Altcoins

Gate Research Daily Report: April 18: Bitcoin is priced at $84,927, while Ethereum edged up to $1,587.17. Solana's DEX trading volume surpassed Ethereum, ranking first across all chains. Circle Research released the Refund Protocol. Ethereum transaction fees hit a five-year low, and the DeFi market lost nearly $49 billion in Q1. Slovenia proposes a 25% crypto tax.

On April 14, 2025, the crypto market was rocked by a violent crash. OM, the native token of the MANTRA Chain and a prominent player in the RWA (Real World Asset tokenization) narrative, plummeted 94% within just four hours, triggering widespread panic. The project team blamed liquidation issues on exchanges, but on-chain data revealed a sophisticated scheme involving tokenomics manipulation, narrative control, and airdrop traps. The event highlights the risks of an unregulated crypto space and how human psychology is often exploited, reminding investors to stay vigilant during periods of extreme volatility.

This report presents an in-depth analysis of emerging Layer 1 blockchain Berachain, centered on its innovative Proof of Liquidity (PoL) consensus mechanism. It explores the project’s architecture, tokenomics, ecosystem protocols, TVL dynamics, and governance model. The report also highlights structural risks such as inflation pressure, TVL concentration, and a potential innovation slowdown, while assessing whether Berachain can evolve into a sustainable, liquidity-driven public chain paradigm through continued DeFi and dApp ecosystem development.

As the U.S. government adopts a more open stance toward cryptocurrencies and the regulatory landscape becomes clearer, asset management firms have begun launching exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets. The approval of spot ETFs for Bitcoin and Ethereum has attracted significant institutional capital, accelerating the integration of cryptocurrencies into traditional finance. Looking ahead, ETFs for altcoins such as Solana, XRP, and Litecoin are also likely to gain approval, further expanding the presence of crypto assets in mainstream markets. While ETFs linked to memecoins and NFTs are less likely to receive approval in the near term, their filings reflect a growing diversification within the broader crypto ecosystem.

In April 2025, Lido announced the launch of its Unichain Liquidity Incentive Program, targeting multiple major asset pools to reinforce stETH’s position as the dominant DeFi currency and promote its role as a core asset in cross-chain trading. This move not only extends Lido's dominance in the Ethereum staking market but also offers Uniswap a strategic breakthrough in its Layer 2 ambitions. Meanwhile, the UNI token struggles with low prices, though market signals suggest a potential rebound. Lido’s incentive initiative may trigger a liquidity redistribution across the DeFi ecosystem and spark interest rate wars among lending protocols. Investors should closely monitor the long-term value driven by cross-chain interoperability.

In April 2025, Solayer’s ecosystem token LAYER surpassed $2, reaching a market cap of $400 million and a fully diluted valuation (FDV) of over $2 billion. Its technical breakthrough, InfiniSVM, achieves blockchain scalability through co-designed software and hardware, significantly enhancing transaction throughput. The market responded enthusiastically to its tech narrative, capital backing, and ecosystem integration, driving LAYER's price surge. Hardware acceleration has sparked a performance race, a reshaping of mining economics, and a wave of developer migration. Despite risks like inflation, technical delays, and regulatory uncertainties, LAYER’s long-term value lies in its commercial rollout of million TPS and its influence on hardware standards.

In April 2025, the Meme token RFC on the Solana chain experienced a phenomenal surge. The price soared to US$0.199 in a short period of time, and the market value exceeded US$100 million. The rally was driven by a complex network of capital, including the sophisticated operations of multiple associated addresses and market makers. Musk’s social interaction and Solana ecosystem support further boosted RFC’s market popularity. However, the whale's manipulation and highly concentrated chip distribution expose the market to huge risks, which may lead to violent price fluctuations. The RFC incident revealed the contradiction between community governance and institutional trading in the encryption market.

Telcoin (TEL) is a blockchain-based platform aiming to make affordable remittances accessible via mobile networks and decentralized finance solutions.

IMPT is a blockchain-based platform focused on carbon offsetting and sustainable shopping through tokenized carbon credits.

AminoChain is a blockchain-based platform designed to improve biobanking by connecting medical institutions and researchers in a decentralized network. It facilitates secure and transparent sharing of biospecimens while enabling patients to retain control over their samples. The platform enhances the efficiency of medical research through streamlined collaboration and access to data.

Gate Research Weekly Report: This week, cryptocurrency prices entered a recovery phase after a rebound, maintaining a consolidation range. Soneium collaborated with EigenLayer to launch a 10-second Fast Finality Layer, marking a significant improvement in L2 performance. KiloEx fell victim to a flash loan attack losing $7 million, highlighting ongoing DeFi security concerns. Bitcoin miners sold more than 40% of their March BTC production, while sUSD faced an escalating depegging risk that sparked market panic. In a positive development, Panama's capital city became the first to accept cryptocurrency for payments.

Gate Research Daily Report: April 16, The crypto market remained in a choppy trading range today, with Bitcoin slipping 1.54% to $83,782 and Ethereum falling 1.97% to $1,603.38. TRON reported a record-setting $760 million in Q1 revenue, signaling continued strength in on-chain activity and its stablecoin ecosystem. DeFi lending demand surged significantly, while centralized crypto lending (CeFi) saw a steep 68% decline from its 2022 peak, further highlighting the shift toward decentralized finance. On Solana, PumpSwap hit a new all-time high in daily trading volume, driven by a sharp rise in user engagement and transaction activity. Meanwhile, Polygon introduced AggLayer, a cross-chain value aggregation layer aimed at building a new paradigm for an "Internet of Value" across blockchain networks. Solana also upgraded its network by raising the per-block compute limit, boosting performance and continuing its push for scalability.

Gate Research Daily Report: April 15, Bitcoin at $85,284, Ethereum at $1,641.76. Digital asset funds see $7.2B in 3-week outflows. Canada to launch first Solana spot ETFs with staking. Ethereum leads Q1 dApp revenue with over $1B. Bitcoin implied volatility surges as markets remain uncertain on trade policy. JPMorgan launches GBP blockchain accounts to expand global settlement capabilities.

Gate Research Daily Report: April 14, Bitcoin declined to $84,514, while Ethereum fell to $1,619. Despite the broader market pullback, on-chain activity remains strong, with Ethereum setting a new record by processing $1.18 trillion in stablecoin transfers over the past 30 days—highlighting continued capital flow and user engagement. In contrast, the NFT market continues to shrink, as both trading volumes and active user numbers have declined sharply. The SEC has proposed a new crypto regulatory sandbox, signaling a potential shift toward more flexible and innovation-friendly policymaking. At the same time, Pump.fun has seen its daily trading volume collapse by 99%, and its token "graduation rate" has slowed significantly, reflecting a cooling of speculative fervor on the Solana network. Amid these developments, Gate.io has announced a major brand revamp, unveiling its new Chinese name "Damen" (meaning "The Gate"), which represents its commitment to embracing the next wave of growth in the Web3 era.

This article offers a deep dive into the 2025 altcoin season. It examines a fundamental shift from traditional BTC dominance to a narrative-driven dynamic. It analyzes evolving capital flows, rapid sector rotations, and the growing impact of political narratives – hallmarks of what’s now called “Altcoin Season 2.0.” Drawing on the latest data and research, the piece reveals how stablecoins have overtaken BTC as the core liquidity layer, and how fragmented, fast-moving narratives are reshaping trading strategies. It also offers actionable frameworks for risk management and opportunity identification in this atypical bull cycle.