Top 5 Crypto Performers Overview: Tron, Litecoin, Binance Coin, Dash, Monero

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

The market data is provided by the HitBTC exchange.

Jeff Schumacher, founder of BCG Digital Ventures, told CNBC during a panel discussion in Davos, Switzerland that Bitcoin will go to zero. In another interview with Fox Business, Fundstrat Global Managing Partner Thomas Lee said that Bitcoin can still go to $25,000, which he calls its fair value.

Analysts at JPMorgan Chase have predicted that Bitcoin is likely to plunge to $2,400 and eventually further to $1,260. Such differing opinions can confuse new investors who are looking to enter the crypto markets.

We believe that traders should focus on the fundamental developments in the crypto space, as well as on the price action on the charts. Cryptocurrencies as an asset class are here to stay.

Numerous blockchain projects are securing funding from traditional investors every month, which confirms that those investors are confident in the long-term promise of crypto. Crypto companies are introducing new products to attract institutional investors.

Moreover, efforts are in progress to integrate cryptocurrencies into the mainstream economy. It is only a matter of time before the bear market ends and a new bull phase begins.

However, this time, we don’t expect a vertical rise as seen in 2017. It will likely be a more gradual movement higher. A few of the top cryptocurrencies are showing signs of bottoming out. Let’s see if any of the top performers of this week qualify as a buy.

TRX/USD

Tron (TRX) was the best performing cryptocurrency among the largest coins by market cap over the past week. In its weekly report, Tron said that it has over “150 DApps and more than 300 smart contracts.”

At the recent niTron Summit, Tron founder and CEO Justin Sun said that he expects the number of decentralized applications (DApps) on the network to surge to 2,000 by the year-end.

The TRX/USD pair is showing strength as the bulls are attempting to sustain above the overhead resistance at $0.02815521. As the cryptocurrency has been stuck in this range since mid-August, we believe that a breakout will result in a new uptrend.

The immediate target objective is $0.4, but we expect this to be crossed and the rally to extend to $0.05218328. Therefore, we suggest long positions on a close (UTC time frame) above $0.02815521, with a stop loss just below $0.021.

Conversely, if the cryptocurrency fails to sustain the breakout and drops below $0.02815521 once again, it will remain range bound between $0.0183 and $0.02815521. The sentiment will weaken if the bears push the price below the support of $0.0183.

LTC/USD

Litecoin (LTC) has come up with a new tagline “Take control of your money and pay with Litecoin” and a new logo. The logo was first showcased during a UFC event sponsored by the company and was widely appreciated. Will the new vision help change the fortunes for the struggling cryptocurrency? Let’s find out.

The LTC/USD pair is attempting to put a bottom in place. After the initial pullback from the low of $23.090, the bulls have held the support at $29.349 for the past five weeks. This increases the probability of this level being a higher low. We will get a confirmation if the price breaks out of the downtrend line and the previous swing high of $40.784.

Long-term investors can expect the cryptocurrency to start a new uptrend if the price sustains above $40.784. There is a minor resistance at $47.246, above which the move can extend to $65.561.

Our bullish view will be invalidated if the bears defend the overhead resistance of the downtrend line, or the $40.784 mark. In such a case, the price will remain range bound between $29.349 and $40.784 for a few more weeks, before breaking out or breaking down from it.

BNB/USD

Binance Coin (BNB) has made giant strides in the past few weeks and is now ranking 12th largest coin by market capitalization. Binance has become the latest exchange to offer a crypto-to-crypto over-the-counter (OTC) trading desk to benefit from the surge in OTC trading.

The company has rebranded its Trust Wallet as a multi cryptocurrency wallet, adding support to a larger number of blockchains and has improved its various features. Binance Charity has announced a Lunch for Children program that will help provide lunch to disadvantaged children in developing countries in Africa and elsewhere. Can BNB’s recovery continue or will it falter? Let’s see.

The BNB/USD pair has reached the resistance line of the descending channel. The 20-week EMA is also placed just above the channel. Therefore, we anticipate a strong resistance in the zone of $7.17–$7.7.

A breakout and close (UTC time frame) above this zone is likely to signal a trend reversal. The upside target is $12 and if that is crossed, the move can extend to $15. We retain the buy proposed in the previous weekly analysis.

If the position gets filled, we suggest traders book partial profits at resistance levels and raise the stops on the remaining amount. After all, the sentiment of the broader crypto market is still negative, so it is better to pocket small profits while one can, instead of waiting for a home run.

Our bullish assumption will be invalidated if the price reverses direction from the current levels. The downtrend will resume if the bears sink the coin below $4.1723848.  

DASH/USD

Dash recently released version 0.13 of its build, and 47 percent of masternodes have already transitioned to it. The cryptocurrency is already quite popular in Venezuela with over 2,600 merchants accepting it.

We expect the latest political crisis in Venezuela to attract more people to Dash, and this will highlight the importance of cryptocurrencies during times of unrest and crisis. Anypay and eGifter have partnered with coin, allowing customers to turn their DASH into eGift cards without converting to fiat. Can these fundamental factors propel the price? Let’s find out.

The long-term trend in the DASH/USD pair is still down. The bulls are attempting to form a higher low around $67. However, both moving averages are trending down, and the RSI is also close to the oversold levels. This shows that the sellers currently have the upper hand. If the bears sink the cryptocurrency below $56.214, the downtrend will resume.

The pair will show signs of strength if it breaks out of the overhead resistance zone of $103–$123. If that happens, a rally to $175 and above it to $224 will be probable. Another possibility is that the bears defend the immediate resistance at $103.261, resulting in a consolidation.

XMR/USD

Monero (XMR) managed to end the week with minor gains even though it was in the news for the wrong reasons. A study published by academics from Spain and the UK has highlighted that about 4.3 percent of Monero’s total supply was mined illegally.

The crypto exchange Gemini chose to list Dash instead of Monero because its founders, the Winklevoss Twins believe that the regulators would be more favorable to Dash. When the price doesn’t fall even amidst adverse news, it is usually a positive sign. So, is it a good time to buy? Let’s find out.

The XMR/USD pair has been consolidating in a tight range of $38.5–$60.147 for the past eight weeks. A breakdown of the range will resume the downtrend and can push it towards the next support at $28.

On the other hand, a break out of the range can propel the cryptocurrency to the overhead resistance at $81. The downsloping 20-week EMA is located just below this level. Hence, we anticipate a strong resistance at $75–$81.

As the price is currently trading close to the yearly low, we are not suggesting any trades. We might suggest long positions if the pair sustains above $81.  

Market data is provided by the HitBTC exchange. Charts for analysis are provided by TradingView.