Avalanche (AVAX), an open-source blockchain platform, has started 2026 on a strong note, rising 11% today. While Bitcoin and Ethereum saw only small gains, AVAX clearly led the pack, emerging as one of the top performers.
So, what’s behind this sudden surge in AVAX price today?
One of the biggest drivers behind this rally is growing institutional interest. Grayscale recently filed an updated S-1 form with the US SEC to convert its Avalanche Trust into a spot AVAX ETF. What made this filing stand out is the inclusion of staking.
Under the new structure, up to 70% of the fund’s AVAX holdings could be staked, with rewards passed directly to investors. This turns the ETF into more than just price exposure, it becomes a yield-generating product.
VanEck also updated its Avalanche ETF filing to include staking rewards, while Bitwise has applied to launch multiple altcoin ETFs, including AVAX. Together, these moves suggest institutions are taking Avalanche more seriously than ever before.
Beyond institutional adoption, Avalanche recently went live on Whitewallet, offering fast finality, low fees, and a focus on speed. Users can now easily send and receive tokens and explore the Avalanche dApp ecosystem through Whitewallet.
At the same time, TheGrottoL1 went live on mainnet, Avalanche 9000 started its third L1 and tooling cohort, and the C-Chain passed 400 million transactions in 2025, showing the network is built for real use.
AVAX price is also benefiting from rising market activity. Its 24-hour trading volume jumped 140%, reaching around $546 million, indicating strong buying and selling activity. Such spikes usually reflect real demand from traders, helping push prices higher quickly.
Looking at the 4-hour chart, AVAX has broken above its short-term moving averages and is now pushing into a key resistance zone around $13.20–$13.50. This level acted as a rejection earlier, so holding above it is important.
The recent move came with high volume, which confirms that the breakout attempt is supported by real buying interest, not just a short-term spike.
If AVAX closes and holds above $13.20, the structure turns clearly bullish. In that case, price can move toward $15.60 first, with $20.00 as a higher-timeframe target.
Meanwhile, failure to hold above the resistance could lead to a short pullback towards $12.32
AVAX gained momentum due to rising institutional interest, higher trading volume, and expanding network adoption across wallets and tools.
Institutional involvement can improve liquidity, credibility, and long-term demand, helping stabilize price growth over time.
If adoption and institutional demand grow, AVAX could revisit higher resistance levels, with long-term upside depending on market conditions and network growth.
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