Plasma [XPL] loses steam after airdrop surge – Is the ‘new chain’ buzz over?

ambcryptoPublished on 2025-11-24Last updated on 2025-11-25

Key Takeaways

Why is Plasma’s price sliding despite a green market?

Upcoming unlocks, collapsing activity, and a sharp drop in stablecoin TVL weakened XPL’s short-term structure.

What on-chain signals showed XPL’s momentum fading?

DEX volume, daily users, and transaction counts fell steadily through November, aligning with a bearish technical setup.


Plasma dropped more than 11% in recent hours, even as the broader market traded green for most of the day.

The decline put Plasma [XPL] alongside Starknet [STRK], which also posted double-digit losses during the same window.

XPL extended its downtrend after the post-launch hype faded. That early rally had been supported by an airdrop worth about 10,000 XPL for initial users.

As price cooled, on-chain activity followed the same path, weakening the token’s momentum.

What’s driving Plasma token down?

The first wave of selling stemmed from the upcoming unlock on the 25th of November.

About 88.88 million XPL, valued at $18.13 million, was set to unlock, leaving over 80% of the supply still locked. It was the largest of the roughly $80 million in weekly token unlocks across the sector.

XPL

Source: DefiLlama

Even so, long-term traction struggled elsewhere.

Stablecoin TVL fell 68% since October and declined 8.24% on a weekly basis. Stablecoin Market Cap rested near $1.82 billion, while overall TVL slipped to $6.695 billion, with bridges contributing $5.79 billion of that total.

Source: Dune

Cumulative Transactions hit a new high, but daily activity cooled.

Transaction Count slipped from 42,398 to 39,725. Daily New Users were only 137, and returning users totaled 1,831.

DEX Volume dropped to $8.39 million at press time from its high of $47.81 million on the 19th of November. Most usage metrics trended lower since late October, a slide reflected in price charts.

Bears extend control

On the charts, XPL price showed that the altcoin was in a bearish structure, trading inside a trend channel. XPL was down by more than 36% for the last five days.

The Bull Bear Power (BBP) was dominant for the last five days, while the net volume was negative $5.07 million. XPL bears seemed to be gaining momentum, and the next target was at $0.15 if dominance was maintained.

Conversely, breaking above the upper resistance would invalidate the current setup, which suggests a drop to $0.15.

Plasma XPL

Source: TradingView

Altogether, XPL was largely bearish, with sellers showing more momentum. This hinted at more breakdown, as on-chain activity was also following the same trajectory as price.

However, a resurgence in bull action could reverse the direction, though the price had not shown any signs.

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Plasma: A Cutting-Edge Solution for Blockchain Scalability Introduction to Plasma As the cryptocurrency landscape evolves, there is an increasing need for enhanced efficiency within blockchain networks. Plasma, a Layer 2 scaling solution, emerges as a pioneering player in this area, particularly in the sphere of Web3 development. By strategically shifting a significant portion of tasks from the main chain to a series of smaller chains, Plasma aims to significantly enhance the scalability and performance of Ethereum—a widely-used blockchain platform that is at the forefront of decentralised applications. What is Plasma? Plasma is an innovative off-chain scaling solution specifically designed for the Ethereum blockchain. It was introduced in August 2017 by Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, and Joseph Poon, a prominent advocate of scaling solutions like the Lightning Network. Plasma serves as a framework that enables the creation of scalable applications by establishing a hierarchical structure of child chains that sit above the main Ethereum chain. At its core, Plasma facilitates the development of potentially unlimited side chains that can operate independently while still relying on the Ethereum network for security and consensus. This architecture is supported by smart contracts and Merkle Trees, which efficiently manage transactions and data storage. Core Objectives of Plasma The primary goal of Plasma is to increase the throughput of the Ethereum network. By diverting a significant volume of transactions away from the congested main chain, Plasma's architecture offers higher transaction speeds, more efficient data processing, and lower transaction costs. This is particularly crucial in an age where the demand for decentralised applications—especially in finance, gaming, and supply chain management—is reaching unprecedented levels. Creator of Plasma Plasma is the brainchild of two renowned figures in the blockchain community: Vitalik Buterin and Joseph Poon. Buterin is celebrated primarily for co-founding Ethereum and pushing the boundaries of what blockchain technology can achieve. Poon, on the other hand, is known for advocating scalable solutions that enable faster and more cost-effective transactions on blockchain networks. Their collaboration on the Plasma framework has significantly contributed to its innovative nature, merging advanced technical insights with practical applications. Investors of Plasma While the specific investment foundations or organisations supporting Plasma remain undisclosed, the project has attracted interest from various prominent figures and players in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. With its potential for enhancing scalability within Ethereum, it has captured the attention of various entities aiming to push the boundaries of blockchain technology. How Does Plasma Work? 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