Crypto cycles often expose a hidden pattern. Assets that delivered huge returns in previous cycles tend to slow down once liquidity grows, market caps expand, and narratives mature. When this happens, capital begins to rotate into new crypto assets with smaller valuations and early adoption curves. That rotation is now evident among Shiba Inu (SHIB) holders, with many turning their focus toward a new altcoin under $1 that is preparing for a major protocol launch.
Shiba Inu rose from meme status into one of the largest holdings in the retail segment of crypto. Its biggest gains came during a period of explosive community growth and speculative interest. SHIB now trades at $0.000008 and carries a market cap near $5B. This size creates both visibility and friction. Large caps often move slowly because it takes far more capital to produce a meaningful price swing.
SHIB has struggled with key resistance levels since late 2025. The zones around $0.000011 and $0.000014 have rejected multiple breakout attempts. Liquidity remains deep, which benefits stability but reduces upside elasticity. Without a new narrative or major ecosystem shift, many analysts believe SHIB may remain range-bound through the next cycle.
Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is a new crypto project building a decentralized lending protocol. Users will be able to lend assets to earn yield or borrow against collateral without selling long-term positions. This setup typically becomes more active during bull markets when traders seek leverage.
The presale began in early 2025 at $0.01. The token now sells at $0.04 in Phase 7, reflecting a 300% rise from the initial phase. The presale has surpassed $19.8M in funding. Over 18,700 wallets have taken positions so far, showing consistent participation rather than hype-driven spikes.
According to the official X account, the V1 protocol is preparing for testnet before mainnet activation. Once live, lending, borrowing, and liquidation activity will begin to generate measurable metrics tied to protocol usage.
For SHIB, analysts do not expect a return to its early explosive moves. With a $5B market cap and slow adoption of utility features, most projections place SHIB between $0.000010 and $0.000015 by 2027.
That implies limited upside and a weak setup for long-term growth. The core limitation is structural. SHIB lacks clear revenue mechanics and its price depends on community attention rather than usage.
MUTM sits on the opposite end of the curve. It is still under $1 and has not entered open market trading. It has utility tied to lending mechanics, mtTokens, collateral rules, and protocol revenue.
Analysts tracking early DeFi tokens model a post-launch valuation range between $0.25 and $0.45 by 2027 as long as adoption unfolds as expected. From the current $0.04 presale level, this represents a projected gain between 525% and 1,025%. The key driver in this model is usage, not sentiment.
Infrastructure and security have been major parts of the roadmap. The V1 codebase was audited by Halborn Security. MUTM also received a 90/100 score from CertiK’s Token Scan. A $50K bug bounty is active to identify vulnerabilities before mainnet. This matters because lending protocols handle collateral and liquidation events that require reliable execution under volatile conditions.
Phase 7 has been selling out much faster than earlier phases. Larger wallet entries have also been reported during this period. These whale allocations signal confidence in the late-stage development window before V1 deployment.
Distribution incentives have also played a role in attracting consistent inflow. A 24-hour leaderboard rewards the largest daily contributor with $500 in MUTM, and card payments are supported for those onboarding without traditional crypto rails.
Shiba Inu is no longer the same early stage meme asset that delivered extreme multipliers in past cycles. Its size, liquidity, and lack of revenue mechanics limit its upside as we approach 2027. Mutuum Finance occupies the opposite growth posture. It is still small, still building utility, and still approaching its first major crypto protocol activation. This is the point on the curve where new crypto assets often begin price discovery.
For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:
Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance
The post The Most Underestimated Altcoin Under $1: Shiba Inu (SHIB) Investors Switch Focus appeared first on Blockonomi.


