Ethereum’s early years are a reference point for how quickly a crypto asset can reprice once real usage starts building. ETH began as a new on-chain platform with limited access and a small market footprint, then expanded into the foundation for DeFi and a large part of today’s on-chain economy. In 2026, analysts are drawing a similar early-stage comparison around Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a DeFi project that is still in presale at $0.04 and moving toward its first major releases.

Crypto news: why early ETH matters

Early Ethereum was not priced like a finished asset. It was priced like a platform in the “build and adoption” stage. As developer activity increased, more users arrived, and capital moved into on-chain products, the market adjusted ETH’s valuation in waves.

That is the lens analysts apply when they compare newer projects to early ETH. The comparison focuses on the conditions that can lead to large repricing moves: limited early distribution, expanding market access, and a growing reason for users to engage with the product. When those forces align in a bullish market, price discovery can move quickly.

DeFi crypto at $0.04: what is Mutuum Finance

Mutuum Finance is developing a non-custodial lending and borrowing protocol where users can supply assets to earn yield and borrow against collateral to access liquidity without selling their holdings. The model targets practical DeFi use cases: passive income for lenders and flexible liquidity for borrowers.

MUTM is currently in presale Phase 7 at $0.04, with a confirmed $0.06 launch price. The presale has raised about $19.6M and has around 18,700 holders, which signals strong early participation before exchange trading begins. The token supply is also structured: the total supply is 4B, with 1.82B (45.5%) allocated to the presale, and over 820M already sold—meaning close to half of the presale allocation has been taken as pricing advances through phases.

This is one reason analysts are paying attention: the token is still in its early distribution stage, and availability at lower pricing is steadily narrowing.

Best crypto to buy: key upside drivers

Analysts usually point to utility-driven repricing as the core logic. Ethereum’s upside came from adoption and usage. Mutuum Finance is being positioned around a similar demand framework: a product designed to attract users, paired with token economics that aim to connect participation to value flow.

Three factors are typically highlighted:

Early entry levels still exist. MUTM remains in presale at $0.04, meaning broad public trading has not yet set the price. Projects at this stage often experience sharper moves once they transition into open markets and gain wider visibility.

The roadmap supports a “utility-first” rollout. Mutuum Finance’s roadmap indicates a full live release and token listing plan that aligns utility with market access. That matters because tokens that reach exchanges with usable features can draw demand from two directions at once—traders looking for a new listing and users looking to engage with the protocol.

The token model is designed to reward participation. Mutuum Finance has described a buy-and-distribute approach where protocol income is used to purchase MUTM and distribute it to participants who stake. Analysts often view this as a demand-supporting mechanism because it links token flows to platform activity rather than leaving the token dependent only on sentiment.

Based on this setup, some analysts outline a $0.35 scenario shortly after launch, with longer-term targets discussed around $1 to $2 when the platform rollout, adoption, and future expansions continue to land as planned. From the current $0.04 presale price, a move to $0.35 equals +775%. A longer-term move to $1 equals +2,400%, and $2 equals +4,900%.

To put that into a simple example, a $1,000 position at today’s $0.04 entry level would be worth around $8,750 when MUTM reached $0.35, for roughly $7,750 in gains. When MUTM later reached $1, that same $1,000 would scale to about $25,000, a gain of roughly $24,000. In the higher long-term scenario at $2, the position would be about $50,000, representing roughly $49,000 in gains.

V1 progress and security updates

Mutuum Finance is preparing to launch V1 on the Sepolia testnet, with the launch date expected to be announced soon. The team has confirmed the Halborn audit has been fully completed, adding a major security milestone alongside an earlier CertiK audit with a high score.

V1 is expected to include the protocol’s core building blocks—Liquidity Pool, mtToken, Debt Token, and Liquidator Bot—with ETH and USDT as the initial assets for lending, borrowing, and collateral. This testnet stage is positioned as a practical step where users can interact with core functions before wider rollout.

Crypto predictions: what comes next

The Ethereum story was a multi-stage repricing process: early pricing, broader access, rising usage, and then sustained expansion as the ecosystem grew. MUTM’s bullish case is also framed as multi-stage: presale pricing at $0.04, launch pricing at $0.06, early exchange repricing if demand accelerates, then longer-term growth driven by platform adoption and added utility.

Because MUTM starts from a low presale level, even moderate market expansion can create large percentage moves. If the platform attracts active users, listings broaden access, and future developments such as the stablecoin and multi-chain expansion add additional reasons to engage, the token can revalue in steps as the market prices in wider usage.

The comparison to early Ethereum is mainly about market structure: early distribution, a product-led demand story, and a clear path from limited access to broader participation. Mutuum Finance is still in that early window, with MUTM priced at $0.04, a confirmed $0.06 launch price, strong presale participation, and V1 moving toward a Sepolia testnet release with completed audits. When adoption and utility expand the way successful DeFi platforms aim for, MUTM has a setup that analysts often associate with the kind of repricing moves seen in earlier-stage crypto cycles.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website:https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

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