As November ends and December 2024 begins, investors are likely to shift their focus toward portfolio rebalancing or exploring new altcoin opportunities. The Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) narrative is gaining attention, making it a key sector to watch. Here are some top DePIN altcoins to keep an eye on.

In this analysis, BeInCrypto discusses five top DePIN altcoins to watch next month, highlighting why these cryptos may garner a lot of attention in the market. They include Filecoin (FIL), Arweave (AR), Grass (GRASS), io.net (IO), and NetMind Token (NMT).

Filecoin (FIL)

Filecoin, which has a market capitalization of $3.44 billion, tops the list of DePIN altcoins to watch in December. For an altcoin that lost a chunk of its value during the second and third quarters, Filecoin has shown strength within the last 30 days.

Over this mentioned period, the price has increased by 56.22%. However, it is still largely down from its all-time high, suggesting that it still has more room to grow. 

From a technical point of view, the Awesome Oscillator (AO), which measures momentum, has continued to remain in the positive region. Typically, when the AO is negative, momentum is bearish.

But when it is positive, it is bullish, which is the case with FIL. If this remains the case, the altcoin’s price might climb to $6.50 within the first few days in December. However, if momentum turns bearish, that may not happen, and Filecoin could drop to $4.96.

Arweave (AR)

Second on the list of the top DePIN coins to watch is Arweave, a project focused on a decentralized storage network. Over the last seven days, AR’s price has increased by 20.98%, making it one of the best-performing altcoins in the top 100.

At press time, the token’s price is $21.13. The daily chart shows that the altcoin hit this price due to the formation of an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern.

This pattern is a bearish to bullish reversal that was validated after AR bottomed at $133. However, the token currently faces resistance at $22.05 but could help AR breach this obstacle. 

Should this happen, the Arweave’s price could climb to $24.57 in the short term. If buying pressure increases, this might be higher. However, if bears have the upper hand, the price could decrease to $18.96.

Grass (GRASS)

In October, BeInCrypto named GRASS one of the top DePIN altcoins to watch in November. Interestingly, the recently launched project did not disappoint, climbing by 300% within the last 30 days.

Currently, GRASS’ price is $3.48 and has been hitting lower highs (LH) on the 4-hour chart. Due to this price movement, the altcoin’s value could likely hit a new all-time high in December, surpassing $3.90 in the process.

If that happens, then it might not be out of place to see GRASS at $5. On the flip side, if the altcoin loses this bullish momentum, this prediction might not come to pass. Instead, it could decrease to $2.81.

io.net (IO)

Another DePIN altcoin to watch in December is io.net, which prides itself on being the world’s largest decentralized AI computing network. Within the last 30 days, IO’s price has increased by 65.13% while trading at $2.93.

On the daily chart, IO’s price has risen above the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA). This position means that the trend around the altcoin is bullish, and the price might continue to climb.

If the token continues to hold this position, its value could rise above $4 in December. On the other hand, if interest in IO drops, the prediction might be invalidated, and the token could decline below $2.

NetMind Token (NMT)

The top DePIN altcoins to watch will be incomplete without mentioning NetMind Token, which is a token built on the BNB Chain. Today, NMT’s price is $3.76, while its trading volume has increased by 350% in the last 24 hours.

This surge in volume indicates rising interest in the token. NMOR’s value has increased by 76.10% since yesterday. Between September 25 and November 5, NetMind Token’s price dropped from $3.89 to $1.29.

But since then, bulls have been pushing the value higher. In December, the altcoin’s price is likely to go higher. If that is the case, the cryptocurrency could climb above $5.  

But if profit-taking rises, this might not happen. Instead, NMT’s price could drop to $2.72.

ENS, the native token of Ethereum Name Service, a decentralized naming system, has seen a sharp price increase, surging by 37% in the past 24 hours. This performance makes it the top gainer among the top 100 cryptocurrencies.

During Thursday’s early Asian session, the altcoin reached a new year-to-date high of $37.29 before pulling back slightly. It is now trading at $34.17, accompanied by a notable rise in trading volume.

Ethereum Name Service Sees Spike in Trading Activity

A significant rise in trading volume has accompanied ENS’ double-digit surge. It has reached an all-time high of $2.35 billion, rocketing by more than 300% over the past 24 hours.

When an asset’s trading volume rallies with its price, it signals strong investor interest. Rising volume confirms that the price movement is supported by active participation, making the rally more sustainable. On the other hand, a price increase without volume growth may suggest a weaker uptrend that could be prone to reversal. 

This means that actual demand for the token, rather than mere speculative trading activity, has driven ENS’ rally.

Moreover, the altcoin’s open interest has surged to a multi-month high of $132 million, confirming the rise in trading activity. Per Santiment, this has risen by 7% over the past 24 hours and is currently at its highest level since July.

Open interest measures the total number of outstanding contracts (such as futures or options) that have not yet been settled or closed. When it climbs during a price rally, it indicates that more traders are entering positions, suggesting strong market participation in the rally.

This signals the trend will continue, as increasing open interest reflects growing confidence in the price movement.

ENS Price Prediction: Buyers May Soon Witness Exhaustion

As of this writing, ENS trades slightly above support formed at $31.57. A successful retest of this support level will propel the token’s price to reclaim its year-to-date high of $37.29.

However, readings from ENS’ Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicate that the market is overheated, and buyers may soon experience exhaustion. At press time, the indicator’s value is at 79.27.

The RSI indicator measures an asset’s overbought and oversold market conditions. It ranges from 0 to 100, with values above 70 suggesting the asset is overbought and potentially due for a correction. Conversely, RSI values below 30 signal the asset is oversold and may be primed for a rebound.

A potential correction will push the ENS token price below support at $31.57 and toward $28.27.

Gifto faces backlash following its recent move to mint and dump GFT tokens into the market. On November 26, Binance announced that it would delist the GFT/USDT trading pair on December 10, 2024.

The delisting, part of Binance’s broader decision to remove eight altcoin spot trading pairs, has already sent shockwaves through the market.

Gifto’s Controversial GFT Token Dump

The immediate aftermath of the Binance’s delisting announcement on Tuesday was swift and severe. In what could only be ascribed to a sharp decline in investor confidence, the GFT token’s price dropped by approximately 25%. Expectedly, delistings from major exchanges like Binance often trigger panic selling as liquidity and accessibility to the asset decrease.

Adding fuel to the fire, on Thursday, Web3 data analysis tool Lookonchain implicated Gifto in a significant token dump. According to the blockchain analytics firm, the Gifto team minted 1.2 billion GFT tokens, valued at roughly $8.6 million, within an eight-hour window. These tokens were then deposited into exchanges, coinciding with an alarming 40% drop in GFT’s market price.

“On Nov 26, Binance announced it would delist GFT on Dec 10, 2024. The Gifto team minted 1.2 billion GFT ($8.6 million) in the past 8 hours and deposited it into exchanges. Gifto may have dumped these tokens onto the market, and the price of GFT has dropped by ~40%,” Lookonchain revealed.

The timing of this mint-and-dump operation has raised eyebrows. Many in the crypto community perceive it as an opportunistic exit strategy, further eroding trust in the token. One user on X (formerly Twitter) criticized Gifto’s actions.  

“Getting delisted and dumping tokens on holders… classic web2 move. This is why we need decentralized projects that can’t pull this type of exit bs. Stick to real DeFi,” the user noted.

Broader Implications of Binance Delistings

Binance’s decision to delist GFT and seven other altcoins reflects a growing trend in the cryptocurrency space. Exchanges continuously evaluate and remove underperforming or problematic tokens. The assets set to be delisted alongside Gifto include IRISnet (IRIS), SelfKey (KEY), OAX (OAX), and Ren (REN).

Delistings often have profound consequences for affected tokens. Beyond immediate price declines, they face reduced liquidity, diminished market confidence, and barriers to entry for potential investors. In some cases, the token’s long-term viability comes into question as it loses the visibility and trading volume that exchanges like Binance provide.

For Gifto, the combination of the delisting and the controversial token dump has created a perfect storm. It leaves its community in disarray. Retail investors, often the last to react, find themselves at a disadvantage as prices plummet and large token holders offload their positions.

The unfolding Gifto saga highlights critical vulnerabilities in the crypto ecosystem. Centralized control over token minting and allocation can lead to events like this. When trust is undermined, retail investors bear the brunt of poor decision-making.

This episode also serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of holding tokens overly dependent on centralized exchanges. With the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and decentralized exchanges (DEXs), there is growing momentum toward more transparent and resilient alternatives. For now, GFT holders face an uncertain future, with December 10 looming as a critical date.