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Circle (CRCL) may rally another 60% driven by stablecoin adoption, AI agentic finance: Bernstein

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Circle (CRCL) may rally another 60% driven by stablecoin adoption, AI agentic finance: Bernstein

Shares of Circle (CRCL), the crypto firm behind the USDC (USDC) stablecoin, could add to their recent remarkable surge, according to analysts at brokerage Bernstein.

The team, led by Gautam Chhugani, rate the stock at outperform with a $190 price target, suggesting about 60% upside from current $120 level. And that’s after the stock rallied more than 100% in the past few weeks following an earnings beat, which likely triggered a short squeeze.

Bernstein’s thesis centers on stablecoin adoption increasingly diverging from the broader crypto market.

Circle’s USDC supply briefly fell after the October liquidity shock in crypto markets but has since rebounded to just shy of its record $78 billion, even as bitcoin and the broader crypto markets remain well below its highs. The total market for U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins also remained steady at around $270 billion despite the crypto bear market, the report noted.

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Transaction activity is accelerating as well, the report noted. Adjusted stablecoin volumes grew more than 90% year-over-year, while transaction velocity — a measure of how frequently tokens change hands — has increased, suggesting stablecoins are increasingly used beyond crypto trading.

Payments adoption is a key driver behind that, Bernstein said, as stablecoins are increasingly getting embedded with traditional card networks, enabling everyday transactions. Visa (V), for example, now supports more than 130 such stablecoin-linked cards across 50 countries, processing roughly $4.6 billion in annualized settlement volume, the report noted.

Circle is also expanding its Circle Payments Network, which allows institutions to send USDC cross-border and convert it into local currencies through banking partners. The network now includes about 55 institutions, with annualized volumes reaching $5.7 billion earlier this year, the report said.

Looking ahead, Bernstein also highlighted a potential new growth theme: AI-driven “agentic finance.” As autonomous software agents increasingly transact online, stablecoins could become a natural payment rail for micropayments between machines, such as for API calls or automated services.

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To support that vision, Circle is building a high-throughput, payments-focused blockchain called Arc, designed for fast, low-cost transactions.

Read more: Why Circle and Stripe (And Many Others) Are Launching Their Own Blockchains

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Dogecoin price nears resistance as momentum signals exhaustion

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Dogecoin price nears Fibonacci resistance as momentum signals exhaustion - 1

Dogecoin price approaches key Fibonacci resistance near the value area high. Weak momentum suggests exhaustion, raising the risk of a bull trap and a rotation back toward $0.08 support.

Summary

  • Key Resistance: DOGE testing 0.618 Fibonacci and value area high confluence.
  • Momentum Signal: Weak momentum suggests potential rally exhaustion.
  • Downside Risk: Rejection and VWAP loss could rotate price toward $0.08 support.

Dogecoin (DOGE) price is approaching a critical technical inflection point as price rallies back toward a major resistance zone. The current move has brought the meme coin back into an area where multiple previous rejections have occurred, making it an important level that could determine the next directional move.

This resistance region is defined by the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement level, which aligns with the value area high on the chart. When multiple technical indicators converge at the same level, it often creates a strong resistance zone where selling pressure may begin to emerge.

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As Dogecoin tests this confluence area again, traders are closely watching whether price can break through or if another rejection will send the market back toward support.

Dogecoin price key technical points

  • Fibonacci Resistance: DOGE testing 0.618 Fibonacci retracement aligned with the value area high.
  • Momentum Weakness: Price rallying with declining momentum, signaling potential exhaustion.
  • Range Structure: Rejection could lead to a rotation back toward $0.08 support.
Dogecoin price nears Fibonacci resistance as momentum signals exhaustion - 1
DOGEUSDT (4H) Chart, Source: TradingView

Dogecoin’s current price movement is unfolding within a broader range structure that has defined the market for several weeks. During this time, price has repeatedly reacted to clearly defined technical levels, particularly around the upper resistance zone where several previous rallies have stalled.

The most recent rally has once again brought DOGE back toward this resistance region, where the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement and the value area high intersect. This type of technical confluence often creates a strong barrier for price because multiple groups of traders identify the same level as a potential area to take profits or initiate short positions.

As price approaches this level, momentum indicators are beginning to show signs of weakening. While the rally itself has been sharp, the underlying momentum does not appear to be strengthening in proportion to the move higher. In technical analysis, this type of divergence between price movement and momentum can sometimes signal that a rally is losing strength.

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Meanwhile, rising interest in Bitcoin mining in 2026 amid market volatility is also driving attention toward beginner-friendly cloud mining platforms such as Hashbitcoin, reflecting continued activity across the broader crypto ecosystem.

Another important factor to consider is the nature of the current move toward resistance. The price behavior leading into this level resembles what traders often refer to as a short squeeze. Short squeezes occur when traders holding short positions are forced to close their trades as price rises, creating a rapid upward move that is driven more by liquidations than by strong underlying buying demand.

While short squeezes can produce impressive price spikes, they often lack the sustained momentum required to break through major resistance levels. As a result, these types of rallies can sometimes turn into bull traps, where price briefly moves higher before reversing sharply once buying pressure fades.

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If Dogecoin experiences another rejection at the current resistance zone, the market may begin rotating lower once again within the established trading range. This type of rotational behavior is common in range-bound markets, where price frequently moves between support and resistance levels as liquidity shifts between buyers and sellers.

One key technical indicator to watch in the short term is the Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP). VWAP often acts as a dynamic resistance or support level that reflects the average price at which the asset has traded throughout a given period.

If Dogecoin begins closing candles below the current VWAP resistance, it would signal that bullish momentum is fading and that sellers may be regaining control of the market. In that scenario, the probability would increase for a deeper corrective move back toward the lower boundary of the range.

Meanwhile, cloud mining has shifted crypto earning from complex hardware setups to simple smartphone access, though choosing the right platform remains essential, reflecting how accessibility across the broader crypto ecosystem continues to evolve.

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What to expect in the coming price action

Dogecoin is currently testing a major resistance zone where the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement aligns with the value area high. Momentum indicators suggest that the rally may be approaching exhaustion, increasing the likelihood of another rejection.

If price fails to break above this region and begins closing below the VWAP, the market could rotate back toward the $0.08 support level, continuing the broader trading range structure.

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Mantle TVL Crosses $1 Billion Fueled by Aave Deployment

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Aave has attracted nearly $800 million in deposits since launching on Mantle a month ago.

Total value locked (TVL) on Mantle, the Ethereum Layer 2 network affiliated with the Bybit crypto exchange, reached a new all-time high on March 9, crossing the $1 billion mark for the first time at $1.06 billion, according to DefiLlama.

The surge follows the launch of Aave, the largest lending protocol in decentralized finance (DeFi), on Mantle in mid-February. As of today, Aave on Mantle has surpassed $1.2 billion in total lending and borrowing market size.

“Aave effect,” posted Aave founder Stani Kulechov.

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Mantle’s DeFi TVL surged nearly fourfold from $255 million in the month following the Aave integration, rising 33% in the past week alone.

An incentive program that awards MNT tokens to users who lend and borrow on the network accompanied the Aave deployment, likely accelerating inflows.

Mantle is now the 12th-largest chain by TVL, according to DefiLlama, just trailing Polygon with $1.15 billion but ahead of Avalanche, which has roughly $800 million.

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Circle Stock Surges As Bernstein Sees Upside From Stablecoins

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Circle Stock Surges As Bernstein Sees Upside From Stablecoins

Circle Internet Financial is among Wall Street’s best-performing stocks so far in 2026, and analysts at Bernstein believe the rally could continue as stablecoin adoption accelerates.

In a recent note to clients, Bernstein reiterated its “Outperform” rating on CRCL stock and set a $190 price target, which typically reflects analysts’ expectations for a stock over the next 12 months.

Despite a volatile end to 2025, Circle shares appear to have decoupled from the broader cryptocurrency market, which has been under pressure since October following a major leveraged liquidation event.

Since bottoming near $50 a share in early February, the share price has more than doubled. The shares closed Tuesday at $118.17, up 5.7%, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $30.3 billion.

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Circle shares are now up about 49% year to date, outperforming a flat S&P 500 index and a roughly 1% decline in the Nasdaq 100 index over the same period.

Based on Bernstein’s price target, Circle shares still have 60% upside from current levels.

Circle (CRCL) stock. Source: Yahoo Finance

Related: Circle moves toward privacy-focused stablecoin with USDCx project

Stablecoin adoption drives bullish outlook for Circle

Bernstein’s bullish outlook for Circle is largely tied to the rapid adoption of stablecoins, particularly as businesses gain clearer rules for using digital dollars in the United States.

That clarity came with the GENIUS Act, passed in 2025, which established a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins. The law set standards for reserve backing, disclosures and oversight, giving companies clearer guidelines for issuing and using dollar-pegged tokens.

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Circle stands to benefit directly from that shift. Its USDC (USDC) stablecoin is the world’s second-largest, with roughly $78 billion in circulation, accounting for about one-quarter of the global stablecoin market, according to DeFiLlama.

USDC’s total circulation. Source: DeFiLlama

Circle has also built credibility among traditional financial institutions. The company went public in 2025 and works with several major Wall Street companies.

BlackRock manages the Circle Reserve Fund that holds much of USDC’s backing assets, while BNY Mellon serves as a primary custodian for those reserves. Circle has also attracted investments from major institutions, including Fidelity and Goldman Sachs, reflecting growing interest in stablecoin infrastructure from traditional finance.

Related: Crypto’s 2026 investment playbook: Bitcoin, stablecoin infrastructure, tokenized assets