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SEI: reasons for the coin's growth and exchange rate forecast for 2025–2026 — ASCN

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ASCN Team
15 August 2025

In 2025, SEI suddenly became one of the hottest coins in crypto. Its price keeps inching upward, investor interest doesn’t fade, and the chatter across communities feels like Solana’s early days. So what’s going on here? Why is SEI showing such strength — and what could happen next?

If you’re curious about the future of new Layer-1 networks or just looking for fresh entry points in the market, this deep dive should give you a clear picture — how SEI works, where its momentum comes from, and whether it deserves a spot in your portfolio.

What SEI Is — and Why It’s Different

This isn’t just another altcoin riding the DeFi or NFT wave. SEI is a high-performance Layer-1 blockchain built from scratch for trading and high-throughput applications. Everything about it — from consensus to UX — is tuned for speed, scalability, and developer comfort.

Let’s rewind a bit.

SEI: reasons for the coin's growth and exchange rate forecast for 2025–2026 — ASCN

A Short Backstory: How SEI Network Started

SEI Network kicked off development in 2022 and launched its mainnet in 2023. The founders came from Wall Street — developers and traders who knew how markets move and where blockchain tech still lagged. From day one, the mission was clear: build infrastructure for high-frequency trading and complex financial products that could live entirely on-chain.

The project quickly caught the eye of major venture players. In 2023, it secured funding from Multicoin Capital, Coinbase Ventures, and Jump Crypto — a trio that doesn’t usually back half-baked experiments. The cash infusion fueled SEI’s core infrastructure, mainnet launch, and early ecosystem growth.

Even before the official mainnet went live, SEI tokens were trading actively on decentralized markets. The buzz was real — and loud.

Under the Hood: What Makes SEI Tick

SEI is built on the Tendermint consensus model but introduces a few tricks of its own.

  • Parallel transaction execution. Thanks to a custom transaction ordering engine, SEI can handle thousands of orders per second without bottlenecks.

  • Native order-matching engine. Think of it like a built-in DEX core — matching orders right on the chain, just like a real exchange would.

  • Twin-Turbo Consensus. A custom optimization layer that slashes block finality down to under 300ms — faster than most L1 networks today.

Because of all that, some traders already call SEI the “Solana for traders.” It’s a flattering (and mostly fair) comparison.

Where SEI Fits in the Market

Unlike general-purpose networks such as Ethereum or Avalanche, SEI positions itself narrowly: it’s built for trading. That’s its thing.

Its main goal is to become the base layer for decentralized markets — perpetuals, derivatives, spot DEXs, and whatever comes next in DeFi.
This specialization makes SEI particularly appealing for developers building high-speed financial dApps, where latency and liquidity matter more than memes.

How SEI Stands Apart from SUI, Aptos, and Solana

At first glance, SEI might look like yet another shiny Layer-1, but dig a bit deeper and the differences show.

  • Solana aims for massive dApp scalability, but it’s had its fair share of overloads and downtime. SEI sidesteps those pain points by focusing narrowly on trading operations.

  • SUI puts emphasis on user-centric decentralization and NFT tools. Interesting tech, but not exactly built for financial use cases.

  • Aptos bets on its Move language and strong UX, but the ecosystem’s still thin, with slow developer adoption.

SEI, on the other hand, feels more grounded — pragmatic rather than experimental.

Why SEI’s Price Surged in 2024–2025

SEI’s run-up wasn’t a random pump. It came from a mix of fundamentals, timing, and a healthy dose of community momentum. Let’s unpack the main drivers.

Big Exchange Listings

Mid-2023 was the turning point. SEI got listed on:

  • Binance, pulling in over $150M in daily volume,

  • Coinbase, fully integrated into its app and API,

  • and later Bybit, KuCoin, and OKX — all with dedicated spot and futures pairs.

That exposure unlocked millions of new potential buyers, including institutions that rarely touch DEXs. Liquidity exploded — trading volumes jumped more than 500% within three months of the Coinbase listing.

Backing from Heavyweight Investors

Venture backing wasn’t just financial. Funds like Jump Crypto and Multicoin Capital actively supported the project — from community engagement to code audits.
Seeing those names attached created an instant trust effect. In crypto, that matters more than most admit.

DeFi Ecosystem Growth

By 2024, SEI’s DeFi bet started paying off. Key protocols launched on-chain:

  • SushiXSwap — a multichain DEX,

  • Vortex Protocol — low-latency derivatives,

  • OmniFlix and SEI Lending — NFT and lending protocols.

As TVL and transactions climbed, so did token demand. By mid-2025, SEI’s total value locked surpassed $6 billion — a massive leap for a two-year-old network.

Smart Marketing and Strong Community

The team’s communication game is solid. Regular AMA sessions, transparent roadmaps, and meme-driven community marketing keep SEI visible and likable.
Developers also appreciate the open approach — frequent SDK updates, deep documentation, and public testnets. It all signals long-term seriousness.

Renewed Interest in Layer-1s

As Ethereum slowed down and L2 hype cooled off, investors went hunting for the “next Solana.” SEI fit the mood perfectly — fast, DeFi-oriented, and already proven.
Retail interest spiked especially in South Korea, Vietnam, and Brazil — all markets known for catching early narratives fast.

SEI by the Numbers

Let’s look at some hard data — August 2025 snapshot:

  • Price: around $0.28,

  • Daily volume: roughly $200M,

  • Market cap: about $1.6B,

  • Circulating supply: 5.7B tokens.

That puts SEI in the top-100 by market cap, with a realistic shot at entering the top-50 if the next bull cycle kicks in.

How It Trades Against BTC and ETH

Unlike most altcoins, SEI has shown relative stability against both BTC and ETH pairs. It tends to track their moves but often outperforms during market rebounds — a sign of underlying strength rather than pure speculation.

Technical View: Key Levels to Watch

Support sits around $0.26 — that’s where accumulation previously built up.
Resistance zones hover at $0.30 and $0.38, with a breakout target near $0.43.
If SEI clears and holds that, a move toward $0.60+ isn’t out of the question.

RSI sits in neutral territory — room to grow without overheating.

SEI Price Forecast for 2025–2026

So, what’s next? Let’s look at two scenarios.

Conservative Case: $0.45–$0.60

If the broader market keeps recovering slowly but steadily, SEI could grind its way up to the $0.45–$0.60 range by late 2025.
DeFi activity and token utility (as gas and staking) should sustain moderate demand, especially from current users rather than new retail waves.

Bullish Case: $0.80–$1.20

Now, if Bitcoin sets new all-time highs in 2026 — which quite a few analysts expect — SEI could easily become one of the outperformers.
Why?
Because the infrastructure’s already there. Liquidity’s strong. The PR team knows how to stoke interest.

In that kind of bull run, SEI might test the $0.80–$1.20 range — especially if it lands major partnerships (think LayerZero or Wormhole integrations).

What Could Move the Price Next

Three big levers to watch:

  • Hype cycles: listings, social buzz, or influencer coverage.

  • Tech upgrades: SEI v2 rollout, TPS boosts, or SDK updates.

  • Competition: if Aptos or SUI release killer features, SEI could temporarily lose attention.

Even in a bullish environment, expect occasional pullbacks — that’s crypto reality.

How Investors Can Play SEI

There’s more than one way to approach it.

Long-Term (HODL). Buy, stake, and wait. That’s the simplest strategy for believers in SEI’s long-term growth — especially those who entered below $0.30.

Trading. With high liquidity on both CEXs and DEXs, SEI is great for trend trading and event-driven setups.
But keep your risk controls tight — volatility swings of 20–30% in a single day aren’t rare.

Staking. Delegating tokens via Keplr or Leap wallets yields around 6–8% APY depending on validator fees. It’s an easy way to earn yield while supporting network security.

The Risks You Shouldn’t Ignore

No token is bulletproof. Here’s what can go wrong:

  • Volatility. Daily swings can wipe short-term profits fast.

  • Funding-rate corrections and liquidations on futures platforms can trigger sharp drops.

  • Regulation. With the SEC and global watchdogs watching new L1s closely, compliance risk is real.

Is SEI Worth Buying Right Now?

SEI isn’t just a “trendy coin.” It’s a full-blown infrastructure project with working tech, live apps, and backing from serious funds.
But “should you buy?” — that depends on your time horizon.

For Active Traders

It’s a lively asset:

  • High volatility = plenty of setups,

  • Strong liquidity across pairs,

  • Frequent news catalysts.

Perfect playground — if you manage risk properly.

For Long-Term Investors

If your horizon is 12–24 months and you believe in DeFi’s next wave, SEI deserves attention. A smart approach is layered buying — scaling in near support zones ($0.30, $0.26, $0.24, maybe even $0.16).
That cushions entry risk without chasing pumps.

The Flip Side: Young Network, Young Risks

SEI’s still young. That means it faces the usual startup risks — validator misconduct, funding slowdowns, developer churn.
Early-stage blockchains are always a mix of potential and fragility.

How to Stay Safe When Buying SEI

A few golden rules:

  • Use trusted exchanges (Binance, Bybit, KuCoin).

  • Move holdings to hardware wallets — not your CEX account.

  • Avoid buying into hype spikes; wait for technical levels.

  • Use DCA (dollar-cost averaging).

  • And don’t put more than 30% of your crypto bag into a single project, no matter how solid it looks.

Where to Buy and Store SEI

As of mid-2025, SEI is widely available:

  • Binance — top liquidity and low fees,

  • KuCoin — good for altcoin hunters,

  • Bybit — simple UI and strong derivatives markets,

  • Gate.io and MEXC — if you like exotic trading pairs.

If your goal is to trade actively, pick the exchange with the deepest volume. If you’re just stacking and holding, choose one with reliable withdrawals.

Best Wallets: Keplr, Leap, Trust Wallet

After purchasing, transfer your SEI off exchanges. That’s crypto 101.

  • Keplr — the go-to wallet for Cosmos ecosystems; supports staking and DAO voting.

  • Leap — lightweight and mobile-friendly.

  • Trust Wallet — great for multi-chain users, though SEI support is still basic there.

For large holdings, pair Ledger with Keplr through WalletConnect for extra safety.

Staking: Passive Income with SEI

Staking SEI means helping secure the network — and earning in the process.
Average yield hovers around 6–8% annually, depending on validator commissions.

How to start:

  1. Install Keplr or Leap.

  2. Transfer your tokens.

  3. Head to “Stake,” pick a reliable validator with high uptime.

  4. Confirm and you’re done.

Keep in mind: unstaking takes 21 days, so don’t lock everything.

Competitors and Market Position

To gauge SEI’s strength, it helps to look sideways — who else plays in the “fast L1 for dApps and DeFi” space?

Aptos

Built by ex-Meta engineers, Aptos is flashy and technically ambitious. But adoption is slow and developer onboarding remains tricky.
Compared to that, SEI looks more practical — fewer experiments, more real-world DeFi.

Sui

Sui focuses on NFTs, gaming, and social apps. Cool tech, limited finance use.
SEI, by contrast, doubles down on traders and liquidity — a more bankable niche.

Solana

The heavyweight champ of high-speed blockchains. Solana’s huge, but with that come issues: downtime, centralization, and expensive validator setup.
SEI isn’t as big yet, but it’s steadier and more focused — no network hiccups every few months.

What does SEI look like against their background

Network Core Focus Weak Spots SEI’s Edge
Aptos Move, UX innovation Few dApps, developer complexity Simpler, more DeFi-ready
Sui NFTs, gaming Low TVL, narrow use Broader finance potential
Solana Large-scale dApps Outages, centralization Stable and trading-oriented

SEI doesn’t try to be an all-in-one solution. It’s a precision tool for DeFi and trading — and that’s its real strength.

So, What’s Ahead for SEI?

SEI has a clear architecture, a defined niche, and real technology behind it. Over 2024, it crossed a key threshold: from a quiet newcomer to a growing ecosystem with expanding TVL, exchange listings, and an active dev base.
But the exciting part — that’s still ahead.

Key Takeaways

  • SEI is a Layer-1 chain laser-focused on trading and high-frequency DeFi apps.

  • Its tech stack — Twin-Turbo Consensus, native matching engine, parallelization — gives it an edge.

  • With backing from major investors and a vocal community, the fundamentals look solid.

No, it’s not Ethereum. Not yet Solana-level either. But think of SEI as Solana circa 2021 — still small, but full of potential.

Investment Outlook

At current prices ($0.30–$0.35), SEI sits in a sweet spot: relatively low risk for a potential 2–3x payoff if momentum continues.
The token’s staking yields, governance role, and ecosystem participation add extra upside for those who care about more than price charts.

Where SEI Stands in the Broader Crypto Map

SEI has carved out a clear role — a Layer-1 chain purpose-built for decentralized trading.
It’s not trying to replace Ethereum or become a gaming hub. It’s building infrastructure for financial dApps, traders, and DeFi protocols — a lane that’s still surprisingly uncrowded.

That focus, combined with its technical reliability, could make SEI one of the go-to networks for trading-centric projects in the coming years. And with that, naturally, comes price growth — assuming the team keeps delivering.

Understanding where crypto is heading gets trickier every year. Projects like SEI blend technology, liquidity, and narrative — all moving targets.
If you don’t want to sift through endless data and reports, ASCN.AI can handle the heavy lifting. It pulls the key metrics, tracks sentiment, and helps you see when it’s time to act — no noise, just insights.

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SEI: reasons for the coin's growth and exchange rate forecast for 2025–2026 — ASCN