Why did the price of IMX go up?

Immutable (IMX) increased by 6.75% in the last 24 hours, building on a 10.27% gain over the past week. This upward move reflects improving sentiment in the NFT market and positive technical signals. The main drivers are:

1. Technical Breakout – IMX surpassed important moving averages with bullish chart patterns.
2. NFT Market Recovery – The number of NFT buyers jumped 121%, showing signs of a market rebound.
3. Upcoming Developments – Planned zkEVM upgrades and new gaming partnerships in early 2026 are boosting confidence.

Deep Dive

1. Technical Breakout (Positive Signal)

Overview: IMX recently climbed above its 50-day exponential moving average (EMA) at $0.269 for the first time since October 2025. The MACD indicator also turned positive, and a “cup-and-handle” pattern suggests a short-term price target of $0.35.

What this means: The 50-day EMA is a key indicator of market sentiment. Moving above it signals a shift from a downtrend to an uptrend. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 54.76 over 7 days, indicating there’s still room for the price to rise before becoming overbought.

What to watch: Keep an eye on whether IMX can stay above $0.30 (current price: $0.296) to confirm the strength of this breakout.

2. NFT Market Revival (Mixed Outlook)

Overview: The number of weekly NFT buyers increased by 121% to 134,743, and Immutable’s sales rose 5.15% to $4.14 million (Crypto.News). However, total NFT sales overall stayed flat at $61.5 million, showing that demand is selective.

What this means: IMX is benefiting from renewed interest in gaming and metaverse NFTs, which are its main focus. However, the broader NFT market hasn’t fully bounced back to the highs seen in 2025. Investors are favoring higher-risk assets like IMX, which has underperformed Bitcoin by nearly 22% over the past 60 days.

3. Ecosystem Developments (Positive Outlook)

Overview: Immutable’s roadmap for Q1 2026 includes the launch of zkEVM technology and a new Passport Dashboard. A recent partnership with AVALON to develop AI-powered gaming (TradingView) adds to the positive outlook.

What this means: The full rollout of zkEVM could lower transaction costs and attract more Web3 games, increasing the utility of IMX tokens. With 97% of tokens already in circulation, successful upgrades may reduce selling pressure.

Conclusion

IMX’s recent price increase is driven by strong technical signals, a recovering NFT market, and upcoming platform improvements. The 24-hour trading volume jumped 88.79%, indicating real buying interest. Still, IMX remains 42% below its 90-day high, showing there’s room for recovery but also some caution among investors.

Key question: Will IMX maintain its position above the 50-day EMA ($0.269) on shorter timeframes? And can the growth in NFT buyers lead to sustained trading volume for Immutable’s collections?

What could affect the price of IMX?

Immutable (IMX) is currently balancing between growing interest in gaming and NFTs and broader economic challenges.

1. Q1 2026 Roadmap – The launch of zkEVM technology and improvements to staking could boost demand based on real use.
2. NFT Market Revival – A 121% weekly increase in NFT buyers and IMX’s strong position in gaming NFTs suggest potential growth.
3. Token Unlocks Ending – With all tokens unlocked by October 2025, dilution concerns fade, shifting focus to how the tokens are used.

Deep Dive

1. Project-Specific Catalysts (Positive Outlook)

Overview:
Immutable plans to launch its zkEVM blockchain in early 2026, making it fully available to developers. They’re also introducing a Passport Dashboard to help users track their activity. Additionally, staking rewards will expand, funded by a 2% transaction fee. Partnerships with Ubisoft (a major game developer) and MEXC (a crypto exchange) add credibility to the project.

What this means:
The zkEVM rollout could attract developers who want Ethereum-compatible solutions that are faster and cheaper. This would increase demand for IMX, which is used to pay transaction fees (“gas”). The staking rewards, supported by a portion of fees, encourage users to hold IMX longer, reducing selling pressure. For example, after similar updates in July 2025, IMX’s price rose 52% (CoinMarketCap).

2. NFT & Gaming Sentiment (Mixed Outlook)

Overview:
The number of weekly NFT buyers jumped 121% to 134,743 in January 2026. IMX-based NFT collections, like Guild of Guardians, generated $4.14 million in sales. However, the overall crypto market sentiment is neutral, and Bitcoin’s dominance at nearly 59% limits the growth of alternative coins like IMX.

What this means:
IMX’s price depends heavily on the success of NFTs and gaming. If NFT sales stay strong (above $70 million per week), IMX could push toward a resistance level of $0.35. But if Bitcoin’s dominance increases, investors might move money away from altcoins like IMX.

3. Tokenomics & Supply (Positive Outlook)

Overview:
By January 2026, nearly all IMX tokens (1.98 billion out of 2 billion) are in circulation, ending a two-year period of token unlocking. Staking now uses 20% of protocol fees, creating steady buying demand.

What this means:
With no new tokens being released, price growth depends on how much people use and stake IMX. If the Q1 upgrades increase daily transaction volume (currently $44 million), the reduced supply pressure could help push prices higher.

Conclusion

IMX’s future depends on successfully rolling out zkEVM and benefiting from the NFT market’s recovery. In the short term, watch the $0.30 price level—breaking above it could lead to gains toward $0.35. Over the long term, staking rewards and gaming partnerships might help offset broader market challenges. The key question remains: Can IMX’s NFT transaction volume keep growing at its current 5.15% weekly rate?

What are people saying about IMX?

Conversations around Immutable (IMX) are blending hopes for a price breakout with excitement about its growing ecosystem, especially as new gaming partnerships boost optimism. Here’s what’s trending:

1. Technical traders see $0.30 as a key price level for IMX to break through
2. Partnership with AVALON brings excitement about AI-driven gaming worlds
3. A recent 8% price jump sparks short-term bullish sentiment
4. Developer milestones highlight fast ecosystem growth

Deep Dive

1. @_CryptoYoda: Watching the $0.30 Breakout

"$IMX is testing a major resistance level at $0.30. Closing above this on the daily chart could signal a trend reversal aiming for $0.38."
– @_CryptoYoda (13.3K followers · 3.8K impressions · 2026-01-17 11:08 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is a mixed signal for IMX. If the price breaks above $0.30, it could trigger buying momentum. But if it fails to break through, it may reinforce a bearish trend around the current price of $0.294.

2. @TradingView: Positive News from AVALON Partnership

"Immutable partners with AVALON to create AI-powered, user-generated gaming worlds, with a beta launch expected in 2026."
– TradingView
View original article
What this means: This is good news for IMX. Integrating AI into gaming expands Immutable’s use cases in Web3, which could attract more developers and increase activity on the network.

3. @PumpDumpAlert: 8% Price Increase Sparks Optimism

"🟢 IMX price jumped from $0.284 to $0.307 USDT, an 8.1% increase."
– @PumpDumpAlert (15.4K followers · Impressions N/A · 2026-01-17 16:00 UTC)
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What this means: This price jump is a positive sign, showing strong buying interest at support levels. However, for this momentum to last, IMX needs to hold above the $0.30 resistance level.

4. @xKrisNFT: Strong Ecosystem Growth

"Over 680 games onboarded (up from just 6 in 2021), 5.6 million registered users, and major partnerships like Polygon’s $100K prize pool."
– @xKrisNFT (4.7K followers · Impressions N/A · 2025-12-18 09:10 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is a very positive sign for IMX. Rapid growth in developers and users shows the network’s fundamentals are strengthening, even if the overall market feels bearish.

Conclusion

The outlook for IMX is mixed. On one hand, there’s technical resistance at $0.30 that needs to be overcome. On the other, the ecosystem is growing quickly. Keep an eye on NFT trading volume on Immutable zkEVM—if it stays above $30 million per week, it would support the idea that gaming adoption is driving network growth and revenue potential.

What is the latest news about IMX?

Immutable is benefiting from a renewed interest in the NFT market, with a big increase in buyers and the launch of a new game. Technical indicators also suggest the price could go higher.

1. NFT Market Growth (January 17, 2026) – The number of buyers jumped 121%, while Immutable’s sales rose 5.15% to $4.14 million.
2. Price Pattern Points to $0.35 (January 17, 2026) – IMX price broke above its 50-day moving average, with key events expected in the first quarter.
3. Zombie World Game Launch (January 13, 2026) – A new roguelike shooter game is launching on Immutable this month.

In-Depth Look

1. NFT Market Growth (January 17, 2026)

Summary:
NFT sales reached $61.5 million this week, a slight increase of 1.5% from the previous week. However, the bigger story is the surge in buyers, which rose by nearly 121% to 134,743. Immutable’s sales increased by 5.15% to $4.14 million, outperforming other blockchains like Solana, which saw a significant drop. This growth coincides with Bitcoin rising back above $95,000 and Ethereum crossing $3,200.

What this means:
This is a positive sign for IMX because more buyers indicate growing interest in its gaming and NFT platform. The increase in buyers, even with steady sales, suggests new users are entering the market, which could lead to higher sales volume soon. The risk is that if buyer interest fades without more sales, the momentum could slow down.
(Source: crypto.news)

2. Price Pattern Points to $0.35 (January 17, 2026)

Summary:
IMX’s price rose 5.34% to $0.292, breaking above its 50-day moving average for the first time since October. Technical charts show a “cup” pattern, which often signals a price increase, with a target around $0.35. This aligns with upcoming events in the first quarter, including the launch of zkEVM and the Passport Dashboard.

What this means:
This breakout suggests growing confidence among buyers. If trading volume stays strong, the price could rise about 19% to reach $0.35. Watch for resistance near the 100-day moving average at $0.33. However, if Bitcoin’s dominance in the market remains high (currently 58.94%), it could limit gains for altcoins like IMX.
(Source: Crypto Edition)

3. Zombie World Game Launch (January 13, 2026)

Summary:
Zombie World, a new top-down shooter game where players fight zombies and set up defenses, is launching on Immutable this month. The game uses Immutable’s platform, which allows NFT minting and trading without gas fees (transaction costs).

What this means:
This launch is good news for Immutable’s ecosystem, which already hosts over 680 games. New games help attract users and increase transactions, which is important for the value and use of IMX tokens. The impact will depend on how well the game retains players and encourages NFT use.
(Source: TradingView)

Conclusion

Immutable is seeing strong interest in its NFT platform and positive technical signals, supported by new game launches. The key question is whether this buyer interest will translate into ongoing activity and growth. The upcoming zkEVM rollout in the first quarter could be a major factor in boosting Immutable’s position in the gaming space.

What is expected in the development of IMX?

Immutable’s 2026 roadmap is focused on improving its technology, making tools easier to use, and growing its gaming community.

1. zkEVM Full Launch (Q1 2026) – A new Ethereum-compatible scaling solution goes live.
2. Passport Dashboard Release (Q1 2026) – A single platform for managing rewards and digital assets.
3. Zombie World Game Launch (January 2026) – A major NFT-based game debuts on Immutable.
4. SDK Updates (2026) – Adding support for more programming languages to help game developers.

In-Depth Look

1. zkEVM Full Launch (Q1 2026)

What it is: Immutable’s zkEVM is a technology that helps Ethereum-based projects run faster and cheaper without sacrificing security. It uses “zero-knowledge proofs” to keep transactions safe and efficient.

Why it matters: This upgrade could attract more developers and users to Immutable by lowering costs and speeding up transactions. However, it faces competition from other similar solutions like Starknet.

2. Passport Dashboard Release (Q1 2026)

What it is: The Passport Dashboard will bring together all user rewards, staking options, and NFT management into one easy-to-use interface. This makes it simpler for people new to crypto to get involved.

Why it matters: A better user experience could lead to more people joining Immutable’s platform, especially as they aim to reach over 100 million gamers. Success depends on how well it integrates with existing tools like Immutable Play.

3. Zombie World Game Launch (January 2026)

What it is: Zombie World is a new top-down shooter game with play-to-earn features and NFT upgrades, launching on Immutable. It’s developed by TT Hugs NFT.

Why it matters: New game launches often boost interest and trading activity on Immutable. For example, NFT sales recently jumped 69% week-over-week (source). The key will be keeping players engaged over time.

4. SDK Updates (2026)

What it is: Immutable plans to support more programming languages like C#, C++, and Python in its software development kits (SDKs). They’re also focusing on integrating with popular game engines like Unity and Unreal.

Why it matters: Making it easier for traditional game developers to build on Immutable could speed up growth in Web3 gaming. Adoption will depend on how well these tools are supported and documented.

Conclusion

Immutable’s 2026 plans combine important tech upgrades (zkEVM), user-friendly tools (Passport), and new gaming content (Zombie World). While these developments look promising, it’s important to watch how quickly zkEVM is adopted and how well new games retain players. The big question: Can Immutable’s focus on infrastructure help it outpace competitors like Polygon in the NFT gaming space?

What updates are there in the IMX code base?

Immutable's latest updates focus on making developer tools better and supporting multiple blockchains through new software kits.

1. Core SDK Expansion (2023–2025) – Released simpler software development kits (SDKs) in four programming languages, cutting down the code complexity by 65–78%.
2. Developer Hub Launch (2023) – Created a centralized platform for testing, launching, and managing projects on ImmutableX.
3. Documentation Overhaul (2023) – Redesigned guides with clear examples to help developers get started faster.

Deep Dive

1. Core SDK Expansion (2023–2025)

Overview:
Immutable introduced improved SDKs for TypeScript, Golang, Kotlin, and Swift. These tools make it easier for developers to build games and NFT projects on their platform.

For example, the TypeScript SDK version 1.0 reduced the package size by 67% (from 1.9MB to 628kB) and cut down dependencies from 42 to 9. They simplified the number of public methods from hundreds to just 45, all accessible through a single entry point, making integration smoother. The Golang SDK, still in early stages, offers auto-generated API clients and ready-made workflows for backend systems.

What this means:
This is positive news for Immutable (IMX) because faster and lighter SDKs encourage more developers to build on their platform. More developers usually mean more network activity and higher NFT transaction volumes. (Source)

2. Developer Hub Launch (2023)

Overview:
The ImmutableX Developer Hub brings together all the tools developers need to manage their projects in one place. It offers real-time support, code templates, testing environments, analytics dashboards, and updated documentation.

They also added Immutascan, a block explorer compatible with test networks, to help developers monitor transactions easily.

What this means:
This update is neutral for IMX in the short term but promising for the long term. Better tools can speed up the release of high-quality decentralized apps (dApps), although it may take time for widespread adoption. (Source)

3. Documentation Overhaul (2023)

Overview:
Immutable revamped its developer documentation based on user feedback. The new docs include step-by-step tutorials, troubleshooting guides, and detailed API references.

They added new sections on optimizing transaction fees (gas) and how to bridge assets across different blockchains. Developers can also rate content to flag outdated information.

What this means:
Clearer documentation is a big plus for IMX because it lowers the learning curve for traditional gaming studios moving into web3. Easier onboarding helps keep developers engaged and active on the platform. (Source)

Conclusion

Immutable’s updates focus on making development faster and easier with lighter SDKs and centralized tools. These improvements support their goal of becoming a leading web3 gaming platform. While it may take some time to see these changes reflected in network activity, they set IMX up for future growth. The upcoming Unity and Unreal Engine SDKs planned for 2026 could be key to attracting major game studios to the platform.