Polkadot (DOT) slipped further into the red on Monday as broad market weakness continued to sap bullish momentum. The interoperability protocol’s native token was trading around $1.83–$1.85, down roughly 2% over the past 24 hours, as traders stayed cautious amid macro-driven volatility. Price action and performance - DOT has repeatedly failed to sustain a break above the $1.90 area, encountering stiff resistance after brief attempts to push higher. That reversal left the token near $1.83 as buyers showed limited follow-through. - Short- and medium-term performance is mixed to poor: DOT is up about 1.5% over the past week, but down roughly 18% over 30 days and some 74% from a year ago. - Low trading volumes and waning buyer interest are adding to the downside risk, leaving bulls vulnerable to further losses if sentiment does not improve. Staking anomaly during Era #2035 Polkadot’s staking rewards operate on ~24-hour cycles called “Eras,” typically distributed across roughly 22,000 nominators. In Era #2035, an issue with an off-chain election tool reduced the active nominator set to about 3,000 participants, which temporarily concentrated rewards and produced higher payouts for those included. The incident highlights how protocol tooling and infrastructure glitches can create short-lived distortions in network economics. Outlook and price scenarios - Near term: DOT’s muted action reflects wider investor caution. Technicals and market sentiment suggest modest upside potential — targets often discussed by analysts include $2.00 and $2.25 if momentum returns. - Bull case: Some optimistic forecasts envision a rebound above $4.00, but that appears ambitious in the short term given the token’s recent downtrend. - Bear case: DOT remains vulnerable to further downside after failing to hold levels above $6.00 and $4.50 earlier this year; a sustained break below current levels could see sellers test $1.70 or lower. Technical read - The 50-day exponential moving average is declining, signaling short-term weakness. - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits under 50, pointing to potential continuation of downside pressure; a move into oversold territory would be the first technical hint of a possible reversal. - The MACD offers a hint of bullish resilience, but overall momentum is tepid. - Expect short-term sideways trading below $1.80 unless fresh buying interest materializes. Wider market context Bitcoin and Ethereum face key resistance points referenced by market participants (near $90,000 and $3,000 respectively in current commentary), and major altcoins such as XRP, Solana and BNB have pared gains as profit-taking and year-end positioning take place. These cross-market dynamics, along with macroeconomic factors, will shape DOT’s next moves. What to watch Key catalysts for Polkadot include parachain auction activity, governance improvements and broader macro conditions. Network-level events and tooling reliability — as highlighted by the Era #2035 disruption — can also create short-lived upside or downside shocks to staking rewards and market sentiment. Bottom line: DOT’s immediate outlook is cautious. While selective upside targets exist if market tone improves, persistent low volume and technical weakness mean bears retain the edge until buyers return in force. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news
