Cronos Leads Altcoin Surge With Key Upgrades in Final Week of October
Crypto Market Sees October Finish With Major Blockchain Upgrades: Cronos, Polygon, and Lido DAO Drive Altcoin Momentum
As October draws to a close, the cryptocurrency market is witnessing a wave of significant technical developments that are fueling renewed interest in altcoins. Three prominent projects—Cronos (CRO), Polygon (POL), and Lido DAO (LDO)—are implementing crucial upgrades that promise to enhance their core functionality, scalability, and market appeal. These coordinated end-of-month advancements highlight a broader industry trend of networks maturing their infrastructure to support greater adoption, efficiency, and utility. This analysis examines the specific upgrades from Cronos, Polygon, and Lido DAO, providing context for their potential impact based on current market data and technical indicators.
Cronos (CRO) Gears Up for Transformative EVM Smarturn Upgrade
Cronos is preparing for its highly anticipated EVM Smarturn upgrade, scheduled for the final week of October. This update represents a significant milestone for the blockchain network, focusing on three core improvements: the introduction of smarter accounts, enhanced Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) functionality, and stronger overall network performance.
The concept of "smarter accounts" typically refers to smart contract-enabled wallets that can perform more complex operations autonomously, such as batched transactions or automated fee payments. Enhanced EVM functionality suggests improved compatibility and efficiency for developers building decentralized applications (dApps) that need to operate across multiple chains. Stronger overall performance points to potential gains in transaction speed and network reliability, which are critical for user experience and developer adoption.
From a market perspective, this fundamental development appears to be positively influencing CRO's price action. According to data from TradingView, CRO's price has already climbed 10% in the past week to reach $0.154 at the time of analysis. Technical analysis suggests that if this level establishes itself as firm support, momentum could potentially push the token toward resistance levels at $0.160 and $0.171.
However, the analysis also notes potential downside risks. If bullish sentiment weakens following the upgrade, CRO could retrace its recent gains. A price drop below $0.147 would signal fading momentum, with further losses possibly extending to $0.140. The sustainability of CRO's upward movement will depend on maintaining strong technical support levels and continued investor participation post-upgrade.
Polygon (POL) Prepares for Quantum Leap in Performance Metrics
Polygon, consistently ranked among the top altcoins by market capitalization, is implementing a crucial upgrade that promises dramatic improvements to its core blockchain performance. The update focuses on two key metrics: transaction throughput and finality time.
The upgrade will increase Polygon's transaction throughput from 1,000 transactions per second (TPS) to 5,000 TPS—a fivefold improvement that significantly enhances the network's capacity to handle high-volume applications. Simultaneously, the update will reduce finality time from 5 seconds to just 1 second. Finality refers to the point at which transactions are considered irreversible, making this improvement particularly important for applications requiring rapid settlement confirmation, such as decentralized exchanges and gaming platforms.
This performance enhancement comes at a critical juncture for POL, which was trading at $0.203 at the time of analysis. Technical analysis suggests the upgrade could potentially drive POL's price upward toward the $0.220 resistance level, provided the token can establish $0.203 as strong support.
Despite these fundamental improvements, technical indicators present a more nuanced picture. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains in the negative zone below the neutral 50 mark, signaling weakening momentum that could present headwinds for immediate price appreciation. If selling pressure intensifies despite the upgrade, POL's price could potentially drop to $0.183, which would invalidate the bullish outlook based on current technical analysis.
Lido DAO (LDO) Evolves Into Modular Staking Platform With V3 Launch
Lido DAO is scheduled to launch its V3 upgrade on the mainnet by the end of October, marking a significant evolution in its platform architecture and capabilities. The update will transform Lido from a straightforward liquid staking solution into what the project describes as a "modular, transparent, and institution-grade staking infrastructure platform."
The shift toward modular architecture suggests Lido is building a more flexible foundation that can accommodate different staking modules, potentially supporting multiple blockchain networks or offering varied staking products. The emphasis on transparency and institutional-grade infrastructure indicates efforts to attract larger-scale investors who require robust compliance features, audit trails, and enterprise-level security.
This fundamental development appears to be generating positive momentum for LDO's market performance. Technical analysis indicates that if current momentum holds, LDO's price could potentially break above $1.00 and move toward $1.07. The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) indicator shows consistent investor inflows despite lingering market skepticism, suggesting growing confidence that could sustain the ongoing rally.
However, as with other altcoins in this analysis, LDO faces potential downside risks if investor sentiment weakens following the V3 launch. A drop below the $0.923 support level might trigger further selling pressure, potentially driving the token down to $0.862. Losing these key support levels would invalidate the current bullish technical outlook despite the fundamental improvements introduced by the upgrade.
Strategic Implications and Market Perspective
The simultaneous upgrades from Cronos, Polygon, and Lido DAO during October's final week represent a microcosm of broader trends in the cryptocurrency sector. These developments highlight how established projects are moving beyond basic functionality to refine their core architectures, improve performance metrics, and enhance user experiences.
When comparing these three upgrades, each addresses different aspects of blockchain infrastructure but shares a common theme of maturation. Cronos focuses on account sophistication and EVM efficiency—critical elements for developer adoption and cross-chain interoperability. Polygon prioritizes raw performance with its dramatic increases in throughput and reductions in finality time—essential for scaling decentralized applications to mainstream usage levels. Lido DAO emphasizes institutional-grade infrastructure and modular design—key requirements for attracting larger capital inflows and expanding beyond retail staking markets.
From an investment perspective, these technical upgrades represent fundamental improvements that could strengthen each project's competitive positioning regardless of short-term price movements. However, as evidenced by the technical analysis accompanying each project, market reactions to such upgrades can be unpredictable and influenced by broader market sentiment beyond individual project developments.
For crypto investors and observers, the weeks following these upgrades will provide crucial data points about market reception and real-world implementation success. Key metrics to monitor include network activity levels post-upgrade, developer adoption rates for Cronos's enhanced EVM functionality, actual throughput performance on Polygon's upgraded network, and institutional participation metrics following Lido's V3 launch.
These coordinated developments suggest that despite market volatility, foundational work continues across major blockchain ecosystems—laying groundwork for potential long-term growth rather than speculative short-term gains. As the cryptocurrency industry continues its maturation cycle, such substantive technical upgrades may increasingly become the primary drivers of sustainable value creation rather than speculative narratives alone.
Disclaimer: In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions.