Cardano falls back to the bottom of the consolidation zone. What next?

• ADA has lost 7% in the past day amid a waning momentum

• Cardano’s Vasil Upgrade is expected to be a game-changer in the network

• Cryptocurrencies are currently facing a sell-off ahead of the Fed’s meeting

Cardano ADA/USD dropped 7% in the past day to consolidate weekly losses at 14%. The token is currently trading at $0.4398. Despite being a major token, Cardano struggles to find unique utility over the top cryptos.

Pressure continues to mount on the scalability aspects of the layer-1 blockchain. Vasil upgrade, set for September 22, is expected to change that. The network’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, said the effect of the fork could be felt as soon as September 27.

Vasil upgrade has been hampered by several delays. The setbacks have been due to bugs and technical issues. Nonetheless, the fork remains the most ambitious upgrade in Cardano. Its benefits include scalability, increased throughput, efficiency, and a reduction in block transmission latency.

On a broader outlook, Cardano’s price is receiving a hit from the macro factors. Investors expect the US Federal Reserve to hike interest rates when it convenes this week. A high-interest rate is projected to shift investments away from riskier assets like cryptocurrencies. The sentiment has pushed major cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, into the red territory. From the technical chart below, ADA is at the bottom of a consolidation.

ADA trades at the bottom of a horizontal tunnel

Source: TradingView

The daily chart above shows that ADA has retested the $0.43 resistance level. Currently, momentum is looking largely bearish. The MACD is showing bearish histograms as more sellers enter the market. The RSI is at 41, reducing the chances of a possible trend reversal in the short term.

Concluding thoughts

For investors looking to grow their portfolio in a bear market, Cardano offers minimal chances. The token looks exceedingly bearish and could easily lose the current support. For the upcoming Vasil Upgrade, ADA has priced in. If the current support holds, ADA faces immediate resistance at $0.49.