Stellar's native token, XLM, saw an impressive 9.88% price surge over the past hour to reach $0.1564 at the time of writing. Looking at key metrics, XLM has a market capitalization of $3.87 billion and 24 hour trading volume of $168.98 million. Over the past day, XLM has gained 4.27%, while it is up 24.65% and 69.63% for the week and month respectively. Zooming out further, XLM has increased significantly by 69.37% during the last 6 months.

Analyzing the metrics, XLM’s nearly 10% short-term surge stands out as an extremely bullish sign amid an already positive backdrop over the past month. This momentum comes after XLM consolidated between $0.13-$0.15, where it established a strong support base.

Looking ahead, the technical outlook remains very positive for XLM to continue its uptrend. XLM has been printing consistently higher highs and higher lows, underlining the bullish trend over the past 6 months. The recent breakout combined with high trading volumes signals further upside ahead. Traders may target $0.18 and $0.20 resistance levels if the momentum holds.

In summary, the data paints an overwhelmingly bullish picture for XLM in both the short and long term. Traders may look to buy on any minor dips and weakness, while keeping an eye on the overhead resistances. However, the path of least resistance appears to be higher.

Should You Buy XLM Now or Wait for a Dip?

With XLM surging today and showing a strong uptrend, some traders may be wondering if now is the optimal time to buy or if waiting for a pullback is better. While XLM could see some profit taking from short-term traders, trying to time the bottom is difficult.

For long-term investors, dollar cost averaging over time allows benefiting from dips when they do happen. For short-term traders, buying retracements with a disciplined stop-loss lets you capitalize on momentum while controlling risk. Considering the bullish backdrop, buying XLM on weakness seems prudent.

Is XLM a Good Long-Term Investment?

XLM appears well-positioned as a strong long-term investment at current prices. The Stellar network is fast, affordable, and optimized for cross-border transactions. This provides real-world utility as a payments system, especially in developing nations. Stellar also has unique tokenization capabilities and growing institutional adoption.

As blockchain adoption increases globally, Stellar is poised to capture a significant share of the payments market. While risks remain, XLM has proven resilient and has staked its claim as a leading altcoin project. For crypto investors with long time horizons, XLM deserves consideration for a portfolio.