Optimism ($OP) shot up 14% this week, yet its $1.2 billion market cap is dwarfed by meme coins like Fartcoin, despite hosting over 295 protocols. Analysts call it ‘criminally low’ for an L2 with a $4.6B Superchain ecosystem.
Now, as Ethereum revs up, traders are watching to see if Optimism ($OP) can finally punch through the $0.80 barrier and leave the memes in the dust.
From Aave to Zora: Optimism Powers Real Adoption While Memecoins Steal Spotlight
Despite posting double-digit gains, Optimism’s ($OP) $1.2 billion valuation remains surprisingly low compared to meme tokens like Fartcoin, BONK, and Trump Coin.
The disparity becomes clear when examining the data. Optimism does not merely compete with other layer-2 solutions—it leads them.
The network hosts nearly 300 live protocols, far exceeding the combined total of Aptos and Sui, according to DeFiLlama. Even Solana, often referred to as the “Ethereum killer,” lags behind in active applications.
The Superchain effect further strengthens Optimism’s position. Major players, including Base, Zora, and Sam Altman’s Worldcoin, now rely on OP Stack, forming a $4.6 billion ecosystem that serves as key infrastructure for modular blockchains. Recent developments confirm real-world adoption.
When Aave selected Optimism for its Solenium integration last week, the decision indicated more than just a partnership; it also marked a major milestone.
Yet the market continues to undervalue $OP. Its market capitalization remains at half of Aptos’ $3 billion, not to mention the inflated valuations of meme coins.
As Ethereum’s activity rebounds, the real puzzle is not whether $OP will surpass $0.80, but why investors still treat this leading platform as a secondary player.
Optimism Powers DeFi’s Future—So Why Is Its Token Stuck at $0.73?
Ethereum’s scaling solution, Optimism, achieved a major endorsement this month.
On June 9, both Optimism and Uniswap officially announced the deployment of Uniswap’s v4 Hook Design Lab on Unchain, marking the first major implementation of Uniswap’s next-generation technology on Optimism’s stack.
The same infrastructure supported Velodrome’s recent surge past $1 billion in cumulative trading volume. Importantly, $500 million of this activity occurred in just the past six weeks, demonstrating accelerating adoption of Optimism’s low-fee environment.
These developments show the fundamental utility of Optimism within the cryptocurrency market, particularly within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Despite this demonstrated utility as a DeFi infrastructure provider, OP tokens continue trading at just $0.73. The disconnect persists even as analysts note Optimism’s technical advantages.
Michaël van de Poppe, Chief Investment Officer at MN Capital, acknowledges that $OP is currently forming a higher timeframe bullish divergence pattern.
Should Ethereum continue its breakout trajectory, “Optimism is positioned to deliver higher Beta returns,” he noted.
$OP’s Bullish Divergence Signals Breakout Above $0.80 Resistance
The OP/USDT daily chart reveals that a prominent descending trendline, which characterized the previous bearish phase, was successfully breached to the upside earlier this year, indicating a meaningful momentum shift.
Since this breakout, the price has faced challenges in establishing sustained upward movement, instead trading within a horizontal consolidation range between approximately $0.60 and $0.80.
Multiple horizontal resistance zones are evident on the chart, with distinct clusters concentrated around the $0.80, $1.00, and $1.25 levels.
These price points have historically functioned as supply areas, and a break above the immediate $0.80 resistance could facilitate a move toward higher targets, specifically the $1.00 level and potentially extending to $1.40.
The RSI Divergence Indicator displays encouraging patterns, with the RSI currently positioned at 54.82, demonstrating upward momentum and crossing above the key 50 midpoint.
This threshold has traditionally served as a dividing line between bearish and bullish market conditions.
Nevertheless, the inability to surpass the $0.80 resistance level could result in $OP retesting the range’s lower boundary near $0.60 before any meaningful upside development occurs.
The post Aave, Uniswap Bet on Optimism – Why Traders Ignore the L2’s $4.6B Ecosystem appeared first on Cryptonews.
