Deep Dive
1. Balance AI 2.0 Rollout (Bullish Impact)
Overview:
The August 2025 launch of Balance AI 2.0 introduces a "Proof of Labor" model where Key Node operators earn $EPT by verifying AI agent tasks. With 25% of total supply allocated to node rewards (Balance docs), this could create sustained buy pressure as participants accumulate tokens for staking and governance rights.
What this means:
Historical precedent shows protocol upgrades with clear economic incentives (e.g., Helium's shift to IoT rewards) often drive token demand. However, RSI at 53.2 suggests muted speculative positioning ahead of the event.
2. South Korean Exchange Momentum (Mixed Impact)
Overview:
EPT gained 22% on June 10, 2025 after Upbit listing, reaching a $19M market cap (Coinspeaker). However, Bithumb's May 2025 KRW pairing saw only transient volume spikes, with 30-day price volatility at 22.8% versus 8.7% for BTC.
What this means:
Korean retail flows (responsible for 21% of EPT's $3.7M daily volume) remain fickle. The 0.238 turnover ratio indicates thin liquidity – large holders could disproportionately impact prices during news events.
3. Vesting Schedule Overhang (Bearish Impact)
Overview:
Only 29.5% of EPT's 10B supply is circulating. Strategic investors (17% of supply) face unlocks starting October 2025, while team/advisors (13%) begin vesting in April 2026 (Tokenomics).
What this means:
The project needs to grow its $16.5M market cap by 239% just to maintain current prices against fully diluted supply. For context, similar AI tokens like AGIX saw 40-60% drawdowns during major unlock events in 2024.
Conclusion
EPT's price trajectory hinges on whether AI 2.0 adoption outpaces vesting-related sell pressure. The MACD histogram turning negative (-0.000021) signals near-term caution, but Fibonacci resistance at $0.00605 (+14% from current $0.00531) offers upside if the upgrade delivers.
Critical watch: Can daily active Key Nodes surpass 50,000 by Q4 2025 to absorb incoming supply?