[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Seby, a Cardano stake pool operator (SPO), claimed Cardano could surge 200 to 300 percent within weeks if a market reversal emerges.

According to The Crypto Basic, a blockchain media outlet, Seby recently pushed back against pessimism over Cardano's slump. He explained the current weakness is more related to a broad downturn across the cryptocurrency market than to a failure of Cardano itself.

Cardano is currently trading outside the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation and is down more than 25 percent so far in 2026. Some in the market have also pointed to a reduced presence for Cardano. Seby argued that views describing Cardano as "dead" overlook the cyclical nature of the cryptocurrency market and patterns seen in past bear markets.

Seby said Cardano repeatedly went through sluggish stretches even in past downturns, but showed strong upside when investor sentiment turned bullish again. He specifically mentioned that if a strong market reversal occurs, Cardano could jump 200 to 300 percent in just a few weeks. He said the current weakness is driven by market conditions, not the collapse of the project itself.

Ethereum was also cited as a comparison. He highlighted that just as Cardano has fallen more than 25 percent since the start of the year, Ethereum also posted a double-digit decline over the same period, underscoring that it is not a problem unique to a specific project.

Cardano's past rebound was also revisited. On the day of the U.S. presidential election in November 2024, Cardano traded around $0.32, and after Trump was re-elected and market sentiment improved it rose about 300 percent within weeks to above $1.30. Cardano has since slid to around $0.2467. Seby said he sees room for another fourfold rise in the next bullish phase.

Cardano's key figures are also moving to strengthen long-term competitiveness. Charles Hoskinson (찰스 호스킨슨), the founder of Cardano, recently presented an ecosystem strategy to lift Cardano into the top tier of the cryptocurrency market. That suggests the project is focusing on strengthening its position over the medium to long term, separate from short-term price weakness.

Cardano's internal outlook is not entirely optimistic. Critics say Cardano may find it difficult to regain past momentum as tensions within the ecosystem continue. Some community members pointed to Hoskinson's public clashes with certain projects, saying they could become an obstacle to attracting developers and partners.

Hoskinson has publicly clashed with Iagon executives and also made remarks predicting the project's failure. After that conflict, the IAG token price plunged. The debate around Cardano is spreading beyond price projections to issues of ecosystem cohesion and external cooperation.

Ultimately, some observers say Cardano's future trajectory depends on 2 variables. If the broader market turns bullish, expectations remain that a sharp rebound could be repeated as in the past, but if internal conflict continues it could weigh on long-term performance. Within the Cardano community, opinions are split over whether Cardano will show a strong recovery in the next bull market or whether internal friction will hold it back.