Focus on NFTs and interoperability pushes Icon (ICX), Ark and Axie Infinity higher

Focus on NFTs and interoperability pushes Icon (ICX), Ark and Axie Infinity higher

High levels of excitement continue to surround all things nonfungible token (NFT)-related as nonfungible art, collectibles and new business models built on the nascent sector attract a diverse array of investors. 

In addition to the development of lucrative secondary markets for NFT listings and sales, crypto projects that are focused on NFTs, decentralized finance (DeFi) and cross-chain interoperability have also seen their native tokens rally significantly.

Our top trading bots

Three projects that fit in this category are Axie Infinity, Icon and Ark.

AXS/USDT

Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based trading and battling game inspired by games like Pokémon and Tamagotchi that allows players to collect, breed, raise, battle and trade token-based creatures known as Axies.

According to data provided by the project, the month of March was one of the fastest periods of growth for the Axie community, with more than 250,000 active users engaging with the protocol.

Focus on NFTs and interoperability pushes Icon (ICX), Ark and Axie Infinity higher
AXS/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

Data from Cointelegraph Markets and TradingView shows that the price of its native Axie Infinity Shard (AXS) token has surged 515% over the past month, going from a low of $1.27 on Feb. 28 to a new all-time high of $7.33 on March 30 as excitement for the release of Battle V2 lures new players and investors to the protocol.

According to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro, market conditions for AXS have been favorable for some time.

The VORTECS™ Score, exclusive to Cointelegraph, is an algorithmic comparison of historic and current market conditions derived from a combination of data points including market sentiment, trading volume, recent price movements and Twitter activity.

Focus on NFTs and interoperability pushes Icon (ICX), Ark and Axie Infinity higher
VORTECS™ Score (green) vs. AXS price. Source: Cointelegraph Markets Pro

As seen in the chart above, the VORTECS™ Score for AXS has been in the green for some time, and it began to pick up on March 24 when it registered a high of 80 before dropping into the light green zone. As AXS' price began to increase on March 25, the VORTECS™ Score began to rise as well and reached a high of 87 on March 28, roughly 20 hours before the price increased 70% over the next two days.

ICX/USDT

Icon is a decentralized blockchain network that has taken a focus on cross-chain interoperability through the creation of its Blockchain Transmission Protocol (BTP).

The project released the most recent update for the BTP on March 24, which kicked off the latest price rally for its Icon Exchange Token (ICX), as investors anticipate further activity once interoperability with the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks becomes a reality.

Focus on NFTs and interoperability pushes Icon (ICX), Ark and Axie Infinity higher
ICX/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

Following the initial spike after the release of the update on March 24, the price of ICX dropped back to a low of $1.69 on March 26 before rallying 70% to a high of $2.88 on March 30 as the possibility of interoperability helped increase token adoption.

VORTECS™ data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro began to detect a bullish outlook for ICX on March 24, prior to the recent price rise.

Focus on NFTs and interoperability pushes Icon (ICX), Ark and Axie Infinity higher
VORTECS™ Score (green) vs. ICX price. Source: Cointelegraph Markets Pro

As seen on the chart above, the VORTECS™ Score for ICX began increasing on March 24 and registered a high of 69 on March 25, roughly five hours before the price began to increase 70% over the next five days.

ARK/USDT

Ark (ARK) is a cryptocurrency and blockchain development platform designed to offer solutions that allow anyone to create their own fully customizable, interoperable blockchain.

Excitement for the project has been building recently thanks to the pending beta launch of MarketSquare, a “social platform that allows users to discover and connect with Blockchain-powered projects, businesses, applications, node operators, and more.”

A scroll through the MarketSquare and Ark Twitter feeds shows a host of significant partnerships for the upcoming marketplace, including integrations with Axie Infinity, NOWPayments and Uphold.

The price of ARK has rallied 200% since hitting a low of $1.15 on Feb. 28, reaching a high of $3.50 on March 30, which is its highest level in nearly three years.

Focus on NFTs and interoperability pushes Icon (ICX), Ark and Axie Infinity higher
ARK/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

VORTECS™ data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro began to detect a bullish outlook for ARK on March 24, prior to the recent price rise.

Focus on NFTs and interoperability pushes Icon (ICX), Ark and Axie Infinity higher
VORTECS™ Score (green) vs. ARK price. Source: Cointelegraph Markets Pro

As seen in the chart above, the VORTECS™ Score for ARK first turned green on March 24 and reached a high of 75 before pulling back into the yellow. The score oscillated between the yellow and green range over the next two days before reaching a high of 70 on March 26, roughly 24 hours before the price increased 100% over the next three days.

Recent developments including the ability of United States residents to pay with Bitcoin (BTC) at merchants using PayPal and the launch of micro BTC futures by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange signal that mainstream crypto adoption is just getting started.

Projects that are focused on interoperability and NFTs are well positioned to capitalize on the future growth of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. 

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

Continue reading with Cointelegraph
Singapore firm uses blockchain to battle counterfeit COVID-19 jabs
Singaporean healthcare services provider Zuellig Pharma is using a blockchain-based network to track COVID-19 vaccinations to prevent practitioners from...
HSBC and IBM create successful multi-ledger CBDC demo
On Thursday, HSBC and IBM announced the successful test of an advanced token and digital wallet settlement between two central bank digital currencies,...
Blockchain analytics service Nansen to incorporate DeFi protocol Arbitrum
Blockchain data providerNansen has announced the upcoming integration of the Arbitrum network to enable its global users, both retail and institutional-grade,...
$500M blockchain gaming proposal Game7 to come online with backing from industry veterans
As outlined in a prepared statement obtained by Cointelegraph, Game7 is an upcoming $500 million blockchain ecosystem acceleration decentralized autonomous...
Argo Blockchain's Texas mining facility could cost up to $2B
United Kingdom-based crypto mining company Argo Blockchain’s plans to build an 800-megawatt data center in West Texas could cost anywhere from $1.5 billion...
Ethereum Climbs 12% In Bullish Trade
Investing.com - Ethereum was trading at $3,039.40 by 18:23 (22:23 GMT) on the Investing.com Index on Wednesday, up 11.59% on the day. It was the largest...
Institutions appear bullish on crypto despite record Bitcoin outflows
At the start of 2021, the cryptocurrency industry was bursting with news of increased institutional investment, and this is still largely true. Despite...
Indonesian crypto exchange Pintu raises $35M in Series A
Pintu, Indonesia’s first mobile native cryptocurrency wallet and trading platform, has raised $35 million from some of blockchain’s biggest venture funds...
$200M hedge fund pauses crypto arbitrage trading amid market downturn
Crypto hedge fund Nickel Digital Asset Management cycled into a cash position following the crypto market collapse of May. According to Bloomberg, the $200...
Andreessen Horowitz launches biggest-ever crypto venture fund at $2.2B
Andreessen Horowitz is launching a new crypto-focused fund dedicated to expanding the size and marketability of blockchain projects, offering further evidence...
DeFi will bring global revolution to the traditional finance space
Decentralized finance came to life with the inception of Ethereum in 2013. However, it truly hit the ground running in 2016–2017 with the backing of Ethereum...
The remaining steps to mainstream institutional investment
It has been said that you only get one chance to make a first impression. Perhaps the best example of this old adage is the cryptocurrency space. From exit...
Hungary plans Bitcoin tax cut as part of economic recovery program
Cryptocurrency investors in Hungary could be getting a major tax break very soon, as lawmakers seek to make the central European country more competitive...
Crypto sentiment falls even as Bloomberg tips Bitcoin will hit $400K
Analytics company Santiment reports that cryptocurrency sentiment has fallen to near-record low levels for 2021 — even as some experts are doubling down...
Marathon Digital stock soars after company ramps up BTC mining in Q1
Shares of Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA) surged on Monday after the cryptocurrency miner announced a significant increase in mining capacity in the first...