The MANTRA (OM) token’s wild crash on Apr 13, 2025, shocked the crypto world. Discover the causes, fallout, and what’s next in MANTRA’s road to recovery.

In the morning and daytime hours of Apr 13, 2025, the MANTRA blockchain's native token, OM, sat at a respectable market cap of $6 billion, making it the third-highest-ranked cryptocurrency in the 

 (RWA) category, the area the platform specializes in. Everything seemed like smooth sailing for the token.

Then, just after 6 PM UTC, the price of the OM token suddenly began to free-fall, declining from nearly $6 to about $0.50 in the space of just two hours.

A project that started the day as one of the top players in the RWA field was now worth 90% less as the evening approached. OM's abrupt, sharp crash immediately caught the market's attention, with speculation of a 

However, MANTRA's CEO, John Patrick Mullin, immediately sprang into action for PR damage control on social media, reassuring the public that the team members weren’t dumping OM tokens at all. Instead, MANTRA's founder and CEO alleged that deliberate actions of some 

 (CEXs) had caused the catastrophic plunge.

As of our coverage date of Apr 23, 2025, this is a developing story. In this article, we’ll establish what actually happened, who's involved and what awaits the OM token in the foreseeable future.

 decentralized network dedicated to RWA tokenization and utilization in compliance with real-world regulatory requirements.

 It features high scalability and low transaction fees. The project is one of the earliest initiatives dedicated to RWA use via blockchain technology. Originally, MANTRA debuted as a 

 (ETH) in August 2020. In October 2024, the project migrated to its own dedicated Layer 1 platform, the MANTRA Chain. The MANTRA blockchain is based on the Cosmos SDK framework, and is part of the wider 

The MANTRA ecosystem's main products include MANTRA DEX, a 

 (DEX); a digital identity (DID) management tool; a compliant token development and management solution; and a comprehensive compliance and permissioning system. MANTRA has also partnered with global powerhouses like Google Cloud, and with DAMAC Properties, one of Dubai's most prominent developers, to propel innovative solutions for 

Starting in late 2024, right after its own dedicated mainnet launch, MANTRA had become a significant player in the RWA corner of 

 (DeFi). By late February 2025, the platform’s native OM token had climbed to a value of nearly $9, with its market cap peaking at around $8.2 billion. Before the fateful events of Apr 13, 2025, OM was the third-highest-capped crypto in the RWA category, trading at $6.27, with a market cap of slightly over $6 billion, according to the CoinGecko portal.

In the evening hours (UTC time) of Apr 13, 2025, OM began to lose its value precipitously, dive-bombing from over $6 to about $0.52 in the space of two hours. The token’s market cap fell to slightly under half a billion dollars — a loss of more than 90%.

CEO John Mullin was quickly online, reassuring the crypto community that no team member had sold their OM holdings, and that this wasn’t a case of the bad ol’ rug pull. Instead, Mullin alluded that after OM tokens were moved to two leading CEXs (Binance and OKX) to use as collateral, the exchanges initiated a cascade of 

 of positions backed by the token. Both exchanges refuted the allegations, and connected OM’s price collapse to its recent unusually high price 

, and significant tokenomics changes made to OM in October 2024 that greatly undermined its value.

As a chain of liquidations took place, the token’s price started to plummet, causing significant panic that quickly led to further price drops. The situation only stabilized closer to the end of the day, with OM’s price remaining under $1. As of Apr 23, it’s trading at $0.5543 — a far cry from its rate of over $6 just two weeks ago.

After investigating, crypto analytics firm Lookonchain concluded that 17 wallets had deposited 43.6 million OM tokens (4.5% of the token's circulating supply) into the implicated exchanges. Two of these wallets are believed to belong to Laser Digital, one of MANTRA's investors. Another investor in the project, Shorooq Partners, is also suspected to be among the 17 wallets. Both Shorooq and Laser Digital have denied the allegations.

Although the price plunge was immediately compared to the 2022 collapse of the 

 (LUNA) blockchain, many analysts point out that the two crashes are fundamentally different. Terra's crash resulted from structural abnormalities in the 

 regulating UST, the project's stablecoin. In contrast, OM's fiasco is suspected to be the direct result of market-driven manipulation by 

, and possibly exchanges. No security breach, disruption to services or data, or other adverse structural events have occurred on the platform.

While this development is unprecedented for the project, MANTRA has been embroiled in other controversies throughout its history. One of these was its 

, first announced in August 2024 and then delayed multiple times. Around 50% of the wallets believed to be bots were cut off from the airdrop list. However, many considered the bot-culling process to have been conducted without much proof.

There have also been reports of vote rigging in the project's governance system in a bid to obscure MANTRA’s centralized model of profit allocation. Additionally, some analysts have accused the project of "forced bridging" to manipulate the market price. Platform users had to migrate their Ethereum-based OM tokens to MANTRA's native OM tokens via 

, which would increase gas fees and allow the project team to control the token's circulation pace.

How is MANTRA (OM) headed toward recovery?

MANTRA’s CEO rapidly reassured users that the team is now working hard to jump-start the token’s recovery. On Apr 14, 2025, Mullin unveiled plans to initiate a buyback scheme, along with the intent to burn all OM tokens held by the project team. The team's supply totals 300 million tokens, representing about 17% of the total supply.

He also denied factually incorrect assertions circulating online that the team effectively controls 90% of OM's supply. Mullin further assured the public that no large-scale selling events by investors have occurred.

As OM’s value has stayed firmly under $1, it remains to be seen how these PR efforts — as well as the planned buyback and burn — will affect the token’s future.

 as a swap pair with USDT, or on the Derivatives market as the 

Naturally, given the ongoing situation with the OM token, buying OM is at your own discretion, as right now the token is truly for the adventurous and brave at heart.

As of Apr 23, 2025, the OM token is trading at $0.5543, 93.8% lower than its ATH of $8.99 on Feb 23, 2025, and 3,138.8% higher than its ATL of $0.01726 on Oct 12, 2023.

Curiously, most crypto price prediction portals are optimistic about the OM token's long-term prospects. DigitalCoinPrice 

 of $1.81 in 2027 and $2.82 in 2030, whilePricePrediction 

It's hard to verify all the allegations flying around regarding the involvement of exchanges and key investors in the MANTRA OM incident. What matters at this stage is that the project team has been quick and proactive in injecting transparency and clarity into the situation.

The free fall in the token's price seems to be over by now. In fact, OM’s decline was over within hours of the incident. Moreover, unlike Terra's LUNA and UST coins, OM hasn't become worthless. All these factors point to potential stabilization and recovery ahead. The question now is: Will the pace and magnitude of the recovery be enough to save the project in the long term? At this early stage after the collapse, few people could answer the question with confidence. We'll eagerly await the developments over the next few weeks to see if MANTRA finds its way out of the woods. 

Intermediate

mantra om crypto.png

MANTRA (OM): Understanding its wild ride and road to recovery

In this article, we explore WalletConnect's features, its native token (WCT) and how you can trade WCT on Bybit Spot and Futures.​

WalletConnect is an open source bridging protocol that facilitates secure connections between digital wallets and 

 (DApps). With over 38 million unique active wallets and 57,000 supported apps, it’s getting noticed by the crypto community. In this article, we explore WalletConnect's features, its native token (WCT) and how you can trade WCT on Bybit.​

 protocol that allows users to connect their mobile wallets to DApps via QR code. This eliminates the need for browser extensions, and enhances security by keeping 

The protocol supports a wide range of wallets and DApps, making it a versatile tool for users navigating DeFi and web3.

 is essentially a decentralized infrastructure that facilitates a uniformed way for users to easily connect their crypto wallets with thousands of DApps. It operates through a network of

 that relay messages, ensuring reliable and secure connections. The network's design emphasizes scalability and resilience, catering to the growing demands of DeFi. 

When a user initiates a connection between their wallet and a DApp, WalletConnect establishes a secure session through a relay server that enables encrypted communication, allowing users to interact with DApps directly from their wallets. 

The network's architecture ensures that messages are transmitted efficiently, maintaining a seamless user experience.​

The WalletConnect ecosystem comprises various stakeholders, including node operators, wallet providers and DApp developers. Node operators play a crucial role by maintaining the network's infrastructure and relaying messages. 

To incentivize participation, the network implements a rewards mechanism whereby node operators earn WCT tokens, based on their performance and contribution. Prominent organizations like Consensys, Ledger and Figment are among the network's node operators, underscoring its robustness and reliability.​

 is the native utility and governance token of the WalletConnect network. It has a total supply of 1 billion, 

Initially, WCT is nontransferable to ensure that tokens remain within the WalletConnect ecosystem, supporting its focus on network functionality and development. Based on discussions within the community, transfers will be enabled based on community consensus and future governance decisions.

Where to buy the WalletConnect token (WCT)

 on Bybit Spot, and as a Perpetual contract with up to 75x 

. Bybit provides a secure and user-friendly platform for buying and selling WCT, allowing users to participate in the WalletConnect ecosystem. 

How to trade the WalletConnect token (WCT) on Bybit

Bybit's platform ensures efficient execution and provides various tools to assist users in their trading journey with ease.​ 

walletconnect wct.png

WalletConnect (WCT): Bridging web3 beyond wallets and DApps

Circle has launched the Circle Payments Network (CPN), a global payment solution designed to streamline cross-border transactions using stablecoins like USDC and EURC for real-time settlement. 

The S&P 500 rose 2.51% as investor confidence improved following President Trump’s support for Fed Chair Powell and hints of easing U.S.-China trade tensions, despite tempered optimism and Tesla’s earnings miss. Gold rebounds toward $3,400 as the US Dollar weakens and investor caution lingers over US-China trade and Fed concerns. Technicals suggest a possible pullback, with focus shifting to upcoming S&P Global PMI data. The Coindesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, rose 7.46%, with Bitcoin and Ether up 4.68% and 7.70%, respectively, in the past 24 hours. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today's top performer is DEEP, up 122.1%, following the launch of DeepBook v3.1 on Sui, which unlocks permissionless pools, enhanced balance management, and cost-efficiency for DeFi.

DeepBook (DEEP), launched on July 12, 2023,  is Sui’s native liquidity layer, using a central limit order book to enable high-throughput, low-slippage, and low-fee trading. 

, introduces several key upgrades: permissionless pools, revamped fee mechanics, and enhanced balance management. These changes make DeepBook more accessible, composable, and cost-efficient for DeFi users. Permissionless pools allow anyone to create custom trading pairs, while the enhanced balance manager supports third-party liquidations and improves protocol stability and user experience.

Check out the latest prices, charts, and data of 

, a global payment solution designed to streamline cross-border transactions using stablecoins like USDC and EURC for real-time settlement. CPN offers faster, programmable, secure, and always-available money movement for financial institutions. It supports services like invoice payments, remittances, treasury services, and payroll payouts. Over 20 design partners, including dLocal, WorldRemit, and BVNK, are contributing to building a more efficient global payments infrastructure.

Yesterday, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw $719.2M in total inflows, with $654.1M from non-GBTC funds and $65.1M from GBTC.

 its incentivized testnet, allowing users to earn $SO tokens by testing its cross-chain lending platform. By supplying and borrowing assets across chains and completing quests, participants earn "Seeds," which will convert to $SO at TGE. Powered by LayerZero, Soul aims to unify liquidity across blockchains.

Beginner

2.png

Circle launches Circle Payments Network for faster, secure global transactions using stablecoins

VeChain (VET) is a blockchain platform focused on sustainability, using eco-friendly technology to support green initiatives across industries and drive a more sustainable future.

Sustainability is now the name of the game across many industries. The blockchain industry is one of them, with several projects aiming to reduce the energy impact of their operations or support green causes in other ways. However, on closer inspection, sustainability has received much less attention in the world of blockchain technology than many people may assume. Indeed, the industry's two leading data portals, CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap, have no "Sustainability" or similar category, despite coming up with hundreds of other classifications.

Some smaller-cap projects outside of the top 100, such as 

 (IOTA), do focus on supporting environmental causes. But in the entire list of top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap, only one project can confidently be described as having sustainability as its key pillar — 

With a market cap of $2 billion (as of the time of writing on Apr 22, 2025), VeChain stands head and shoulders above any other crypto project in the sustainability niche. The project has been fully operational since 2018, and is among the oldest environmentally focused blockchain initiatives. In short, if we talk about sustainability and blockchain, it would be disingenuous not to mention VeChain and its 

Having championed green blockchain causes since 2018, VeChain announced a significant upgrade initiative in late 2024 to be rolled out in stages during 2025. Called Renaissance, it’s envisioned to further solidify VeChain's position as the leader of eco-friendly blockchain use and introduce a host of technical improvements. In fact, 2025 is the year of the most fundamental upgrade to this notable industry player in its entire history on the market, so it's precisely the time to revisit this project in our coverage.

VeChain (VET) is a decentralized project designed to support sustainability-focused blockchain use cases across various industry verticals.

 The company was first conceptualized and founded as a blockchain project in 2015 by Chinese technology professional Sunny Lu. It launched its Layer 1 network, VeChainThor (VTHO), in mid-2018, becoming one of the first decentralized initiatives to support eco-friendly applications on-chain. The VeChainThor network features low transaction fees and high levels of scalability.

For years, the VeChain blockchain has remained probably the leading decentralized platform in the niche of sustainability. As of April 2025, it retains the leadership position, and is ranked 56th among all cryptocurrencies, with a market cap of $2 billion.

VeChain's sustainable blockchain technology

Many blockchains claiming to support environmental causes typically use the 

, which is indeed much more energy-efficient than the power-hungry 

 (BTC). By using PoS, these blockchains have boldly announced that their energy use is much lower than Bitcoin's. While this is true, these platforms are essentially general-purpose networks that don't specifically design their operations with any particular sustainability use case in mind.

Instead of these two typical consensus mechanisms, the VeChainThor blockchain uses 

 (PoA), touted to be even more energy-efficient than the standard PoS employed by 

 chains. In a typical PoA consensus, a smaller number of validators with "authority" — i.e., a history of reliable behavior on the network — are entrusted to process blocks. This is in contrast to PoS, whereby many validators take part in the staking contest to outperform each other in terms of token holdings. They then receive the right to validate the next block, and have to constantly align their consensus process with other 

As a result, PoS is usually less energy-efficient than PoA. VeChain's PoA model elegantly combines efficient processing, minimal energy use and high levels of enterprise-grade security.

The VeChainThor blockchain network's processing engine also features compatibility with the 

 (EVM), making cross-chain communication with the Ethereum world much easier for VeChain developers and 

PoA block validation isn’t the only sustainability-minded feature of VeChain. Unlike many other popular chains, VeChain also directly enables sustainability use cases, primarily by utilizing its tamperproof and transparent data-tracking mechanism. Thus, enterprises across different industries can track and reliably verify the origin of goods and their sustainability status for eco-friendly supply chain management. For instance, supermarket chains can use the platform to track and verify the carbon footprint of the produce they source; logistics companies can calculate the overall emissions generated along their supply chains; and fashion brands can track sustainable sourcing of materials used for their product lines.

Besides its own blockchain, the project also offers a blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) platform, VeChain ToolChain, to help businesses integrate VeChain's technology into their business processes via standardized smart contract services.

To further position itself as a champion of sustainability, VeChain launched 

 represents an on-chain ecosystem of DApps that reward VeChain users for completing various eco-friendly tasks, such as using reusable coffee cups, shopping for organic products, picking litter off streets and more. VeBetterDAO is the project’s foray into the individual consumer side of environmentalism, which complements the VeChain platform’s long-standing sustainability features for the enterprise world.

In late 2024, VeChain first announced its planned multi-stage upgrade, Renaissance, to make the platform even more efficient. Its changes are envisioned to take place gradually throughout 2025, and possibly beyond. The Renaissance upgrade touches many parts of the platform, with three key areas involved — a new VeChain staking and node model, technical updates and changes to the dual token mechanism. We'll cover the first two areas below, and the changes to VeChain’s tokenomics in the next section.

VeChain’s PoA block validation model uses a group of 101 trusted Authority Masternodes (AMs) who will fully transition to Validators under the new Renaissance model by December 2025. Each Authority Masternode is approved by the VeChain Foundation. These nodes are responsible for generating transaction blocks. You’ll need to 

 at least 25 million VET to participate in block production, which occurs in fixed 14-day cycles.

Under the platform’s pre-Renaissance model, there are two more types of specialized nodes — Economic and X-Nodes — who stake their tokens to a selected AM/Validator and participate in 

 on the platform. After the Renaissance upgrade is fully rolled out, Economic nodes and X-Nodes will be replaced by a tiered system of Delegator nodes.

Delegators will need to stake a certain amount of VET tokens to mint Delegator 

, which will entitle them to different grades of staking reward multipliers. The more you stake, the higher grade of NFT you receive, and the higher your staking rewards will be. When blocks are produced, AMs/Validators will receive 30% of the total block reward, with the remaining 70% going to holders of the Delegator NFTs.

The image below shows the new Delegator NFT–tiered model, with minimum VET staking requirements and reward multipliers.

While the VeChainThor network is EVM-compatible, there are still differences between its technical parameters and the standard EVM used by Ethereum. For this reason, the Renaissance upgrade aims to reach full EVM compatibility, including implementing the JSON-RPC (

remote procedure call) extensively employed within the Ethereum blockchain.

As part of the Renaissance upgrade, the project will also introduce a new set of tools to achieve more seamless cross-chain capabilities. This will involve integrating new 

The VeChain token model has always been based on two cryptocurrencies: VET and VTHO. VET is the 

 that acts as the main means of value storage and transfer on the platform, while VTHO is used to pay for gas. Now, the Renaissance upgrade also changes the way the dual-token mechanism operates.

Before the upgrade fully kicks in, VTHO is still generated by simply holding VET. After the Renaissance, only staked VET will generate new VTHO for the holder. This should better align VTHO with the active participation of users on the platform. VTHO's inflation rate will also be cut by over 70%, as its issuance will be aligned to a new emission model that considers the total amount of VET staked on the platform.

To further reduce the inflationary properties of VTHO, 100% of all base transaction fees on the network, which are all paid with VTHO, will be 

VET is the platform’s value transfer and storage token. It’s also used for governance and access to various features and apps on the network. VET is a supply-capped token with a max supply of just over 86.7 billion. These properties will not change following the Renaissance upgrade.

VTHO, which is used to pay for gas fees on VeChainThor, is an inflationary token with an uncapped supply. It currently has a total supply of almost 88,7 billion. As noted above, after Renaissance, VTHO will be generated via staking only, and will feature a burn mechanism to reduce its inflation rate.

 as a swap pair with USDT, and on the Derivatives market as the 

In addition, you can take advantage of Bybit’s event dedicated to the VET token to grab a share of a 

. New users can earn VET rewards by accumulating a deposit volume of at least 5,000 VET, or by depositing at least 100 USDT and trading 100 USDT worth of VET via their first Spot trade using their Bybit account. Meanwhile, existing users can also qualify for rewards by trading at least 500 USDT worth of VET on the Bybit Spot market. The event runs through Apr 28, 2025, 9AM UTC.

As of Apr 23, 2025, the VET token is trading at $0.02576, which is 90.8% lower than its ATH of $0.281 on Apr 19, 2021, and 1,243.2% higher than its ATL of $0.001917 on Mar 13, 2020.

Long-term price forecasts for VET are mostly bullish. DigitalCoinPrice 

 of $0.088 in 2027 and $0.14 in 2030, while PricePrediction 

In the long term, VET might even rise to $1, at least according to PricePrediction’s forecast. Its portal is highly optimistic, estimating that VET will hit the $1 mark in 2034.

You might consider investing in the VeChain token VET based on the following:

When Sunny Lu created VeChain in 2015, his vision focused on sustainability issues. VeChain's work in this area has led to the creation of the first decentralized network truly dedicated to making a tangible environmental impact. The entire VeChain ecosystem — including the VeChainThor blockchain platform, VeBetterDAO and VeChain Toolchain — continues to serve as a significant enabler of sustainable technology in the business world.

Now, with the Renaissance upgrade being rolled out for the duration of 2025, VeChain aims to solidify its leadership in this sphere. With the Renaissance upon us, it's hard to see any blockchain platform that could challenge VeChain in the area of sustainability anytime soon.

Vechain.png

What is VeChain (VET): Building a sustainable future for all

Indicators

Trading

Hidden divergence is a technical analysis that tells if a positive or negative trend is coming. These divergences can be bullish or bearish. Learn how it works.

Crypto-trading.jpg

Divergence is a type of pattern found on crypto price charts that signals an upcoming shift in trend. Classic or regular divergence is found at the end of a trend, while hidden divergence is found at the end of a trend consolidation.

Both types of divergence appear frequently on crypto charts. Alert traders who spot them are able to see good investment opportunities.

 pattern spotted on price charts when the price of a crypto asset is moving in the opposite direction of a 

 or moving contrary to other data. Divergence is a warning that the current trend is weakening and may change.

Divergence signals that a positive or negative price move may soon happen. Positive (bullish) divergence signals that prices may soon rally. Negative (bearish) divergence signals that prices may dip soon.

When positive divergence is spotted on trading charts, crypto traders who are currently short the asset will plan to exit and close their positions. Crypto traders who are flat or long the asset will prepare to position long or add to their long position since positive divergence signals a rally may soon begin. 

There are two types of divergence that can signal a bullish rally may soon begin. Regular or classic divergence is the most common type. Hidden divergence is a little more difficult to spot but can be a powerful pattern, signaling a shifting trend.

Regular divergence occurs when the price of a cryptocurrency continues higher and creates higher highs, but the indicator creates lower highs.

In the image above, Bitcoin continues to create new all-time highs in price. However, the 

 (RSI) indicator is creating a series of lower highs. This is a bearish symptom of market momentum and suggests a trend change from up to down is about to begin.

The same thing can also happen in the opposite direction.

In the example above, Bitcoin is experiencing a correction and keeps carving lower lows in price. However, the 

 creates higher lows, signaling the downward momentum has weakened and a bullish rally about to begin. Bitcoin goes on to rally approximately 20% in a couple of weeks.

Hidden divergence is created when the price of a cryptocurrency carves a higher low, while the indicator creates a lower low. Typically a hidden divergence can also be categorized by a bullish or bearish hidden divergence.

 happens during a correction of an uptrend when the value of an asset makes a higher low. However, the oscillator is still showing a lower low. This usually translates that the bullish trend continuation signals trader to take profit.

, on the other hand, is the opposite. Meaning the value of an asset makes a lower high, but oscillators are showing a higher high. This signals a trend reversal in which a trader should stop loss and sell-off as soon as possible.

In the image above, Ethereum is consolidating and begins to grind sideways, creating a higher low in price. At the same time, the stochastic indicator points to a lower low. This is a bullish hidden divergence. It signals a rally is about to begin. Sure enough, Ethereum rallies nearly 90% over the next couple of weeks.

Hidden divergence can also signal a deeper correction.

After a feeble recovery from a May 2021 correction, Ethereum carves a hidden bearish divergence pattern. Ethereum displays a lower high on price, while the MACD indicator shows a higher high. This signals that a continuation of the downtrend may begin soon. Shortly thereafter, Ethereum fell 35% further.

The difference between regular and hidden divergence is subtle. 

Regular divergence is typically found at the end of a long trend and signals a new corrective phase. Hidden divergence is typically found at the end of a consolidation phase and signals that the consolidation is about to end in favor of the original trend’s direction.

A regular divergence is used at the end of a long trend, while hidden divergence is used at the end of consolidation.

Hidden divergence is different from regular divergence due to the location of the pattern. Hidden divergence tends to occur within an existing trend. It signals the end of a consolidation phase within the larger trend. We call it “hidden” because it isn’t obvious to the untrained eye.

Then, between February 10 and February 14, another consolidation occurs. Again, RSI is forming a lower low, while Bitcoin’s price creates a higher low. This hidden divergence signals the end of that small correction and Bitcoin rallies further.

As the trend is tiring, regular bearish divergence appears, signaling that the trend may soon turn lower. Beginning February 19 to–21, Bitcoin’s price carves a series of higher highs. However, RSI is pointing lower highs at the same time, suggesting the momentum is very weak and a reversal is imminent. Bitcoin subsequently corrects 25% lower.

Hidden divergence will appear in both bullish and bearish directions. The examples above using Bitcoin are great illustrations of bullish hidden divergence.

An informed trader can also use hidden bearish divergence to help them identify when a continuation of the trend may continue lower. This is helpful when the crypto markets are experiencing a correction, though the average trader is uncertain if the correction will dig deeper.

Above, as Bitcoin is correcting lower in the latter part of March 2021, bearish hidden divergence appears. On the chart, you can see a higher high by using RSI, while we have a lower high on Bitcoin’s price during the same period. This is a clue that more losses are on the horizon. Shortly thereafter, Bitcoin’s price fell about 12% in two days.

Spotting hidden divergence can be tricky to the untrained eye. However, with some practice, you will be able to spot and trade the divergence in your favor. Hidden and regular divergence can be spotted on all crypto chart time frames, so you can find plenty of opportunities to practice spotting it on crypto charts.

One important ingredient for seeing divergence is using a technical indicator. Most oscillators (indicators) will work. But keep in mind that adding more oscillators to the chart does not equate to a more reliable signal. Choose the oscillator or charting tool that you’re most comfortable with. Regardless of the indicator chosen, that same indicator can help you identify both regular and hidden divergence.

In several examples above, we used RSI. In the following examples, we’ll illustrate using stochastics and MACD, which are two other common tools used to spot divergences.

When using the MACD to identify divergences, you can utilize any of these three parts. You don’t need all of them to spot the divergence. For these illustrations, we’ll focus on the MACD line. I recommend thickening the MACD line on your chart so that it’s easier to see.

Next, determine the direction of the trend. If the trend is up, then we’ll look for bullish hidden divergence, which means the MACD line will print a lower low while the price prints a higher low. If the trend is down, then look for bearish hidden divergence, where the MACD line prints a higher high, but the price prints a lower high.

Here’s an example of a 1-hour price chart from March 2021. After bottoming on March 25, Bitcoin began to rally. Consolidation occurs between March 27–28. On March 28, the MACD line is printing lower lows compared to the March 27 value — and yet, Bitcoin’s price is higher. This is a setup for another rally. Once the consolidation ends, Bitcoin rallies about 9% over the next two days.

Spotting Hidden Divergence Using Stochastics

The stochastic oscillator (some charting packages call it slow stochastic) is a three-input oscillator that prints two lines. I usually use the input value of 15-5-5, but 14-3-3 is also useful.

Thicken the %K line so it’s easier to see on the charts.

Above, we can see Ethererum locked into a downtrend on a 1-hour chart in June 2021. From June 15–7, a hidden bearish divergence is spotted as the stochastic oscillator prints a higher high, while Ethereum carves a lower high.

This pattern suggests the consolidation of the previous downtrend is over, and that Ethereum may continue to fall. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that the price correction in Ethereum accelerated lower as the cryptocurrency lost about 20% over the next two days.

Applying Hidden Divergence to Crypto Technical Analysis

Learning to spot hidden divergence patterns doesn’t have to be difficult — especially when you consider the frequency with which hidden divergence appears on crypto charts. Now that you’ve spotted the pattern, what do you do next?

Follow this step-by-step guide on setting up the trade.

Hidden divergence is a pattern that signals the end of price consolidation. With Bitcoin, it will signal a continuation of the previous trend. To get the most out of your trade, look for the hidden divergence pattern within the context of the larger trend.

For example, if the larger trend is up, then look for bullish hidden divergence. When you spot the bullish hidden divergence pattern, use it as a buy signal. Ignore bearish hidden divergence patterns in an uptrend.

Do the opposite in a downtrend: look for bearish hidden divergence, and ignore the bullish patterns. Once you see the bearish hidden divergence pattern, then look to sell.

You’ll receive a more reliable signal when the hidden divergence pattern is aligned with the direction of the larger trend.

After you’ve spotted a hidden divergence trade that aligns with the larger trend, it’s time to plan out the trade’s parameters. Divergence patterns are great for signaling an upcoming trend change, but they can be less reliable when it comes to the timing of the trend change. Therefore, it’s important to give your trade room to breathe. You don’t want the normal movements of the market to stop out your trade.

After you spot the hidden divergence, place the stop loss just beyond the recent swing price extreme. In the case of bullish hidden divergence, place the stop loss just below the swing low where the buy signal shows up. In the case of bearish hidden divergence, place the stop loss just above the swing high where the sell signal occurred.

As you know, crypto markets can trend at mind-blowing rates. Traders with dreams of endless profits will look to crypto and place open-ended trades with no exit plan. However, I would encourage you to think differently.

If you’re trading on shorter-term charts, i.e., 1-hour or 2-hour, consider a target where you can remove part or all of your trade. A good rule of thumb is to target at least twice the distance to your stop loss. So, if your stop-loss is 100 ETH, then target at least 200 ETH. If you’re fortunate and prices move in your favor, watch out for classic divergence that will signal a premature end to the trend.

With a little practice, hidden divergence patterns can be found on a lot of crypto charts. However, there are a few limitations to be aware of.

First, divergence patterns are easy to spot in hindsight but potentially difficult to spot in real-time. This is because the emotional state of the market will get you excited about a bullish bump, only for you to find out later that this was a bearish hidden divergence setup. Try to keep your emotions out of the market. An emotional eye can bias your analysis.

Secondly, when hidden divergence appears late in a trend, risk-to-reward ratios aren’t as reliable. Most of the trend is over, and by the time you wait for the price to diverge from the oscillator, you’re entering into the trend at a worse price point.

Lastly, the price patterns for smaller cryptocurrencies may not be as reliable as the ones you’ll find with larger markets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Fewer buyers and sellers are interested in a smaller market, leaving it more prone to volatility and bad tics.

Bullish and bearish hidden divergences are powerful patterns seen at the end of consolidation. They signal a continuation of the original trend. These patterns are frequently found within Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto markets, making them easy to learn. 

However, spotting them in real-time can be challenging. Additionally, if hidden divergence is discovered late in the trend, the trade tends to be less rewarding. 

The key to success in trading hidden divergence is to filter your trades in the direction of the larger trend. Always analyze the market sentiment, and it is best a trend-following 

Hidden Bullish & Bearish Divergence: How to Apply For Crypto Trading?

Compete for 2,500 USDT Every Week

Earn Points by Completing Tasks

Event Rules

Weekly Leaderboard