Deep Dive
1. Jovian Hardfork Upgrade (Bullish Impact)
Overview: Metal L2’s Jovian Hardfork (Upgrade 17) aligns with OP Stack’s latest release, targeting enhanced scalability and security. Scheduled for November 25, 2025, this upgrade could improve transaction throughput and cross-chain interoperability.
What this means: Successful implementation may attract developers and users to Metal L2, increasing demand for MTL as the gas fee token. Historically, OP Stack upgrades have boosted affiliated tokens – for example, Optimism’s OP rose 12% post-upgrade in October 2025 (Metal L2).
2. Velodrome Liquidity Incentives (Mixed Impact)
Overview: Metal DAO allocates 10,000 MTL weekly to Velodrome liquidity providers, incentivizing participation. Users must stake MTL to vote on pool allocations, creating buy pressure.
What this means: While this drives short-term demand, consistent token unlocks (10K MTL/week = ~$4.7K) risk dilution. Similar programs, like Synthetix’s SNX rewards, initially lifted prices but saw volatility as rewards were sold (Metal L2).
3. Macro Sentiment & Altcoin Risk (Bearish Impact)
Overview: The crypto Fear & Greed Index sits at 31 (Fear), and Bitcoin dominance (59.3%) signals risk-off sentiment. Altcoins like MTL underperform in such conditions – its 30-day drop (-12.4%) outpaces BTC (-7.8%).
What this means: Until market-wide confidence rebounds, MTL may struggle to sustain gains despite project-specific catalysts. Traders often rotate to BTC during uncertainty, pressuring altcoin liquidity.
Conclusion
MTL’s November upgrade and Velodrome incentives offer near-term upside, but macro headwinds and reward-driven sell pressure cap upside. Watch the Jovian Hardfork’s adoption and whether MTL’s RSI (57) breaks above 60 – a sign of bullish momentum. Can Metal L2’s compliance focus lure institutional flows despite the fear-dominated market?