Why the Banking Narrative Beats Perps in 2026

Crypto entered a clear risk-off phase after Bitcoin’s rejection near $90,500 on December 23 triggered a broad deleveraging event. Liquidations crossed $250 million, sentiment dropped to fear levels, and high-beta tokens tied to perpetual trading volumes felt immediate pressure. 

In these conditions, traders searching for the best crypto to buy now are reassessing exposure to leverage-driven protocols and rotating toward crypto altcoins with real-world utility. 

This shift frames the debate between Hyperliquid, a dominant perps platform, and Digitap ($TAP), a crypto banking presale positioned at the starting line of adoption.

Below Key Averages: What HYPE’s RSI And MACD Suggest

Hyperliquid remains one of the most actively traded decentralized perpetual venues, processing billions in daily volume. However, its token has become increasingly sensitive to broader market stress. 

Following Bitcoin’s pullback, HYPE dropped roughly 4% in a single session, while trading volume jumped to about $205 million—classic panic-driven flow rather than organic accumulation.

Technically, HYPE has confirmed a bearish structure. Price slipped below its short-term and medium-term moving averages, while momentum indicators weakened. The RSI now sits in the mid-30s, close to oversold but without a bullish divergence, and the MACD histogram remains negative. 

With a high correlation to Bitcoin and a derivatives-heavy liquidity profile, Hyperliquid’s upside in 2026 is tightly linked to another leverage expansion cycle. That dependency is precisely what investors are questioning during this market phase.

Why Payments Can Outlast Perps When Markets Turn Defensive

Perpetual exchanges thrive when traders increase risk. Banking infrastructure grows when users need stability, access, and control. This distinction explains why many analysts are widening their lens beyond trading-focused altcoins to buy and toward infrastructure-driven crypto presales.

Digitap enters the market with a highly promising product: a live crypto bank account that unifies fiat and crypto in a single app. Instead of betting on speculative volume, it monetizes payments, transfers, cards, and everyday financial activity. 

Users can hold, send, receive, exchange, and swap 100+ cryptocurrencies and 20+ fiat currencies. They can also move funds globally via SEPA, SWIFT, or blockchain rails, and manage everything from a single balance. For those evaluating the best crypto to buy now, that real-world usage profile changes the risk equation.

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$TAP Named as The Best Crypto Presale 2025: What $0.0383 to $0.14 Implies

Digitap’s presale opened at $0.0125 per token and has gradually moved up to $0.0383, with the next stage expected to price tokens at $0.0399. More than 150 million tokens have already been sold, and the current phase is now roughly 60% filled. 

In total, the project has raised close to $2.9 million so far, even though broader market conditions have softened.

From a pricing perspective, the asymmetry is fairly clear. Entering at $0.0383 ahead of a planned $0.14 launch translates to an implied upside of about 3.5x. That calculation doesn’t depend on near-term market swings, since presale pricing increases are built into the structure rather than driven by trading activity.

For that reason, many participants treat presales less like short-term trades and more like a way to gain measured exposure at predefined price levels.

Adding to near-term momentum is Digitap’s Christmas campaign. Every day, new rewards unlock—ranging from $TAP bonuses to free Premium or PRO account upgrades. 

This creates recurring engagement during a period when many altcoins are losing attention, reinforcing Digitap’s positioning as a crypto to buy now during market weakness.

Where Adoption Beats Volume: A Practical 2026 Framework

Hyperliquid’s value proposition depends on traders increasing leverage and volume. Digitap’s thesis depends on users moving money. The global cross-border payments market was valued at $212.55 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $320.73 billion by 2030, reflecting a CAGR of 7.10%.

If even a small fraction of this growing community adopts Digitap accounts for payments, cards, and transfers, demand for $TAP scales with usage rather than speculation. Fixed supply, deflationary burns from platform fees, and non-inflationary staking reinforce that alignment.

For investors scanning altcoins to buy and evaluating where new capital might flow in 2026, the contrast is clear: leverage cycles versus everyday financial utility.

HYPE Faces Leverage Cycles; $TAP Faces Adoption Execution

Hyperliquid remains a benchmark for decentralized perps, but its token performance is increasingly tied to market leverage cycles. Digitap, by contrast, is still early, live, and building around payments, banking access, and user control. 

That combination, paired with structured presale pricing and seasonal incentives, explains why many now see it as one of the best cryptos to buy now among emerging crypto presales. As markets rebalance, projects that monetize real-world activity may be the ones that define the next phase of adoption.

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Website: https://digitap.app 

Social: https://linktr.ee/digitap.app 

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