Deep Dive
1. Hayabusa Mainnet Upgrade (Bullish Impact)
Overview: The Hayabusa upgrade went live on December 2, 2025, ending passive VTHO generation from holding VET. Instead, VTHO is now minted only through staking, with unclaimed rewards and transaction fees burned. This deflationary mechanism reduces daily supply by eliminating idle VTHO creation.
What this means: Reduced inflation (VTHO’s 30-day price drop narrowed to -17.15% from -47.08% over 90 days) improves scarcity. The upgrade’s transition phase ended on December 9, coinciding with the 24h price rise as users finalized staking positions.
What to look out for: VTHO burn rate data post-upgrade and validator reward distribution starting December 9.
2. Staking-Driven Supply Shock (Bullish Impact)
Overview: Hayabusa requires users to stake VET via StarGate 2.0 to earn VTHO. Over 5.3 billion VTHO rewards are allocated to early participants, incentivizing staking and reducing liquid supply.
What this means: With 96.87 billion VET staked (100% of circulating supply), demand for VTHO as gas for transactions and staking rewards could outstrip new supply. The 24h trading volume surged 9.11% to $2.53M, reflecting urgency to accumulate.
What to look out for: Validator participation rates and APY trends in StarGate 2.0.
3. Technical Momentum (Mixed Impact)
Overview: VTHO’s RSI-7 (57.21) signals bullish momentum, while MACD shows a positive crossover. However, the price ($0.000997) remains below the 30-day SMA ($0.001021), indicating overhead resistance.
What this means: Traders may be pricing in reduced inflation, but sustained gains require breaking the $0.00102 resistance. The 24h rally aligns with a bounce from the Fibonacci 78.6% retracement level ($0.000988).
What to look out for: A close above $0.00102 to confirm a bullish reversal.
Conclusion
VTHO’s 24h gain stems from Hayabusa’s deflationary shift and staking incentives, compounded by technical buying. While bullish, the token faces resistance near $0.00102 and remains vulnerable to profit-taking after the upgrade’s initial hype.
Key watch: Will validator activity and VTHO burns post-December 9 sustain buying pressure?