With Bitcoin BTC $90,778.12 4.26% Bitcoin BTC Price $90,778.12 4.26% /24h Volume in 24h $48.23B Price 7d Learn more climbing to $91K, the crypto markets reacted quickly, with several altcoins posting double-digit gains, including Merlin Chain (MERL). Many traders are now wondering whether HYPER could be the next crypto to explode after Merlin Chain’s sudden surge. Merlin Chain MERL $0.2867 55.55% Merlin Chain MERL Price $0.2867 55.55% /24h Volume in 24h $115.21M Price 7d Learn more , a Bitcoin Layer-2 protocol, delivered one of the most intense swings of the month.

But as quickly as it climbed, it crashed 16% to $0.28, leaving investors questioning if it was a genuine breakout or just another pump-and-dump mirage.

On November 26, MERL jumped more than 100% within hours following a major scalability upgrade, reaching a high near $0.60 before retreating to around $0.28. The surge demonstrated renewed interest in Bitcoin-focused scaling, but the fast rejection revealed a lack of sustained momentum.

MERL now trades below $0.338 resistance, holding above a mid-range support zone, while its RSI near 45 shows the previous move has fully cooled.

Is HYPER the Next Crypto to Explode After MERL’s Breakout?

As interest shifts toward Bitcoin-linked scaling solutions, Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) has entered the conversation as a presale showing steady progress. Launched in May 2025, the project has already raised over $28.58 million, selling more than 620 million tokens at a current price of $0.013335. Its tiered pricing system and 40% APY staking program have helped maintain momentum as it approaches its hard cap.

The project addresses Bitcoin’s long-standing throughput limitations, typically 3–7 transactions per second with notably high fees, by integrating the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) into Bitcoin’s security framework.

This enables high-speed, low-cost smart contracts, smooth interaction with SVM-based applications, and broader utility for wrapped BTC assets.

MERL’s Upgrade Draws Renewed Attention to Bitcoin Layer-2 Projects

Market conditions have added fuel to interest in Layer-2 development. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $128.7 million in net inflows between November 25–26, according to Coinglass, helping BTC remain above $90,000 with daily volume reaching $4.89 billion.

As liquidity rotates from large-cap assets toward projects with higher potential returns, HYPER’s presale continues to benefit from increased visibility.

Unlike MERL, which faces concerns due to one wallet holding half its supply, HYPER employs a distributed structure with a native bridge aimed at reducing sudden sell-offs. Looking ahead, some analysts foresee a potential move toward $0.20 by late 2026, representing a roughly 1,400% increase from current presale pricing.

With many traders seeking projects built on durability and real utility, Bitcoin Hyper may become a candidate for long-term growth.

Whether it can maintain the traction MERL struggled to hold remains an open question, but early participation could offer meaningful upside.