Sui (SUI), a Layer-1 blockchain platform, recently witnessed a substantial surge in its daily transaction volume, capturing the attention of investors and analysts alike. In a remarkable 24-hour period, the number of transactions nearly doubled, coinciding with a notable 18% increase in the price of the SUI token, according to Brave New Coin’s Sui price index.

Source: Brave New Coin Sui price index.

On October 2, Sui’s daily transactions stood at 4.8 million. Just a day later, this figure skyrocketed to almost 9 million, marking an impressive 85% increase. This sustained high level of activity suggests a growing interest in the platform and a rising demand for its native token.

Source: Artemis

The spike in transactions is more than just numbers; it reflects heightened interaction with the blockchain. Analysts attribute this uptick to several factors, including the recent integration of Circle’s USDC stablecoin into the Sui network, which occurred a few weeks prior.

 

USDC, Memes Boost Sui’s Transactions

The addition of USDC has provided users with a stable and widely accepted medium of exchange, potentially lowering the barrier to entry for new participants in the Sui ecosystem. This move not only enhances liquidity but also signals Sui’s commitment to expanding its utility and user base.

Moreover, the proliferation of meme coins on the Sui network has contributed to the increased transaction volume. Notably, sudeng (HIPPO), the meme coin with the highest market capitalization on Sui, has seen its price soar by 165% over the past seven days. Another meme coin, aaa cat (AAA), experienced an even more dramatic rise of 370% in the same period.

These developments suggest that Sui is emerging as a formidable competitor to established platforms like Solana. The network’s ability to attract such high levels of activity and investment indicates a growing confidence among users and investors in its long-term potential.

 

SUI Token’s Price Action Amid OI Surge

Alongside the surge in transactions, Sui’s Open Interest (OI) has climbed significantly. Currently standing at $827.69 million, the OI is nearing its yearly high. An increase in Open Interest typically signals that more money is flowing into the market, indicating higher liquidity and trader participation.

Source: Santiment

 

The rising OI, coupled with the upward trend in SUI’s price, suggests that the token could be poised for further gains. Increased liquidity often leads to higher volatility, which can amplify price movements in either direction. In this context, the current market dynamics appear favorable for SUI.

As of now, the SUI token is trading at $2.06, just 4.30% shy of its all-time high of $2.18. Earlier, on October 4, the token experienced a dip to $1.66 after showing signs of approaching the $2 mark. This pullback briefly dampened investor optimism about an imminent breakout.

 

Sui Price Eyes $2.30 Breakout

However, current technical indicators suggest that SUI may be gearing up for a significant upward movement. One key metric is the Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which places greater weight on recent price data to identify trends. At press time, SUI’s price is above both the 20-day EMA and the 50-day EMA, signaling bullish momentum.

When a token’s price stays above these EMAs, it often indicates a strong uptrend. If SUI maintains its position above these averages, it could surpass its previous high and potentially reach $2.30, representing a 20% increase from its current price.

Nonetheless, investors should remain cautious. The rally might face resistance if holders decide to take profits as the price approaches the psychological $2 barrier. Increased selling pressure at this level could cause the price to retrace back to $1.66, the support level observed during the recent dip.

 

Factors Fueling Sui’s Rapid Expansion

The recent growth in Sui’s network activity can also be attributed to its strategic initiatives aimed at fostering community engagement and developer participation. By providing a scalable and efficient blockchain infrastructure, Sui is attracting a diverse range of decentralized applications (dApps) and projects.

The network’s competitive transaction fees and fast processing times make it an attractive alternative for developers seeking to build and deploy applications. This has led to an influx of projects that contribute to the overall transaction volume and network utilization.

Furthermore, Sui’s governance model and tokenomics are designed to incentivize long-term holding and active participation in the network. These features enhance the token’s appeal to investors looking for sustainable growth opportunities in the crypto market.

Sui’s recent performance has drawn comparisons to Solana, another high-performance Layer-1 blockchain. Both platforms aim to provide scalable solutions for decentralized applications, but Sui’s recent transaction surge suggests it may be closing the gap with its more established competitor.

Analysts point out that while Solana has faced network congestion and downtime issues in the past, Sui has so far demonstrated robust performance under increased load. This reliability could be a key factor in attracting users and developers seeking stable and efficient blockchain solutions.

Listen to BNC’s podcast with Greg Siourounis, the managing director of the Sui Foundation.