What could affect the price of SEI?

SEI’s price outlook reflects a balance between exciting upcoming upgrades and challenges like regulatory uncertainty and market competition.

1. Giga Upgrade: A planned 50x speed increase in early 2026 could attract more developers and users, boosting demand.
2. ETF Possibilities: Pending SEC decisions on staked-SEI ETFs could open the door for institutional investors—or cause delays.
3. Market Competition: Despite strong daily user numbers and trading volume, growing competition from other blockchains puts pressure on SEI.

Deep Dive

1. Giga Upgrade (Positive Impact)

Overview: Scheduled for early 2026, the Giga upgrade aims to reach 200,000 transactions per second (TPS) and finalize transactions in under 400 milliseconds. This is achieved through improvements like parallel processing and better data storage. These changes make SEI well-suited for fast-paced decentralized finance (DeFi) and gaming applications. Early tests show performance improvements of 10 to 40 times, and the new infrastructure is already available for developers to try on the test network.

What this means: Past major upgrades in blockchain technology—like Solana’s Firedancer—have led to price increases of 30-80% by attracting more developers and users. If Giga delivers as expected, SEI could gain market share from competitors such as Aptos and Sui, increasing network activity and the usefulness of its token.

2. ETF Possibilities (Mixed Impact)

Overview: Two companies, Canary Capital and 21Shares, have applied to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for ETFs that include staked SEI tokens, with decisions expected in April and August 2025. Approval would allow investors to earn staking rewards through regulated investment products. However, the SEC has been cautious about approving altcoin ETFs, so delays or rejections are possible.

What this means: When ETFs are approved, they often bring a 20-50% boost in investment inflows, as seen with Bitcoin ETFs. But if the SEC rejects these applications, it could worsen SEI’s recent 37% price drop over the past 90 days. The timing of SEC decisions and how staking rewards are taxed will be key factors for attracting institutional investors.

3. Market Competition (Mixed Impact)

Overview: SEI currently leads with 824,000 daily active users and partnerships with big players like BlackRock and Apollo for real-world assets (RWAs). However, competitors like Solana and Sui offer similar transaction speeds. Additionally, the “altcoin season” index is low at 25, indicating that investors are favoring Bitcoin over alternative cryptocurrencies, which puts pressure on SEI’s liquidity.

What this means: SEI’s strengths in decentralized finance and gaming create a competitive advantage, but if it doesn’t clearly stand out, its growth could stall. Continued user growth might help counter broader market challenges, but Bitcoin’s dominance at 59% of the market limits how much capital flows into altcoins like SEI.

Conclusion

SEI’s future depends heavily on the successful rollout of the Giga upgrade and the outcome of ETF approvals. Its technological edge could outweigh regulatory challenges if executed well. Keep an eye on SEC announcements and SEI’s network activity after the upgrade. Will SEI’s speed advantage convince skeptics even as Bitcoin remains dominant?

{{technical_analysis_coin_candle_chart}}

What are people saying about SEI?

The Sei (SEI) community is divided between cautious buying and optimistic bets on its fast-growing potential. Here’s what’s trending right now:

1. Price forecasts for 2026 range up to $0.80, despite overall market uncertainty.
2. The $0.10 to $0.12 price range is becoming a key support level to watch.
3. Upcoming token unlocks could impact SEI’s price strength.

Deep Dive

1. @SBB_crypto: "2026 Bull Run Fuel Loading" 🚀

"📉 The crypto market might dip until September 2026, but $Sei could still rise sharply! Potential price range: $0.30 to over $0.80 ⚡ Stay alert!"
– @SBB_crypto (516 followers · 12K impressions · 2026-01-16 13:13 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is a positive outlook for SEI, suggesting it could outperform other tokens during market downturns. Its compatibility with Ethereum-based apps (EVM) and partnerships, like Wyoming’s stablecoin pilot, add to its appeal.

2. @decilizer: "Controlled Consolidation Pattern" ⚖️

"$SEI shows stability – aiming for $0.2579 with a safety net at $0.082. This looks like steady growth rather than hype."
– @decilizer (6K followers · 45K impressions · 2025-12-19 08:44 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is a cautiously optimistic view. SEI appears more stable compared to other more volatile cryptocurrencies. The clear risk and reward levels suggest interest from serious traders.

3. @realpancaYT: "Unlock Overhang Risks" 📉

"Monthly token unlocks combined with low demand could dilute value. Fundamentals are strong, but $0.09 might be the bottom before the next rise."
– @realpancaYT (1.9K followers · 32K impressions · 2025-12-31 00:23 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is a short-term bearish outlook. Since launch, SEI’s circulating supply has increased by 37%, which could put downward pressure on price until the second half of 2026.

Conclusion

The overall sentiment on SEI is mixed. Optimism centers on its advanced EVM technology and real-world asset partnerships, while concerns remain about token supply and price pressure. Traders are closely watching the January 15 token unlock, which will release 55 million SEI tokens valued at about $6.6 million at current prices. The $0.10 to $0.12 price range is critical—holding above this could support a buying trend, while falling below might confirm fears of price dilution.

What is the latest news about SEI?

Sei is showing strong signs of growth with exciting updates from exchanges and upcoming technology improvements that could make it much faster.

1. Altcoins Ready to Surge (January 17, 2026) – SEI is among a few cryptocurrencies set up for big price jumps, potentially rising over 60% as investors shift their focus.
2. Upbit Pauses SEI Wallet Services (January 13, 2026) – The South Korean exchange temporarily stopped SEI deposits and withdrawals for maintenance, but trading is still available.
3. Sei’s Giga Upgrade Coming Soon (January 14, 2026) – Scheduled for late 2026, this upgrade aims to make the network 50 times faster, handling up to 100,000 complex transactions per second.

In-Depth Look

1. Altcoins Ready to Surge (January 17, 2026)

What’s happening: Experts have identified SEI as one of five altcoins with strong technical signs pointing to a possible big price increase. The overall altcoin market is seeing a shift of about $1 trillion in investments, and SEI’s price charts suggest it could jump more than 60% if it breaks through key resistance levels. Increased trading activity and positive momentum indicators support this outlook.
Why it matters: This is a positive sign for SEI, showing growing confidence and more money flowing into it, which could push prices higher in the short term. However, this depends on the overall market staying strong and SEI maintaining important support levels. (CoinMarketCap)

2. Upbit Pauses SEI Wallet Services (January 13, 2026)

What’s happening: Upbit, a leading exchange in South Korea, temporarily stopped SEI deposits and withdrawals to perform wallet maintenance aimed at improving security and system stability. This pause started on January 13 but did not affect the ability to trade SEI against Bitcoin (BTC) and Tether (USDT).
Why it matters: This is a neutral development for SEI. While it might cause a minor inconvenience for users in the short term, it shows the exchange is committed to keeping its platform secure and reliable, which can build trust in SEI’s ecosystem over time. (CoinMarketCap)

3. Sei’s Giga Upgrade Coming Soon (January 14, 2026)

What’s happening: Sei Network plans to launch its "Giga" upgrade in the fourth quarter of 2026. This upgrade will boost the network’s Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) processing speed by 50 times, allowing it to handle up to 100,000 complex transactions every second. This builds on the July release of the V2 mainnet beta, which introduced parallel processing for EVM tasks. The goal is to reach speeds comparable to traditional web applications, making it ideal for decentralized finance (DeFi) and gaming.
Why it matters: This is a very positive development for SEI. Faster processing and higher capacity could attract more developers and users, strengthening Sei’s position as a leading blockchain for high-performance applications. (Bitget)

Conclusion

Sei’s outlook is promising, balancing strong technical signals with important upgrades and routine exchange maintenance. The upcoming Giga upgrade could be a game-changer, potentially opening the door for more institutional investors and broader adoption once it goes live.

What is expected in the development of SEI?

Sei’s roadmap highlights key goals: improving technology, growing its ecosystem, and attracting institutional users.

1. Giga Upgrade (Q1 2026) – A major update aiming to handle 200,000 transactions per second (TPS).
2. Ecosystem Growth – Launching new protocols and integrating AI and gaming projects.
3. Developer & Creator Support – Offering grants, hackathons, and funding to encourage innovation.

In-Depth Look

1. Giga Upgrade (Q1 2026)

What it is:
The Giga Upgrade plans to boost Sei’s Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) capacity to 200,000 TPS with transaction finality under 400 milliseconds. This will be achieved through parallel processing and improvements in SeiDB storage (Sei Labs). The goal is to deliver performance suitable for financial applications and high-speed trading.

Why it matters:
This upgrade could attract developers from Ethereum looking for faster and more scalable infrastructure. However, any delays or technical challenges could slow adoption and affect market confidence.

2. Ecosystem Growth – New Protocols and AI/Gaming

What’s happening:

• TakaraLend, a top DeFi protocol with $85 million in total value locked (TVL), and MonacoOnSei, a project supported by Sei Labs, plan to launch tokens in 2026.
• Kindred_AI is partnering with Sei to deploy AI agents using licensed intellectual property, aiming at a $200 billion AI-agent market (Kaff 📊).
• Gaming remains important, with popular titles like Helium Wars and Nitromachines attracting around 500,000 daily active wallets.

Why it matters:
New token launches can increase liquidity and user activity. Integrating AI positions Sei as a platform for automated transactions, though competition from other Layer 2 solutions is a factor to watch.

3. Developer & Creator Support

What’s planned:
The Sei Foundation’s 2025 strategy includes:

• Grants and retroactive funding to support ecosystem projects.
• Quadratic funding rounds, such as $250,000 allocated to the Sei Street Team program.
• Hackathons focused on DeFi, gaming, and AI applications (Sei Foundation).

Why it matters:
These efforts encourage innovation and community growth. Success depends on attracting talented developers in a competitive Layer 1 blockchain environment.

Conclusion

Sei’s roadmap balances technical improvements (Giga Upgrade), expanding its ecosystem (AI and gaming), and fostering community-driven development. The recent unlocking of 55.56 million SEI tokens on January 15, 2026, is behind us, so attention now turns to managing upgrade risks and leveraging institutional partnerships like OSL HK.

What factors could speed up SEI’s adoption beyond just being compatible with EVM?

What updates are there in the SEI code base?

Sei’s latest software update focuses on keeping the core system running smoothly and improving tools for developers.

1. Core Maintenance (Jan 14, 2026) – Routine updates to the main codebase
2. Tooling Improvements (July 2025) – Better software libraries for Ethereum compatibility
3. Ecosystem Expansion (Ongoing) – Building infrastructure for fast, high-volume transactions

Deep Dive

1. Core Maintenance (Jan 14, 2026)

Overview: The Sei development team made updates to the main sei-chain code repository. While the exact changes aren’t publicly detailed, these updates usually help improve network stability and performance.
What this means: This is neutral for SEI. Routine maintenance keeps the network reliable but doesn’t add new features that would significantly increase usage or speed. (GitHub)

2. Tooling Improvements (July 2025)

Overview: The @sei-js/evm software package was updated to make it easier for developers to connect Ethereum-based apps with Sei’s blockchain. This simplifies building applications that use Sei’s unique parallel processing for Ethereum smart contracts.
What this means: This is positive for SEI because better developer tools make it easier to create new apps, which can help the Sei ecosystem grow without needing changes to the core protocol. (Source)

3. Ecosystem Expansion (Ongoing)

Overview: Infrastructure upgrades, like removing certain fees (September 2025), support high-frequency trading and AI-driven transactions. These improvements position Sei as a blockchain suited for real-time financial services and emerging AI-related use cases.
What this means: This is positive for SEI because it broadens the network’s practical uses beyond simple transactions, making it more attractive for large-scale, fast-paced applications that need quick final confirmations. (Source)

Conclusion

Recent updates focus on keeping Sei stable and improving the developer experience rather than adding flashy new features. This aligns with Sei’s goal of becoming a reliable platform for high-performance applications. The upcoming Giga upgrade, which aims to handle 200,000 transactions per second (TPS), will be key to how Sei competes with other Layer 2 blockchain solutions.