Top analysts name 3 "trump cards" with the potential to ignite a new DeFi season.

The crypto market is going through a volatile phase, with short term capital continuously rotating, while investor sentiment is still influenced by both macro news and rapid changes in blockchain technology. In this context, finding projects with real growth potential has truly become a challenge.

However, the famous analyst Michael Van De Poppe – known for his long-term strategic perspective – believes that even in the most difficult times, there are still rare opportunities in the market. Recently, he highlighted three altcoins to watch that belong to three important infrastructure sectors: DePIN, Infra, and DeFi.

"If I had to choose three notable coins, I would focus on verticals that have a solid development foundation. With DePIN, I place my trust in PEAQ. In Infra, the staking factor, interoperability, and bridge draw my attention to Wormhole. As for the DeFi sector, my personal choice is Ether.Fiđây."

PEAQ (PEAQ) – Opportunity from the revaluation cycle

PEAQ is one of the standout projects in the DePIN ecosystem – a field aimed at connecting real-world physical infrastructure such as energy, data, IoT devices with blockchain to enhance the efficiency of extraction and value distribution. This is a new sector, but according to Michael, the "collapse" of many previous DePIN tokens has created an opportunity to buy at attractive price levels.

Currently, PEAQ is trading around the threshold of 0.066 USD – a key price level where a double bottom pattern, also known as a "W" pattern, is beginning to form on the technical chart. This pattern typically appears after a strong correction phase and is often seen as a signal for a potential bullish reversal. In the history of technical analysis, when this pattern is confirmed by increasing trading volume, it usually opens up a sustainable recovery cycle.

A notable point is that the Parabolic SAR indicator – a tool for measuring the direction of the trend – is currently appearing below the candles, further reinforcing the possibility of an uptrend forming. When the Parabolic SAR maintains this position, it often acts as support, indicating that buying pressure is dominant and the market is trending upward.

• Price increase scenario: If PEAQ continues to maintain above the threshold of 0.066 USD and breaks through to 0.07 USD, investor sentiment may be further strengthened. The level of 0.072 USD is an important resistance area – closing a candle above this level will confirm the breakout, opening up the possibility of reaching new price peaks not seen in recent sessions. In this scenario, PEAQ will not only escape the accumulation zone but may also attract additional speculative capital, pushing the price towards further targets.
• Bearish scenario: Conversely, if selling pressure suddenly increases and pushes the price below 0.061 USD, the entire current bullish structure will be broken. This is not only a loss of short term support but also marks an important technical breakdown. Breaking through this level will bring PEAQ back into a bearish zone, while also causing market sentiment to lean heavily towards a pessimistic scenario, allowing selling pressure to dominate.

In summary, PEAQ is at a sensitive stage: the W-shaped pattern and signals from the Parabolic SAR present a clear growth outlook, but just one strong profit-taking event could quickly reverse the trend. This is precisely the "hinge" moment in determining the next price trajectory of this altcoin.

PEAQ Price Chart | Source: TradingView## Wormhole (W) – Multi-chain bridge amidst the storm

In the blockchain infrastructure ecosystem, interoperability is becoming an increasingly vital factor. Wormhole is one of the prominent bridging protocols, connecting dozens of blockchains and used by many major projects.

W is currently trading around 0.072 USD, recording a significant drop of about 12% in the past 24 hours. This is a notable correction, reflecting short term panic selling. However, the noteworthy point is that the Ichimoku cloud – a tool used to determine the overall trend and support/resistance areas – still shows a positive balance. This suggests that the fundamental momentum of the asset has not been broken, and the mid-term upward trend still has a chance of being preserved.

• Recovery prospects: During the downtrend, W at one point broke through the level of 0.072 USD, but this discount zone quickly attracted bottom-fishing capital flows. As the price fell lower, many investors saw this as an opportunity to accumulate cheap goods, thereby increasing demand. If the capital flow continues to pour in, W could fully recover, regain the lost price range, and aim for 0.077 USD – an important short term resistance level. Successfully conquering this milestone will help Wormhole re-establish a solid position while somewhat reversing the negative sentiment that is engulfing the market.
• Price decline risk: Conversely, if investor interest is not strong enough to absorb selling pressure, the price could continue to slide below $0.07. This would be a significant technical breakdown, as the $0.070 level is serving as a psychological support. Once this threshold is lost, the optimistic trend will be negated, and the asset risks falling into a deeper downward trajectory, heading towards weaker support areas below.

As a multi-chain bridge infrastructure project, Wormhole still maintains its long-term core value in the context of increasingly fragmented blockchains. However, the current short term volatility indicates that W is at a stage of market psychological testing: either holding the support zone to reaffirm strength, or continuing to weaken and entering a longer adjustment cycle.

Price chart W | Source: TradingView## Ether.Fi (ETHFI) – Shaping the next generation of DeFi

Unlike the two tokens above, Ether.Fi represents the DeFi space – which is currently witnessing a strong reshaping after a downturn period. This project focuses on decentralized ETH staking, a trend that is receiving particular attention from institutions and the Ethereum community.

ETHFI is currently trading around 1.1 USD, a signal that this altcoin remains stable and relatively optimistic despite the overall market volatility. Unlike many other altcoins that are plummeting along a nearly vertical downward trajectory, the ETHFI chart shows a pattern of sideways oscillation, interspersed with strong fluctuations. This reflects that the market has not formed a clear downward trend and is in a consolidation phase before deciding on the next direction.

• Bullish signal from Ichimoku: The Ichimoku cloud – a tool for tracking medium and long-term trends – is still leaning towards a bullish trend. In particular, the 1.09 USD level is playing an important support role. If ETHFI can maintain above this level, buying pressure may be activated again, setting the stage for a recovery. In a positive scenario, the price could bounce to the 1.21 USD region, surpassing the recent resistance level. Successfully conquering this level will reinforce market confidence, while establishing a stronger short term trading phase.
• Discount scenario: However, if ETHFI loses the support level of 1.09 USD, the risk of weakening will increase. At that point, the price may retreat to the area of 1.04 USD, which used to act as a short term support level. If the demand is not strong enough here, a worse scenario where the price falls below 1 USD could very well occur. This would break the recent bullish structure, while also opening up the risk of entering a deeper downtrend, challenging investor confidence.

ETHFI is considered a potential representative in the decentralized ETH staking space – a field that is gaining attention from both the community and institutions. Therefore, although short term volatility may lead to price adjustments, the core value of the project remains a crucial factor supporting the long-term trend. Currently, ETHFI is in a strategic equilibrium zone: a bounce from support will affirm the strength of the bulls, while a drop below 1 USD will raise significant questions about the short term outlook for this asset.

ETHFI Price Chart | Source: TradingView## Derivative Tokens – An "hidden" trend but explosive

In addition to the three potential altcoins mentioned above, Michael Van De Poppe also emphasized that the derivatives token group is emerging as a new focal point in the crypto market. While most other sectors are under pressure for correction, derivative projects have witnessed outstanding performance. Names like MYX Finance (MYX) and Hegic (HEGIC) have recorded strong growth, indicating that capital is prioritizing this sector.

According to Michael, the key driving force behind the breakout of derivative tokens is extremely high liquidity – a fundamental factor for any financial product. In both traditional markets and the crypto market, liquidity plays a decisive role in attracting large capital flows, as it ensures the ability to enter/exit positions quickly, minimizes slippage risk, and creates appeal for institutional investors.

The analyst cites Hyperliquid, a decentralized derivatives trading project:

"Hyperliquid is an extremely efficient team, with revenue reaching 102 million USD per employee, 30 times higher than Nvidia – one of the leading tech companies in the world."

This outstanding business performance not only attracts the attention of investors but also creates a ripple effect, benefiting the entire ecosystem of derivative tokens. Michael believes that this growth model still has a lot of room for expansion and will continue to be the main driver for the next wave of growth.

Michael emphasized that the important point lies not only in the rise of derivative tokens but also in the combination of many other factors within the DeFi ecosystem:

1. 1. Derivative token: leading the capital flow due to liquidity and scalability.
   2. ETH and staking: continue to attract interest from organizations, especially in the context of Ethereum maintaining its pillar position in DeFi.
2. Stablecoin: increasingly asserting its role as a foundational layer, serving as a bridge between the crypto market and the traditional financial system, while providing risk management tools during periods of volatility.

According to him, the convergence of the above factors is a clear signal for a new DeFi season. This is not just a simple recovery in price, but also reflects the rapidly increasing demand for actual usage across the entire blockchain ecosystem. This indicates that DeFi is gradually moving out of the experimental phase and entering a maturation cycle, where products can directly compete with traditional finance.

"The convergence of these factors indicates that the market is preparing for a major DeFi season. This is not just a price recovery, but also reflects the increasing real demand of the blockchain ecosystem." Michael Van De Poppe concluded.

Annie