1. Home
  2. Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity

3 signs Axie Infinity price risks giving up its 135% gains in January

AXS price has formed a "gravestone" doji on its daily chart that coupled with its recent token unlock event hint at a potential bearish reversal ahead.

Axie Infinity (AXS) has rallied 135% month-to-date to reach approximately $14 on Jan. 23, its highest level in two months. Nonetheless, the AXS/USD pair could suffer major losses in the coming weeks owing to a flurry of negative technical and fundamental indicators.

Axie Infinity price prints "gravestone" doji

The AXS price formed a "gravestone doji" candlestick on Jan. 23, which technical analysts view as a bearish reversal pattern.

A gravestone doji appears when an asset's opening, closing, and the lowest price comes to be nearly identical except for the highest price, as shown in the chart below. The long upper wick shows that the bears pared all of the gains printed by the candle during the given session.

AXS/USD daily price chart featuring gravestone doji. Source: TradingView

AXS seems to have been forming a similar candlestick pattern as of Jan. 23, with bears rejecting its advance above the $14 price level, triggering a 10%-plus intraday price drop.

In addition, the rejection came as the AXS/USD pair's relative strength index (RSI) crossed into overbought territory, coinciding with its price testi the 200-day exponential moving average (200-day EMA; the blue wave in the chart above), which has served as resistance in January 2022 and April 2022.

These three factors have raised AXS's possibility of undergoing a price correction in the coming weeks. The nearest downside target for AXS comes to be near its 50-day EMA (the red wave) at around $8, or a 40% drop by March.

Axie Infinity total supply expands 1.8%

From a fundamental perspective, the Axie Infinity price could fall in the coming weeks due to its latest supply unlock.

Related: Axie Infinity is toxic for crypto gaming

On Jan. 23, AXS's circulating supply grew by 4.8 million, about 1.8% of its total supply of 270 million, after a scheduled vested token unlock. Theoretically, more supply could push prices lower if demand does not increase.

AXS price bullish hopes remain

On larger-timeframe charts, however, AXS appears to have formed a falling wedge, which analysts treat as a bullish reversal pattern.

AXS/USD three-day price chart featuring falling wedge pattern. Source: TradingView

AXS's ongoing recovery run has resulted in its price breaking out of the wedge that's been in place since May 2022.

In theory, such a move could mean that the price could rise by as much as the the wedge's maximum height. In other words, the bullish target for AXS price is now around $22.50, up nearly 70% from current prices. 

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

Axie Infinity’s Monthly Player Count Drops to Low Not Seen Since November 2020

Axie Infinity’s Monthly Player Count Drops to Low Not Seen Since November 2020After recording $4.26 billion in total non-fungible token (NFT) sales, the play-to-earn game Axie Infinity’s monthly player count has dropped to levels not seen since November 2020, a period of 26 months. Despite the low player count, the project’s native token, AXS, has climbed 62% higher against the U.S. dollar in the last 30 days. […]

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

CME Group to launch 3 metaverse reference rates

Axie Infinity, Chiliz and Decentraland will be represented in CME's new reference rates and real-time indices.

Derivatives marketplace CME Group is planning to launch reference rates and real-time indices for three metaverse crypto assets, allowing investors to track pricing data more reliably using a methodology commonly used in traditional finance. 

Beginning Jan. 30, CME Group and CF Benchmarks will launch reference rates for Axie Infinity (AXS), Chiliz (CHZ) and Decentraland (MANA), the company announced on Jan. 5. The reference rates and indices are not tradeable products but instead can be used by investors to “price sector-specific portfolios, develop structured products … And manage price risk around various Metaverse-based projects,” said Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group’s head of cryptocurrency products.

The reference rates and real-time indices for AXS, CHZ and MANA will be calculated using pricing data from at least two crypto exchanges, including Bitstamp, Coinbase, Kraken, itBit and LMAX Digital. The assets’ reference rates will be priced in U.S. dollars and published daily at 4 p.m. London time; each real-time index will be published every second of every day.

Chiliz, the largest of the aforementioned metaverse plays, currently has a market capitalization of $742.1 million, according to CoinMarketCap. Axie has a market cap of $686.5 million and Decentraland is worth roughly $597.2 million.

CME Group has been active on the crypto scene, launching micro-sized Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) options last year. The derivatives marketplace also launched euro-denominated BTC and ETH options for institutional investors outside the United States.

Related: An overview of the metaverse in 2022

Metaverse tokens exploded in popularity during the previous crypto bull market, as dozens of projects promised to create virtual versions of the real world. Recognizing this potential opportunity, Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook rebranded to Meta in October 2021. Meta’s metaverse division has been hemorrhaging money since its inception, underscoring the difficulties of creating commercially viable products in the new virtual world.

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

Top five crypto winners (and losers) of 2022

Bitcoin and Ethereum are not part of the surprising list of five best and worst-performing cryptocurrencies for 2022.

Cointelegraph looks back on the best and worst-performing cryptocurrencies of 2022 among the top 100 assets by market capitalization. We used the highest and the lowest year-to-date (YTD) returns through the close of Dec. 25, 2022.

Overall, Cryptoindex.com 100 (CIX100), an index that tracks the 100 best-performing cryptocurrencies, fell nearly 68% YTD, suggesting most top coins underperformed in 2022.

CIX100 weekly price chart. Source: TradingView

Stablecoins are naturalomitted from the list below. Similarly, coins tracking the value of gold and similar mainstream assets have also been ignored.

Instead, the coins mentioned below include decentralized currencies, smart contract tokens, exchange tokens, and others.

Top five crypto of 2022

1. GMX (GMX)

  • YTD return: 111%
  • Sector: Decentralized Exchange
  • Market Cap: $379.4 million

GMX acts as a utility and a governance token within the GMX decentralized exchange (DEX) ecosystem and is the best-performing digital asset among the top 100 coins (excluding stablecoins).

GMX's price uptrend mostly picked its cues from the collapse of FTX, a centralized exchange, and its listing on popular trading platforms—including Binance and Huobi Global—across 2022. In addition, the token rallied impressively in late November after its platform briefly surpassed its top DEX rival, Uniwap in daily trading fees.

GMX price performance YTD. Source: CoinMarketCap

2. Trust Wallet Token (TWT)

  • YTD return: 92%
  • Sector: Payment Platform
  • Market Cap: $570 million

Trust Wallet Token (TWT) serves as a utility and a governance token within the Trust Wallet ecosystem. The token moved lower in tandem with the rest of the crypto market, mostly in 2022, but like GMX, its upside momentum increased amid the collapse of the FTX exchange in November.

TWT/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

As Cointelegraph reported, the FTX's collapse boosted mistrust for centralized exchanges, which may have prompted investors to move their funds to self-custody wallets like Trust Wallet. The speculation could have played a major role in boosting TWT's valuation.

3. Unus Sed Leo (LEO)

  • YTD return: -3.5%
  • Sector: Centralized Exchange
  • Market Cap: $3.44 billion

Unus Sed Leo (LEO) is native to the iFinex ecosystem. The token suffered losses in 2022, but at -3.5%, they were little compared to most top coins, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), which lost over 65% in the same period.

LEO/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

One of the reasons why LEO outperformed most top-ranking assets could be iFinex's pledge. Notably, the firm declared at the time of LEO's private sale in 2018 that it would employ 27% of its revenue to buy back the tokens until the entire supply of 985.24 million units was removed from circulation.

IFinex also said it would use the funds it lost during the August 2016 Bitfinex hack to purchase LEO tokens. That explains why LEO rallied by more than 100% at the start of the year, given the uptrend came after the U.S. Department of Justice recovered 94,000 BTC from Bitfinex hackers.

The rally took LEO's price to a YTD high of $8.15 in February. However, the token has dropped 55% since, though still remaining one of the best-performers in 2022.

Click “Collect” below the illustration at the top of the page or follow this link.

4. OKB (OKB)

  • YTD return: -19%
  • Sector: Centralized Exchange
  • Market Cap: $1.38 billion

OKB is the native token of the OKX exchange. It provides users discounts on trading fees, access to OKX's initial exchange offering (IEO) platform, and voting rights for tokens to be listed on the exchange. 

OKB trended synchronously with the broader crypto market in 2022, including its 150% recovery after bottoming out at around $9.50 in June. The token's bullish retracement occurred despite the absence of a major market-moving event, suggesting it had been mostly speculative.

OKB/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

Overall, OKB's volatile recovery helped it limit its YTD losses compared to most top-ranking assets. 

5. The Open Network (TON)

  • YTD return: -33.5%
  • Sector: Smart Contracts
  • Market Cap: $3.52 billion

The Open Network is a layer-1 blockchain ecosystem developed by the Telegram founders Nikolai Durov and Pavel Durov. Its native token, TON, trended downward in line with other top crypto assets during most of 2022, but recovered impressively ahead of the year's close. 

TON/USD price performance YTD. Source: CoinMarketCap

TON's recovery period coincided with back-to-back optimistic news. For instance, in October, Telegram announced that it would employ the Open Network to auction usernames. Similarly, the Open Network built a bot the next month that allows Telegrams users to trade cryptocurrencies in-app.

Nonetheless, TON failed to recoup all of its losses, still down 33.5% YTD at $2.36.

Related: Top-five most Googled cryptocurrencies worldwide in 2022

Worst five cryptos of 2022

1. Terra (LUNA)

  • YTD performance: -99.99%
  • Sector: Smart Contracts
  • Market Cap: $604 million

Terra (LUNA) was became a debacle for the cryptocurrency secti after its market valuation crashed by 99.99% in May. The unraveling started with the implosion of Terra's algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST), marking one of the biggest busts in the crypto industry's history.

LUNA/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

Terra's implosion prompted its founder Do Kwon to suggest a fork to revive the project. Eventually, Terra underwent a chain split, with the old chain existing as Terra Classic (LUNC) and the new chain as Terra 2.0 (LUNA2).

LUNC jumped nearly 100% after its launch in late May 2022 while LUNA2 dropped around 40% in the same period.

2. FTX Token (FTT)

  • YTD performance: -98%
  • Sector: Centralized Exchange
  • Market Cap: $307 million

FTX Token (FTT) served as a native token to FTX, which collapsed after facing a liquidity crisis in November. 

FTT/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

The token continues to trade across several exchanges but accompanies poor liquidity and volume. It is technically "dead" given the defunct status of FTX.

3. Solana (SOL)

  • YTD performance: -93.35%
  • Sector: Smart contracts
  • Market Cap: $4.11 billion

Solana (SOL), a layer-1 blockchain protocol, crashed 93.35% YTD due to a sequence of bad news all across 2022. That includes six network outages in the year, a $200 million hack on a Solana-based wallet, and Solana's association with FTX.

SOL/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

More bad coverage appeared in the form of accusations that Solana is not as decentralized as it claims to be, resulting in SOL being one of the worst-performers of 2022.

4. Axie Infinity (AXS)

  • YTD performance: -93%
  • Sector: Gaming/Metaverse
  • Market Cap: $775 million

Axie Infinity Shard, or AXS, serves primarily as the governance token for Axie Infinity, a play-to-earn (P2E) gaming ecosystem. It also acts as a legal tender in the Axie Infinity marketplace, where in-game nonfungible tokens (NFT) can be purchased.

The AXS market has consistently trended lower in 2022 due to underwhelming players turnout (which lowers demand for tokens), a $650 hack concerning Axie Infinity's blockchain Ronin in late March, and fears surrounding the unlocking of 8% of supply in October. 

AXS/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

AXS is down approximately 93% YTD, becoming one of the worst-performing assets in the current bear market.

5. The Sandbox (SAND)

  • YTD performance: -92.50%
  • Sector: Gaming/Metaverse
  • Market Cap: $690 million

Like Axie Infinity, the Sandbox is a virtual platform where users can create, own, and monetize their gaming skills using NFTs and SAND, the platform’s utility token. But despite initial success, the platform now has less than 500 unique users, according to data from Dappradar.

The lower turnout has affected SAND's demand across spot exchanges, which, in turn has pushed its price down 93.50% YTD, as shown below. Other factors behind the declining interest include a general lack of demand for riskier assets in a higher interest rate environment.

SAND/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

Other tokens that fell more than 90% YTD are Fantom (FTM), Avalanche (AVAX), Algorand (ALGO), Decentraland (MANA), BitTorrent (BTT), etc.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

7 biggest crypto collapses of 2022 the industry would like to forget

A look at some of the biggest disappointments in the crypto space form this year as the industry readies itself for better things to come.

2022 has been a bumpy year for the cryptocurrency market, with one of the worst bear markets on record and the downfall of some major platforms within the space. The global economy is beginning to feel the consequences of the pandemic, and clearly, this has had an influence on the crypto industry.

Below is a breakdown of some of the biggest disappointments in the crypto space this year.

Axie Infinity’s Ronin Bridge hacked

In March of this year, Ronin, the blockchain network that runs the popular nonfungible token (NFT) crypto game Axie Infinity, was hacked for $625 million. The hacker took 173,600 Ether (ETH) and 25.5 million USD Coin (USDC) from the Ronin bridge in two transactions.

When the Lazarus Group started its attack, five of the nine private keys for the Ronin Network’s cross-chain bridge were hacked. With this vote, they authorized two withdrawals totaling $25.5 million in USDC and 173,600 ETH.

According to the Ronin group, Axie Infinity’s issues began in November 2021, when its user base had expanded to an untenable size. Consequently, the corporation’s safety rules had to be relaxed to fulfill client demand. After the initial phase of fast development was completed, the firm reduced its safety procedures.

The main difficulty was a lack of a suitably decentralized network created by game developer Sky Mavis. The hacker acquired access to the private keys of five of Sky Mavis’ Ronin Chain’s nine validator nodes, enabling them to compromise the network. When the hackers gained control of five nodes, they essentially controlled over half of the network and were free to accept or deny whatever transactions they wanted. They obtained ETH and USDC via falsifying withdrawals.

The crime occurred on March 23, but it was only noticed on March 29, when a user reported being unable to withdraw 5,000 ETH from the Ronin bridge ATM. In the aftermath of the attack, Axie Infinity developers raised $150 million to reimburse the affected users.

TerraUSD/LUNA collapse

On May 7, when over $2 billion in TerraUSD (UST) was unstaked (removed from the Anchor Protocol), hundreds of millions of United States dollars were quickly liquidated. It’s unclear if this was a deliberate attack on the Terra blockchain or a response to rising interest rates. Because of the enormous outflow of cash, the price of UST fell from $1 to $0.91. As a result, market players started trading $0.90 in UST for $1 in Terra (LUNA).

When a considerable amount of UST was moved out, the stablecoin depegged. The availability of LUNA increased as more people sold their UST during the panic.

Following this fall, cryptocurrency marketplaces started to suspend trading pairs such as LUNA and UST. Following the initial accident in May, Do Kwon disclosed a rehabilitation plan for LUNA, and things seemed to improve. However, the currency’s value eventually fell. It was abandoned almost as soon as it began. Finally, Terra launched a whole new currency known as LUNA 2.0.

Investors lost a combined $60 billion due to the panic selling that accompanied the decline of TerraUSD Classic (USTC) and Luna Classic (LUNC), a related token.

On Sept. 14, a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for Do Kwon. This happened four months after Terraform Labs’ LUNA and UST tokens collapsed. Do Kwon and five others were detained for allegedly violating regional market restrictions.

Three Arrows Capital collapse

When LUNA and Terra collapsed, the crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), which had a peak market valuation of more than $560 million, suffered significantly. 3AC had invested heavily in several troubled cryptocurrency projects, including the play-to-earn game Axie Infinity, which lost $625 million to a North Korean hack this year, and the centralized cryptocurrency exchange BlockFi, which laid off hundreds of employees in mid-June.

The UST collapse shattered investor confidence and expedited the slide of cryptocurrencies, which was already underway as part of a bigger flight from risk. A flood of margin calls from 3AC’s lenders sought repayment, but the firm lacked the funds to meet the requests. In addition, many of the company’s counterparties could not meet their investors’ expectations, many of whom were retail investors promised 20% annual returns.

Related: Santas and Grinches: The heroes and villains of 2022

The crypto hedge fund eventually collapsed after taking on major directional trades and borrowing from over 20 institutions, and the founders defaulted on its payments.

Because the founders would not appear in court, the lawsuit proceeded without them. In a leaked court document filed with the Singapore High Court, the Singapore government was asked to accept liquidation proceedings and work with liquidators. As liquidators try to wind down the failed crypto business of Three Arrows Capital, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn has issued subpoenas to the company’s founders.

Voyager Digital’s fall

On July 6, prominent cryptocurrency investment firm Voyager Digital filed for bankruptcy after crypto hedge fund 3AC defaulted on a $650 million loan. 3AC received a significant loan from Voyager with no security. When 3AC defaulted on all of its obligations and its owners left, Voyager lost a significant sum of customer money.

Trading, withdrawals, and deposits were all suspended when Voyager reported that 3AC would not repay its loan. In June, Sam Bankman-Fried, billionaire CEO of trading firms FTX and Alameda Research, presented Voyager with a $500 million line of credit to help them weather the market collapse.

On July 5, 2022, Voyager Digital Holdings filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York. According to Voyager Digital, the corporation owes between $1 billion and $10 billion to its more than 100,000 debtors. Despite its debts, however, the company believes it has assets worth between $1 and $10 billion. They also guarantee that adequate money is available to pay off the company’s unsecured creditors.

In a September court filing, insolvent cryptocurrency broker Voyager Digital revealed that it would auction off its remaining assets.

Click “Collect” below the illustration at the top of the page or follow this link.

Celsius crash and liquidity crisis

Celsius’s value plummeted on July 13, 2022, when one of the main crypto businesses, Celsius Network, declared bankruptcy. As the price of cryptocurrencies fell, investors on the Celsius network started withdrawing their Bitcoin (BTC) holdings in search of safer alternatives.

Consequently, panicked investors left Celsius in volume. Despite stating they were forced to do so due to “extreme market conditions,” Celsius Network halted BTC withdrawals, swaps and transfers on June 12. Users of the site understandably thought that Celsius had declared bankruptcy and would be unable to refund their money. The value of the Celsius cryptocurrency plummeted by 70% in only a few hours and fell further in the days that followed.

The crypto market has seen a significant sell-off due to the insecurity and falling prices of many major cryptocurrencies, which corresponded with the drop in the price of Celsius. In addition, due to escalating cash flow issues, Celsius announced 23% layoffs on July 3, 2022. When the time came, the company filed for bankruptcy on July 13, 2022.

Celsius had total liabilities of $6.6 billion and assets of $3.8 billion, resulting in a $1.2 billion hole in the company’s balance sheet due to the court ruling.

FTX collapse

FTX and its U.S. equivalent, FTX.US, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11. The exchanges collapsed due to a lack of liquidity and money mismanagement, resulting in a large number of withdrawals from fearful investors.

Following the announcement of bankruptcy, FTX.US briefly restricted withdrawals on Nov. 11, despite earlier promises that FTX.US would be unaffected by FTX’s liquidity concerns. On the evening of Nov. 11, an alleged hack took more than $600 million from FTX wallets. The assault was revealed by FTX in its assistance channel on the instant-messaging network Telegram.

According to some Twitter users, hackers were also attempting to get access to FTX-linked bank accounts. Plaid, a company that connects consumer bank accounts with financial applications, responded to “concerning public reports” by denying FTX access to their products, claiming that they had no proof that their tools had been used unlawfully.

Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on Dec. 12 at the request of the U.S. government, which wanted him extradited for eight criminal offenses, including wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud investors. Bankman-Fried was eventually deported to the United States and is awaiting trial after posting a $250 million bail.

BlockFi bankruptcy

The collapse of FTX earlier in the month generated fear and uncertainty across the market. BlockFi, another cryptocurrency exchange, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 28. With assets and liabilities ranging from $1 billion to $10 billion, the firm had over 100,000 creditors. In addition, they had a $275,000,000 debt to Sam Bankman-Fried’s American subsidiary, FTX US. The application shows that the largest client has a balance of $28 million.

Following the demise of Three Arrows Capital, multiple firms, including the crypto company that operates a trading exchange and an interest-bearing custodial service for cryptocurrencies, had serious liquidity issues.

Related: Women who made a contribution to the crypto industry in 2022

BlockFi agreed earlier this year to accept a credit package from FTX worth up to $400 million to help it weather a liquidity restriction caused by the exchange’s exposure to the TerraUSD stablecoin’s collapse. As a result of these concerns, BlockFi was reliant on the performance of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which may now jeopardize its financial stability.

While 2022 may have been a tough year for the crypto market, there may be a silver lining. Investor sentiment seems to be improving, and the crypto market has always recovered from previous bear markets and platform collapses. The events of 2022 could pave the way for new platforms to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors.

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

Relying on Centralized Databases Makes Dapps Vulnerable to Data Tampering Says Nate Holiday

Relying on Centralized Databases Makes Dapps Vulnerable to Data Tampering Says Nate HolidayDecentralized applications (dapps) are prone to data tampering because they “are largely built on top of centralized databases and services,” the CEO of Space and Time Nate Holiday has said. The CEO also shared a list of data tampering risks which he said are specific to data warehouses. Companies Relying on Centralized Databases and Services […]

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

Bitcoin’s boring price action allows XMR, TON, TWT and AXS to gather strength

BTC’s price range is tightening in preparation for a potential range expansion. Meanwhile, XMR, TON, TWT and AXS are maintaining their bullish momentum.

The relief rally in the United States equities markets took a breather this week as all major averages closed in the red. Traders seem to have booked profits before the busy economic calendar next week.

The S&P 500 index dropped 3.37%, but a minor positive for the cryptocurrency markets is that Bitcoin (BTC) has not followed the equities markets lower. This suggests that crypto traders are not panicking and dumping their positions with every downtick in equities.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360

The range-bound action in Bitcoin suggests that traders are avoiding large bets before the Federal Reserve’s rate hike decision on Dec. 14. However, that has not stopped the action in select altcoins, which are showing promise in the near term.

Let’s look at the charts of Bitcoin and select altcoins and spot the critical levels to watch out for in the short term.

BTC/USDT

Bitcoin has been hovering around its 20-day exponential moving average (EMA) of $17,031 for the past few days. The flat 20-day EMA and the relative strength index (RSI) near 50 do not give a clear advantage either to the bulls or the bears.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The critical level to watch on the upside is $17,622. If buyers kick the price above this level, the BTC/USDT pair could start a stronger recovery that could carry it to the downtrend line. The bears are expected to defend this level aggressively.

If the price reverses direction from the downtrend line but does not fall below $17,622, it will suggest that the bulls are attempting to flip the level into support. That could enhance the prospects of a break above the downtrend line. The pair could then rally to $21,500.

On the downside, the bears may gain strength if the price breaks below $16,678. The pair could then drop to $15,995.

BTC/USDT four-hour chart. Source: TradingView

The pair has been trading inside an ascending channel on the four-hour chart. The bears have kept the price in the lower half of the channel, indicating selling on rallies. A break below the moving averages could pull the price to the support line of the channel. If this level fails to hold, the pair could start a down move to $16,678 in the near term.

If the price turns up from the current level or the support line of the channel, it will indicate that bulls continue to buy on dips. The pair could then attempt a rally to the overhead resistance at $17,622. If this level gets taken out, the pair could climb to the resistance line of the channel.

XMR/USDT

Monero (XMR) has been trading inside a falling wedge pattern for the past several days. The upsloping 20-day EMA ($143) and the RSI in the positive zone indicate that bulls have an edge.

XMR/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The XMR/USDT pair could rise to the resistance line of the wedge, where the bulls are likely to encounter strong selling by the bears. If the price turns down from the resistance line and breaks below the moving averages, it will suggest that the pair may extend its stay inside the wedge.

Instead, if bulls drive the price above the resistance line, it will suggest a change in the short-term trend. The pair could then attempt a rally to $174 which could act as a roadblock. A break above this level could signal that the downtrend could be over.

XMR/USDT four-hour chart. Source: TradingView

The pair has been rising inside an ascending channel pattern on the four-hour chart. This shows that the short-term sentiment remains positive and traders are buying the dips. The pair could continue its up-move and reach the resistance line near $156. If this level is scaled, the rally may touch $162.

The first sign of weakness will be a break and close below the moving averages. The pair could then decline to the support line of the channel. A break below the channel could start a downward move to $133.

TON/USDT

The bulls pushed Toncoin (TON) above the resistance of the symmetrical triangle on Dec. 11, indicating that the uncertainty has resolved in favor of the buyers. The symmetrical triangle usually acts as a continuation pattern, which increases the likelihood of the resumption of the uptrend.

TON/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

If buyers sustain the price above the triangle, the TON/USDT pair could attempt a break above the overhead resistance zone between $2 and $2.15. If they manage to do that, the pair could pick up momentum and soar to the pattern target of $2.87.

Contrarily, if the price fails to sustain above the triangle, it will suggest that bears continue to sell on rallies. A break below the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) of $1.70 could trap the aggressive bulls, pulling the pair to the support line of the triangle.

TON/USDT four-hour chart. Source: TradingView

The moving averages on the four-hour chart are sloping up and the RSI is in the overbought zone, indicating that bulls are in command. The up-move may face hindrance near $2 but if bulls sustain the price above this level, the rally could pick up speed.

If the price turns down from the current level and breaks below the 50-SMA, the selling could accelerate and the pair may slump to $1.70. This is an important level to keep an eye on because a break below it could signal that bears are back in charge.

Related: SBF 'didn't like' decentralized Bitcoin — ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood

TWT/USDT

Trust Wallet Token (TWT) has continued its northward march, suggesting that traders are buying at higher levels and not booking profits in a hurry. That increases the possibility of the extension of the uptrend.

TWT/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

The bulls will attempt to drive the price above the overhead resistance at $2.73. If they succeed, the TWT/USDT pair could rally to the psychological level of $3 where the bears may try to stall the up-move.

If buyers bulldoze their way through this obstacle, the uptrend could reach the pattern target of $3.51.

The bears are likely to have other plans as they will try to defend overhead resistance at $2.73. They will have to pull the price below the 20-day EMA ($2.30) to gain the upper hand.

TWT/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

The four-hour chart shows that bulls have been buying the dips to the moving averages. Although the moving averages are sloping up, the RSI is showing a negative divergence, indicating that the bullish momentum may be weakening. This may change if bulls thrust the price above $2.73 as that could attract further buying.

The moving averages are the critical support to watch on the downside. If the 50-SMA support collapses, several short-term traders may book profits and that could pull the pair down to $2.25 and thereafter to $2.

AXS/USDT

Axie Infinity (AXS) has been in a strong downtrend but it is showing the first signs of a potential trend change. Buyers pushed the price above the downtrend line on Dec. 5 but could not sustain the higher levels, as seen from the long wick on the day’s candlestick.

AXS/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView

A minor positive is that the bulls have not allowed the price to break below the moving averages. This shows that buyers are trying to flip the moving averages into support.

The moving averages are on the verge of a bullish crossover and the RSI is in the positive territory, indicating that the momentum may be shifting in favor of the bulls. If the price breaks and sustains above the downtrend line, a rally to $11.85 is likely. This level is expected to act as a major hurdle on the upside.

The bullish view could invalidate in the near term if the price turns down and breaks below the moving averages. The AXS/USDT pair could then slide to $6.57.

AXS/USDT four-hour chart. Source: TradingView

The four-hour chart shows that bears are vigorously defending the downtrend line and the bulls are buying the dips to the 50-SMA. The 20-EMA has flattened out and the RSI is near 47, indicating a balance between supply and demand.

A break and close above $8.70 could shift the advantage in favor of the bulls. The pair could then rally to $9.28 and later to $10. Alternatively, a break below $7.86 could suggest that bears are back in the driver’s seat. The pair could then slide to $6.87.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the authors’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

Dappradar Report Shows Blockchain Gaming Thrived Amid FTX Collapse, Sector Accounted for 46% of All Network Activity

Dappradar Report Shows Blockchain Gaming Thrived Amid FTX Collapse, Sector Accounted for 46% of All Network ActivityAccording to a report published by the global dapp store platform, Dappradar, blockchain gaming hardly felt the impact of the recent FTX collapse and the crypto market carnage that ensued. Dappradar’s Blockchain Games Report indicates that the number of daily unique active wallets (dUAW) participating in blockchain gaming dropped slightly to 800,875 UAWs in November, […]

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

Axie Infinity is toxic for crypto gaming

Axie Infinity, like most cryptocurrency games, has provided players with an awful experience.

Blockchain gaming is only four years old — a toddler compared to the rest of the industry. It has a lot of growing up to do, particularly when it comes to play-to-earn games.

I’m a 28-year game industry veteran. I’ve produced 32 titles in that period of time on everything from Sega Genesis to Oculus Rift. Some of them were great. Many were forgettable. I didn't hear much chatter about blockchain gaming from traditional developers and players until Axie Infinity began to take off. Cut to the peak of 2021, and the game had nearly 2 million players logging on daily.

Most people outside the crypto community at the time were (and still are) extremely skeptical about blockchain's ability to add anything meaningful to games. They see Axie as an example of the low production values and rampant speculation they want to avoid at all costs. Moreso, they see blockchain as a continuation of overreach by publishers. However, in 2021, many believed Axie would prove blockchain gaming skeptics wrong.

It didn't. Axie and most other crypto “games” to date have been awful experiences. They aren't even really games. They’re more like digital sharecropping, rich NFT owners exploiting low-wage earning players. It’s shallow gameplay layered on a tokenomics model. This was highlighted most recently in October, when Axie's SLP token plummeted in value as a result of an impending token unlock.

Related: Crypto gaming needs to be fun to be successful — Money doesn’t matter

Most players sell their tokens on the crypto market rather than in the game, meaning token numbers increase and cause a sort of crypto inflation. The game model relies on a constant inflow of new players to sustain it — something this month has shown to be very much not guaranteed.

Axie's value is primarily driven by this speculation rather than fun. The game, if it can even be called that, is literally a grind. Despite attempts to separate it from game economy reliance with iterations like Axie Origins, the toxic model of being hyper-dependent on tokenomics prevails. This continues to detract from projects that are trying to make fun games that utilize blockchain to enhance player experience.

At the peak of its popularity, the team behind Axie arrogantly claimed that they were “freeing” players and enabling a world in which work and play merge. But the game’s decline following the massive $620 million hack on customer funds in March showed how hollow this language was. Axie creator Sky Mavis flip-flopped from the play-to-earn narrative towards a play-and-earn ethos, clearly aware that the game wasn't going to deliver on its mission.

For blockchain gaming to succeed, developers need to focus on awesome game design instead of trying to prop up their tokens. During an increasingly difficult global economic climate, even mainstream gaming is struggling. But those games that are doing well despite market sentiment are AAA titles like God of War Ragnarök and the latest Call of Duty, which have exciting lore and awesome gameplay.

The ability for players to spend time creating things that people will love in terms of stickers, skins and weapons — while being able to monetize them — is key. People need an outlet where they can be creative and put together content that generates interest and emotion with a community that loves playing the game.

If we are to turn the tide on the perception of blockchain gaming, we need to show how it can benefit gamers. Moving beyond words and actually demonstrating that it enhances gameplay and utility. Blockchain can do incredible things as a backend infrastructure, such as enabling players to truly own in-game items, prove attribution and the history of their weapons and loot, and get rewarded for their in-game creations.

Related: The reason bots dominate crypto gaming? Cash-grubbing developers incentivize them

Part of Vitalik Buterin’s drive to innovate with blockchain was driven by his distress when he lost a spell’s abilities in World of Warcraft overnight as a result of centralized control of the game. Blockchain ultimately restores true ownership of in-game features to players, meaning that they own them, even if changes occur in a game or it goes under.

This asset ownership can extend into many areas. Right now, Microsoft and Sony let you capture video of your in-game activity and then post it to social media, but you don’t really own how it’s monetized. You’re locked into YouTube monetization. With blockchain, players could capture in-game moments, memorialize them as NFTs and then allow people to buy/sell them as they see fit. By updating gaming infrastructure and enabling new innovation, real-time integration of players into the creative process can also take place, which is rarely seen in the industry.

Players want involvement in the creation of the games. They don't want to be manipulated into paying more. Studios need to prioritize gameplay, rich graphics, and compelling narratives to bring players on board. The blockchain games that become successful will be the ones where players don't even know there's a blockchain operating in the background.

Deception and speculative frenzies have been the central features of the wider crypto market this year. So bringing players on board is going to be that much harder. Studios will have to go the extra mile to demonstrate to players that blockchain gaming can achieve the security, fun, and adrenaline-pumping action that defines the games they love.

Mark Long is the CEO of Shrapnel, a blockchain-enabled moddable AAA first-person shooter game. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in computer science before attending an executive education program at the Wharton School. He previously served as a director with HBO's digital products group; as a group program manager at Microsoft; and as the CEO of companies including Aristia, Meteor Entertainment, and Zombie Studios.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump

Top Crypto Trader Warns One Ethereum-Based Gaming Altcoin Could Crash by Over 65%

Top Crypto Trader Warns One Ethereum-Based Gaming Altcoin Could Crash by Over 65%

A top crypto trader is warning Ethereum (ETH)-based gaming altcoin Axie Infinity (AXS) holders of a possible crash. Pseudonymous analyst Altcoin Sherpa warns his 184,700 Twitter followers that the non-fungible token (NFT) gaming platform’s altcoin could decline more than 65% in price due to unlocks when investors can sell a digital asset after a vesting […]

The post Top Crypto Trader Warns One Ethereum-Based Gaming Altcoin Could Crash by Over 65% appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

Charles Schwab plans to offer spot crypto trading as US rules evolve under Trump