What is Merlin Chain? MERL Price Erupts +99% is it Next 100X Crypto?

Every trader is hunting for the next 100x crypto, and right now, Merlin Chain (MERL) is exploding onto the scene after a massive +99% price surge this week. With its cutting-edge technology and rapidly growing ecosystem, many ask whether MERL could be the next crypto altcoin to deliver life-changing returns during this burgeoning altcoin season.

What is Merlin Chain?

Merlin Chain is a layer-2 blockchain designed specifically for Bitcoin. Its goal is to expand Bitcoin’s capabilities far beyond simple transfer, enabling smart contracts, DeFi, and NFT ecosystems without compromising Bitcoin’s security. Think of it like what Ethereum Layer-2s such as Arbitrum or Optimism have done, but for

The network uses zk-rollups for scalability, allowing it to batch thousands of transactions off-chain and settle them back onto the Bitcoin mainnet. This approach dramatically reduces gas fees while boosting throughput to thousands of transactions per second.

UNDERSTANDING ZK-PROOFS
Zero-Knowledge Proofs are cryptographic techniques that enable one party (the prover) to prove to another party (the verifier) that they know a specific piece of information without revealing the information itself.
A thread?RT pic.twitter.com/h7Ubdm6Zwo
— THEDEFIPLUG (@TheDeFiPlug) September 8, 2023

Key features include:

Bitcoin-native DeFi: Liquidity pools and decentralized exchanges built directly around BTC assets.
Cross-chain interoperability: Seamless swaps between BTC, ETH, and other major crypto assets.
Security-first design: Inherits Bitcoin’s base-layer protection while enabling advanced Layer-2 functionality.

This positioning makes Merlin Chain one of the few projects actively working to turn Bitcoin into a fully programmable financial layer – a narrative that has been gaining steam in 2025.

MERL Price Erupts +99% Amid Retail FOMO

Merlin ChainMERL$0.325115.06% Merlin ChainMERLPrice$0.325115.06% /24hVolume in 24h$124.99M Price 7d

Buy with Best Wallet , the native token of Merlin Chain, has been on a tear lately. In the past 24 hours alone, the token rallied +99%, fueled by surging on-chain activity and a spike in trading volume across decentralized and centralized exchanges.

After a long consolidation in the price channel between $0.07 and $0.13 from February this year, MERL managed to escape this drenching resistance zone, retest it, and explode violently +99% upward in a single day—a textbook move that everybody can see with the naked eye.

(Source – Tradingview)

The price managed to hit $0.39, supported by huge volume exceeding $200M, cooling off afterwards to the $0.3 price zone. Circulating supply is sitting tight at 46.6% of total supply, which is set to 2.1Bn. The next unlock is scheduled after 26 days, which may leave room for bigger growth on the chart.

On the weekly timeframe, MERL is currently sitting on a huge resistance zone, trying to break out. If that happens, this could lead to the next big resistance zone of $0.5. If not the price can look for retrace at previous resistance now support at $0.13 or even further down back to the accumulation zone if overall crypto scene get ugly.

What Drive This Crazy Surge and Could MERL be the Next 100x Crypto?

The surge of the MERL coincided perfectly with the Korea Blockchain Week, which started on September 20, 2025, heating up the chart. Merlin Chain was a proud co-host of the Campus3 event.

?? Korea Blockchain Week @kbwofficial is heating up!@MerlinLayer2 is proud to co-host the Campus3 event with @Bridge34__ to support the future of Korean blockchain development — where top university talents meet visionary Web3 projects ?
? Sep 20 | 10:30 AM – 6:00 PM GMT+9… https://t.co/MsrHmiLH5f
— Merlin Chain (@MerlinLayer2) September 18, 2025

We all know that Korea has been one of the top crypto hubs in Asia. Upbit is also one of the most reputable crypto exchanges in the world, giving a huge boost to visibility and liquidity to every project listed there.

But let’s not lose focus. Bitmap Tech managed to make four back-to-back interviews in Seoul, hinting at some strong development going on behind the scenes. That is enough for crypto heads to send the project into speculative ATH.

Did 4 back-to-back interviews today in Seoul.
Merlin is coming strong at KBW! pic.twitter.com/3l9eF0yVTx
— Bitmap Tech – Merlin?? (@BitmapTech) September 21, 2025

Combined with some previous big plays like being featured on Binance Alpha, integrating with Manta Network, and $55M CIMG HODL+ partnership and deploying 500 BTC into Merlin Chain.

That will most definitely propel MERL, but given the market cap, it is highly unlikely that MERL will make another 100x from here. But that doesn’t mean the future isn’t bright for Merlin Chain, in any word.

Today, we’re proud to announce our FIRST Institutional HODL+ partner:
CIMG Inc. (Nasdaq: IMG)
CIMG Inc. will deploy 500 BTC / US$55M into @MerlinLayer2's Institutional HODL+ pilot — making it one of the first Nasdaq-listed companies to formally activate a BTCfi Treasury… pic.twitter.com/yE6XUtSHwP
— Merlin Chain (@MerlinLayer2) September 4, 2025

Is PEPENODE Another Early Contender for the Next 100x Crypto?

While MRL already sees explosive gains, some traders seek even earlier opportunities. Tokens still in presale where 100x upside is most realistic. That’s where PEPENODE comes in.

PEPENODE blends meme culture with gamified mining utility, allowing users to build and upgrade virtual mining rigs in a play-to-earn ecosystem. Here is some of the cases for the project that are catching some serious attention.

Deflationary model: 70% of tokens spent on upgrades are burned, boosting long-term scarcity.
Staking during presale: Investors can stake immediately, earning APY’s of 971%, with 812M tokens already locked.
Progressive pricing: Each presale round increases in price, thus rewarding early buyers instantly.