In the throes of tumultuous trading in the recent fortnight, Ethereum’s liquid staking protocol, Lido Finance, has been witnessing a substantial downtrend in prices. The market’s downward spiral, coupled with the absence of bullish impetus, has fueled this nosedive. Yet, there is more than meets the eye — an auspicious breakout is on the horizon for Lido’s native token, LDO, an anomaly against the backdrop of dismal financial indices.
In this tempestuous trading terrain, Lido has not merely weathered the storm but made significant headway within its ecosystem. Its notable alliance with Mellow Finance has paved the way for the rollout of pioneering decentralized finance or DeFi strategies exclusive to stETH holders. At the heart of these strategies is Mellow Finance’s groundbreaking Liquid Restaking Token (LRT). This game-changing innovation empowers stETH holders, facilitating them to optimize asset utility through decentralized restaking and accrue eclectic rewards.
Simultaneously, these alliances have birthed new-fangled vaults, offering a secure yet flexible interface for stETH traders to interact with Ethereum staking and DeFi, augmenting the liquidity and utility of stETH in the process. This collaboration is the first step toward fulfilling Lido Alliance’s ambition to enhance the Ethereum staking landscape through strategic alliances with like-minded projects. However, the relentless fall in LDO’s price, potentially trailing Ethereum’s dip from its March zenith of $3,990 to $3,480, cannot be overlooked.
Lido’s total value locked or TVL did not remain immune to these dramatic market shifts, witnessing a 1.7% shrinkage and settling at a staggering $35.39 billion — a figure chiefly attributed to Ethereum’s price drop. However, the scenario was not completely bleak, with the quantity of ETH staked observing a slight uptick of 0.26%. A net increase of 19,392 ETH staked was noted over the previous week. Concurrently, lending pools housing (w)stETH saw a modest 1.46% increase, amounting to 2.66 million stETH. In contrast, liquidity pools were not as fortunate, registering a dip of 3.13% to 89.3k stETH.
Ironically, amid this rollercoaster ride of market fluctuations, expert crypto analyst Alex Clay remains steadfastly bullish regarding LDO’s future. In a recent update, Clay hinted at LDO’s consecutive 756 days of rising accumulation, pointing toward a potential surging breakout. Furthermore, Clay has set exciting price targets for prospective investors, ranging from $6.3 to $17.2.
Trading at $1.88 at present, LDO has seen a 3.5% decline within the last 24 hours and a dramatic fall of a fifth in just the last two weeks. LDO’s low ebbs do not end here — it experienced a 74% slump from its record high of $7.30 in June 2021.
This landscape offers a vantage view of LDO’s price fall below the crucial $2 threshold. The dynamics of the current situation remain to be seen. It remains under speculation whether recent advancements in the Lido protocol, coupled with enhanced staking activity, will curb the losses. Also, a potential rally in Ethereum’s value may tip the scales for LDO’s trajectory, possibly paving a pathway to a renewed uptrend to reclaim its former standing.
