Polkadot's native DOT token fell 0.7% over the past 24 hours to trade at $5.25. This extends a period of lackluster price action for DOT, which has dropped 3.8% over the past two weeks.

DOT Lags Behind Ethereum in Near-Term

Polkadot aims to be a next-generation blockchain network that can process thousands of transactions per second. It is seen as a competitor to Ethereum.

However, DOT has failed to keep pace with Ethereum's native ETH token in recent weeks. While DOT has slumped almost 4% in 14 days, ETH has surged 22% over the same timeframe.

This divergence highlights Polkadot's struggle to attract the same investor attention and build network adoption compared to the more established Ethereum.

Key Support Level in Focus

Looking at the charts, DOT is testing support around the $5.00 level. This area provided a floor during the May-June consolidation period.

If $5.00 fails to hold, Polkadot could see a steeper selloff towards the 200-day moving average around $4.15. That would represent a major break of the uptrend in place since late June.

Bulls will try to defend $5.00 and stage a rebound back towards overhead resistance around $5.75. A close above $5.75 would signal a bullish trend reversal.

Polkadot's Long-Term Outlook Remains Strong

Despite recent weakness, Polkadot's fundamentals and long-term outlook remain bullish. The project continues to advance interoperability, on-chain governance, and staking capabilities.

Additionally, Polkadot is gaining traction in the exploding Web3 space. Several promising metaverse, NFT, and gaming projects are being built on Polkadot's platform.

As this ecosystem expands, demand for DOT may increase. DOT also yields around 11% from staking, providing a solid income stream for long-term holders.

Overall, Polkadot still looks poised to be a top blockchain contender over the years ahead, despite its recent stint of underperformance. Patient investors could be rewarded for buying DOT at these levels.

Is Polkadot's Founder Its Secret Weapon?

Polkadot was created by Gavin Wood, one of the co-founders of Ethereum. Wood serves as President of the Web3 Foundation, which sponsors Polkadot's development.

Having an Ethereum co-founder as Polkadot's leader is a huge advantage. Wood's technical expertise, combined with his experience building Ethereum in its early days, make him well-suited to guide Polkadot's growth.

His vision for an interoperable internet of blockchains aligns with Web3 ideals. Wood's involvement and continued innovation could be the key driver that allows Polkadot to achieve its lofty goals over the long-term.

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