Navigating the Bull Run

Hey Token Metrics Community,

The bull run is officially back! 🎉 In this week’s Premium Webinar, Ian Balina dove into the latest crypto market reversal, key sector insights, trending tokens, and hands-on strategies for making the most of this new cycle. If you missed the live session, here’s your quick rundown of the biggest takeaways and actionable advice.

Market Update: The Bulls Are Back in Town

After a tough stretch, the tide has turned. Our market indicator flipped bullish on April 22, with total crypto market cap climbing back to around $2.9 trillion. Now’s the time to get back into risk-on mode. Ian stressed: sentiment is changing and that means real opportunities ahead.

Hot Sectors: Stablecoins Lead the Way

• Stablecoins aren’t just stable—they’re thriving, with more value being moved on-chain than Visa! With regulatory clarity on the horizon and giants like Bank of America eyeing the space, the sector is packed with potential.

• Lending and borrowing are also sectors to watch as market activity picks up.

Trending Tokens to Watch

Ian shared what’s standing out based on strong trading signals (80%+ trader grade and high volume):

• Hyperliquid – The perpetuals DEX continues to dominate, now holding over 60% of the perps market share. It’s a large-cap, blue-chip play this cycle.

• Drift – A strong challenger in the derivatives sector, competing with Hyperliquid, and frequently featured among top gainers.

• Alpaca Finance – Up nearly 13x in a week, with a surge driven by a massive buyback and burn. Ian’s team is keeping this one on the radar.

• Virtuals, Sui, Akash, Bittensor, Vana – These tokens repeatedly show strong momentum; many are AI or infrastructure-focused.

AI & Blue-Chip Portfolios: Ian’s Picks

If you had $5K, what would Ian do?

He’d build a 10-token portfolio balanced between blue chips and high-conviction AI/DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) projects:

1. AIxbt – Leader in AI agents.

2. ARC, TMAI, Grass, Vana – All strong AI plays on various chains.

3. Hyperliquid, Solana, Sui – Core blue-chip L1s and DEXs.

4. Peaq – THE DePIN play, positioned for a robotics/AI boom.

5. Parcl – Low-cap real-world asset token, with 40x potential if the narrative plays out big.

Ian recommends holding strong projects through the cycle, but taking profits as the cycle peaks—especially on riskier AI bets, just like the dot-com days.

Bitcoin: Where Could It Go?

Ian’s bold but consistent prediction: BTC could reach $140K–$145K this cycle, with the usual sharp corrections along the way. Take profits as we approach the top, and tailor your sell strategy to your liquidity needs.

DeFi Lending: Where to Borrow

Curious about borrowing against your crypto? Ian reviewed current platforms:

• Morpho (working with Coinbase), Euler, and Aave are the top DeFi platforms for borrowing against ETH, BTC, and major altcoins.

• For NFTs: Ian’s previously used Blur to borrow against Bored Apes.

• Always beware centralized platforms—stick with DeFi for safety and control.

AI Indices Coming Soon

Big news: Token Metrics’ on-chain, sector-based indices are launching in May! Passive and active strategies will let you buy entire sectors—AI, L1s, RWA, and more—in one transaction, all while keeping control of your keys. Stay tuned for more details.

Final Thoughts & Resources

Our research platform now lives on Beehive for easier access—be sure to check out the latest newsletters and hidden gem reports.

Webinar Recording

Thanks for being valued customers and token holders. As always, cast your questions for next week’s session, and let’s keep riding this bull run together!

To your crypto success,

The Token Metrics Team