2026-01-18 09:29:27

Optimistic expectations are flying everywhere, but we need to take a more hardcore look at how DUSK will get through the next year.

2026 is a bit of a watershed for this project — shifting from a phase of technical development and architecture building to a real market validation period. There are a few issues that can’t be avoided.

**Can the technology truly stabilize?** The mainnet upgrade in the first quarter is a key move, involving core components like DEX and cross-chain bridges. Sounds good in theory, but whether it can run stably in real high-concurrency trading environments will directly determine if early users stay and if the ecosystem’s reputation can be established. If a major technical accident occurs, market confidence will shatter instantly.

**Can partnerships truly materialize?** The €300 million cooperation with NPEX is currently the biggest story point. The problem is, the market has long been immune to purely news-based cooperation announcements. What’s needed is continuous on-chain transaction data that can be queried and verified. From the announcement to assets actually coming to life, there are many execution risks involved, which must be transparent and trackable.

**Can it attract funding in a competitive environment?** Privacy and RWA (Real World Asset) tracks are both hot and highly competitive. Although Dusk has the advantage of being compliant early on, institutional investors are extremely picky, demanding high standards for ecosystem liquidity, security audits, and partner networks. Whether technical advantages can truly translate into sustained institutional capital inflows is a real challenge.

Currently, DUSK’s price is already at a relatively high level, reflecting market expectations for these positive developments. The future’s direction depends less on hype and more on how well these three issues are addressed.

For those paying close attention, monitoring on-chain data after the mainnet upgrade and whether partnership projects make substantial progress is much more reliable than just watching price movements.

DUSK40,35%

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MechanicalMartel

· 5h ago

Basically, it's about whether the Q1 mainnet can hold up; otherwise, all the additional press releases are pointless.

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MidnightMEVeater

· 5h ago

Good morning, it's another night of watching the K-line. To put it simply, there is only one core issue—whether we can truly understand liquidity. Everything else is just a story. An unstable DEX is a hunting ground for sandwich attacks, and at that point, small retail investors will become prey for bots.

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PhantomMiner

· 5h ago

Basically, it's about whether Q1 can stay steady; once something goes wrong, it's all over. NPEX's 300 million sounds great, but the real data hasn't come out yet, so it's all talk. Privacy + RWA dual-track, everyone wants a piece of it, but Dusk may not be able to bite into this bone. Prices have already been driven up to this point; next, it depends on the team's execution. Having a story alone won't attract institutional money. Compared to watching K-line charts, I prefer to analyze on-chain data to see if there's real activity. This wave will either be astonishing or a crash; there's no middle ground.

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MentalWealthHarvester

· 5h ago

That's right, now we just wait for the real performance of the Q1 mainnet upgrade. We're already tired of the press releases. Prices are at a high level; it depends on whether on-chain data can support it, otherwise it will be a typical story that fuels a bubble. Institutional funds are so picky; having only compliance buff is far from enough. There needs to be real ecosystem depth. The 300 million euros from NPEX are indeed tempting, but it depends on how much can be realized. Don't let it turn into another PPT collaboration. Privacy + RWA dual tracks do have potential, it all depends on the team's execution. These days, too many projects drop the ball halfway through.

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EntryPositionAnalyst

· 6h ago

Honestly, how long this round of hype can last depends entirely on whether the Q1 upgrade is stable or not. A single technical accident could end it all. Wait, can the 3 billion euros partnership with NPEX really generate on-chain data? It all feels like press releases. Prices are already so high, and the risks ahead are indeed quite significant. Not all stories can attract institutional funding. To be serious, with such fierce competition, Dusk's compliance buff may not be enough to see through. The only question is: can the technical stability truly withstand the test? That’s the watershed. Instead of watching K-line charts, it’s better to focus on on-chain data—much more reliable.

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