Deep Dive
1. Buyback Impact Muted (Bearish)
Overview:
PYTH DAO began allocating 33% of protocol revenue to monthly open-market purchases on Dec 12 (Kanalcoin). However, initial buybacks ($100K–$200K) represent just ~0.03% of PYTH’s $335M market cap.
What this means:
While buybacks theoretically reduce sell pressure, the program’s current scale is insufficient to counter broader bearish momentum. Combined with PYTH’s -58% 90-day decline, traders see limited short-term upside without larger demand catalysts.
What to look out for:
Q1 2026’s Pythian Council review of pricing strategies – expanding revenue could amplify buyback impact.
2. Technical Breakdown (Bearish)
Overview:
PYTH trades at $0.0584, below all key moving averages (30-day SMA: $0.0672; 200-day SMA: $0.116). The RSI (36.57) nears oversold territory but lacks bullish divergence.
What this means:
The price sits near Fibonacci retracement support ($0.0589), but MACD remains negative (-0.0056). Until PYTH reclaims $0.0664 (50% retracement), sellers dominate.
Key level to watch:
A close below $0.0532 (2025 low) risks accelerating declines toward $0.04.
3. Altcoin Weakness (Mixed Impact)
Overview:
Bitcoin dominance rose to 59.16% (up 0.14% YoY), reflecting capital rotation from alts to BTC. Derivatives data shows altcoin open interest down -7.93% MoY.
What this means:
PYTH mirrors sector-wide headwinds: 97 of the top 100 alts underperformed BTC this week. However, its 4.37% 7-day gain vs BTC’s -0.73% suggests relative resilience.
Conclusion
PYTH’s dip reflects skepticism toward its buyback scale, technical breakdowns, and a risk-off altcoin climate. While the DAO’s revenue-linked buyback model offers long-term potential, short-term sentiment hinges on Bitcoin’s trajectory and PYTH’s ability to hold $0.0532.
Key watch: Can PYTH close above its 7-day SMA ($0.0581) to stem further losses?