In-depth analysis
1. Strategic integration and utility (Bullish Impact)
Overview: On January 15, 2026, the STRK token from Starknet became natively accessible on Solana through the inter-chain infrastructure of NEAR Intents. Several reports, including those from CoinMarketCap and The Defiant, have identified Meteora's Dynamic Liquidity Market Maker (DLMM) as the main liquidity provider for STRK on Solana. This integration illustrates Meteora's essential role as a backend liquidity infrastructure for major assets transferred on Solana.
In summary: Meteora's integration into a large-scale project confirms the relevance and utility of its technology within the Solana DeFi ecosystem. It establishes a direct link between the use of the protocol and the demand for its native token MET, as liquidity provision and transactions on Meteora generate fees. This concrete utility, announced just days before the price surge, likely prompted investors to accumulate MET tokens to benefit from Solana's growing cross-chain activity.
Points to watch: monitor whether the trading volumes of STRK on Meteora hold steady and if the protocol announces similar integrations with other cross-chain assets.
2. Positive social sentiment and narrative on valuation (Bullish impact)
Overview: On January 16, Mannuel Crypto, an influential crypto analyst, stated: "It’s nice to see MET rekindle interest. An annualized revenue of $150 million is impressive. A trading volume of $300 million is ridiculous and should be higher." This tweet, shared by other major accounts like Wisdom Matic, has been widely circulated, presenting MET as fundamentally undervalued given its revenue.
In summary: The discussions circulated on social media can quickly influence retail investor behavior. The comparison of MET's market capitalization (approximately $136 million) with a supposed annual revenue of $150 million has created an enticing narrative about its "value." This has generated a fear of missing out (FOMO), creating strong short-term buying pressure, as evidenced by the increase in volumes. This change in sentiment is particularly significant for a token like MET, which has solid fundamentals but whose price has considerably dropped from its all-time high.
3. Breakout technique (Bullish impact)
Overview: The price of MET, at $0.272, has broken above its 7-day simple moving average ($0.262) and its 7-day exponential moving average ($0.261). The 14-day RSI, at 50.39, indicates neutral momentum, leaving room for an upward margin before reaching the overbought threshold.
In short: The upward breakout of these short-term moving averages is a classic technical signal indicating a reversal of short-term bullish momentum. This phenomenon often triggers algorithmic and market momentum-based buying. A balanced RSI suggests that the movement is not yet overheated, supporting the hypothesis of a continued rise if buying volume holds. The key level to watch for sustainable growth is the 30-day simple moving average, around $0.269. Staying above this level could signal a medium-term trend change.
Conclusion
The strong rise of MET is explained by the conjunction of a tangible utility catalyst, a very popular valuation, and technical confirmation. For holders, this reflects a market reassessment of the fundamental strength of the token within the expanding DeFi ecosystem of Solana.
Key point to monitor: Can MET maintain itself above its 30-day simple moving average (~$0.269) and will its daily revenue related to fees hold up to validate the optimistic comments on social media?
