blockchainreporter.net
Michaël van de Poppe’s recent comment that “crucial resistance at $180” could be the springboard for a larger move has put fresh eyes on Bittensor’s native token, $TAO, as traders weigh whether the AI + crypto narrative still has fuel left. On X, the Dutch analyst suggested that a clean break above $180 would open the door toward roughly $250 as the next major resistance, a short, clear roadmap that many in the market are now watching.
Market data shows $TAO trading around $191 as of this writing, positioning the token just around the $180–$195 decision band that traders are discussing. CoinMarketCap lists $TAO’s price and market-cap metrics in real time, and the token sits within the top 50 by capitalization, showing how much attention an AI-focused coin can still draw.
The project behind $TAO, Bittensor, bills itself as a decentralized, incentive-driven network for AI, a marketplace where compute and models are rewarded in $TAO, and where Proof-of-Intelligence-like mechanisms aim to value contributions from validators and researchers. That underlying narrative has helped $TAO decouple from traditional altcoin behavior at moments of positive headlines around AI, and it’s the reason traders like van de Poppe highlight $TAO when talking about the AI <> crypto thesis.
AI-Crypto Momentum Puts $TAO Back on Radar
Exchange data and orderbook glimpses also tell part of the story. $TAO pairs are actively traded across major venues, and recent 24-hour ranges and volumes show the token has liquidity to fuel a swift move if buyers step in decisively. Some exchange pages report intraday highs near the mid-$190s, sketching a short-term volatility window for anyone tracking the $180 threshold closely.
Technically, the chart action in early March looks like a classic consolidation after a steep prior downtrend: price hovering below a well-defined resistance line, limited daily range, and a handful of higher lows that suggest buyers are attempting to build a foothold. Volume has picked up in pockets, which is encouraging for bulls, but the $180 level remains the control point.
If $TAO can close convincingly above that line with follow-through volume, momentum traders will likely target the next supply zones, with $250 showing up on many watchlists because it represents an area of prior price congestion. If buyers fail, expect retests of the recent support band and a return to range trading.
Beyond the chart, $TAO’s story is part of a larger market narrative. 2026 has already seen AI-linked tokens gain renewed interest, and exchanges and analysts are publishing scenarios that range from measured rallies to more ambitious targets. For now, the path is simple: a break above $180 could validate the bullish take; a rejection would hand control back to the bears. Traders will be watching orderflow, volume, and whether broader crypto risk appetite continues to favor narrative-driven names.