Kaspa (KAS) is trying to stand out in a market that has not been friendly to altcoins. While the crypto market slipped by nearly 1% today and sentiment stayed deep in fear territory, the KAS price moved higher.
The token gained around 3.5% on the day, briefly trading near $0.04455 before easing back toward the $0.04350 area.
That move placed Kaspa among the day’s top gainers. However, the larger picture still paints a mixed trend with the dominance of Bitcoin still pressuring the altcoins.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin dominance strengthened towards the 58-59% region, which is traditionally a resistance zone against most altcoins. Institutional money linked with ETFs is still favoring Bitcoin. There is little money in other places.
In this context, the immediate strength of Kaspa does appear significant, though not entirely determinative.
This is because the market volumes remain low, at only $30 million per day, and the current market value of KAS is still down by approximately 13% over the current week and by no less than 50% from the current highs.
To gain momentum, traders are waiting to see when the level of $0.045 is broken. A daily close above that level will indicate a dominant buying force despite the macroeconomic pressure.
Kaspa Accumulation Narrative Builds Ahead of Crescendo
Looking beyond the short-term market movements, the Kaspa (KAS) story for the longer term comes down to its upcoming hard fork called Crescendo, scheduled for Q1 2026.
This update will look to expedite block times from 1 to 10 blocks per second, having initially boosted transaction capacity to daily levels well into the double digits this year.
Some analysts see this as a shift away from pure speculation and toward real utility, especially for payments and future DeFi use cases. Exchange data has hinted at early accumulation, though confirmation will depend on follow-through and developer adoption.
This is where Bitcoin dominance becomes critical. A move of dominance below the 55% zone may see capital flowing into high conviction Layer-1s such as Kaspa accelerated.
However, it seems not everyone is confident regarding the viability of this short-term rebound. AlexCryptoDubai shared that Kaspa most recent action might be just a short-term pump because market uncertainty emanating from macroeconomic factors might be responsible for market pullbacks before real stability can be achieved.
That view aligns with the recent underperformance of altcoins as a group. Until liquidity conditions improve, sharp pullbacks remain a risk.
$KAS FAM
— Alex 🇬🇧 🇦🇪 (@AlexCryptoDubai) December 17, 2025
So, this is WEIRD
Be careful, this recent $KAS pump might be fake and the real pain comes this weekend?!!
The Bank of Japan situation might have been priced in but I think we could get a mini-crash this weekend before we stabilise next week… pic.twitter.com/jVNaFXAUAM
At the same time, long-term supporters continue to frame current prices as an opportunity. Trader Travladd Crypto noted that many market participants wait for a perfect bottom that never arrives, arguing that research and conviction matter more than timing every fluctuation.
People are researching $KAS
— Travladd Crypto 𐤊 (@OfficialTravlad) December 17, 2025
Many people are waiting for the 'bottom', the same people will buy when they miss the bottom.
99.9% of you will never buy the bottom or sell the top, it isn't that simple. But you do have power over your research.
and this $KAS price is a steal… pic.twitter.com/Y4k9EAYlyC
Read Also: This Is What Altseason Looks Like in the Crypto Market Before Anyone Believes It
So Where Does That Leave KAS?
However, when the dominance of Bitcoin eventually calms down and moves back below key levels, the Kaspa price could potentially make a comeback towards the $0.05 and beyond range.
This is not likely to happen anytime soon, though, since any kind of rallies will continue to remain capped for now.
For now, the Kaspa price is in a moment where anything can happen. The structure is fragile, the narrative is building, and the next move may depend less on Kaspa itself and more on Bitcoin’s grip on the market.
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