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Dogecoin price wavered this week as the recent crypto momentum waned. DOGE, the top meme coin, was trading at $0.1757 on Wednesday, a few points below the week’s high of $0.1926. This article explores how high the DOGE price may surge of the SEC approves spot ETFs and the risks to note.

Dogecoin price technical analysis

The daily chart shows that the DOGE price bottomed at $0.1292 earlier this month and then rebounded to a high of $0.1925. This rebound happened as Bitcoin and other altcoins rallied after Trump softened his stance against China, and after he said that he was not considering firing Jerome Powell

Dogecoin also bounced back after forming a falling wedge pattern on the daily chart. A wedge is a popular bullish reversal sign in technical analysis as it signals that the selling pressure is fading.

The coin has found substantial resistance at $0.1925, which coincided with the 50-day moving average. This moving average has acted a strong resistance several times in the past.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the MACD indicators have all moved downwards, a sign that the coin has lost momentum. This implies that the DOGE price has a neutral outlook today, and it may either rally or resume its downtrend. 

The Dogecoin price action will depend on key levels. A clear break above the key resistance at $0.2050, the highest swing in April, will confirm a bullish breakout and lead to more gains. On the other hand, a drop below the year-to-date low at $0.1292 will invalidate the bullish outlook and lead to a collapse to $0.10.

DOGE price chart | Source: TradingView

How high can Dogecoin rise if the SEC approves a DOGE ETF?

A Dogecoin ETF approval would push the price much higher to $0.4336, the highest level reached on January 18, which is approximately 145% above the current level. 

However, there is a caveat to this. First, the rally would happen immediately after the ETF is approved. And analysts believe that this will happen soo, as Polymarket odds of this have jumped to over 57%. 

Odds of a DOGE ETF approval are high because it is a proof-of-work network like Bitcoin and is not a security. 

The risk, however, is that Dogecoin funds will not have substantial inflows from investors. Publicly available data shows that investors are only interested in Bitcoin ETFs.  These funds have already attracted over $38 billion in inflows, while Ethereum funds have received less than $2.5 billion. 

Another factor is that the Dogecoin price will depend on the performance of Bitcoin. Historically, DOGE and other altcoins thrive only when Bitcoin is in a strong rally. Indeed, the ongoing recovery is underway, as BTC has jumped to $95,000 from its recent low of $74,000.

The other catalyst that will help to drive the value of DOGE after the ETF approval will be the performance of the stock market. Crypto and stocks have a close correlation with each other over time. 

The post How high will Dogecoin price go if the SEC lists DOGE ETF? appeared first on Invezz

The Nikkei 225 Index has experienced a strong comeback in the past few weeks, as investors have focused on the potential trade deal between the United States and Japan. It also jumped as the odds of more Bank of Japan (BoJ) hikes fell. It was trading at ¥36,000 on Wednesday, up nearly 17% from its lowest point this month. 

Why the Nikkei 225 Index has rebounded

There are three primary reasons why the Nikkei Index has rebounded over the past few weeks. First, the rebound is part of the ongoing stock market rally. Indeed, a closer look at most top global indices like the Hang Seng, Nasdaq 100, and S&P 500 has all rallied by double digits in the past few weeks. 

Second, the index has jumped as Japan and the US continue to negotiate on a trade deal that will let the US lower tariffs. The two countries have already held the first round of talks, and officials are now preparing the second phase. These talks primarily focus on farm products and the automotive sector.

Japan and the Nikkei 225 Index needs a trade deal that will lower the tariffs on the auto sector. That’s because the current 25% tax rate is not sustainable for Japan as its vehicles will become unaffordable to US citizens.

Trump hopes that the tariffs on vehicles and parts will encourage more Japanese companies to relocate their production to the US, thereby reducing the deficit. A report released earlier this month showed that Japan had a whopping $63 billion surplus against the US last month. 

Bank of Japan decision

The Nikkei 225 Index has also jumped as investors slashed their Bank of Japan (BoJ) rate hikes forecasts as the economy softened. 

A report released on Thursday showed that Japan’s industrial production dropped by 1.1% in March, as the automobile tariffs took effect. The 1.1% contraction was weaker than the median estimate of minus 0.4% and the February growth rate of 2.3%.

More data showed that Japan’s retail sales declined by 1.2% in March, a larger contraction than the median estimate of 0.4% increase. 

Therefore, analysts expect that the BoJ will leave interest rates unchanged when it concludes its meeting on Friday. 

This explains why Japan bond yields have remained under pressure in the past few days. The yield on the ten-year retreated to 1.30%, down from the year-to-date high of 1.588%. Similarly, the 30-year yield has dropped to 2.7% from the year-to-date high of 2.90%.

The BoJ has been one of the most hawkish central banks in recent months, having delivered two rate hikes. It did that in its fight against inflation as consumer prices jumped. The most recent data showed that Japan’s inflation stood at 3.6% in March, higher than the target of 2.0%.

Nikkei 225 Index technical analysis

Nikkei Index chart | Source: TradingView

The daily chart shows that the Nikkei 225 Index has bounced back in the past few weeks even as tariffs remained. It moved from a low of ¥30,850 earlier this month and reached the current ¥36,000. 

The index has already moved above the 25-day moving average, and is about to cross the 50-day MA. A complete move above the 50-day MA will lead to more gains, potentially to the key resistance level at ¥37,645, the lowest swing in October last year. A drop below the 25-day MA point at ¥35,110 will invalidate the bullish outlook.

The post Nikkei 225 Index outlook ahead of the BoJ interest rate decision appeared first on Invezz

Ethereum price remains under pressure, and has hit a crucial resistance as its average transaction fees crash. ETH was trading at $1,810 on Wednesday, up by over 30% from the lowest level this month. This article explains why the coin has plummeted from its high of $4,100 last year to its current price of $1,810.

Ethereum transaction fees have plunged

Ethereum fees | Source: TokenTerminal

The first chart above shows that the average transaction fees on Ethereum network has continued falling this year. According to Santiment, the fees stand at $0.142 on Wednesday, down from last November’s high of $2.3. It has also dropped sharply from the 2021 high of almost $70.

Ethereum’s network fee is determined by demand for its solutions, like decentralized finance (DeFi) and stablecoins. When demand for these services is rising, users bid higher prices, which drives the average costs up, and vice versa. Therefore, the falling transaction fees is a sign that demand for its network remains significantly low.

A likely reason for this is that many users have turned to layer-2 networks like Base and Arbitrum. These networks continue to attract more users, who are drawn by their superior speeds and lower costs. 

This trend explains why Ethereum has been overtaken by other networks in terms of fees this year. It has made just $241 million this year, much lower than Tron’s $1.08 billion and Solana’s $403 million. 

Number of Ethereum active addresses has stalled

ETH active addresses | Source: Santiment

The chart above also explains why the Ethereum price has crashed. This chart shows that the number of daily active addresses in the network has stalled in the past few months.

It had 413,000 active addresses on April 30, down from the year-to-date high of 737,000, which occurred in February. The chart shows that the address growth has stalled. Ideally, you would expect its price to do well when the figure is growing.

Other top chains are seeing higher active addresses. Solana had over 26.2 million transactions in the last seven days, while Tron and BNB Chain had 5.5 million and 5.2 million, respectively.

Read more: Ethereum price prediction March: Is another 50% crash possible?

ETH transaction count has dropped

Ethereum transaction count | Source: Santiment

More data indicates that the number of daily transactions on the Ethereum network has decreased recently. This chart further reinforces the findings presented in the other two charts. Ethereum’s network handled 7.69 million transactions on April 30, down from this month’s high of 11.4 million. 

Other blockchain networks are experiencing a significant increase in transaction volume. For example, Solana handled over 418 million transactions in the last seven days, which is equivalent to 59 million a day. Similarly, Tron handled 57 million transactions in the last seven days or 8 million a day.

Ethereum is losing market share

Ethereum DEX volume is losing market share | Source: DeFi Llama

Further data shows that Ethereum is not the dominant player it was in the decentralized finance industry a few years ago. It has been overtaken by Solana, which handled over $68 billion in the last seven days. Ethereum handled over $56 billion in this period. 

At the same time, other networks like Sui, Unichain, Tron, and Base have continued to capture its market share. 

Ethereum price formed a triple-top

ETH price chart | Source: TradingView

The other important chart to watch is Ethereum’s weekly chart. As shown above, the coin formed a triple top pattern at the resistance point of $4,078. This is usually one of the most bearish chart patterns. 

The coin has also plunged below the neckline at $2,130, its lowest level on August 5. Therefore, there is a risk that the coin will continue falling, with the next point to watch being at $1,000. This target is derived by measuring the depth of the double top and then extrapolating it from the neckline. 

The post Ethereum price crash explained: key charts behind the ETH plunge appeared first on Invezz

Bitcoin price has held steady in the past few days, and is hovering near its highest level since February 24. BTC has jumped by over 27% from its lowest level this year, and technicals suggest that the coin will keep rising in the near term. This article explores the top reasons to buy top Bitcoin ETFs like BlackRock’s IBIT, Fidelity’s FBTC, and Cathie Wood’s ARKB. 

Bitcoin price technicals point to more upside

The first important reason to buy Bitcoin and its top ETFs, such as IBIT, FBTC, and ARKB, is that they have strong technical indicators signaling further gains in the coming months. 

The weekly chart shows several important bullish patterns that may push it higher in the long term. It bottomed out at $15,463 in November 2022, following FTX’s bankruptcy filing. This price marked the lower side of the cup and handle pattern whose upper side was at $68,900.

A cup and handle is one of the most bullish chart patterns in the financial market. It has a depth of about 77%. 

The handle section happened between April and November last year.  This handle was also a megaphone chart pattern, a popular bullish signal in the market.

Bitcoin price then made a strong bullish breakout and reached a record high of $109,200. It has moved above the 50-week and 100-week moving averages, a sign that bulls remain in control for now.

Bitcoin has retested the important support level at $73,757, the highest level in March last year. This price was the upper side of the handle section. A break-and-retest pattern is a popular bullish continuation sign in the market.

Therefore, the Bitcoin price will likely continue soaring in the near term. The initial target for this target is between $122,000 and $123,000. This price is identified by measuring the depth of the cup from its upper side.

BTC price chart | Source: TradingView

Analysts are bullish on Bitcoin 

The other reason to invest in Bitcoin and ETFs like IBIT, FBTC, and ARKB is that analysts are highly bullish on Bitcoin and other altcoins.

In a report released this week, analysts at Standard Chartered Bank predicted that the coin will likely surge to $200,000 by year-end. StanChart has been one of the most optimistic and accurate analysts regarding Bitcoin.

Ark Invest, the company owned by Cathie Wood, gave a bullish Bitcoin price prediction, expecting the coin to rise to $2.4 million by 2030.

Further, Michael Saylor has predicted that Bitcoin will eventually jump to over $5 million in the next few years. His higher estimate is that it may get to $45 million over time.

Bitcoin has become a safe-haven asset 

Further data shows that Bitcoin is slowly becoming a safe-haven asset. Recent data indicate that Bitcoin has performed significantly better than the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 indices since Donald Trump initiated his trade war earlier this month.

Analysts note that Bitcoin will eventually catch up with gold, an asset whose price has surged to a record high this year as investors embraced its role as a safe haven asset. This explains why these ETFs recorded substantial inflows even as the stock market imploded.

They identify Bitcoin’s superior features compared to gold. It has a limited supply cap of 21 million and undergoes a halving event every four years. Halving is a process where the block rewards are reduced by half, thus increasing the mining difficulty.

The bottom line on buying IBIT, FBTC, and ARKB ETFs

History shows that Bitcoin price does well over time. It jumped from below $1 in 2009 to over $94,000 today. It experienced some pullbacks during the climb. All drops have turned out to be good areas to dip. Therefore, there is a likelihood that the coin will continue soaring over time.

The post Top reasons to buy Bitcoin ETFs like IBIT, FBTC, and ARKB appeared first on Invezz

Polkadot price continues to oscillate at a crucial support level after crashing by over 65% from its highest level in November last year. DOT token was trading at $4.15, a few points above the year-to-date low of $3.65. This article explains the top reasons why the DOT price may go parabolic in the coming weeks.

Polkadot staking is surging 

The first main reason when the Polkadot price may surge in the coming months is that there are signs of rising demand from investors.

Data by StakingRewards shows that the staking market cap has jumped to over $3.5 billion this year. This valuation gives it a staking ratio of 54.4%, which is higher than most related tokens like Ethereum and Solana.

A high staking yield is a sign that many investors have a long-term outlook for the coin, as stakers typically hold these coins for an extended period due to the monthly return.

More so, Polkadot has a staking yield of 11.68%, higher than other similar cryptocurrencies like Solana, Ethereum, and Sui. This yield means that s $10,000 investment in Polkadot will generate an annual return of about $1,100.

Polkadot staking inflows

Read more: Polkadot price predictions: 4 reasons DOT token may surge soon

DOT ETF approval odds

The other potential catalyst for the Polkadot price is the potential approval of a spot DOT ETF by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Companies like Grayscale and 21Shares have applied for that ETF.

The SEC has undergone significant changes this year under the Donald Trump administration. He appointed Paul Atkins to head the agency, a major victory for the crypto industry, as he had been a long-time crypto lawyer.

The SEC has signaled that it is open to more crypto ETFs as part of its light touch regulatory process. It has already ended lawsuits against tens of companies like Ripple, Coinbase, and Uniswap.

An ETF approval would validate the role of Polkadot in the crypto industry. It would also lead to more inflows from Wall Street investors, especially if the agency allowed staking of the token.

Stablecoin inflows steady 

The other notable reason to but Polkadot is that the amount of stablecoins in the network has been steady this year, a sign that demand for the ecosystem is rising.

Polkadot has over $100 million in stablecoins in the network. Most of these stablecoins are USD Coin (USDC), which dominates over 60%.

Stablecoins offer one of the best ways to measure the activeness of s network since they are the currencies used in the blockchain. The biggest chains in terms of stablecoins are popular names like Ethereum, Solana, and Tron 

Polkadot 2.0 upgrade 

The other major reason to buy Polkadot is that the network is changing through the process of Polkadot 2.0 upgrade.

Polkadot 2.0 is made up of three key areas, three of which have already been implemented.

The first one was asynchronous backing, which allowed parachains to produce blocks without being tied to the Relay Chain, reducing the block times from 12 seconds to 6 seconds. This made it one of the fastest players in the crypto industry.

Polkadot 2.0 also had agile coretime, which replaced the traditional slot auction model that was seen as more complicated and expensive. 

The developers are now working on elastic scaling, which enables the network to adjust its computational capacity based on demand. This phase is still in development and will be launched this year.

Polkadot price technical analysis 

DOT price chart | Source: TradingView

The other reason to buy Polkadot is that it is in a strong support level. It has dropped to a low of $4.1, slightly above the key support at $3.68. A closer look at the weekly chart shows that it always bounces back by triple digits whenever it touches this level.

Therefore, there is a likelihood that the coin will bounce back, and retest the important resistance level at $11.60, which is about 187% above the current level. A drop below that support point will invalidate the bullish outlook.

The post 5 reasons to buy Polkadot, and why DOT price can jump 187% appeared first on Invezz

After prolonged struggles with declining sales and fading customer loyalty, Starbucks is on a mission to return to the fundamentals of its coffee-shop experience, but external pressures and weaker earnings are testing investor patience.

The coffee giant reported fiscal second-quarter results on Tuesday that missed Wall Street expectations, sending its shares down 7% in premarket trading on Wednesday.

The company acknowledged that its efforts to revamp store operations and staffing had not yet translated into stronger financial performance.

“Our financial results don’t yet reflect our progress, but we have real momentum with our ‘Back to Starbucks’ plan,” CEO Brian Niccol said in a video message.

“We’re testing and learning at speed, and we’re seeing changes in our coffeehouses.”

But for many shareholders, the earnings report was a stark reminder of the challenges facing the brand, with margins shrinking for five straight quarters, falling 590 basis points in the second quarter reported on Tuesday.

Global same-store sales fell 1% in the quarter, driven by a 2% drop in transactions.

The US market, where Starbucks generates a significant portion of its revenue, saw a 4% decline in visits, dragging same-store sales down by 2%.

China, its second-largest market, posted flat same-store sales.

Efforts to streamline operations see mixed early results

As part of its turnaround efforts, Starbucks has focused on improving the efficiency of its stores, particularly in handling mobile and digital orders.

Niccol noted that new order-sequencing algorithms reduced wait times by an average of two minutes in test locations.

However, the company has opted to pause the rollout of certain equipment, such as cold-press and cold-brew machines, after determining that staffing changes had a more immediate effect on performance.

Starbucks has also delayed the deployment of other prep-focused equipment, signaling a strategic shift in how it approaches in-store improvements.

These moves suggest the company is prioritizing targeted operational adjustments over costly investments in machinery.

Tariff risks and shifting consumer preferences loom large

Starbucks’ leadership also pointed to global trade tensions as a looming risk to margins.

The company sources coffee from 28 countries, with a majority coming from Latin America.

CFO Cathy Smith said that while its hedging strategies provide some insulation from volatile commodity prices, escalating tariffs could still impact raw coffee costs, which make up 10% to 15% of its total product and distribution expenses.

“We expect that the balance of this fiscal year will bring some challenges as we navigate a dynamic macroeconomic environment,” Starbucks said in a regulatory filing.

The company added that it is actively monitoring the situation and working to offset potential financial impacts.

Meanwhile, competition from smaller, nimbler coffee chains appears to be eating into Starbucks’ dominance.

According to Placer.ai, foot traffic at Starbucks locations fell 0.9% year-over-year in the first quarter, while overall coffee chain visits rose 1.8%.

Much of that gain was driven by growth at rivals such as Dutch Bros, Scooter’s Coffee, and 7 Brew Coffee, which market themselves as fun and affordable alternatives to Starbucks’ more traditional offerings.

Analysts warn of slow recovery and investor fatigue

Despite Starbucks’ optimism, Wall Street remains cautious.

Goldman Sachs downgraded Starbucks to Neutral from Buy, adjusting its price target to $85 from $103.

Morgan Stanley, which maintains an “overweight” rating, said the strategy remains sound, but the results were a reminder that the turnaround will take time.

“Patience may be limited in this market,” analysts at the bank wrote. It has a price target of $95 for the stock.

RBC Capital Markets flagged elevated coffee prices and tariffs as risks to margins, while TD Cowen projected a more balanced recovery beginning in 2026.

“Elevated coffee prices and potential tariffs could be material headwinds to margins at some point over the next few quarters,” analysts at RBC said.

Jefferies, which rates the stock a “hold” and has the lowest target of $75, said there are still “no signs of meaningful US same-store sales improvement,” and that cultural and operational challenges will take time to resolve.

The tepid response from investors underscores the difficulty Starbucks faces in executing a complex reset while navigating economic headwinds.

Whether the “Back to Starbucks” approach can revive growth and restore investor confidence remains to be seen.

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IonQ Inc (NASDAQ: IONQ) chief executive Niccolo De Masi says the Chinese government is spending more than any other nation on quantum computing in 2025.

In an interview with CNBC today, De Masi described quantum computing and quantum networking as “vital for national and economic security interests,” and called for increased US efforts in the quantum sector.

His remarks arrive at a time when AI stocks at large are struggling to regain momentum amidst uncertainty related to Trump’s new tariffs and what they could mean for the global economy moving forward.

IonQ stock is currently down some 45% versus its year-to-date high.

IonQ to become an 800-pound gorilla of quantum

Despite ongoing challenges, both on the macroeconomic level as well as ones specific to the quantum industry, IonQ continues to work with the US and other “friendly nations” on advancing quantum technology.

IonQ is fully committed to the real-life utility of quantum systems and eventually aims at becoming the “800-pound gorilla of quantum,” CEO Niccolo De Masi said on “Squawk Box Asia” this morning.

Note that Wall Street looks just as bullish on IONQ shares, given the consensus rating on the NYSE-listed firm currently sits at “buy”.

Analysts have an average price target of nearly $44 on the quantum stock at writing, which translates to a more than 50% upside from here.

Is IONQ ahead of other quantum companies?

On the CNBC interview, IonQ’s chief executive touted the company’s chip that’s both space-efficient and offers higher fidelity compared to any other business involved in building a quantum computer.

De Masi is convinced that IONQ has “picked the most efficient and wisest path to building a quantum computer,” given the firm’s technology does not require state-of-the-art refrigerators, massive storage space, a nuclear power plant, or “billions of dollars of copper wiring.”

Power and space efficiency of our chips, together with engineering improvements, is helping IonQ build “long-term customer lock-ins,” which tends to drive sustainable value for customers as well as our investors, he added.  

Versus its year-to-date low, IonQ stock is currently up more than 50%.

IonQ to report Q1 earnings on May 7

Niccolo De Masi’s comments arrive only days before IonQ Inc is scheduled to report its financial results for the first quarter.

Consensus is for the quantum computing firm to lose 27 cents on a per-share basis, which translates to an increase from 19 cents a share of loss in the same quarter last year.

While the Maryland headquartered firm continues to lose money, it’s completing acquisitions and teaming up with peers to strengthen its hold in the quantum space.

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Waymo continues to commercialise its robotaxi operations across the US.

In fact, nationwide, it’s now completing as many as 250,000 rides on a weekly basis.

Still, Waymo has “no implied value” in Alphabet Inc’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) current valuation, says Youssef Squali, the global head of internet and media at Truist Global.

Squali’s remarks arrive shortly after Google’s Q1 earnings that topped Street estimates.

Still, shares of the tech titan are down more than 20% versus their year-to-date high, at the time of writing.

What was Waymo’s valuation in its latest funding round?

Speaking with CNBC last week, Squali reminded investors that Waymo’s latest funding round in November already valued it at a whopping $45 billion.

At the time, Waymo had a commercial footprint in San Francisco only.

Since then, Google’s self-driving business has expanded to several other markets and is fully committed to penetrating dozens more over the next 12 – 18 months.

“As revenues grow, we think their unit economics improve and the valuation would increase dramatically,” the Truist analyst told CNBC in an interview last week.

Youssef Squali remains bullish on Google stock also because its management confirmed continued strength in search and advertising on the earnings call despite rising competition from AI.

What could Waymo be worth moving forward?

Waymo has already partnered with Uber to expand its reach in Austin and Atlanta.

Plus, it’s “building a network of partners for maintaining fleets of vehicles and doing all operations,” as well, Alphabet’s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, revealed on the earnings call.

According to Truist’s Squali, if Uber Technologies is currently valued at north of $160 billion, “there’s no reason for Waymo to not be worth at least the same over time as they build their infrastructure.”

All in all, the firm’s analyst dubbed Waymo a “bright spot” in Google’s story in his interview with CNBC.

Note that Alphabet shares also pay a dividend yield of 0.49%.

Should you buy Google stock after its Q1 earnings?

Truist currently has a “buy” rating on Google. Its $200 price target indicates potential upside of well over 20% in the “Magnificent 7” stock from current levels.

In its latest reported quarter, the Nasdaq-listed firm failed to meet expectations for YouTube advertising and Google Cloud revenues. Its traffic acquisition costs (TAC) exceed estimates in Q1 as well.

Still, Youssef Squali dubbed the company’s quarter a good one overall, as Alphabet came in handily above Street estimates for total revenue and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) in the first quarter.

On the earnings call, Google’s chief of business, Philipp Schindler, agreed that the giant is “not immune to the macro environment, but said the end to de minimis exemption under the Trump administration will cause only a “slight headwind” to the ads business in 2025.

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