ONUSDT refers to the trading pair for the ONUS token (from the ONUS blockchain and finance platform, primarily popular in Vietnam) against USDT on exchanges like MEXC or others. The token powers staking, governance, and profit-sharing features within the ONUS ecosystem. Based on recent market data and announcements, several factors likely contributed to price surges in ONUS around mid-February 2026, such as the +4.5% jump on February 11 and +5.7% on February 14, accompanied by volume spikes up to 15x normal levels.
1. ONUS Shares Program and Profit Sharing
The ONUS Shares initiative, which allows holders to earn from platform profits, saw significant activity in February 2026. Announcements of high profit distributions (e.g., 71,631 USDT shared in Cycle 117, with APY exceeding 33%) and subsequent cycles (117-119) likely drove buying interest. These cycles involve daily buybacks using 25% of profits to purchase ONUS tokens, followed by burning 14% of the bought-back amount. This mechanism reduces circulating supply while rewarding participants, creating upward pressure on price. For instance, Cycle 117’s breakthrough results were highlighted on February 6, potentially sparking the surges in the following week.
2. Token Buybacks and Burns
As part of the Shares program, ongoing buybacks and burns directly impact supply. In Cycle 118 (ending around February 11) and Cycle 119 (February 12-19), over 150,000 ONUS tokens were bought back and partially burned. Such deflationary actions often lead to short-term price pumps, especially with high trading volume amplifying the effect. This aligns with the observed volume anomalies during the surges.
3. New Listings and Platform Updates
ONUS announced listings of new assets like Canton (CC) on February 12 and others (e.g., World Liberty Financial USD and Ethena USDe on February 5), which could have increased platform usage and visibility. These expansions attract more users to the ecosystem, boosting demand for the native ONUS token for transactions, staking, or governance.
4. Broader Crypto Market Recovery
The crypto market experienced a sharp drawdown in early February 2026, with Bitcoin dropping to around $60,000 amid volatility. By mid-month, a rebound (e.g., BTC recovering toward $69,000) provided tailwinds for altcoins like ONUS. Positive sentiment from cooling U.S. inflation data (CPI at +2.4% YoY) and reduced macro pressures may have encouraged speculative buying in smaller tokens.
5. Speculative Trading and Volume Spikes
Trading alerts noted unusual volume during the surges, suggesting potential pump dynamics from retail hype or coordinated buying. However, with ONUS’s market cap around $100-150 million and daily volume in the hundreds of thousands, these moves could stem from organic interest rather than manipulation. Prices hovered around $0.35-0.38 during this period, reflecting modest but volatile gains.
Note that crypto prices are highly speculative and influenced by sentiment, so these causes are inferred from available data. Always consider risks like upcoming delistings (e.g., OMVNDC on February 23) that could introduce downside pressure. For real-time updates, check platforms like CoinGecko or the official ONUS site.