Stellar Surge Incoming: XLM Teases $1 as Golden Cross & Protocol 23 Collide
🚀 Explosive Growth:
XLM has rallied over 104% in July, jumping from $0.22 to $0.52, making it one of the top-performing altcoins this month.
⚙️ Protocol 23 Upgrade Incoming:
The Stellar network will undergo Protocol 23 upgrade (Mainnet vote on August 14, 2025), introducing 8 Core Advancement Proposals (CAPs) aimed at efficiency & scalability.
💹 Golden Cross Formation:
The 50-day SMA ($0.297) is about to cross the 200-day SMA ($0.31) — a classic Golden Cross, often a strong bullish indicator. Last time this formed (Dec 2024), XLM spiked to $0.634.
📊 Bullish Chart Setup:
Legendary trader Peter Brandt identifies a bullish pattern forming — suggesting a potential breakout past $1 if volume surges and resistance around $0.63–$0.70 breaks.
📈 Volume + Interest Up:
Both retail and institutional investors are showing increased interest. Daily volume has surged sharply, often a precursor to major moves.
Watch for volume spikes at $0.58–$0.63. If volume breaks out with the Golden Cross confirmation, it’s a textbook breakout pattern — often followed by a 30–60% rally in mid-caps like XLM.
Set a buy zone around $0.50–$0.53 with tight stop-loss under $0.47. Target zones: $0.63 (short-term) and $0.98–$1.05 (medium-term).
🧠 Critical Analysis
Bull Case:
Golden Cross + Upgrade = Momentum combo
Break above $0.634 = Technical breakout confirmation
High confidence in Protocol 23 vote passing
RSI still below overheated zones → Room to run
Bear Case:
If $0.47 fails to hold, short-term trend breaks
Delays or bugs in Protocol 23 deployment = Confidence drop
Market-wide correction (e.g., Bitcoin pullback) could stall the run