CAKE, the native token of decentralized exchange (DEX) PancakeSwap, is today’s top gainer, defying broader market trends.
The token has recorded a modest 3% gain over the past 24 hours, outperforming leading assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), which are both down by roughly 1% each during the same period. Technical indicators suggest that the rally could continue as it is backed by significant demand from market participants.
CAKE Climbs as Trading Volume Soars 88%
Amid the lull of the broader market over the past week, CAKE has managed to record gains. Currently trading at $2.48, the token has climbed by 9% since May 31.
This bullish trend continues today, evidenced by the trading volume surge accompanying CAKE’s price growth. The token’s trading volume is up 88% over the past day, pointing to heightened investor interest and growing demand for the DeFi asset.
When an asset’s trading volume rises alongside its price, it signals strong buying interest and confirms the strength of the upward price move. This combination suggests growing investor confidence in CAKE and hints that the upward trend may continue in the near term.
Moreover, readings from the altcoin’s BBTrend indicator support this bullish outlook. Observed on a one-day chart, the indicator is currently at 12.76, posting only green histogram bars since May 9.
The BBTrend measures the strength and direction of a trend based on the expansion and contraction of Bollinger Bands. When it returns red bars (negative values), the asset’s price consistently closes near the lower Bollinger Band, reflecting sustained selling pressure and hinting at the potential for further downside.
Conversely, as with CAKE, when BBTrend values are positive, it typically signals a strong uptrend. At 12.76, the momentum indicator confirms increasing bullish pressure among CAKE holders, suggesting that the current rally may have further room to run.
Bullish Indicators Emerge for CAKE, But Will $2.81 Hold?
CAKE’s rising Relative Strength Index (RSI) lends credence to this bullish outlook. As of this writing, the indicator is at 54.75 and in an upward trend.
The RSI indicator measures an asset’s overbought and oversold market conditions. It ranges between 0 and 100. Values above 70 suggest that the asset is overbought and due for a price decline, while values under 30 indicate that the asset is oversold and may witness a rebound.
CAKE’s current RSI setup shows a steady rise in token accumulation, a pattern that could drive further price growth.
If current sentiment and volume levels persist, CAKE could extend its gains to $2.81 in the near term.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is quickly becoming a notable force in the push for global crypto adoption. With growing participation from institutions and enterprises and supportive regulations for Web3 technology, MENA is set to expand its impact.
BeInCrypto interviewed Stephan Apel, CEO of Outlier Ventures, to explore the characteristics of these tech-driven economies and their anticipated innovations.
Web3 Adoption and Market Growth
MENA has emerged as a significant center for Web3 development, facilitated by a combination of demographic, technological, and cultural factors. The region’s entrepreneurial spirit has also fostered an environment conducive to the adoption of decentralized technologies.
“The MENA market has set a standard for adopting next-gen technologies and using them to boost their economic transformation. This is especially true for Web3 technologies— the region recognised their potential early on, offering the resources needed for these projects to scale and thrive on both regional and global levels,” Apel told BeInCrypto.
Consequently, the region is witnessing an increase in startups, investors, and developers exploring Web3 and its diverse applications.
A 2024 Chainalysis report revealed that MENA was the seventh biggest crypto market worldwide. From July 2023 to June 2024, the region saw $338.7 billion in online crypto transactions, representing 7.5% of all crypto transactions globally.
Share of all cryptocurrency transaction value by region. Source: Chainalysis.
Notably, Turkey and Morocco ranked among the top 30 countries globally in crypto adoption. Turkey secured the 11th spot, while Morocco ranked 27th. These nations alone accounted for $137 billion and $12.7 billion in received cryptocurrency value, respectively.
Furthermore, the MENA region’s crypto activity is predominantly driven by institutional and professional players, as a substantial 93% of all value transferred involves transactions exceeding $10,000.
Meanwhile, Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) members have distinguished themselves through their ambitious technological initiatives.
MENA’s Strategic Shift Towards AI
The onset of artificial intelligence (AI) has prompted governments and businesses within the Middle East to acknowledge the global trend towards related advanced technologies. Countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are considering their strategic position concerning this technological transformation.
According to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy in 2030. The consulting firm predicts that the Middle East will bring 2% of the total global benefits, equal to $320 billion.
MENA’s pioneering role in AI development. Source: PwC.
The PwC report also indicates that Saudi Arabia will see the largest absolute gains from AI by 2030, with an estimated US$135.2 billion added to its economy, or 12.4% of GDP. In terms of GDP percentage, however, the UAE is expected to see the greatest impact, approaching 14% of its 2030 GDP. Meanwhile, for GCC states Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, AI is expected to contribute 8.2% of their GDP.
Given the region’s latest initiatives and investments in AI innovation, these numbers come as no surprise.
Saudi Arabia’s AI Development Initiatives
In 2016, the Saudi Arabian government launched Vision 2030, a program to promote economic, social, and cultural diversification. Integral to this vision is a strategic shift towards artificial intelligence and data-driven innovation, a key component of the nation’s economic diversification efforts.
Saudi Arabia is making notable advancements in AI. The country aims to reduce its reliance on oil by developing advanced technology sectors through targeted investments, infrastructure development, and workforce training.
“Fueled by its Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi Arabia has already created a thriving startup ecosystem, dedicated significant investment in emerging technologies,and designed policies to attract global talent and entrepreneurship,” Apel told BeInCrypto.
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) spearheads Saudi Arabia’s push into artificial intelligence, shaping and implementing the country’s national data and AI strategy. The National Data Bank is a cornerstone of their efforts. It is designed as a central hub for data access and analysis, facilitating AI applications across public and private sectors.
Last November, Saudi Arabia also unveiled Project Transcendence. The $100 billion investment initiative focuses on accelerating the integration of AI and advanced technologies.
Similar to its neighbor, the UAE has actively pursued AI adoption.
UAE’s AI Strategy and Investments
In 2017, the UAE launched its National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, which aims to make the country a global leader in the field by 2031. The UAE AI and Blockchain Council oversees this strategy, which impacts sectors like education, energy, and tourism.
The UAE is already reaping the benefits of its AI initiatives. In April, Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion investment in G42, an Abu Dhabi-based technology holding company. G42 is known for its data centers and the development of Jais, a leading Arabic-language AI model.
In September, G42 and Nvidia partnered to create AI-driven solutions for improved weather forecasting. The collaboration aims to advance climate-related technologies by using Nvidia’s Earth-2 platform, which enables AI-augmented climate and weather simulations.
Three months later, Abu Dhabi-based global technological ecosystem Hub71 partnered with Google to boost startup growth in the UAE. This collaboration will bring Google’s “Google for Startups” program to Abu Dhabi, including a dedicated accelerator for Hub71 startups in 2025.
He also drew attention to the planned convergence of AI and Web3 technologies in these prominent regions.
Convergence of AI, Web3, and IoT
Integrating the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and AI technologies is gaining traction among businesses in the Middle East. By combining these technologies, organizations can access new avenues for growth, increase efficiency, and create novel user experiences.
In 2018, the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority launched Dubai Blink, a platform that integrates AI, blockchain, and virtual licenses to facilitate global trade. This system enhances supply chain innovation through ‘smart commerce’ by expediting trade with a unified online platform. Furthermore, it addressed the cumbersome process of supplier identification by using AI algorithms to streamline and accelerate the validation process.
Ultimately, MENA’s proactive approach to technological advancement, coupled with its strategic focus on Web3 and AI, signals a future where the region will be a pivotal architect in shaping the digital economy.
In the landmark “US vs Roman Storm” case, the Tornado Cash founder was found guilty of conspiracy to run an unlicensed money transmittal business and innocent of others.
This case has been a landmark battle for privacy rights and the decentralized nature of crypto. Roman Storm argued that he wasn’t responsible for other actors’ usage of his software, and the jury has established a new precedent on the subject.
So, why has the crypto world been so invested in this case? Simply put, privacy has been a core value of this whole ecosystem, ever since Satoshi Nakamoto made Bitcoin both trustless and decentralized. Storm’s lawyers have fervently argued that Tornado Cash stuck to these principles, never becoming directly complicit in money laundering.
Tornado Cash is a piece of software intended to protect crypto users’ privacy. It mixes tokens from disparate sources together to obscure transaction histories, and criminal organizations certainly employed it for money laundering. However, this is a far cry from directly committing these crimes.
In short, this trial is a test of what sort of decentralized protocols the US legal system will tolerate. This mixed result is somewhat positive for the community. Storm was found innocent of serious crimes like sanctions evasion and money laundering.
From here, it’s unclear what kind of punishment he might receive for the remaining charge, but the maximum sentence is five years.
As geopolitical tensions intensify and investor sentiment deteriorates, bearish pressure has continued spreading across Bitcoin’s spot and derivatives markets.
The uncertainty surrounding global macroeconomic stability has led many market participants to take a risk-off approach, with the coin showing signs of vulnerability as the second quarter draws to a close.
Bitcoin Futures Turn Bearish
With the coin struggling to rally momentum around the $103,000 price mark, Bitcoin futures traders have increasingly positioned against the coin.
According to Coinglass, the coin’s long/short ratio — a key measure of trader sentiment — has tilted heavily toward shorts since June 17, indicating a growing belief that BTC’s recent rally may be losing momentum. At press time, the ratio is 0.95, indicating more traders are betting against the altcoin.
This ratio compares the number of long and short positions in a market. When an asset’s long/short ratio is above 1, there are more long than short positions, indicating that traders are predominantly betting on a price increase.
Conversely, as seen with BTC, a ratio below one indicates that most traders are positioning for a price drop. This reflects heightened bearish sentiment and growing expectations of continued downside movements in the short term.
Moreover, daily chart readings from BTC’s BBTrend indicator reinforce the bearish outlook. As BTC’s price momentum weakens, the green histogram bars on the indicator have steadily fallen in size, signaling a decline in buying pressure and a loss of bullish strength.
The BBTrend is used to gauge the strength and direction of price trends. It appears as histogram bars — green when the trend is bullish and red when bearish.
When the BBTrend turns negative or the green bars shrink, upward momentum is fading, and the asset may be entering a consolidation phase or facing a reversal.
A consistently negative BBTrend suggests that selling pressure is dominating, increasing the likelihood of an extended price correction for BTC.
BTC Slips to Two-Week Low: Will Support at $102,000 Hold?
Yesterday, BTC’s price fell to a 15-day low of $102,345. Although it rebounded and closed at $103,297, bearish pressure remains, with the coin still down 2% over the past 24 hours.
If new demand continues to be limited, BTC’s price could extend its dip toward $101,520. Should the bulls fail to defend this critical support level, the asset could plunge further to $97,658.
Bitcoin Price Analysis. Source: TradingView
On the other hand, if buying pressure strengthens, BTC could rebound and attempt a break above $103,952. A successful move past this level may open the door for a rally toward $106,295.
