Cardano News Today: As ADA Stumbles, Mutuum's Secure DeFi Model Attracts $18.9M in Presales

Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a decentralized lending and borrowing protocol, has emerged as a standout project in the 2025 DeFi landscape, with its Phase 6 presale nearing completion and raising over $18.9 million. The token is currently priced at $0.035, a 250% increase from its initial offering price of $0.01 in Phase 1, and is set to rise to $0.04 in Phase 7. With 95% of Phase 6 tokens already allocated, the project's rapid growth has attracted more than 18,200 holders, underscoring strong demand for its utility-driven model.

The project's roadmap highlights a dual-layer lending system combining Peer-to-Contract (P2C) liquidity pools and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) borrowing, designed to automate loan processes and liquidations via smart contracts. This structure aims to create a transparent, non-custodial alternative to traditional credit systems. A key differentiator is Mutuum's buy-and-distribute mechanism, where a portion of protocol fees is used to repurchase MUTM tokens from the open market and redistribute them to stakers of mtTokens, creating a deflationary cycle tied to platform activity according to analysis.

Security has been a focal point for Mutuum Finance, with a CertiK audit achieving a 90/100 Token Scan score and ongoing Halborn Security audits of its smart contracts. These efforts align with the project's Q4 2025 testnet launch plan, which will deploy the V1 protocol on the Sepolia testnet, featuring liquidity pools, mtToken mechanics, and support for ETH and USDT. The team has also announced plans for a USD-pegged stablecoin backed by over-collateralized loans, further diversifying its DeFi ecosystem.

Market dynamics position MUTM as a potential rival to established projects like Cardano (ADA), which has struggled with bearish momentum. While ADA trades below key moving averages and faces technical resistance, Mutuum's presale model offers lower entry prices and a clear utility-driven narrative. The project's 24-hour leaderboard, rewarding top contributors with $500 in MUTM daily, has amplified engagement and highlighted the urgency for investors to secure tokens before Phase 6's sellout.

Financially, Mutuum Finance has allocated 45.5% of its 4 billion total supply to the presale, with 1.82 billion tokens reserved for early buyers. Over 790 million tokens have already been sold, and the team has introduced card-based payment options to broaden accessibility according to financial reports. This liquidity strategy, combined with a roadmap emphasizing protocol efficiency and security, has positioned MUTM as a contender for 2026's top DeFi projects.

As Phase 6 nears 99% allocation, the project's next phase will see the token price rise to $0.04, with the official launch price targeting $0.06. This trajectory, coupled with the Q4 2025 testnet deployment and Halborn audit completion, signals a critical juncture for Mutuum Finance. Investors are betting on its potential to disrupt traditional lending models while navigating the volatile crypto market with a structured, security-focused approach.