Cortex (CTXC), Horizen (ZEN), and USUAL Tokens Buck the Trend with Rallies Driven by Technological Advancements

Amid a challenging market environment, Cortex (CTXC), Horizen (ZEN), and USUAL tokens are bucking the trend with rallies driven by technological advancements

Amid a challenging market environment, Cortex (CTXC), Horizen (ZEN), and USUAL tokens are bucking the trend with rallies driven by technological advancements, strategic updates, and growing investor interest. These rallies highlight the impact of recent technological innovations and ecosystem updates, reflecting investor optimism in their practical applications.

Cortex (CTXC) saw a strong rally today, largely driven by the recent updates on its AI-integrated blockchain technology, including MIPS compilation and ZkRollup. The project also benefited from news related to enhancing scalability and efficiency for AI models. This, in turn, led to a surge in investor interest and a price spike of over 47% on Dec 20. The token reached a daily high of around $0.353 before paring some gains.

The CTXC USD pair faced resistance at the 100-day EMA (blue) near $0.366 and failed to cross above it. Furthermore, the Cortex token encountered resistance from its 200-day EMA (green) near $0.32, which the bulls failed to conquer despite the token’s price spike on Dec. 20.

On the other hand, a reversal from here would see bulls scrambling to keep CTXC prices above the support level near $0.255. Failure of this support level could see the Cortex token price test the support near $0.214 before recovering.

Meanwhile, the relative strength index for the token remained neutral, with a score of around 42.

The market’s strong response to Cortex's technological innovations underscores growing confidence in its role to advance AI applications within the blockchain ecosystem, solidifying its appeal amid broader market uncertainty. The platform's recent advancements in MIPS compilation and ZkRollup technology have positioned it as a leader in decentralized AI. These updates promise improved scalability and efficiency for AI models, a feature highly attractive to developers and enterprises.

Horizen (ZEN) has also emerged as a rare gainer, largely benefitting from recent updates on its sidechain protocol. These upgrades focused on enhancing scalability and efficiency, catering to the rising demand for privacy-driven blockchain solutions. Additionally, ZEN's adoption of the ZenDAO governance framework has boosted community participation, while its recent listing on Asia-Pacific exchanges has increased liquidity.

With privacy becoming a crucial aspect in the digital age, ZEN's developments have positioned it as a top choice for investors seeking innovation in secure and scalable blockchain solutions. These cues helped the token register a spike on a relatively bearish day, similar to the Cortex token.

The token rose more than 21% on Dec. 20 to reach a daily high near $19.23. However, the resistance near $20 rebuffed ZEN price rally. If bulls manage to break past the immediate resistance, ZEN price could rise to the resistance near $23.1 before correcting.

However, if the rally fails, ZEN price would be forced to test the support levels near $15.5 and $12.8 before recovering.

The RSI for ZEN remained at the threshold of the overbought region, with a score near 69.99.

USUAL, the governance token of the Usual protocol, surged today following its Binance listing earlier this week, a move that significantly expanded its global accessibility and trading volume. This development has attracted substantial investor interest from around the world.

The Usual protocol's approach to stablecoins, which are backed by real-world assets such as U.S. Treasury Bills, has reinforced its reputation for stability and innovation. Moreover, Its USD0++ product, which offers staking rewards with liquidity, further cemented the project’s appeal in the DeFi space. Today’s rally underscores market confidence in USUAL coin’s growing adoption.

If the USUAL coin price continues its rally, it would likely face resistance near $1.8 and $2.24, reaching either marking a new ATH for the token. However, given the thin daily candle that the token formed on Dec. 20, it is likely that traders might be booking profits. Moreover, the overbought RSI level, with a score close to 90, would likely add bearish pressure against the token.

As such, USUAL coin price risks a drop to the support levels near $1.2 and $0.8.