The copycat market continues, LAB surges 24 times, can it become the next RAVE?

News:
The US and Iran have reached a consensus on gradually opening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for easing sanctions. On May 7, according to Saudi media Alhadath and Arab TV: sources say that the US and Iran have agreed on a phased opening of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for easing the blockade, and in the next few hours, a breakthrough in the situation of trapped ships in the strait is expected. International oil prices briefly plummeted, with WTI crude oil falling over 3% intraday, and Brent crude dropping nearly 3%.
On May 7, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on May 6 local time that the US and Iran had conducted “very productive” talks in the past 24 hours, and “it’s very likely” an agreement will be reached. Trump said, “It’s very likely” an agreement will be made with Iran after the latest round of talks. He stated that an agreement will eventually be reached but no deadline will be set. Trump also said Iran has agreed not to possess nuclear weapons. Iran has not responded to this yet.
The US-Iran permanent ceasefire agreement seems to be getting closer. If an agreement is reached in May, the crypto market will see its biggest rally this year, and this will also be the biggest positive news of the year.
Looking at social media market sentiment: Bitcoin’s social sentiment has significantly warmed with the recent price rebound, with the average long-to-short ratio reaching 1.37:1.00, the highest level among the community this year. This indicates that as Bitcoin breaks through $80k again and continues upward, traders are becoming increasingly optimistic. After weeks of uncertainty caused by macroeconomic concerns, geopolitical tensions, and several security incidents related to cryptocurrencies, retail investors are once again strongly inclined to expect further gains. However, historically, a sharp rise in bullish sentiment often serves as a warning signal rather than a direct buy signal, as markets tend to move contrary to public expectations. Now that optimism has reached a multi-month high, everyone should be cautious of potential intense volatility.
Legendary economist warns: US recession almost unavoidable, US stocks may plummet 30%. On May 7, legendary economist and former Merrill Lynch chief strategist Gary Shilling said that almost nothing can prevent the US economy from falling into recession this year. In an interview with Business Insider, Shilling gave a pessimistic outlook on the market and economic prospects. He believes that, given the ongoing vulnerabilities across multiple sectors of the US economy, a recession this year is almost inevitable. He also predicts that with valuations reaching dizzying levels, US stocks could undergo a significant correction. Shilling said he believes the S&P 500 could ultimately fall by as much as 30%, with bear market declines possibly arriving before the end of the year.
If US stocks experience a major correction, it would be a catastrophic blow to global financial markets. Although US stocks are currently at historic highs, a sharp correction in the short term is unlikely; it’s more probable in the second half of the year. Therefore, there’s no need to worry too much about a market crash dragging down cryptocurrencies in May.

Let’s look at the market:
Bitcoin reached $82,800 yesterday before starting to retrace. Currently, on the daily chart, the short-term downtrend is quite clear. It’s worth noting that a short-term correction does not mean the end of the May rally; on the contrary, after the correction, it will continue to break higher. However, before the US-Iran ceasefire positive news comes out, the market is likely to remain volatile and range-bound. Once the positive news is released, the rally will resume sharply. Overall, the overall trend in May remains bullish, with a target top of $85,000–$88,000.
Ethereum is currently around $2,330. Yesterday’s surge broke above $2,400 but stopped at $2,420, failing to break the short-term top range of $2,465, then retraced and consolidated. The trend basically confirms what I mentioned in my previous article: if the 4-hour chart cannot stabilize above $2,320, it will fall below $2,300 toward the strong support at $2,265. Yesterday’s rally was quite unfortunate; if it had broken the top range, Ethereum’s price would likely have moved toward $2,500–$2,600 today.
Mainstream coins,
ZEC has also been rising steadily for a week, with two days of continuous surge on the 5th and 6th, from 350 to 607, a 70% increase in a week. I also mentioned in my April 26 article that as long as the market stabilizes, ZEC still has significant upside potential. OP and ARB have also risen over 10% in the past two days, currently at around 0.14 and 0.12 respectively. These two L2s are leaders; I’ve said many times before that buying below 0.1 is a good entry point. The rebound has now exceeded 25%. AR has also surged from around 1.9 to about 2.4 recently, still with room to grow. UNI has risen slightly recently; the market has not really started yet, but it’s close. Expect a rally in May.
Altcoins: The hottest one remains LAB, which surged directly to 4.9 today, with a market cap surpassing one billion dollars. Since April 4, this coin has risen 24 times, showing strong backing from the whales, somewhat comparable to RAVE and PIPPIN. However, RAVE’s funding rates are negative, meaning short positions pay a fee every hour, even if the price stays the same, gradually consuming the principal.
LAB’s current funding rate is positive, attracting arbitrage traders. Whales buy spot and short via futures, doing this every four hours, earning stable funding fees and continuously pushing the price higher to trigger short squeezes.
LAB has surged over 20 times; retail longs at high levels are now rare, most longs are held by whales, who have paid a lot in funding fees. Recently, LAB’s trading volume has ranked among the top on major exchanges, which is a significant fee drain. This indicates that the recent short squeeze has become a bullish force, with whales spending heavily to pump the market. The subsequent crash is likely to be fierce, as all whales are not doing charity; they will surely recover their principal plus profits. Let’s wait and see.
Here I remind everyone again: the LAB market is out of control. As long as the short sellers keep pushing, the price will continue to rise sharply, and a market cap doubling is very normal. But be aware that the short positions might be used by whales to lure in longs. Once retail traders chase longs, a crash could be imminent. LAB has now become a slaughterhouse—reg