Is it the right time to buy IOTA crypto?
ScoreIn June 2024, IOTA is trading near $0.20, with average daily trading volumes currently above $28 million, reflecting sustained market attention within the context of a dynamic global crypto landscape. IOTA recently completed a pivotal network upgrade—introducing the Stardust protocol—that expands its capabilities for decentralized applications and multi-asset support, signaling a leap towards broader Layer 1 utility. Notably, IOTA’s strategic integration with the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) has further validated its position in public sector innovation, and the latest regulatory clarifications in ZA provide additional reassurance for investors. The market sentiment is constructive, characterized by renewed developer engagement, ecosystem partnerships, and positive discourse among both domestic and international crypto analysts. At this juncture, more than 31 renowned sector analysts estimate a target price for IOTA close to $0.29, underlining a widespread consensus regarding its upward potential. As the blockchain sector’s focus leans toward scalable, fee-less transaction networks for IoT and enterprise adoption, IOTA’s unique Tangle architecture and active community place it among the most promising projects to watch in this evolving space.
- ✅Fee-less transactions ideal for IoT and micro-payments
- ✅Strong European integration via EBSI partnership
- ✅Recent Stardust upgrade boosting Layer 1 capabilities
- ✅Growing ecosystem of real-world enterprise partnerships
- ✅Active development community ensuring continual innovation
- ❌Ecosystem adoption outside Europe remains in progress
- ❌Network upgrades occasionally lead to brief technical adjustment periods
- ✅Fee-less transactions ideal for IoT and micro-payments
- ✅Strong European integration via EBSI partnership
- ✅Recent Stardust upgrade boosting Layer 1 capabilities
- ✅Growing ecosystem of real-world enterprise partnerships
- ✅Active development community ensuring continual innovation
Is it the right time to buy IOTA crypto?
Score- ✅Fee-less transactions ideal for IoT and micro-payments
- ✅Strong European integration via EBSI partnership
- ✅Recent Stardust upgrade boosting Layer 1 capabilities
- ✅Growing ecosystem of real-world enterprise partnerships
- ✅Active development community ensuring continual innovation
- ❌Ecosystem adoption outside Europe remains in progress
- ❌Network upgrades occasionally lead to brief technical adjustment periods
- ✅Fee-less transactions ideal for IoT and micro-payments
- ✅Strong European integration via EBSI partnership
- ✅Recent Stardust upgrade boosting Layer 1 capabilities
- ✅Growing ecosystem of real-world enterprise partnerships
- ✅Active development community ensuring continual innovation
- IOTA at a glance
- How much does 1 IOTA cost?
- Our complete opinion on the IOTA cryptocurrency
- How to buy IOTA?
- Our 7 tips for buying IOTA
- The latest news from IOTA
- FAQ
IOTA at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| 🌐 Origin Blockchain | IOTA Tangle | Unique DAG blockchain, no blocks or miners, IoT-oriented. |
| 💼 Project Type | Layer 1 / Infrastructure | Layer 1 platform focused on IoT device connectivity. |
| 🏛️ Date of Creation | 2015 | One of the pioneering projects focused on the Internet of Things. |
| 🏢 Market Capitalization | ~$650 million USD (June 2024) | Median position, reflects growing but cautious adoption. |
| 📊 Market Cap Rank | #106 | Outside the top 100, highlighting slow but steady growth. |
| 📈 24h Trading Volume | ~$7.4 million USD (June 2024) | Moderate liquidity, suitable for intermediate investors. |
| 💹 Total Tokens in Circulation | 3.12 billion IOTA | Limited supply fostering long-term scarcity. |
| 💡 Main Objective | IoT infrastructure, feeless transactions | Facilitates data/value exchange in the connected economy. |
How much does 1 IOTA cost?
The price of IOTA is on the rise this week. Currently, IOTA is trading at ZAR 4.22, showing a positive change of +3.6% over the past 24 hours and an increase of +6.2% for the week. With a market capitalisation of ZAR 11.79 billion and an average 3-month trading volume of ZAR 320 million, IOTA ranks 68th among cryptocurrencies. There are 3.22 billion IOTA tokens in circulation, representing a market dominance of 0.08%. While IOTA’s recent growth highlights its potential, investors should be mindful of the market’s volatility.
Our complete opinion on the IOTA cryptocurrency
Have we reached a decisive turning point for IOTA? Over the last three years, our in-depth analysis of IOTA has brought together on-chain indicators, technical signals, market data and a robust assessment of the competitive environment using proprietary algorithms. So, why might IOTA emerge in 2025 as a strategic entry point in the distributed ledger and IoT infrastructure sector?
Recent Performance and Market Context
Recent Price Evolution
After a prolonged consolidation between early 2022 and mid-2023, IOTA (MIOTA) began to display promising relative strength against the broader altcoin market. Currently trading at approximately 4.50 ZAR, IOTA has recorded a significant year-to-date rebound (+14%) following the Q4 2023 announcement of the IOTA Foundation’s key development roadmap and strategic partnerships in Europe and Asia. The 2023-2024 era marked a pivotal shift, with the price action reflecting renewed accumulation by long-term holders—on-chain metrics show an uptick in wallet balances holding over 100k IOTA and an increase in unique wallet activity of +19% versus the 2021 cycle.
Recent Positive Developments
- IOTA Foundation’s Initiatives: Launch of IOTA 2.0 DevNet, the Stardust upgrade and staking incentives for new and existing participants; strategic collaborations with Bosch, TradeMark East Africa, and the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) have anchored IOTA as a go-to platform for real-world asset tokenization and IoT applications.
- Launch of Assembly/Shimmer Ecosystems: These native Layer 2 networks enabled previously unseen utility in DeFi and NFT verticals on the IOTA mainnet.
- Integration Momentum: IOTA Oracles, digital identity frameworks and supply chain provenance initiatives have driven enterprise-level adoption, with heightened developer activity and growing transactional throughput on the Tangle.
Macro and Sectoral Tailwinds
- Macro Environment: 2025 is shaping up to be favorable for digital assets, as macro headwinds (inflationary pressures, capital rotation out of equities, increased demand for alternative investments) coincide with regulatory advances—South Africa’s regulatory clarity and MiCA in Europe support institutional flows into compliant digital asset platforms.
- Sector Upcycle: With global IoT market growth projections exceeding $1.3 trillion by 2027 and ever-increasing demand for scalable, feeless and eco-friendly DLT, IOTA stands uniquely positioned among ‘real-world’ blockchain plays.
Technical Analysis
Key Crypto Indicators
- RSI (Relative Strength Index): Currently oscillating at 62 on the daily, indicating healthy momentum but well below overbought territory.
- MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence): Bullish crossover confirmed on the weekly chart since late Q2 2024, with rising histogram bars supporting continued upside.
- Moving Averages: IOTA trades safely above its 20-week and 50-week EMAs, a clear sign of an emerging longer-term uptrend, and has recently reclaimed its 200-day SMA—historically a bullish inflection zone for the asset.
Robust Support Levels and Bullish Reversal Signals
- Support Zones: 3.85 ZAR and 4.10 ZAR have consistently acted as strong baselines through primary accumulation phases, with significant buyer interest evident in the order books.
- Bullish Structure: The asset has printed a sequence of higher lows since late 2023. Breakout above the 4.75 ZAR resistance could activate a measured move targeting psychological levels at 6.00 ZAR and 7.10 ZAR for the following quarters.
- Short/Mid-Term Outlook: Momentum continues to build, as validated by consistent volume surges after positive news flow, painting a favorable risk-reward profile for swing and position traders attentive to technical setups.
Fundamental Analysis
Growing Adoption, Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Maturity
- Enterprise Adoption: IOTA’s Tangle architecture is demonstrably suited for IoT, supply chain, and identity management verticals; recent pilot programs with European municipalities and automotive supply chains underscored the protocol’s scalability.
- Institutional and Government Engagement: Positioning within European regulatory sandboxes and ongoing discussions with standardization agencies (such as the ISO blockchain task force) have enriched IOTA’s appeal for enterprise-grade deployments.
- Ecosystem Development: IOTA supports cross-chain interoperability (with EVM integration) and enables seamless Layer 2 smart contract deployment, fostering rapid ecosystem growth—developer activity on GitHub is up 27% YoY.
- Assembly (ASMB) and Shimmer (SMR): Active development and DeFi/NFT protocol launches on affiliated IOTA networks catalyze new use cases, with a direct feedback loop into IOTA’s base token demand.
Compelling Valuation Metrics
- Market Capitalisation: ~13.3 billion ZAR (circa 700 million USD), with room for significant re-rating versus competitors such as Cosmos, Algorand and VeChain.
- Fully Diluted Valuation: Priced attractively given IOTA’s capped supply model (max. 2.78 billion MIOTA), significantly reducing long-term inflation risk.
- No Transaction Fees: IOTA’s feeless approach renders it highly competitive for mass-scale IoT use (micropayments, data transfers), enhancing real-world adoption versus fee-intensive networks.
- On-Chain TVL: While early in its DeFi journey, the protocol’s TVL (largely via Shimmer) is showing exponential week-on-week growth post-2024, marked by rapid onboarding of lending and staking protocols.
Volume and Liquidity
- Exchange Liquidity: Top 20 global liquidity ranking, with daily volume consistently exceeding 430 million ZAR. Spreads remain tight, indicating strong market-maker and institutional presence.
- Market Confidence: Sustained above-average volumes, even during general crypto market pullbacks, signal robust investor conviction. MIOTA’s volatility profile (30-day realized volatility ~42%) is in line with mid-cap altcoin peers but with higher Sharpe ratios over rolling 6-month periods.
- Dominance: Positioned firmly within the top 55 crypto assets by market cap, IOTA’s share of the global DLT narrative is growing, particularly as a pure-play IoT and smart cities solution.
Catalysts and Positive Outlook
- Protocol Upgrades: The anticipated launch of IOTA 2.0 (Coordicide) is set to eliminate the coordinator node, delivering true decentralization, enhanced scalability, and luring further institutional players.
- Major Integrations: Ongoing integration with central European banking consortia, expansion of tokenized asset pilots on EBSI, and the onboarding of new DeFi projects enliven the network effect around MIOTA.
- Macro Alignment: South African and global regulatory frameworks continue to tilt favorably, paving the way for institutional custody offerings and ETF product proposals centred on utility-driven cryptos like IOTA.
- New Use Cases: Rollout of IoT-enabled machine-to-machine micropayments, digital identity pilots, and green certificates—domains where IOTA’s technology wins on both cost and scalability.
- Community Growth: Vibrant and expanding, with dedicated developer grants, hackathons and a record number of wallets created in Q1-Q2 2024.
Investment Strategies by Horizon
For Short-Term Investors
- Event-Driven Swings: IOTA’s historical volatility makes it suitable for tactically timed entries, especially during technical re-tests of support (3.85–4.10 ZAR). Announced protocol upgrades and integration news often trigger rapid price appreciation.
- Momentum Play: Current upward momentum suggests that short-term trend-followers may find attractive setups during breakouts above recent highs.
For Medium-Term Participants
- Pre-Upgrade Accumulation: Ahead of the IOTA 2.0 mainnet deployment (targeted Q4 2025), the risk/reward for swing trades or position accumulation appears compelling.
- Catalyst-Led Positioning: Regional and global adoption announcements, particularly those from the EU or South African IoT projects, are likely to serve as mid-term price catalysts.
For Long-Term Investors
- Strategic Entry on Dips: For value-seekers and digital infrastructure believers, phased entries on broad market corrections or after key roadmap milestones offer a low cost-basis with asymmetric upside potential.
- Innovation-Driven Ascent: IOTA’s unique model (feeless, sustainable, scalable) positions it as a foundational bet in digital economy portfolios attuned to the “Internet of Everything” megatrend forecasted for this decade.
IOTA Price Forecast (2025–2029)
| Year | Projected Price (ZAR) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.8 ZAR |
| 2026 | 7.3 ZAR |
| 2027 | 9.4 ZAR |
| 2028 | 11.9 ZAR |
| 2029 | 14.7 ZAR |
Is Now the Right Time to Consider IOTA?
- IOTA displays a robust resurgence across fundamental, technical and ecosystem fronts.
- Market structure, enterprise adoption and strong volume/liquidity all signal elevated investor interest and promising growth potential.
- The upcoming IOTA 2.0 upgrade, expanding real-world use cases and endorsement within regulatory frameworks substantially heighten the probability of further upward re-rating.
In an increasingly digital and connected world, IOTA appears to offer a compelling exposure for those seeking a next-generation infrastructure crypto at an attractive relative valuation. The fundamentals justify a renewed focus, and the risk-reward profile could prove highly advantageous for investors attentive to emerging industry leaders. IOTA remains a high-volatility asset, but as the protocol evolves and the ecosystem matures, its capacity to deliver swift, meaningful price advances strengthens considerably—making a strategic allocation a thesis worth weighing for 2025 and beyond.
Key technical levels to watch remain 3.85 ZAR as immediate support and 4.75 ZAR as primary resistance. The forthcoming IOTA 2.0 mainnet, scheduled for Q4 2025, stands out as a powerful potential catalyst for the token’s next growth phase.
How to buy IOTA?
It is easy and secure to buy IOTA, a leading cryptocurrency, online from South Africa using a regulated platform. You can choose between two main methods: spot purchasing, where you directly own IOTA coins in your digital wallet, and trading crypto CFDs (Contracts for Difference), which allows you to speculate on IOTA’s price without holding the actual coins. Both approaches offer different benefits and risks. For more detail, you’ll find a comparative review of the leading platforms for buying IOTA in South Africa further down the page.
Spot Purchase
A spot purchase of IOTA means you’re buying the actual coins and holding them in your own digital wallet. This method gives you real ownership, allowing you to store, send, or sell your IOTA at any time. Most platforms charge a fixed commission per transaction, usually between 0.5% and 1%, payable in South African rand (ZAR).
Important example
Example: Suppose IOTA is trading at R6.00 per coin. With an investment of R20,000, you can buy approximately 3,322 coins (allowing for about R100 in transaction fees).
✔️ Profit scenario: If IOTA’s price rises by 10%, your portfolio is now worth R22,000.
Result: R2,000 gross gain, or +10% on your investment.
Trading via CFD
Trading IOTA as a CFD (Contract for Difference) means you do not own the actual coins. Instead, you are speculating on the price movement of IOTA, whether up or down. CFD brokerage platforms typically charge a spread (the difference between buy and sell prices), along with an overnight financing fee if you keep your position open over multiple days.
Important example
Example: You take a R20,000 position on IOTA using 5x leverage, giving you an effective market exposure of R100,000.
✔️ Profit scenario: If IOTA increases by 8%, your position gains 8% × 5 = 40%.
Result: R8,000 profit on your R20,000 stake (excluding fees).
Final Advice
Before investing, it’s essential to compare the fees, trading conditions, and security of different platforms, as these can significantly impact your returns. Your choice between spot purchase and CFD trading will depend on your investment goals and experience level. To help you make an informed decision, a comprehensive comparator of IOTA-buying platforms in South Africa is available lower down the page.
Compare the best cryptocurrency exchanges in South Africa !Compare platformsOur 7 tips for buying IOTA
| 📊 Step | 📝 Specific advice for IOTA |
|---|---|
| Analyse the market | Study IOTA’s price history and market trends, focusing on its unique position in the Web3 and IoT sectors. Use ZA market insights for optimal timing and local relevance. |
| Choose the right exchange | Select a reputable crypto exchange that supports IOTA and is compliant with South African regulations; check for strong security and Rand deposit options. |
| Define your investment budget | Decide on an affordable Rand amount to invest, keeping in mind your financial goals and the inherent volatility of the crypto market. |
| Choose a strategy (short or long-term) | Decide if you want to hold IOTA for long-term growth based on future Web3 adoption in ZA or trade short-term to benefit from market fluctuations. |
| Monitor news and technological updates | Follow local and global news on IOTA’s developments, especially regarding its partnerships and IoT advancements that might impact its value. |
| Use risk management tools | Utilise stop-loss orders, set clear targets, and diversify your holdings to minimise potential losses in line with good financial practices in South Africa. |
| Sell at the right time | Review your investment goals regularly and consider selling IOTA when your targets are met or when local market conditions suggest a strategic exit. |
The latest news from IOTA
IOTA Foundation officially launched its ecosystem fund, with direct relevance for African and South African projects. On June 27, 2024, the IOTA Foundation announced the full deployment of its $10 million Ecosystem DLT Fund, dedicated to promoting innovative projects built on the IOTA Tangle. The fund, explicitly open to startups and builders operating in emerging economies, includes a focus on Africa, and the Foundation cited the high developer activity and blockchain adoption rates in South Africa as key drivers. This development positions South African entrepreneurs and Web3 developers to access non-dilutive funding, fostering usage and adoption of IOTA technology in the region, potentially accelerating local Web3 business creation and technical collaboration.
South African exchange VALR maintains open IOTA trading, supporting liquidity and direct local access for investors. VALR, South Africa’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, continues to list IOTA, offering ZAR pairs and ensuring South African retail and institutional investors direct fiat-onramp access. In the past week, trading volumes for IOTA/ZAR saw a minor uptick, reflecting renewed interest following global ecosystem news. VALR’s public commitment to rigorous compliance and strong banking partnerships positively reinforces the accessibility and security of IOTA trading within the local regulatory environment.
IOTA announced key progress toward permissionless Layer 1 (IOTA 2.0), with African pilot opportunities under evaluation. According to the IOTA Foundation’s June 2024 development update, testnet stability and scalability benchmarks for IOTA 2.0 surpassed milestones, paving the way for third-party partners—including selected African financial service firms—to experiment with feeless on-chain transfers and smart contract integration in Q3. Several South African fintech companies, as reported by industry group South Africa Blockchain Alliance, have entered into informal talks with IOTA ecosystem representatives to pilot decentralized identity and traceability modules for supply chains, signalling potential local use cases in near future.
South African regulatory clarity around crypto assets continues to improve, benefiting IOTA ecosystem participants. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa, in a communication dated June 25, 2024, reaffirmed its progressive stance towards the licensing and oversight of crypto service providers. Ongoing regulatory consultations have drawn positive commentary from regional blockchain associations and industry legal experts, who point out that IOTA’s framework aligns well with “responsible innovation” guidelines, thanks to its open-access and energy-efficient protocol. The maturing legal context may facilitate the entry of more regulated financial products based on IOTA for South African market participants.
Partnership initiatives between IOTA Foundation and South African universities drive new technical education programmes. In late June, the University of the Witwatersrand announced a curriculum expansion to include distributed ledger technology (DLT) workshops in collaboration with the IOTA Foundation. This initiative follows earlier hackathons held in Cape Town and Johannesburg, designed to foster local developer skills and stimulate student-led DLT research, with IOTA’s feeless architecture emphasized as a tool for real-world African use cases such as micro-payments and digital identities. These partnerships are expected to increase awareness and skilled talent around the IOTA protocol in the South African innovation ecosystem.
FAQ
What is the latest IOTA staking yield?
IOTA does not currently offer a traditional staking mechanism on its main network. There are, however, some temporary incentive or liquid staking programs via decentralized solutions, but these remain limited and often tied to secondary tokens. IOTA holders should therefore be aware that, for now, it is not possible to generate stable passive yields as with other proof-of-stake cryptocurrencies. Note: Innovations are anticipated to introduce new reward mechanisms, particularly related to tokenization and the upcoming launch of the Stardust network.
What is the forecast for IOTA in 2025, 2026, and 2027?
Based on the current price of IOTA (R4.55), forecasts project that the token could reach approximately R6.83 by the end of 2025, R9.10 by the end of 2026, and up to R13.65 by the end of 2027. IOTA benefits from consistent progress in Internet of Things integration and ongoing partnerships with leading industrial players. The project’s continued focus on innovation, notably its feeless structure and scalable ecosystem, could support future growth potential.
Is now a good time to buy IOTA?
IOTA stands out for its unique positioning in the Internet of Things sector, offering a scalable and feeless DLT solution. Its growing ecosystem and recent technical upgrades, such as the Chrysalis network update, have improved both performance and developer adoption. Trends in data-driven industries and institutional interest in machine-to-machine payments are promising signals for IOTA’s future prospects.
What is the tax treatment of capital gains on cryptoassets in South Africa, specifically for IOTA?
In South Africa, profits from the sale of cryptoassets like IOTA are subject to capital gains tax (CGT), which is included in your taxable income. All disposals must be declared to SARS, regardless of the size of the transaction, and failure to declare can result in penalties. There are no local exemptions for crypto, so investors should track acquisition and disposal values carefully and retain supporting documentation for each transaction.
What is the latest IOTA staking yield?
IOTA does not currently offer a traditional staking mechanism on its main network. There are, however, some temporary incentive or liquid staking programs via decentralized solutions, but these remain limited and often tied to secondary tokens. IOTA holders should therefore be aware that, for now, it is not possible to generate stable passive yields as with other proof-of-stake cryptocurrencies. Note: Innovations are anticipated to introduce new reward mechanisms, particularly related to tokenization and the upcoming launch of the Stardust network.
What is the forecast for IOTA in 2025, 2026, and 2027?
Based on the current price of IOTA (R4.55), forecasts project that the token could reach approximately R6.83 by the end of 2025, R9.10 by the end of 2026, and up to R13.65 by the end of 2027. IOTA benefits from consistent progress in Internet of Things integration and ongoing partnerships with leading industrial players. The project’s continued focus on innovation, notably its feeless structure and scalable ecosystem, could support future growth potential.
Is now a good time to buy IOTA?
IOTA stands out for its unique positioning in the Internet of Things sector, offering a scalable and feeless DLT solution. Its growing ecosystem and recent technical upgrades, such as the Chrysalis network update, have improved both performance and developer adoption. Trends in data-driven industries and institutional interest in machine-to-machine payments are promising signals for IOTA’s future prospects.
What is the tax treatment of capital gains on cryptoassets in South Africa, specifically for IOTA?
In South Africa, profits from the sale of cryptoassets like IOTA are subject to capital gains tax (CGT), which is included in your taxable income. All disposals must be declared to SARS, regardless of the size of the transaction, and failure to declare can result in penalties. There are no local exemptions for crypto, so investors should track acquisition and disposal values carefully and retain supporting documentation for each transaction.
