TLDR
Pocket Network (POKT) fell 5.74% in the past 24h, extending a 7-day decline of 9.83% amid broader market weakness and technical breakdowns. Key factors:
- Exchange suspensions – Bithumb and Upbit halted POKT deposits/withdrawals for a mainnet upgrade, limiting liquidity.
- Technical weakness – Bearish RSI (40.98) and MACD cross below signal line signal momentum loss.
- Market-wide pullback – Crypto total cap fell 1.48% as Bitcoin dominance rose to 58.73%, pressuring altcoins.
Deep Dive
1. Exchange Liquidity Constraints (Bearish Impact)
Overview:
Bithumb and Upbit suspended POKT deposits/withdrawals on August 12 ahead of Pocket Network’s mainnet upgrade (Bithumb, Upbit). While trading continued, the restrictions likely reduced short-term liquidity and amplified sell-side pressure from traders avoiding locked funds.
What this means:
- Reduced access to KRW markets (critical for POKT, given 250% price surge post-Upbit’s May 2025 listing).
- Historical precedent: Similar suspensions during upgrades have triggered 5-15% price dips in other tokens due to precautionary selling.
What to watch:
Resumption timelines and post-upgrade network stability reports from exchanges.
2. Technical Breakdown (Bearish Momentum)
Overview:
POKT broke below critical support levels:
- 7-day SMA: $0.038 → Current price: $0.0359
- MACD: Bearish crossover confirmed on August 20
- RSI: 40.98 (approaching oversold but no divergence yet)
What this means:
Algorithmic traders likely exacerbated the drop after the SMA breach, while the lack of RSI divergence suggests continued downside risk. The next key support is the 200-day SMA at $0.0275 – a 23% drop from current levels.
Overview:
POKT underperformed the broader crypto market (-5.74% vs. -1.48% total cap) as Bitcoin dominance hit 58.73%, its highest since June 2025. The Altcoin Season Index fell to 42/100, reflecting capital rotation from mid-caps like POKT to large caps.
What this means:
- POKT’s 90-day rally of 166% (ending July 2025) made it vulnerable to profit-taking during risk-off shifts.
- Declining turnover ratio (0.0525) signals thinning liquidity, increasing volatility risk.
Conclusion
POKT’s drop combines coin-specific liquidity constraints, technical breakdowns, and sector-wide risk aversion. While the Shannon upgrade’s long-term promise remains (general-purpose data fabric), short-term traders appear focused on macroeconomic headwinds and Bitcoin’s dominance.
Key watch: Can POKT hold the $0.035 Fibonacci support (78.6% retracement of 2025 rally) ahead of the upgrade’s full rollout?