Saad Ullah
Stellar (XLM) has exploded 104% since early July, and now traders are watching for a rare technical signal that could send the crypto even higher - a golden cross that's about to happen.
XLM Price Doubles in July Bull Run
Stellar has been on fire this month, jumping from around $0.222 in early July to over $0.52. That's more than doubling in value, making XLM one of the best-performing altcoins around.
The surge comes from a mix of renewed market confidence, growing altcoin momentum, and exciting developments in the Stellar ecosystem. Right now, XLM's 50-day moving average sits at $0.297 and looks ready to cross above the 200-day moving average at $0.31 in the coming days. This formation - called a golden cross - is a big deal for traders who see it as a strong bullish signal.
Golden crosses don't happen often, especially on longer timeframes. When they do, they usually kick off major uptrends. The last time Stellar saw this pattern was in December 2024, and XLM rallied all the way to $0.634.
XLM Could Hit $1 Next, Says Top Trader
Legendary trader Peter Brandt is pretty bullish on Stellar's chart. He recently said: "Potentially the most bullish chart of all belongs to XLM. XLM 'must' remain above Apr low and 'must' close decisively above $1. Until then (its) chart might remain range bound."
That $1 target is getting a lot of attention. It would mean nearly doubling from current levels, but with the golden cross forming and strong momentum building, it doesn't seem out of reach.
Protocol Upgrades Add Extra Fuel
There's more than just technicals driving XLM higher. Protocol 23 is coming to the Stellar network, bringing eight new Core Advancement Proposals (CAPs). The mainnet vote happens on August 14, 2025, after the CAPs went live on testnet back on June 30, 2025.
These upgrades should make the network better and more attractive to developers and users. Combined with the technical breakout, Stellar looks positioned for another big move up.
While nothing's guaranteed in crypto, the combination of strong price action, bullish technicals, and network improvements makes XLM one to watch. If that golden cross plays out as expected, we could see Stellar make a serious run toward that $1 target.
Saad Ullah
