Should You Buy THORChain in 2025?

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At HelloSafe, our expert has been monitoring the evolution of the THORChain cryptocurrency for over three years. Every month, hundreds of thousands of users across South Africa rely on us to analyse market trends and identify the best investment opportunities. Our insights are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. In line with our ethical policy, HelloSafe has never purchased THORChain nor received any compensation from entities associated with its ecosystem.

Overview of THORChain

How much does 1 THORChain cost?

The price of THORChain is up this week. As of today, RUNE is trading at approximately R30.35 ZAR, showing a 24-hour gain of about +2.7% and a weekly rise of +1.4%. The market capitalisation stands near R10.7 billion, with an average daily trading volume of around R2.45 billion over the last three months. RUNE currently ranks #73 by market cap, with about 351.44 million tokens in circulation, representing roughly 0.05% market dominance. Keep in mind, crypto prices can be highly volatile—offering both risk and exciting investment opportunities for local investors.

Our complete review of the cryptocurrency THORChain

Have the latest trends and performance metrics of THORChain (RUNE) signalled a renewed momentum in the competitive landscape of decentralised blockchain infrastructure? Leveraging exhaustive analysis encompassing on-chain data, technical signals, market dynamics and proprietary algorithmic aggregation, we examine THORChain’s trajectory over the past three years. So why might THORChain become once again a strategic entry point in the dynamic DeFi and cross-chain interoperability ecosystem in 2025?

Performance and Recent Market Context

Recent Price Evolution

THORChain (RUNE) has demonstrated marked resilience and a noteworthy recovery trajectory through 2024 and into 2025. After facing a deep correction in Q1 2025, with the price bottoming at $1.14, RUNE has staged a robust comeback, currently trading at $1.62 as of June 7, 2025. Across the last 12 months, the token has delivered an impressive +73.3% performance, with a 25% gain in the last 6 months alone—outpacing much of the DeFi sector’s average. The current upward momentum is underscored by a sustained intraday gain (+2.3% to +3.1%) and a healthy weekly uptrend (+1.4%).

The trading volume remains especially robust, oscillating between $115.94M and $129.44M per 24h. Such liquidity signals both sustained market confidence and institutional interest. RUNE’s market capitalisation hovers near $570M, positioning the asset among the top cross-chain DeFi tokens by capitalisation.

Recent Positive Developments

• Integration of Base Chain in Q1 2025, opening access to Coinbase’s L2 ecosystem.
• Full XRP Ledger integration (June 2025), unlocking new institutional and retail flows.
• Reduced Bitcoin confirmation requirements (from 3 to 2), accelerating interoperability with key legacy assets.
• Removal of block rewards, sharpening economic incentives and improving tokenomics.

Macro and Sector-wide Tailwinds

• Global DeFi TVL is rebounding, with capital flows rotating towards permissionless, cross-chain solutions.
• Regulatory signals in major crypto hubs (e.g., Dubai, South Africa, EU) have become less restrictive for decentralised protocols, benefitting robust on-chain ecosystems.
• Growing appetite among institutions for real-yield opportunities in interoperable DeFi products.

Technical Analysis

Key Crypto Indicators

A rigorous examination of technical signals illuminates a scenario of latent bullish potential:

• Relative Strength Index (RSI 14d): 23.9–41.2, currently skirting oversold territory—indicative of a possible reversal setup after recent correction.
• MACD (12,26): -0.05, a neutral signal but flattening, hinting at potential upside convergence.
• Moving Averages: The 50-day MA stands just below 200d ($1.585 vs $2.59), with a “death cross” recently observed. However, price action now hovers above the 20d and 50d MA, often a sign of local base-building.

Strong Supports and Bullish Reversal Signals

• Primary Support: $1.47—a zone repeatedly validated even amid volatility.
• Secondary Supports: $1.41 and a historical floor at $1.30.
• Resistance Levels: Immediate at $1.64 (being tested), intermediate at $1.75 and $1.81.

The setup points to a classic “coiled spring” dynamic where persistent support and increasing volume may catalyse a technical breakout, especially if paired with positive protocol news.

Short/Mid-Term Momentum

While a bearish “death cross” persists, the confluence of surging spot volume, RSI reset into oversold and a higher-low structure suggests that THORChain could transition from consolidation to an impulsive leg higher. This is amplified by the frequent proximity to breakout zones ($1.64–$1.75).

Fundamental Analysis

Growing Adoption & Strategic Partnerships

THORChain continues to deliver on its vision for seamless, trustless cross-chain swaps without the use of wrapped tokens—a key DeFi pain point. Its ecosystem strides stand out:

• Supported blockchains: Now at 9 major chains, positioning RUNE as a central settlement asset for cross-ecosystem liquidity.
• Ecosystem growth: Proliferation of third-party dApps and integrations, including recent rumours of major CEX partnerships (OKX, KuCoin).
• Leader in innovation: Streaming Swaps and the Bifrost protocol significantly lower costs and broaden connectivity.

Attractive Relative Valuation

With a market cap just below $570M and circulating supply of 351.44M RUNE (max 500M), THORChain’s current $1.62 pricing yields a fully diluted valuation that remains highly competitive compared to other cross-chain or DeFi blue chips. Its Total Value Locked (TVL) reflects persistent user trust, and there’s clear headroom relative to sector peers.

Structural Advantages

• Unique economic security: Dual-bond/stake mechanism (2:1 ratio), deterring exploits and attacks more effectively than most DEXs.
• Active, decentralised community: Governance occurs strictly on-chain, with no traditional CEO but a distributed validator council—attenuating centralisation risk.
• Developer focus: The core development is managed by Nine Realms, ensuring continuous protocol enhancements and rapid adaptation to new markets.

Exchange Volume and Market Liquidity

Sustained high average daily volumes between $115M and $130M over recent months reflect a market embrace rarely observed outside sector leaders. This liquidity gives confidence to both traders and longer-term allocators, while facilitating efficient price discovery even in volatile sessions.

Dominance and Competitive Position

THORChain stands as a flagship protocol for cross-chain DEX liquidity—an increasingly critical DeFi infrastructure with escalating user and developer demand. The current market cycle is rewarding platforms that deliver composability and atomic security without relinquishing decentralisation—THORChain is among the most differentiated.

Catalysts and Outlook

Protocol Upgrades and Ecosystem Expansion

• 2025 upgrades: The complete addition of major chains (Base, XRP Ledger) and ongoing “Rollup” compatibility projects.
• App development: The expanding dApp ecosystem built on THORChain amplifies network utility and stickiness.
• Yield and staking mechanics: Adjustments post-block reward removal should enhance sustainable, user-driven yield structures.

Institutional Adoption and Regulatory Context

Potential partnerships with tier-1 exchanges, as well as the stated intention of certain asset managers to experiment with DeFi allocations, serve as strong prospective tailwinds. South Africa’s forward-looking regulatory stance toward digital assets offers additional local support.

New Use Cases and Real-world Adoption

From real-time, frictionless swaps (BTC<>ETH, XRP<>USDC) to liquidity as a service for institutional liquidity providers, the range of applications—and demand for permissionless, censorship-resistant bridges—is expanding rapidly.

Wider DeFi Momentum

The DeFi sector’s renewed focus on interoperability post-2022 bridges and exploit crisis creates structural demand for cross-chain solutions—placing THORChain at the epicentre for the coming wave of capital and user migration.

Investment Strategies (by Horizon)

Short-Term (Swing/Active Traders)

• Technical signals (oversold RSI, robust supports at $1.47/$1.41) favour tactical accumulation, especially on any retracements to key support areas.
• Near-term protocol news or CEX listing rumours could provide rapid upside catalysts.

Medium-Term (3–12 Months)

• Progressive network upgrades and ecosystem partnerships are primed to drive incremental flows and user growth.
• THORChain is positioned to benefit from a likely re-rating as it approaches and surpasses the $2.00 and $2.30 resistance thresholds.

Long-Term (Multi-year Investors)

• Structural tailwinds from the expansion of DeFi, ongoing institutional exploration and technical superiority could unlock considerable appreciation.
• THORChain’s cross-chain leadership, resilience through market cycles, and ongoing protocol innovation establish it as a core strategic asset for decentralised infrastructure exposure.

Tactical Entry Points

• Ideal positioning may be sought on technical pullbacks toward the $1.47–$1.30 support zone, or in anticipation of major protocol releases/adoptions, where risk/reward becomes especially attractive.

THORChain Price Predictions

Is Now a Good Time to Consider THORChain?

Summary of Strengths

• Consistently high trading volume and improving price action confirm relentless demand and healthy liquidity.
• Innovative tech stack (Bifrost, Streaming Swaps), rapid integration of new chains and removals of friction—positioning THORChain as a leader in DeFi interoperability.
• Attractive valuation at current levels relative to potential sector re-rating—suggesting room for significant upside.
• Robust ecosystem and governance: decentralised development roundtable, proven track record in delivery and adaptation.
• Strong technical foundation: Clear support levels, oversold indicators and active development pipeline all point to latent bullish potential.
• Compelling macro tailwinds: Cross-chain demand, regulatory evolution in strategic regions and growing institutional curiosity.

Optimistic Projection and Assertive Outlook

Given THORChain’s proven performance, leadership in a critical DeFi niche and the convergence of bullish technical and fundamental factors, the case for renewed strategic positioning appears compelling. The fundamentals justify renewed interest, with anticipated protocol upgrades and ecosystem expansion setting the stage for a potentially powerful new bullish phase. For investors looking to gain exposure to the intersection of interoperability and DeFi, THORChain may well represent an excellent opportunity.

THORChain remains a high-volatility asset offering dynamic investment opportunities, and requires strong risk management disciplines. The recent acceleration in price action highlights its capacity for rapid, powerful moves—yet the evolving macro context calls for selective entry. Key technical levels to monitor are $1.47 as immediate support and $1.81 as major resistance. The scheduled protocol upgrade for Q3 2025 could serve as a pivotal catalyst for THORChain’s next major advance.

How to buy THORChain?

It's simple and secure to buy THORChain (RUNE) cryptocurrency online in South Africa through a regulated platform. You can choose between two main methods: direct spot purchase (where you own the actual RUNE tokens) or trading via crypto CFDs (where you speculate on price movements without owning the asset). Both methods have their own advantages and risks. Below, you'll find a detailed walkthrough and practical examples to help you understand each approach. For a comparison of the main regulated platforms available in South Africa, please refer to the platform comparison table lower on this page.

Spot Purchase (Direct Buy)

When you buy THORChain (RUNE) "spot," you acquire actual RUNE coins, which are then held in your wallet on the exchange or in your personal crypto wallet. This means you truly own the asset and can transfer, hold, or stake as you wish. On regulated exchanges in South Africa, typical fees for spot trading include a fixed commission or a percentage per transaction—usually around 0.1% to 1%, often charged in South African Rand (ZAR).

Important example

Example: Suppose the price of THORChain is $1.62 (about R29.50) per coin. With a budget of R20,000 (roughly $1,080), and transaction fees of R100, you could buy approximately 676 RUNE tokens:
- R20,000 - R100 (fees) = R19,900 usable funds
- R19,900 / R29.50 = ~676 RUNE

Profit scenario

If THORChain rises by 10%, your portfolio is now worth R22,000. That's R2,000 profit, a +10% return on your original investment.

Trading via Crypto CFDs

When you trade THORChain via CFDs (Contracts for Difference), you do not own any real coins—you are speculating on the price direction with a broker. CFDs allow you to use leverage (borrowed funds) to increase your market exposure. Fees typically include the spread (difference between buy/sell price) and potentially an overnight financing fee if your position stays open after market close.

Important example

Example: You open a R20,000 position on THORChain with 5x leverage, giving you an exposure of R100,000 to the market. If RUNE’s price rises by 8%, your position gains 8% × 5 = 40% return.

Profit scenario

A price jump of 8% would result in a profit of R8,000 (40% of your R20,000 capital), before deducting broker fees.

Final Reminders

Before investing, it’s crucial to compare platform fees, security features, and accepted payment methods. Each approach—spot buying or CFD trading—comes with its own risks and advantages. Your choice should be guided by your investment goals, risk profile, and level of experience. For a detailed comparison of the top platforms, see our comprehensive comparison section further down the page.

Our 7 tips for buying THORChain

The latest news from THORChain

THORChain integrates XRP Ledger and enhances Bitcoin support, strengthening interoperability for the global and ZA crypto community.

The protocol's full integration of the XRP Ledger in June 2025 marks a significant extension of its cross-chain capabilities, enabling seamless swaps between RUNE, BTC, ETH, XRP, and other assets without wrapped tokens. For South African users, this innovation allows direct on-chain liquidity access between popular ecosystems, bypassing traditional exchange hurdles and potentially lowering transaction costs—an advantage in ZA where access to diverse crypto liquidity pools remains a strategic challenge. Complementing this, the recent reduction of required Bitcoin confirmations from three to two improves swap efficiency and speeds up settlement timelines, further promoting THORChain as a reliable backend for decentralized exchanges and wallets used by South African DeFi participants.

RUNE posts a week-on-week gain, supported by technical signs of potential rebound despite broader market volatility.

RUNE’s price appreciated by 1.4% over the past week and sits at $1.62 as of June 7, with daily volumes regularly topping $115 million. While a "death cross" technical event (50-day moving average crossing below the 200-day) flagged caution, the Relative Strength Index moved into an oversold zone (23.9–41.23), suggesting that the token may be positioned for a technical rebound—a setup often watched by traders in ZA, especially in the context of increased local trading activity on platforms like VALR and Luno that track these signals.

THORChain’s ongoing adoption and strategic roadmap reinforce its ecosystem strength, with expanding DeFi application potential in Africa.

Nine blockchains are now supported on THORChain, with further integrations and application-layer partnerships cited in the current development pipeline. This expansion is particularly relevant for the South African DeFi sector, which has seen growing involvement in cross-chain swaps, staking, and “yield farming”. Local developers and fintech teams benefit from THORChain’s policy of permissionless access and composability, supporting protocols and products tailored to regional remittance, micro-lending, and alternative savings solutions that are in strong demand throughout Southern Africa.

The protocol’s no-custody model and unique economic security continue to align with ZA’s regulatory and tax environment.

THORChain’s architecture, based on decentralised validation nodes and a 2:1 bond-to-stake ratio, minimizes custody risks and allows users to retain control of their assets during swaps. This addresses key concerns highlighted by the South African Reserve Bank and FSCA over third-party custodianship and asset segregation, supporting private users and businesses seeking compliance with local taxation rules—especially as capital gains and staking rewards are classified as taxable events in ZA under current legislation.

RUNE remains accessible to South African investors, with positive price forecasts and growing mainstream exchange support.

RUNE is listed on global exchanges like Binance, KuCoin, and MEXC, all widely used by the South African trading community, and is also increasingly represented in local digital asset portfolios. With near-term price targets between $1.86 and $2.32 for 2025 and the protocol’s status as a DeFi pioneer recognized by the global analyst consensus, South African investors have clear grounds for constructive engagement—reinforced by growing local interest in multi-chain DeFi, improved liquidity pathways, and a favorable regulatory stance for compliant digital asset participation.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.