source: X @ThorHartvigsen The calculation of the Sharpe ratio, which provides a measure of risk-adjusted return, brings another dimension to the analysis. Hartvigsen remarks, “The Sharpe ratio calculations underscore the volatility-adjusted returns of these altcoins, which have varied significantly. This is critical as investors often overlook the increased risk these ‘ETH beta’ assets carry.”

Wrapping up his findings, Hartvigsen offers a clear verdict: “Buying these altcoins as a way to get leveraged exposure to Ethereum is, in my opinion, a foolish game as you’re taking on a lot of additional risk you might not be aware of. If you’re looking for leveraged ETH exposure, simply putting on a 2x ETH long on e.g., Aave is more sensible.” He emphasizes that such a strategy ensures a 100% correlation and a beta value of 2, without the unnecessary complications.

At press time, ETH traded at $3,439.

ETH rises above the 0.618 Fib, 1-week chart | Source: ETHUSD on TradingView.com Featured image created with DALL·E, chart from TradingView.com

CANTO Price Surges by 13.5% as Developers Promise Network Outage Fix

Canto, built on the Cosmos blockchain, experienced an outage that halted the chain’s operation. The stoppage occurred after its Callisto upgrade on Saturday.

On August 11, Canto developers announced on their official X page that the chain had a consensus issue, which affected its operation. They calmed the situation by announcing that an upgrade to address the issue would be carried out on Monday, August 12 at 12:00 UTC.

The developers, in response to the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that might have arisen because of the operational stoppage, assured their users that their funds were safe and would be accessible for user operations as soon as the chain resumed.

Canto Price Action Remains Positive Short-Term, Sees Double-Digit Increase The price of the CANTO token fell on Sunday by 11%, following the news; before that, it had been trading sideways since Tuesday, August 6. However, it has risen more than 30% today, which could be a positive sentiment toward the assurance about fund security and the upgrade plan by Canto developers.

Photo: TradingView

Despite the ongoing recovery and price surge today, Canto remains in a strong downtrend when the price action is observed from a broader perspective. Three different price action metrics indicate that the current bullish move may only be a retracement (corrective move) rather than a total trend change. The price is still below the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages, which could potentially serve as resistance to price growth in the medium term.

In addition, the price is trading under a descending triangle channel, which has been both support and resistance since March. The consolidation experienced within the past few days has been at the base of the pattern.

We could see a bounce to the top of the channel within the next few days before the downward move continues. However, a breakout above the top of a descending triangle pattern will be interpreted as a super bullish signal, which could propel Canto’s price to heights not seen in the past few weeks and months.

Canto Developers Seem to Be Handling It Well The Canto blockchain outage is not the first in the crypto ecosystem. These blockchain breakdowns also have various effects on the affected community and can be caused by software upgrades, just like in the case of Canto, hardware failure, cyberattacks, or venom governance issues. The effect can lead to delayed transactions or a total halt.

For example, Stacks nodes had around 9 hours of disruption, which affected the functionality of applications that depend on its blockchain in June. Following this, it dipped by close to 50% in just 3 weeks.

The aftermath of these outages has been largely dependent on how the developers managed them. With the bullish move (+30% spike today) that Canto is experiencing, it could be said that the developers and community are handling the situation well.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

Altcoin News, Cryptocurrency News, News

Temitope is a writer with more than four years of experience writing across various niches. He has a special interest in the fintech and blockchain spaces and enjoy writing articles in those areas. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in linguistics. When not writing, he trades forex and plays video games. 

Temitope Olatunji on X

CANTO was outperforming the broader market at press time. The recent outage on the Canto blockchain sparked concerns. CANTO was up 40% despite a series of outages that have rocked the network in the last few days. The chain went down on Sunday, the 11th of August, but developers later deployed a fix that brought it back online for around 90 minutes before halting again.

Per Canto Explorer, the last block production happened on 12th August at 14:02 UTC. The developers attributed the outage to “unforeseen secondary effects” caused by a recent network upgrade.

The team announced that block production will resume on 13th August once a new patch is deployed.

While such network outages tend to hurt prices, CANTO is witnessing a major rebound. The token is one of the top performers in the market in the last 24 hours amid rising interest and high volumes

What’s driving the rally?  CANTO was trading at $0.064 at the time of writing after registering an over 40% gain. Data from CoinMarketCap showed that trading volumes have increased by 87%, likely driven by high buying pressure.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) line was tipping north, showing a rise in buying momentum as the market becomes more bullish. The RSI crossing above the signal line further portrayed a buying signal.

The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) has been making higher lows despite being in negative territory. This indicates that buying pressure is beginning to outweigh the selling pressure. However, buyers need to provide more support to sustain the uptrend.

Source: Tradingview The formation of the falling wedge pattern further suggests the continuation of the uptrend as prices recover from the recent pullback that saw the price plunge to $0.036 on August 12.

If the price breaks out above the upper trendline of the falling wedge, CANTO will target the 1 Fib level ($0.12). Conversely, if the uptrend fails, the token will likely drop to the 0.236 Fib level ($0.0116).

Community raises concerns Helius Labs CEO, Mert Mumtaz, has called out the Canto network team over the lack of community engagement.

“[I don’t care] if you go down but you have a duty to the people holding funds on your chain to keep them informed,” he stated.

Analyst Marty Party on X also noted that the network has been witnessing a slump in on-chain activity, posing a significant challenge to its future growth.

Data from DeFiLlama shows that the network’s Total Value Locked (TVL) has dropped from over $200 million in March last year to $14 million. The declining TVL points towards reduced demand and confidence in the project.

Source: DeFiLlama

CANTO Tops Daily Gainers Amid Market Momentum

KEY TAKEAWAYS

CANTO trades at approximately $0.013 with a market capitalization of nearly $4 million, representing a 99% decline from its all-time high of $0.77 reached shortly after launch. The Canto blockchain operates as a Layer 1 EVM-compatible chain offering decentralized exchange, lending, and stablecoin tools as Free Public Infrastructure with zero protocol-level rent extraction. Circulating supply stands at 608 million tokens against a total supply of one billion, and daily trading volume recently reached $200,000, a 13% increase signaling renewed but modest interest. Price predictions diverge sharply: DigitalCoinPrice projects $0.0313 by year-end 2026, Bitget models show $0.01078 by September 2026, while CoinLore’s outlier model suggests $1.83 over the same horizon. Institutional interest in the distinct Canton Network, an enterprise blockchain backed by DTCC and Goldman Sachs, should not be confused with the separate Canto Layer 1 DeFi chain despite similar naming. Small-cap Layer 1 tokens present a valuation puzzle that standard crypto analysis struggles to solve. CANTO, the native token of the Canto blockchain, trades at roughly $0.013 with a fully diluted valuation near $6.8 million, according to CryptoTechGuide’s analysis. That places it outside the top 3,000 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. 

Yet the chain’s architecture is unusual: it delivers core DeFi primitives, including a decentralized exchange, a lending market, and a decentralized stablecoin as public goods, charging no protocol fees, according to Canto’s official documentation. 

This article examines whether CANTO’s free infrastructure model can attract sufficient development according to activity and capital to justify a recovery from its 99% drawdown, and why the institutional blockchain narrative surrounding the separately named Canton Network does not directly apply.

How Canto’s Free Public Infrastructure Model Differs from Competitors Most Layer 1 blockchains generate revenue by extracting fees from DeFi applications built on top of them. Canto inverts this model. Its core DEX, lending protocol, and NOTE stablecoin operate as Free Public Infrastructure, meaning the protocol itself does not charge rent on these services, according to Tracxn’s company profile.

Co-founders Arijit Pingle and T K Kwon designed the chain to eliminate the value extraction that characterizes most DeFi ecosystems.

Original analysis: this zero-rent model creates a paradox for token valuation. Traditional DeFi tokens derive value from protocol revenue, governance power over fee switches, or staking yields funded by inflation. CANTO strips away the first two and relies on validator staking and network usage fees alone. 

That makes CANTO closer to a pure infrastructure bet than a cash-flow asset, which partly explains why its market cap has compressed to under $5 million even as the chain continues to operate. The comparison that matters is not to Ethereum or Solana but to public utilities: essential, underpriced, and difficult to monetize.

The chain’s EVM compatibility gives it a technical advantage over non-compatible alternatives, allowing developers to deploy existing Solidity code without modification. The RSI sits near 31, placing CANTO in neutral territory that historically favors buyers over extreme oversold conditions, according to CryptoTechGuide data.

Why Canton Network Is Not the Same as Canto A common source of confusion in institutional crypto circles involves the Canton Network, an enterprise blockchain backed by DTCC, Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, and Bank of America. Canton processes more than one million transactions daily and settles roughly $9 trillion in monthly volume, according to BlockMedia reporting from OFF 2026. 

Thomas Chou, head of Asia-Pacific growth at the Canton Foundation, stated at the On-chain Finance Forum in Seoul on May 15 that institutional investors have shifted from asking what blockchain is to discussing how to deploy it in practice.

Tharimmune, Inc. rebranded to Canton Strategic Holdings on February 18, 2026, trading under the ticker CNTN on NASDAQ, and secured a $55 million registered offering to support the Canton Network’s validator infrastructure, according to AInvest reporting. 

This institutional adoption story belongs to the Canton Network, which is architecturally distinct from Canto’s Layer 1 DeFi chain. Investors are confusing the two, misallocating capital based on headlines that apply to a different project.

Price Predictions and Technical Outlook Forecast models diverge dramatically on CANTO’s trajectory. Bitget projects a price of $0.01078 by September 2026, representing a modest 2.12% ROI from current levels, according to Bitget’s prediction page.

DigitalCoinPrice is more optimistic, projecting that CANTO could reach $0.0346 by year-end 2026, according to DigitalCoinPrice. CoinLore’s algorithmic model stands as an extreme outlier at $1.83, which would represent a 180,000% increase and appears disconnected from current on-chain fundamentals.

The wide variance in predictions reflects the inherent difficulty of modeling micro-cap tokens. At a $4 million market cap, a single whale transaction can move CANTO’s price by double digits. Daily trading volume of $125,000 to $200,000 provides minimal liquidity for institutional-sized positions. 

The 50-day simple moving average at $0.0041 and the 200-day SMA at $0.0063 both sit below the current price, suggesting a tentative recovery from multi-month lows. But 33% monthly volatility demands disciplined position sizing.

Regulatory Implications Canto’s Free Public Infrastructure model may offer a regulatory advantage. Because the core protocols do not extract fees, they resemble public goods more than securities-generating platforms. The SEC’s ongoing deliberation over which DeFi protocols constitute securities could spare fee-free infrastructure from enforcement action.

However, no specific regulatory guidance addresses this distinction, and the broader institutional DeFi regulatory landscape remains in flux under the GENIUS Act framework.

What Could Drive CANTO Higher or Lower The bull case requires development according to adoption on Canto’s EVM infrastructure, measurable growth in total value locked, and a post-halving alt-season that lifts micro-cap Layer 1 tokens.

The bear case is simpler: continued low volume, absent development, and capital consolidation into larger chains like Ethereum and Solana, which dominate institutional attention according to FinanceFeeds’ crypto index analysis. No scheduled catalysts are on the immediate horizon, making CANTO a thesis-dependent position rather than an event-driven trade.

FAQs What is CANTO’s current price and market cap?
CANTO trades at approximately $0.013 with a market capitalization of nearly $4 million and a circulating supply of 608 million tokens as of June 2026.

What makes Canto different from other Layer 1 blockchains?
Canto provides its core DeFi tools, including a DEX, lending protocol, and stablecoin as Free Public Infrastructure, charging no protocol-level fees on usage.

Is Canton Network the same as Canto blockchain?
No, Canton Network is a separate enterprise blockchain backed by DTCC and Goldman Sachs for institutional asset tokenization, architecturally distinct from the Canto DeFi chain.

What is the highest price prediction for CANTO in 2026?
CoinLore’s algorithmic model projects $1.83, an extreme outlier, while more conservative models from Bitget project approximately $0.01078 by September 2026.

How much has CANTO fallen from its all-time high?
CANTO has declined by approximately 99% from its all-time high of $0.77, reached shortly after the chain launched during the Layer 1 narrative boom.

What is CANTO’s daily trading volume?
Recent daily trading volume ranges between $125,000 and $200,000, which is insufficient for large institutional positions but represents a 13% recent increase in activity.

Does CANTO have upcoming upgrade catalysts?
No major scheduled upgrades or partnerships have been publicly announced for the Canto chain, making the token a thesis-dependent long-term position rather than an event-driven one.

References Canto.io: Official Canto Layer 1 Blockchain Documentation Tracxn:  Canto Company Profile, Team, Funding and Competitors BlockMedia/BloomingBit: Canton Network Says Institutional Blockchain Adoption Has Begun, OFF 2026 CryptoTechGuide: CANTO Price Prediction 2026: Layer 1 Potential Analysis

Coin PricesWebinar: Unleashing The Power Of Permissionless Markets With Vega Protocol

Join our expert panel for an insightful discussion on Vega Protocol's revolutionary approach to decentralized derivatives trading. Discover how Vega's permissionless markets enable anyone to create and trade futures and perpetuals on a fully decentralized network. Explore the potential of Vega's innovative features, such as the ability to add new assets, transfer network assets, and adjust network parameters—as well as the protocol's active markets.

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Vega Protocol proposes shutting down chain and launching new token

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September 12, 2024

The Vega Protocol community has voted to retire its Layer 1 (L1) blockchain and the associated VEGA token.

The decision marks the end of the Vega chain’s operations, which were focused on facilitating derivatives trading on a decentralized platform.

The unanimous governance vote triggered the automatic shutdown of trading activities on the Vega blockchain, the project said in a recent blog post.

Vega Shuts Down L1 Chain Due to Lack of TractionThe protocol launched its first on-chain markets after the release of its alpha mainnet in 2023.

However, the lack of substantial traction in its current form as an application-specific blockchain (app chain) led to the community’s decision to discontinue the project.

The Vega team explained that the network did not achieve the growth and interest required to sustain it as a viable platform.

Consequently, the project will now focus on maintaining the core software rather than continuing with the blockchain and token in their present state.

“We are proud of the software we have built, but unfortunately, the chain and token did not gain the momentum needed to ensure sustainability,” said Barney Mannerings, co-founder of Vega Protocol.

He further emphasized that the resources would now be allocated to supporting other initiatives based on Vega’s core technology.

One such initiative is Nebula, a decentralized exchange that will utilize the Vega software.

Nebula operates independently from the Vega Protocol and will have its own token, NEB.

The on-chain vote to retire the Vega chain has officially passed.

As a result, the Vega chain no longer supports trading on any markets. The chain is expected to cease operations after a “ramp-down” period, during which validators are incentivised to maintain node operations,…

— Vega Protocol (@vegaprotocol) September 11, 2024 As a gesture to the existing VEGA token holders, the Nebula team plans to offer NEB tokens to them, providing some continuity of value within the ecosystem.

“We believe the future of our software lies in open-source development, where projects like Nebula can build upon it,” Mannerings added.

As part of the shutdown process, the Vega chain will enter a “ramp down” phase, during which validators will maintain nodes to ensure users can withdraw their funds.

Validators to Keep Vega Running Until Oct. 27The core team said that validators have committed to keeping the chain operational until at least October 27, 2024, allowing users a window of opportunity to safely move their assets off the network.

The team also issued a warning to users to remain vigilant for updates regarding the chain’s status.

“If the chain halts, assets may become stuck on the bridge, and we will not be able to retrieve them for you,” the team cautioned.

The VEGA token has experienced a sharp decline following the shutdown announcement. Over the past week, its price has dropped by 30%, falling from $0.10 to $0.068.

The token has also seen a more than 90% decline since the start of the year.

Vega’s journey began with its whitepaper in 2018, where the team outlined a high-performance, application-specific blockchain based on the Tendermint proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.

In 2019, the project raised $5 million in a seed round led by Pantera Capital, followed by a $43 million community token sale on CoinList in 2021.

Last year, Vega Protocol launched the first perpetual futures market on its network.

COTI: COTI Partners with UCTalent to Bring Privacy-Powered Recruitment to Web3

COTI: The Privacy Imperative: Why On-Chain Agents Need COTI

COTI: COTI Tokenomics Update: Scaling Privacy & Strengthening Value

COTI: Introducing COTI Nightfall

COTI: From Vibe Coder to Ecosystem Builder: Whisper Joins the COTI Privacy Ecosystem

COTI: Carbon DeFi MCP Is Live on COTI Network: AI Agents Can Now Deploy Automated Trading Strategies…

Table of contents

Quick Answer: COTI is currently trading around $0.012–$0.013, with a market cap of approximately $33–$36M and a CMC ranking of ~#544. The token is trading roughly 98% below its September 2021 ATH of $0.6686. COTI has undergone a significant strategic transformation: it is now an Ethereum Layer 2 privacy infrastructure powered by Garbled Circuits — one of the most advanced cryptographic privacy protocols in Web3. Key 2026 catalysts include the V1 network sunset (Q3 2026), the COTI Nightfall ZK Rollup launch, and the Privacy-on-Demand infrastructure expansion across multi-chain. Third-party forecasts for 2026 range from $0.013 (MEXC conservative) to $0.184 (CoinFomania bull case).

Key Takeaways COTI has pivoted from a DAG-based payments network (V1) to an Ethereum L2 privacy layer (V2) powered by Garbled Circuits — nearly 3,000x faster than Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) The V1 network (Trustchain) sunsets end of Q3 2026 — users with native COTI or gCOTI in VIPER wallets must migrate to V2 Key 2026 catalyst: COTI Nightfall — an Ethereum ZK Rollup for enterprise privacy, originally developed by Ernst & Young, with mainnet deployment planned for late 2026 DigitalCoinPrice projects COTI reaching ~$0.13 by end of 2026; CoinFomania targets up to $0.184; Cryptopolitan projects $0.109 RSI at ~22 (DigitalCoinPrice) signals the token is in oversold territory, potentially creating a technical bounce opportunity COTI has 180+ ecosystem projects, partnerships with Plume, TAC, PriveX, and membership in the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance alongside Microsoft and JPMorgan Chase Circulating supply: ~2.86B COTI; Max supply: 4.91B COTI COTI Price & Market Overview MetricValuePrice (June 2026)~$0.012–$0.013Market Cap~$33–$36M24h Volume~$4–7MAll-Time High$0.6686–$0.6825 (Sept–Oct 2021)ATH Drop~98%Circulating Supply~2.86B COTIMax Supply4.91B COTICMC Ranking~#544 Sources: CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap

What Is COTI? COTI (Currency Of The Internet) launched in 2019 as a DAG-based blockchain network designed for high-speed, low-cost payments with a unique Proof-of-Trust consensus mechanism. Originally marketed as infrastructure for digital currencies and stablecoins — including serving as the technical backbone for the Djed algorithmic stablecoin on Cardano — COTI was positioned as a fintech-focused payment layer.

In 2024–2025, COTI underwent a fundamental strategic transformation. The project migrated to COTI V2, an Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 built entirely around programmable privacy using Garbled Circuits — a breakthrough cryptographic protocol developed in partnership with Soda Labs. COTI V2 is no longer primarily a payments network; it is now privacy infrastructure for Web3.

Key COTI V2 technical highlights:

Garbled Circuits enable computation on encrypted data without exposing inputs or outputs — meaning smart contracts can process private data on a public blockchain Performance: ~3,000x faster than Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE); ~250x lighter computational overhead Fully EVM-compatible — developers use standard Solidity tooling Supports confidential transactions, private smart contracts, confidential DeFi, private voting, encrypted AI inference, and private RWA tokenization COTI token used as gas for private computation, Treasury staking, and future governance The V1 network (DAG-based Trustchain) is being formally sunset at end of Q3 2026. Users still holding native COTI or gCOTI in VIPER wallets must complete migration. blockchainreporter covered the V2 mainnet launch and COTI’s Garbled Circuits infrastructure expansion in detail.

Key Catalysts for COTI in 2026 1. COTI Nightfall — ZK Rollup for Enterprise Privacy COTI is launching Nightfall, an Ethereum Zero-Knowledge Rollup originally developed by Ernst & Young, designed specifically for enterprise-grade privacy compliance. Mainnet deployment is planned for later in 2026. Nightfall creates a dual-mainnet privacy stack: Garbled Circuits for general programmable privacy, and ZK Rollup for enterprise use cases requiring maximum compliance and auditability. As blockchainreporter reported, COTI targets privacy-enabled tokenized RWAs as a core growth vertical.

2. V1 Sunset (End Q3 2026) The technical consolidation onto V2’s modern EVM-compatible stack finalizes in Q3 2026, eliminating the complexity and maintenance overhead of supporting two networks. This is broadly neutral-to-bullish for token utility.

3. Privacy-on-Demand Multi-Chain Expansion COTI is bringing its Garbled Circuits stack to other blockchain ecosystems beyond Ethereum, enabling any chain to integrate privacy-on-demand without rebuilding from scratch. This significantly expands COTI’s total addressable market.

4. Enterprise Ethereum Alliance Membership COTI joined the EEA alongside Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, and the Ethereum Foundation, participating in working groups targeting enterprise Web3 privacy standards.

5. RWA Tokenization Ecosystem Partnerships with Plume (180+ RWA projects), TAC, PriveX (private perpetuals DEX), and CodeXchain position COTI as privacy infrastructure for the growing tokenized RWA market, which surpassed $300B valuation in 2026.

How Does COTI Compare to Similar Privacy Projects? ProjectMarket Cap (June 2026)ApproachEVM CompatibleKey DifferentiatorCOTI (V2)~$35MGarbled Circuits L2YesSpeed (3,000x faster than FHE), EVM nativeMonero (XMR)~$3–4BRing Signatures + RingCTNoFull privacy by default, most battle-testedSecret Network (SCRT)~$100–200MTEE (Trusted Execution Environments)PartialCosmWasm smart contractsAztec (AZTEC)~$300M+ZK-SNARKsYesZK-native L2, strong institutional interestOasis Network (ROSE)~$400MConfidential computing (TEE)YesSapphire EVM-compatible runtime COTI’s Garbled Circuits approach occupies a distinct position: unlike ZK-proofs (which require complex circuit compilation per computation) or TEEs (which rely on trusted hardware), Garbled Circuits are cryptographically pure, EVM-compatible, and dramatically faster than FHE alternatives. The main risk is lower brand recognition versus established privacy coins and newer ZK rollups with larger funding.

COTI Price Prediction 2026 COTI entered 2026 trading around $0.03–$0.06 before declining sharply to current levels near $0.012–$0.013. The token is trading below both its 50-day and 200-day SMAs, with DigitalCoinPrice noting the RSI at approximately 22 — deep in oversold territory, suggesting downward momentum is extended.

DigitalCoinPrice projects COTI in a range of $0.11–$0.14 by end of 2026, with $0.13 as the most likely target. The platform notes COTI is currently 101% below its 200-day SMA, an extreme reading that has historically preceded technical recoveries.

CoinFomania (machine learning model) projects a 2026 range of $0.095–$0.184, with an average near $0.169 — implying a 10–13x from current levels if the bull case materializes.

Cryptopolitan projects COTI reaching $0.109 by end of 2026 under their base case, with potential to approach $0.1086–$0.1108 in H2 2026 if broader crypto market conditions recover.

MEXC runs a conservative linear model projecting COTI at approximately $0.013 through 2026 — essentially flat from current levels, reflecting a no-catalyst scenario.

BLOX forecasts a maximum of approximately €0.0133 (~$0.0144) for 2026 under its cautious model.

Source2026 Low2026 Average2026 HighDigitalCoinPrice$0.11~$0.13$0.14CoinFomania$0.095~$0.169$0.184Cryptopolitan—~$0.099$0.109AMBCrypto$0.051~$0.064$0.077MEXC$0.012~$0.013$0.014 All figures are third-party estimates. Not investment advice.

COTI Price Prediction 2027 For 2027, forecasts generally reflect optimism around the post-Nightfall launch period and continued V2 ecosystem growth.

CoinFomania projects COTI reaching a maximum of $0.263 in 2027, with an average near $0.231 and a floor around $0.15.

DigitalCoinPrice projects COTI at $0.16–$0.19 through 2027, consistent with gradual appreciation from current levels.

Cryptopolitan targets an average of approximately $0.14–$0.17 for 2027, with the high end dependent on Nightfall launch success and RWA adoption.

AMBCrypto projects a more conservative $0.056–$0.084 range for 2027.

2027 Consensus Range: $0.084 – $0.263 (base to bull)

COTI Price Prediction 2028–2029 CoinFomania projects COTI reaching $0.381 maximum in 2028, with an average near $0.344. For 2029, the platform projects a maximum of $0.521, average near $0.462.

Cryptopolitan projects COTI reaching $0.282 by 2028.

AMBCrypto models a conservative range of $0.069–$0.100 for 2028–2029, reflecting skepticism about sustained utility-driven demand.

COTI Price Prediction 2030 By 2030, forecasts diverge significantly based on assumptions about COTI V2’s ecosystem success.

CoinFomania projects COTI reaching a maximum of $0.845 in 2030, with an average near $0.75 — representing roughly a 60x from current levels under their bull model.

Cryptopolitan projects $0.598 maximum for 2030, with an average near $0.503.

AMBCrypto takes a conservative stance at $0.076–$0.110 for 2030, essentially flat from 2029.

MEXC projects approximately $0.016 for 2030 under their conservative linear model.

YearLowAverageHighSource2026$0.095$0.169$0.184CoinFomania2026$0.11~$0.13$0.14DigitalCoinPrice2027$0.15$0.231$0.263CoinFomania2028—$0.344$0.381CoinFomania2029—$0.462$0.521CoinFomania2030$0.425$0.75$0.845CoinFomania2030$0.486$0.503$0.598Cryptopolitan All predictions are third-party estimates. Not investment advice.

COTI Price Prediction 2040 Long-range forecasts for COTI in 2040 are highly speculative.

MEXC projects approximately $0.025 by 2040 under their base model.

AMBCrypto forecasts a range of $0.043–$0.065 by 2040.

More optimistic analysts project COTI could reach $1–$5 by 2040 if Garbled Circuits become a standard privacy primitive across major blockchain ecosystems and institutional Web3 adoption accelerates — though no major forecasting platform currently places a price target this high with confidence.

Where to Buy COTI Binance — One of the largest COTI markets; COTI/USDT and COTI/BTC pairs Coinbase — Listed and available for most jurisdictions KuCoin — Active COTI/USDT spot trading Kraken — COTI/USD liquidity with institutional-grade custody Gate.io — Multiple COTI trading pairs OKX — Listed with spot trading Bybit — COTI is available on Bybit; verify current trading pairs COTI V2 tokens can be held in any standard EVM-compatible wallet (MetaMask, Ledger, Trezor) using the Ethereum network contract. Users still on V1 (native COTI or gCOTI in VIPER wallets) must complete migration to V2 before the V1 network sunset at end of Q3 2026 — check official coti.io for migration instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions What is COTI? COTI is an Ethereum Layer 2 privacy infrastructure powered by Garbled Circuits, a breakthrough cryptographic protocol enabling computation on encrypted data without exposing it publicly. Originally launched as a DAG-based payments network in 2019, COTI V2 now focuses on programmable privacy for DeFi, RWA tokenization, AI inference, and enterprise Web3 applications. The COTI token is used as gas for private computation and Treasury staking. The V1 network sunsets at end of Q3 2026.

What is the COTI price prediction for 2026? Third-party forecasts for COTI in 2026 vary widely. DigitalCoinPrice projects $0.11–$0.14, CoinFomania models up to $0.184, and Cryptopolitan targets ~$0.109. Conservative models from MEXC and BLOX project near-flat movement around $0.013–$0.014. The key upside catalysts are the COTI Nightfall ZK Rollup mainnet launch (H2 2026) and broader privacy narrative recovery in the crypto market.

What is the COTI price prediction for 2030? By 2030, CoinFomania projects a maximum of $0.845 with an average near $0.75. Cryptopolitan targets $0.598 maximum. AMBCrypto is more conservative at $0.076–$0.110. The range reflects genuine uncertainty about COTI V2's long-term ecosystem adoption, particularly in the competitive privacy L2 sector.

What is COTI V2? COTI V2 is an Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 built on Garbled Circuits — a cryptographic protocol that allows smart contracts to compute on encrypted data without revealing inputs or outputs. It is fully EVM-compatible, 3,000x faster than FHE alternatives, and supports confidential DeFi, private RWA tokenization, encrypted AI inference, and compliant enterprise applications. The V1 DAG-based network is being retired in Q3 2026.

Is COTI a good investment in 2026? COTI has strong technical differentiation via Garbled Circuits, a growing ecosystem of 180+ projects, and relevant positioning in the expanding RWA and enterprise privacy verticals. However, risks are significant: the token is 98% below ATH, trading volume is thin (~$4–7M daily), and the privacy L2 sector is highly competitive with better-funded rivals like Aztec and Oasis. Investors should research thoroughly and size positions relative to risk tolerance.

COTI: COTI Earn Update: Season 3 Wrap and Season 4 Kick Off

COTI: COTI Earn Season 4: Velocity Is Now Live

The intersection of technology and governance is rapidly evolving, with artificial intelligence (AI) playing a crucial role. A prime example is Humans.ai, a deep tech company leading innovative projects that leverage AI to improve government functions and support underdeveloped regions. Their most significant initiative, the ION project, exemplifies AI’s transformative potential in governance.

AI-Focused Government AdvisorThe ION project represents Romania’s first AI government advisor, a groundbreaking effort by Humans.ai’s AI researchers in collaboration with the Romanian Government. This project uses advanced AI techniques like natural language processing and computer vision to capture and analyze public opinion from social media. The goal is to create a real-time, non-partisan platform similar to today’s Agora, where citizens’ voices are heard and considered in decision-making.

Humans.ai’s vision extends beyond national borders, addressing global challenges with innovative AI solutions. The company showcased AI applications designed to support smart villages at various Commonwealth events.

This initiative, conducted in partnership with organizations like NVIDIA and UC Berkeley, aims to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of rural and isolated communities. Considering that 3.4 billion people live in such areas worldwide, these solutions are crucial for sustainable development.

Smart Villages ConceptThe smart villages concept involves empowering rural communities to solve their problems using essential digital tools. By integrating AI, these communities can transform their operations, becoming more resilient and sustainable. Examples include using AI for healthcare (digital doctors), precision agriculture, and renewable energy management. Such initiatives demonstrate AI’s practical benefits and make it a vital tool for addressing the unique challenges faced by underdeveloped regions.

The partnership between the Commonwealth, NVIDIA, and Humans.ai highlights AI’s role in climate action and youth empowerment. These collaborations aim to create ecosystems where technology serves people, improves their quality of life, and enables them to contribute to broader societal goals. This vision aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that promote economic growth and innovation.

AI Integrates into GovernanceAs AI becomes increasingly integrated into governance, projects like ION set a benchmark for the ethical and effective use of technology. They demonstrate how AI can be used to meet citizens’ needs, ensuring the equitable distribution of technological benefits.

AI can bridge the gap between governments and citizens by capturing public sentiment and facilitating informed decision-making, promoting trust and transparency.

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 NotesThe postponement of Ethereum's mainnet hardfork to April could impact development timelines and investor expectations in the ecosystem.Multiple token unlocks on March 1st may create short-term selling pressure across several major blockchain networks.The combination of crypto conferences and US macroeconomic events will likely drive market volatility throughout the month. March brings several major events for the crypto industry, with the highlight being Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade, which is set to go live on the Sepolia testnet on March 5. The mainnet hardfork, originally expected earlier, has been postponed to April.

Another significant milestone is the public launch of Humans.ai’s H1uman, scheduled for March 1.

Two major crypto conferences will also take place this month:

March 2-3 – Crypto Expo Europe, Bucharest, Romania March 19-20 – Next Block Expo, Warsaw, Poland In the US, key macroeconomic events could influence market sentiment:

March 12 – Consumer Price Index (CPI) release March 18-19 – Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting Token Unlocks to Watch:

March 1 — Solana (11 200 000 SOL or 2.24%) March 1 — ZetaChain (44 260 000 ZETA or 6.48%) March 1 — Sui (22 970 000 SUI or 0.74%) March 1 — dYdX (8 330 000 DYDX or 1.14%) March 8 — Berachain (10 000 000 BERA or 9.3%) March 12 — Aptos (11 310 000 APTOS or 1.93%) Upcoming Airdrops:

March 3 — Flare Network (rFLR) March 4 — AgriDex (AGRI) March 13 — MSquare Global (USDT) These events could shape the market dynamics for the coming months.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

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Anton is a crypto journalist with over five years of experience in the industry. For four years, he served as an editor at <a href="https://forklog.com/">ForkLog</a>, the largest Russian-speaking Bitcoin magazine. Anton combines his deep understanding of crypto markets with hands-on investment experience, offering sharp insights on expert forecasts, NFT trends, and Web3 innovations. His clear and engaging analysis makes complex topics accessible, empowering readers to make informed decisions in the evolving crypto landscape.

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OGN: The End of Oracle Dependence: How Origin Ether Brings Trustless Validation to Liquid Staking

The price of VERUM and PHALA has shown double-digit gains, while Bitcoin has retraced to the $94,000 level.

The global crypto market cap is not trading at its best shape, losing 2.11% in market cap over the last day.

The overall bearish market conditions are visible across all top coins, with Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) showing a pullback in the last 24 hours.

Amidst this market condition, Verum Coin (VERUM) has surged by over 88%, jumping from a 24-hour low of $1,120.20 to as high as $2,182 at last check Saturday.

Source: CoinGecko Last week, Verum announced via social media that the coin was available on the Halo Wallet. Before that, the project confirmed that it was available on the Binance Web3 Wallet.

The coin’s popularity is perhaps tied to Verum Runner, a game that debuted in 2024. It integrates cryptocurrency elements, allowing players to collect in-game V Coins and convert them to Verum Coins.

The development team behind Verum Coin remains anonymous.

Phala (PHA) saw a 45% surge in price within the last 24 hours. The coin’s price spiked from $0.3716 to $0.5893 before retracing to its current price of $0.5406.

The PHALA team has recently introduced Phala 2.0, which may have inspired the price surge. However, one of the most notable reasons for the surge could be the news that Phala Network and ai16z are experimenting with AI in a new collaboration.

Source: CoinGecko Third on the list of top gainers is aixCB by Virtuals, which rallied close to 50% in the last 24 hours from $0.0357 to $0.6697.

24H AIXCB price chart from CoinGecko The community-driven venture capital powered by AI has over 140,000 community members, 23 grants in progress, and has given out $5 million in rewards.

The project has also hit $20 million in staking rewards in two weeks, which could have helped in pushing the price higher.

Find Satoshi Lab is a Web3 developer that has gained attention in the gaming industry with their successful video game called Gas Hero. Since its release earlier this month, the game has generated a remarkable $90 million in trading volume by trading non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

According to a report by The Block, Gas Hero has become popular among more than 10,000 active players who enjoy its engaging gameplay. One of the reasons why the game is liked by many is that it can be played on both mobile devices and computers without needing to download anything, making it easy for a wide range of people to access and enjoy.

Through the game, players can trade different collections of NFTs. There are six collections in total, and they include various in-game items such as unique characters, powerful weapons, and virtual assets. These items have been transformed into NFTs using the Polygon PoS network. The collections have become quite popular and are among the most traded sets of items. For example, the game’s Common Heroes collection was the fifth most traded within the past 24 hours at some point yesterday.

To encourage more players to join Gas Hero, Find Satoshi Lab had previously announced that they would reward players with more than 2 million GMT tokens, which were worth about $400,000 at that time. Currently, there are an additional 14 million GMT tokens available for players who actively take part in Gas Hero’s Gas Wars PvP battles. This is an exciting incentive for players to get involved and have fun playing the game.

Gas Hero’s Fast Success Shows New Generation of Gamers Are Eager to Explore Web3 The early success of Gas Hero has garnered positive attention from key figures in the Web3 ecosystem. Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon Labs, has expressed satisfaction with the game’s popularity, viewing it as a reflection of the growing interest in web3 gaming. He believes that its launch serves as a promising indicator of the direction the ecosystem is heading, attracting a new generation of gamers who are eager to explore the possibilities offered by the Web3 sphere. He said:

“The popularity of Gas Hero is indicative of the present appetite for web3 gaming. The game’s wide appeal, as illustrated by such early success, is a positive sign of the trajectory our ecosystem is heading in, as we witness a new type of gamer enter into the Web3 sphere.”

Gas Hero has had a big effect on the gaming industry, and many people find the game appealing because it works on different devices and there are rewards to encourage players to get involved. These factors have helped it become popular. As more players get interested and excited about the project, it will likely have a lasting impact on the future of web3 gaming.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

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Temitope is a writer with more than four years of experience writing across various niches. He has a special interest in the fintech and blockchain spaces and enjoy writing articles in those areas. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in linguistics. When not writing, he trades forex and plays video games. 

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