Injectives Vulcan Upgrade Goes Live, Triggering Bearish Price Move
The upgrade, unveiled on the project’s X feed as a move to “optimize the chain for perpetuals, stablecoins & tokenization,” is billed as Injective’s biggest protocol change yet. Yet by the close of trading, the native token INJ had slipped 2.01 % from the day’s peak and was down 7.14 % from the level at the time of the announcement—a classic “sell‑the‑news” pattern that often follows major upgrades.
Despite a brief price rebound in the hours before the release, the overall trend stayed bearish. On the weekly chart, which has trended lower for several years, INJ carved a new low at $2.727. While the token has recovered 90.54 % over the past ten weeks, the higher‑time‑frame structure still signals a bearish bias. Analysts flag Fibonacci retracement levels at $9.63, $11.27 and $13.59 as potential resistance points should the token return to an uptrend.
The daily chart tells a slightly different story. A bullish shift appeared in April, and the swing structure was breached later in May. Trading volume during the rally that lifted INJ above $5.90 exceeded the network’s average, indicating that the move was backed by solid liquidity. Currently, the token seems to be retracing the gains made over the last two months—a pattern that could create a “healthy” environment for buyers.
Even with the long‑term downtrend, the weekly chart suggests that a move beyond $10 is still within reach. The daily bullish flip means that traders who favor a retracement strategy may look to enter near key support levels at $3.72, $4.50 and $5.04. A dip into the “golden pocket” between $3.72 and $4.50 could spark a bullish impulse that pushes the price past $7.34. However, the broader market context remains bearish, with Bitcoin’s continued decline and overall negative sentiment in the crypto arena likely tempering enthusiasm for a sharp rebound.
The Vulcan upgrade itself introduces protocol‑level changes aimed at improving performance for derivatives, stablecoins and tokenized assets. While the public announcement does not detail the technical specifications, Injective’s leadership has emphasized that the changes will reduce latency and increase throughput for high‑frequency trading on the network.
In short, Injective’s mainnet upgrade went live on June 9, sparking a short‑term bearish reaction. The token’s long‑term trend remains downward, but recent daily chart signals and volume activity suggest that a retracement‑based buying strategy could still be viable. Market participants will keep a close eye on any further protocol updates, liquidity developments, and broader market movements that could shape INJ’s trajectory.