- KernelDAO price surged to highs of $0.23 amid Upbit listing news.
- The KERNEL token previously hit an all-time high above $0.46 in April and could target that level on its next rally.
- Broad gains across the crypto market would help catalyze further upside for the token.
KERNEL, the native token of the restaking protocol KernelDAO, jumped more than 25% to reach highs near $0.23 early Tuesday.
As bulls work to hold those gains, the rally pushed the token among the day’s top performers across the cryptocurrency market.
Given overall crypto sentiment, an Upbit listing could extend KERNEL’s upward momentum as interest in restaking protocols grows.
Upbit listing pushes KERNEL to $0.23 high
The likely catalyst for KERNEL’s sharp price move today was traders reacting to Upbit’s announcement.
On October 28, 2025, the leading South Korean exchange confirmed the token’s listing on the KRW market and added support for trading on the Ethereum network.
The listing immediately sparked buying pressure, with KernelDAO’s daily volume swelling as bulls pushed KERNEL from intraday lows of $0.16 to a peak of $0.23 at the time of writing.
Daily volume surpassed $316 million, representing an astonishing 1,540% increase over the prior 24 hours.
With gains exceeding 20%, KERNEL ranked among the few altcoins posting double-digit moves for the day.
KernelDAO’s token sat among the top winners alongside projects such as Hedera’s HBAR, Pump.fund’s PUMP and Bittensor’s TAO tokens.
Why the interest in KernelDAO?
KernelDAO is a prominent restaking protocol that supports a total value locked (TVL) ecosystem worth roughly $1.7 billion.
The project, backed by YZi Labs, operates across major blockchains including Ethereum and BNB Chain.
Its product suite includes Kernel, Kelp, Gain and Kred — the latter a recently introduced offering focused on real-world asset exposure.
Upbit’s listing represents the latest bullish endorsement for the KERNEL token, with the South Korean exchange known for an active trading community.
The listing not only raises KERNEL’s visibility but also taps into new liquidity pools.
KernelDAO functions as an infrastructure platform offering a range of staking and restaking services.
It enables restaking on the BNB Chain, supports BNB Liquid Restaking Tokens (LRTs) and provides Bitcoin restaking options.
Additionally, the project runs an Ethereum-native staking protocol that operates directly on the Ethereum network.
That system includes a vault-style smart contract designed to manage staked ETH, rsETH and liquid staking token (LST) assets.
The platform’s native KERNEL token serves multiple roles within the ecosystem, including governance, restaking incentives and slashing insurance.
KernelDAO bulls target $0.50 next
KERNEL reached an all-time high of $0.46 in April 2025. Although it later dropped to a low near $0.09 in June, the token has recovered by more than 115% since then.
With current prices around $0.19, bulls remain approximately 57% below the all-time high.
As the broader crypto market strengthens on the back of renewed institutional interest, clearer regulation in key regions and macroeconomic shifts favorable to risk assets, KernelDAO appears poised to benefit.
DeFiLlama data shows the protocol’s total value locked has climbed to over $1.7 billion.
Accordingly, gains across the liquid staking and restaking sectors could provide additional fuel for KernelDAO’s ecosystem.
Upside targets include reclaiming the prior all-time high and mounting a breakout above $0.50.
On the downside, buyers need to defend strong activity around $0.18 and $0.16 to avoid deeper pullbacks.