Hyperliquid News Today: Structured DeFi vs. Meme Hype: MUTM's Bid to Overtake SHIB

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) has emerged as a compelling contender to challenge Shiba Inu (SHIB)'s position in the top 40 cryptocurrencies, with analysts forecasting significant growth potential over the next 24 months. While SHIB maintains a market cap of approximately $7 billion, according to a CoinChapter report, its reliance on meme-driven hype and limited utility has drawn scrutiny, creating an opening for projects like MUTM that prioritize real-world DeFi applications, per a 24-month forecast.

SHIB's recent inclusion in T. Rowe Price's proposed multicrypto ETF filing underscores its institutional recognition, yet its technical outlook remains constrained. The token has struggled to break through key resistance levels, with analysts projecting modest gains to around $0.000015, according to a CryptoDaily analysis. Meanwhile, SHIB's massive circulating supply of nearly 589 trillion tokens, as noted by CoinChapter, dilutes its potential for explosive growth. In contrast, MUTM, a DeFi lending platform in its presale phase, has raised $18.25 million with 17,600 investors, according to Cryptopolitan, leveraging a structured tokenomics model that promises 400% returns upon launch.

Mutuum Finance's presale strategy, spanning 11 phases, has driven urgency among investors. Phase 6, priced at $0.035 per token, is 80% sold, with prices set to rise to $0.04 in Phase 7. This gradual increase reflects a disciplined approach to value retention, contrasting with SHIB's volatile, sentiment-driven price action. MUTM's utility as a dual-market lending platform—combining Peer-to-Contract (P2C) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) models—creates a revenue stream tied directly to token demand. Every loan repayment generates protocol revenue, which is used to buy and redistribute MUTM tokens, fostering a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Market dynamics further tilt in MUTM's favor. SHIB's dominance in the top 40 is underpinned by speculative fervor, while MUTM's audited smart contracts and CertiK verification appeal to a market increasingly prioritizing security and utility. Zcash's recent surge past SHIB in market cap is documented in a U.Today report and illustrates a broader shift toward privacy and functional projects, a trend MUTM aligns with through its DeFi infrastructure. Analysts project MUTM could reach $3 by late 2027, valuing the project at $3 billion—a trajectory mirroring Dogecoin's 2020–2021 rise.

However, challenges persist. SHIB's entrenched community and ETF exposure provide defensive advantages, while MUTM's success hinges on executing its V1 protocol launch and maintaining presale momentum. Institutional adoption of SHIB via ETFs, as reported in a CoinRise filing, could stabilize its position, but retail investors are increasingly favoring projects with clear use cases and scalable models.

In a 24-month outlook, MUTM's combination of utility-driven design, disciplined tokenomics, and growing institutional credibility positions it as a plausible replacement for SHIB in the top 40. As DeFi adoption accelerates and market focus shifts from hype to fundamentals, MUTM's structured approach may outpace SHIB's reliance on social media trends.