Cardano (ADA) is starting to show signs of strength again, gaining 1.2% in the past day and trading around $0.85. With the crypto market calming down after recent ups and downs, ADA is standing out as one of the top altcoins to watch in the last quarter of the year. While Bitcoin stays near $125,000 and Ethereum eyes $4,800, Cardano is attracting attention due to ongoing upgrades and growing interest from institutions.

Market analysts believe ADA could see a big price jump soon, possibly reaching $1.12 later this month. This is supported by large investors—known as whales—who have recently added over 70 million ADA to their holdings. Plus, a major decision from the SEC regarding a possible ADA exchange-traded fund (ETF) is expected on October 26, which could be a turning point.

Cardano’s comeback is largely due to its unique approach to blockchain development. It focuses on sustainability and real-world use cases, unlike many other crypto projects. Recent data shows that whales have invested about $59 million into ADA even though the overall market remains neutral.

At the same time, futures market activity shows strong interest in ADA. Open interest has grown above $1.5 billion, which indicates traders are betting on a price rise. Technically, ADA is forming a symmetrical triangle pattern, which often leads to breakouts. If ADA pushes above $0.90, it could trigger a wave of buying, especially since more tokens are being taken off exchanges for long-term holding.

October is shaping up to be a critical month for Cardano due to key regulatory events. The SEC delayed its decision on the Grayscale ADA ETF until October 26, creating some uncertainty. Still, there’s hope among investors, even though the odds of approval have dropped to 8% from 95%.

Meanwhile, other ETF applications from REX-Osprey, including one that focuses on ADA staking, are getting attention from institutions. Cardano was also recently added back into the Nasdaq Crypto Index ETF by Hashdex after being excluded last year due to regulatory issues.

Coinbase’s wrapped ADA (cbADA) reserves have jumped 460% in just four months, showing strong exchange support at a time when XRP holdings are declining. This aligns with Cardano’s evolving governance model and technical upgrades like Hydra Layer 2 scaling and Project Acropolis for modular node development.

Cardano’s roadmap for 2025 includes major milestones. The Cardano Foundation plans to distribute 220 million ADA to decentralized representatives (DReps) and support stablecoin DeFi projects with an eight-figure liquidity fund. Strategic partnerships are also boosting adoption. For example, EMURGO’s Ctrl Wallet now connects Cardano to over 2,300 blockchains, and Google Cloud is expanding support for Cardano’s Midnight privacy chain.

Social media buzz is growing around Cardano too. On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), users are excited about ADA’s governance model and tech upgrades. Many are discussing how large whale purchases could push the price above $0.90 soon.

From a technical standpoint, ADA looks ready for a breakout. The 50-day moving average is rising near $0.82 and acting as support, while the 200-day moving average is flat around $0.75—showing limited downward pressure. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits at 47.79, right in the neutral zone but leaning bullish if volume picks up.

A golden cross—when the 50-day EMA crosses above the 200-day EMA—has occurred, which often leads to price rallies of 20–30%. A bullish engulfing candlestick pattern has formed at $0.83, aiming for resistance around $0.88–$0.90. The MACD indicator is also turning positive, and Bollinger Bands are tightening—a common signal before a breakout. If ADA breaks through $0.90 with strong volume, the next target could be $1.12.

The futures market supports this idea. Open interest has increased by 5% to $1.52 billion, and buy pressure is building despite some selling in the spot market. If trading volume surpasses the previous day’s $1.49 billion during a breakout past $0.90, ADA could surge toward its next resistance level.

Three major factors could drive ADA higher this month:

1. **Regulatory Progress**: The SEC’s decision on ADA ETFs and broader approval of crypto ETFs could bring new money into ADA—especially from institutions looking for yield through staking.

2. **Ecosystem Growth**: Upgrades like the Plomin Hard Fork introduce decentralized governance, while upcoming features like Glacier airdrops and hardware wallet support for Midnight enhance privacy-focused adoption. Feeswap will soon allow token-based payments, and real-world asset (RWA) projects are moving into Cardano’s ecosystem with over $10 million in value.

3. **Macro Trends**: With a possible Fed interest rate cut on the horizon (currently expected with 98% certainty), investors are shifting toward undervalued proof-of-stake projects like ADA. Retail interest is rising too, thanks to Bitcoin-DeFi connections and increasing stablecoin liquidity.

All these elements could help Cardano deliver monthly returns of 30–50%, well above market averages.

Short-term predictions show ADA reaching around $0.858 by October 11 and possibly hitting $1.12 by November 5—a gain of nearly 32%. Year-end projections go as high as $2.05 (a 141% increase), depending on ETF approvals and successful rollout of upgrades. Long-term forecasts are even more bullish: CoinCodex expects an average price of $1.66 in 2026 and highs of $10.25 by 2030 based on future scaling solutions.

Right now, there’s a medium-high (70%) chance that ADA will hit these targets by the end of October—especially if RSI dips below 40 or MACD flips bullish again. Key support levels sit at $0.80 (50-day EMA) and $0.75 (200-day EMA), but whale support and renewed ETF momentum may tip the balance upward.

The Cardano community remains highly engaged across social platforms with posts highlighting whale buys, meme activity, and speculation around Bitcoin-DeFi bridges boosting ADA usage.

Founder Charles Hoskinson’s idea of integrating Bitcoin’s UTXO model into Cardano has sparked excitement about new liquidity pathways. As one of the top-10 crypto projects by market cap ($30 billion), Cardano is seeing rising developer activity and interest from AI and real-world asset sectors heading into 2025.

With major upgrades, stronger governance, institutional interest through ETFs, and an expanding DeFi ecosystem, Cardano is in a prime position to break past $1 soon—and potentially much higher by year-end. For investors looking at the future of crypto beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, ADA might just be the standout altcoin of this market cycle.