ADA Is Breaking Out: Will Cardano Surge Past $1 Next?

Bitcoin is testing uncharted territory after breaking past its previous all-time high of $112,000 last Thursday, igniting a powerful new phase in the bull market. With the price currently hovering above $117,000, bulls are firmly in control as optimism spreads across the crypto market. The breakout comes after weeks of tight consolidation, signaling renewed confidence among investors and traders.

On-chain data from CryptoQuant adds further support to the bullish narrative. The Coin Days Destroyed (CDD) metric—used to assess whether long-term holders are selling—has returned to a relatively low average despite the rise in price. This suggests that experienced holders are not offloading their positions, but instead continuing to hold through the rally.

With long-term holders largely inactive and momentum accelerating, Bitcoin appears to be entering a decisive phase. As macroeconomic conditions remain favorable for risk assets, and with institutional demand rising, all eyes are now on how BTC behaves at these new highs—and whether the rest of the crypto market will follow its lead.

Bitcoin Prepares For A Massive Surge

Bitcoin continues to trade above key psychological and technical levels, signaling that the market is entering an expansion phase with the potential for a massive surge. After clearing its previous all-time high and consolidating around $117,000, Bitcoin’s structure looks increasingly bullish. Analysts and traders are closely watching on-chain indicators to confirm whether long-term holders are beginning to exit, but so far, the data suggests they are not.

Top analyst Darkfost shared relevant insights regarding the Coin Days Destroyed (CDD) metric, a key tool used to assess long-term holder activity. CDD calculates how long a Bitcoin stays unmoved before a transfer, revealing long-term participants’ behavior. Recently, the metric saw a sharp spike, raising initial concerns about possible distribution. However, it was later confirmed that the move involved 80,000 BTC in an internal transfer — no actual selling occurred.

Since that event, the CDD has returned to its previous low range, especially when compared to Bitcoin’s soaring price. This signals that long-term holders are still sitting tight, showing no urgency to sell into strength. Their conviction reflects growing expectations of higher prices ahead, supported by macro conditions, increasing adoption, and rising institutional interest.

With strong hands holding firm and momentum building, Bitcoin appears poised for continuation. As long as key support levels are maintained and long-term holders remain inactive, the setup favors an explosive move that could redefine price discovery in this cycle.

Price Discovery Kicks In: Momentum Accelerates

Bitcoin’s three‑day chart shows a textbook breakout from eight weeks of compression. Thursday’s candle closed firmly above the former record cluster at $109,300, opening the door for a vertical push that carried price to $118,800 on the very next print. The candle body towers well above the 50‑period SMA, while the 100‑ and 200‑period averages slope higher beneath, confirming a bullish long‑term structure.

The old resistance band between $105,000 and $109,300 now flips into first demand; any orderly retest that wicks into that zone would likely attract sidelined buyers. Below it, $103,600—the mid‑range support that capped drawdowns all spring—remains the line in the sand for the current trend.

Upside projections derive from the height of the year‑long range (~$15 k). Adding that measure to the breakout point targets $124–125 k as the next logical objective, with the psychological $120 k round number a potential interim stall area. Momentum oscillators on medium time‑frames are stretched but not at extreme levels, suggesting room for continuation before a cooling period becomes necessary.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Mantle is launching an early beta test for its UR project, available to users with invite codes. Starting a new beta test shows that the team is building something new, which could create excitement and higher demand for MNT tokens. When only a few people can join, there can be more talk and attention online. If the beta goes well and people like it, the price may go up as more users expect a strong final launch. But if users are not impressed, the price may not move much. source

dYdX will hold a vote on upgrading to v8.2. Upgrades often bring better features, bug fixes, or stronger security, which can lead to new users and more activity. If the update is seen as good or important, it may cause people to buy and hold DYDX tokens. However, if the new version does not meet community needs, the effect may be small, or even turn negative. Traders should watch the result and details of the v8.2 upgrade, as these can set the tone for DYDX price in the coming days. source

Babylon plans a vote to reduce unbonding time. If passed, users will be able to take out their staked tokens faster after making new stakes. Shorter unbonding times can make a token more attractive to new users and bring in more investors because they will not have to wait long to unlock their money. If many people like this change, it may cause more buying of BABY tokens. Still, if less lock-up time leads to some selling, it could pressure the price. It is important to see how the community votes. source

Executives at US-listed Bitcoin mining firms are taking home pay packages far larger than their peers in energy and IT.

Equity-heavy compensation structures are driving up totals and drawing increasing shareholder resistance, according to new findings from VanEck.Miner CEOs Outpace Tech and Energy Peers

Across eight miners that VanEck reviewed – Bit Digital, Cipher Mining, CleanSpark, Core Scientific, Hut 8, Marathon Digital, Riot Platforms, and TeraWulf – executive pay averaged $14.4 million in 2024. This is more than double the previous year’s $6.6 million, and significantly above averages in the energy and technology sectors.

Such a surge has occurred even as base salaries for mining executives remain broadly in line with other industries, averaging $474,000 in 2023. The primary driver is the sector’s reliance on stock-based compensation, which accounted for 89% of miner executive pay in 2024, compared to lower allocations in comparable sectors.

While stock-based incentives can align management with investors, VanEck’s analysis indicates many miners continue to structure these awards with short- to medium-term vesting, limited performance gating, and dilution risks that erode shareholder value.

Shareholders appear to be pushing back. Across broader corporate America, nearly 99% of executive pay proposals passed during the 2024 proxy season, while S&P 500 and Russell 3000 companies typically witness 90% or higher support rates. By contrast, Bitcoin miners saw an average support rate of just 64%.

Six of the eight miners, including Riot, Core Scientific, Hut 8, Cipher, TeraWulf, and Marathon, have expanded the use of performance stock units (PSUs). These typically vest over multiple years, tied to share price or total shareholder return benchmarks.

Marathon has transitioned fully to PSUs in 2025, and Cipher now uses a 50/50 split between restricted stock units and PSUs. Core Scientific reintroduced its long-term incentive plan with performance-linked stock after reorganization. These changes indicate a move away from purely time-based vesting and toward longer-term alignment, although not all firms have fully adopted these practices.

CleanSpark, for one, has not implemented PSUs. The same is true for Bit Digital as well. Despite authorizing them, it has yet to issue them according to its latest filings.Pay-for-Performance Misalignment

The question of whether these pay structures are delivering value remains. VanEck’s comparison of total executive pay with each miner’s 2024 market-cap growth shows stark contrasts.

At TeraWulf and Core Scientific, executive pay amounted to around 2% of the firms’ market-cap increases. This pointed to relatively efficient pay-for-performance alignment.

On the other hand, Riot’s executives received $230 million, which is equivalent to 73% of the company’s 2024 market-cap gains, while Marathon’s executive pay was 18% of its market-cap growth.

Such disparities have drawn scrutiny, particularly given Riot’s history of shareholder pushback on pay proposals and concerns over dilution tied to expanding equity compensation plans.