Deep Dive
1. Security Concerns (Bearish Impact)
Overview: CETUS remains vulnerable to sentiment shifts after a May 2025 exploit drained $223M from its Sui-based DEX. While $162M was recovered, the protocol’s compensation plan (15% CETUS token allocation) failed to fully restore confidence.
What this means: Investors remain wary of unresolved smart contract risks and potential sell pressure from unlocked compensation tokens. The 30-day price decline (-6.98%) reflects sustained caution.
What to look out for: Progress on legal recovery of remaining stolen funds and protocol-level security audits.
2. Technical Resistance (Bearish Impact)
Overview: CETUS faces resistance at $0.104 (23.6% Fibonacci level), with its 7-day SMA ($0.095) acting as dynamic resistance. The RSI (54.26) suggests neutral momentum, but MACD shows weakening bullish divergence.
What this means: Repeated failure to hold above $0.095 signals accumulation by short-term traders rather than long-term holders. The 200-day SMA ($0.1205) remains a distant recovery target.
Key level to watch: A close below $0.0896 (78.6% Fibonacci) could trigger another 10-15% drop.
3. Market Dynamics (Mixed Impact)
Overview: While the total crypto market dipped slightly (-0.74%), CETUS’s sharper decline aligns with a shift toward Bitcoin (dominance +0.19% in 24h) and reduced altcoin liquidity (spot volume -28.7%).
What this means: Traders are favoring lower-risk assets amid neutral market sentiment (Fear & Greed Index: 52). CETUS’s 0.197 turnover ratio indicates moderate liquidity risk, amplifying volatility.
Conclusion
CETUS’s decline stems from unresolved security concerns, technical resistance, and a risk-off tilt in crypto markets. While the protocol’s Q3 product upgrades (e.g., Cetus Tide RFQ swaps) offer long-term potential, short-term sentiment remains fragile.
Key watch: Can CETUS hold above its 30-day SMA ($0.0952) to prevent a retest of May’s $0.084 lows? Monitor Sui ecosystem developments and BTC dominance trends for directional cues.