$OM Surges Over 24% as CEO Proposes Token Burn — Could This Be the Start of a Comeback?

Following a difficult stretch characterized by price oscillation and dwindling investor trust, Mantra ($OM) is manifesting fresh signs of movement.

The token moved up over 24% in the past 24 hours, which has brought forth renewed interest and speculation around a possible rebound. With its current circulating market cap now sitting at $750 million, $OM’s recent price action seems to be manifesting a change in sentiment that could hint toward a broader recovery.

The increase takes place after a remarkable development regarding Mantra Chain Chief Executive Officer John Patrick Mullin. He has suggested to rendition his personal $OM holdings, in a move to win back trust from the community. It comes at a time when a number of price developments—most notably a significant drop earlier this year—have left many in the community feeling frustrated and cautious, and risky in terms of the project’s potential. Mullin’s suggestion has thus far been interpreted as a commitment to the long-term success of the token and, by extension, the Mantra Chain project itself.

Mullin maintains that the tokens in question form part of the $OM team allocation, which is due to unlock by April 2027. He has made no effort to conceal that he possesses $OM tokens, nor has he reported to the SEC that he does. While Mullin has expressed the intent to participate in a burn event, he has also not yet revealed the number of tokens he’s burning, nor the number that’s been estimated is even close to what independent analysts Decrypt and Tokenomist have projected.

A Move to Restore Confidence

Burning tokens is not an uncommon practice in the crypto world. It is often used to increase scarcity and hence, to boost the price. If you know anything about crypto, you’ve probably heard of using a burn to make some project’s tokens more valuable. This is often seen as a sign that the project is trying to please the community. But Mullin’s plan here isn’t clearly one designed to boost the value of the $OM token. It’s a little more complicated than that.

Even though his stake stands for only a small part of the total of what’s available to buy and sell, Mullin’s move is working wonders on the optics front. It’s not what you might call a Steve Jobs moment in terms of symbolism, but it is a leader setting an example.

When the announcement was made and the price jumped, it sure looked like it was more than just a temporary market reaction. Some traders think this is a sign that the Mantra team and its project are making real, meaningful moves that will lead to long-term sustainability. Of course, not every trader thinks this way. Some are keeping their poker faces on and reminding everyone that one day’s big price changes don’t mean much when it comes to the overall direction a project’s price trend is heading.

As $OM steers through this critical moment, the attention now is on how the team keeps talking to the public. From our vantage point, the next key moment for communication is the scheduled Investor Day on November 16. We expect the Unus Sed Leo team to use that opportunity to provide a public update and shakedown of the token burn plan, as well as further transparency regarding future token unlocks.

Even with recent difficulties, $OM still manages to have a large enough market cap and a dedicated base of supporters. What happened to the price over the past day gives some incremental hope that a turnaround is possible, particularly with an appearance of leadership taking decisive actions. Whether this latest trust instilling development will lead to any sustained turnaround remains to be seen.

At present, $OM’s recovery has infused some requisite enthusiasm back into its ecosystem. With a prospective personal token burn from its CEO on the near horizon and renewed investor interest, the project stands a decent chance of shifting the narrative toward a more favorable version.

Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.

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