Deep Dive
1. Proof-of-Liquidity V2 Upgrade (Bullish Impact)
Overview:
Berachain’s July 2025 PoL V2 upgrade introduced native BERA staking, redirecting 33% of BGT emissions to BERA holders (Berachain Governance). This creates protocol-level buybacks and a 7-day unbonding period to discourage short-term selling.
What this means:
By converting non-BERA rewards into BERA via buybacks, the upgrade directly reduces sell pressure. However, monthly token unlocks starting in February 2026 (max supply: 650M BERA by 2028) could offset gains if demand lags.
2. CEX Momentum & Ecosystem Growth (Mixed Impact)
Overview:
Binance plans to launch BERA staking “next week” (TCVNcommunity), following Gate and Bitget. Meanwhile, the $500K Build-a-Berathon hackathon (deadline: August 4) aims to attract developers to DeFi and gaming apps.
What this means:
CEX staking could reduce circulating supply (current: 128M BERA), but success depends on APR competitiveness. Past airdrops like WLFI saw 50% post-listing drops, highlighting volatility risks despite ecosystem expansion.
3. Stablecoin Liquidity & Competition (Bearish Risk)
Overview:
PYUSD0’s September 2025 integration on Berachain via LayerZero improved cross-chain utility, but stablecoin inflows dropped 68% YTD to $197M (AMB Crypto).
What this means:
Declining stablecoin reserves signal reduced DeFi activity, potentially pressuring BERA’s $1.69B TVL. Rival chains like Arbitrum and Base now lead bridged capital inflows, per AIAdoptHQ.
Conclusion
BERA’s medium-term outlook leans on PoL V2’s yield appeal and Binance adoption countering unlock overhangs. Watch the October 2025 BERA/Binance staking launch – will APRs attract enough capital to offset the 90-day +48% rally’s profit-taking pressure?