Deep Dive
1. Regulatory Milestone (Bullish Impact)
Overview: In September 2025, the SEC granted DoubleZero a no-action letter, stating programmatic 2Z token flows are not securities transactions (SEC). This landmark decision provides regulatory certainty, potentially encouraging more institutional network contributors and U.S.-based users to participate without legal hesitation.
What this means: This removes a significant barrier to adoption, especially for regulated entities like telecom operators. Reduced regulatory risk can attract long-term capital and strengthen network fundamentals, creating a more stable base for organic demand growth over the medium term.
2. Network Growth vs. Speculative Trading (Mixed Impact)
Overview: 2Z's value is designed to derive from utility—paying for and rewarding high-performance network connectivity. Mainnet-beta launched in October 2025 with over 22% of staked SOL already connected (Yahoo Finance). However, news analysis shows price swings have often been driven by speculative derivatives trading rather than spot demand, leading to volatility.
What this means: Sustained price growth depends on the network onboarding more validators and users, increasing the base of required 2Z purchases. Until utility-driven demand outpaces speculative flows, price may remain vulnerable to sentiment shifts and leverage unwinds.
3. Inflation and Unlock Schedule (Bearish Impact)
Overview: The token has a 10 billion total supply with 3.47 billion (34.7%) circulating at launch. A detailed release schedule shows the circulating supply is set to increase significantly through 2026-2028 (Upbit). Furthermore, the protocol mints new 2Z as rewards, adding inflationary pressure.
What this means: This creates a constant overhang of new sellable tokens. Even with growing demand, price appreciation could be dampened or reversed if new supply hits the market faster than it is absorbed. This is a critical structural headwind, especially in the next 12-24 months.
Conclusion
2Z's long-term case is bolstered by its essential utility and regulatory green light, but near-to-medium-term price action faces stiff headwinds from token supply inflation and thin organic demand. For a holder, patience is key as the network must prove its adoption can outpace its dilution.
Will rising validator adoption on the DoubleZero network finally translate to sustained buy pressure, or will scheduled unlocks keep the price anchored?