As the cryptocurrency market matures, investor focus is shifting from meme-driven assets to projects with tangible utility and structured economic models. Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a decentralized lending protocol, is emerging as a beneficiary of this trend, attracting attention from early buyers of Pepecoin (PEPE) ahead of its pivotal V1 testnet launch scheduled for Q4 2025.
Mutuum Finance's core offering is a dual-lending system. The Peer-to-Contract environment allows users to supply assets like ETH or USDT to earn mtTokens, which appreciate in value as borrowers repay interest. The Peer-to-Peer system facilitates direct agreements between lenders and borrowers, with dynamic interest rates that adjust based on liquidity. The protocol incorporates loan-to-value rules and a liquidation mechanism where liquidators can acquire discounted collateral, aiming to maintain stability during market volatility.
The project has demonstrated significant growth during its development phase. Launched in early 2025 at $0.01, MUTM now trades at $0.035, marking a 250% increase. It has raised $19.25 million, attracted 18,500 holders, and sold 815 million tokens from a total supply of 4 billion. The current presale, Phase 6, is over 96% allocated at the $0.035 price point. Once sold out, the price will increase by nearly 20% for Phase 7, with a final launch price target of $0.06.
Security and upcoming development milestones are key investor draws. Mutuum Finance has completed a CertiK audit, scoring 90/100 on its Token Scan, and has engaged Halborn Security for a deeper review of its contract mechanics. A $50,000 bug bounty program is also active. The imminent V1 launch will introduce the core lending pool, mtToken mechanics, and liquidation functions, initially supporting ETH and USDT.
Analysts point to the project's planned buy-and-distribute tokenomics—where a portion of platform revenue is used to buy MUTM from the open market and distribute it to stakers—as a source of inherent buy pressure. Further growth drivers include integration plans with Chainlink for oracle price feeds and the development of a native, interest-backed stablecoin. Some forecasts suggest the token could see a 4x to 7x move post-V1 launch, with long-term models pointing toward a potential 10x gain by 2026 if adoption meets expectations.
The rotation from PEPE to MUTM underscores a broader market sentiment. While PEPE's momentum has faded due to its reliance on hype and lack of utility, investors are seeking projects with "stronger structure and clearer development paths." This shift is evidenced by recent whale activity, including a single purchase exceeding $100,000, accelerating the final stages of MUTM's presale allocation.
