$IP Token latest price forecast: Will it continue to rise?

When the Story blockchain announced that its mainnet upgrade would include a hard fork scheduled for January 14, 2026, the market responded swiftly. CoinMarketCap AI’s analysis report pointed out that this upgrade aims to enhance network scalability and introduce IP vault functionality.

This news, combined with recent market dynamics, drove the price of $IP on major exchanges like Gate up by over 18% in the past 24 hours.

01 Current Market Overview: Prices, Data, and Trading Activity

As of January 13, 2026, the real-time price of the $IP token is approximately $3.05. In the past 24 hours, its price surged to as high as $3.18, with a low of $2.54, showing significant volatility.

This volatility was accompanied by substantial trading volume. The 24-hour trading volume reached $403 million, indicating strong market interest in the token. Among these, Gate, as one of the world’s leading trading platforms, contributed considerable depth and liquidity.

The current market capitalization of $IP is about $1.06 billion, ranking within the top 100 in the cryptocurrency market cap list. Its circulating supply is 348.37 million tokens, with a total supply of 1 billion tokens, meaning approximately 34.8% of the tokens are in circulation.

02 Technical and Market Sentiment Analysis

From a technical perspective, $IP is currently at a critical juncture with intense battle between bulls and bears. According to Coincodex data, its 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) is as high as 76.82, which is typically interpreted as an “overbought” condition, suggesting a potential short-term technical correction or consolidation.

However, multiple short-term moving averages (such as SMA 5, SMA 10) are signaling “buy,” indicating that upward momentum has not yet fully exhausted. The market’s Fear and Greed Index stands at 26, in the “fear” zone, which often diverges from actual positive price trends and may imply that some investors remain cautious.

An important market structure is that the current resistance zone between $3.19 and $3.50 is critical. If the price can break through and stabilize above this zone, it could target higher levels. Support levels below initially focus around $2.47.

03 Key Catalysts Affecting Short-term Price

In the short term (the coming days to weeks), $IP 's price movement will be significantly influenced by several immediate events.

The primary factor is the network hard fork upgrade scheduled for January 14, 2026. This upgrade aims to improve network performance and introduce new IP management features. Successful implementation is generally viewed as a positive fundamental development, likely attracting more developers and projects into the ecosystem, thereby boosting demand for the token.

Second, the token unlock schedule poses a potential risk. Data shows that tokens held by early supporters and core contributors, accounting for 41.6% of the total supply, will be gradually unlocked before February 2026. A large influx of tokens into the market could increase selling pressure, representing one of the biggest potential risks in the near term.

Finally, institutional activity and market narratives should not be underestimated. Grayscale launched a trust product focused on $IP in July 2025, providing a compliant investment channel for traditional capital. Additionally, the grand narrative of tokenizing intellectual property (IP) assets, especially in an era of explosive growth in AI and content creation, continues to attract long-term market attention.

04 Long-term Price Forecasts from Multiple Perspectives

For long-term investors, different analysis institutions have provided forecasts ranging from conservative to optimistic. Based on data from Gate’s platform and other mainstream analyses, here is an overview of $IP 's projections through 2030:

Longer-term outlooks are even more optimistic. Some models predict that by 2040, $IP could reach $6.03, and by 2050, some analyses see a target of $9.82. These forecasts are based on the core assumption that the Story protocol can successfully capture the trillion-dollar IP on-chain market.

05 Investment Strategies and Risk Warnings

For users considering trading $IP , establishing a clear strategy is crucial. On platforms like Gate, you can choose spot trading for direct asset holding or utilize rich market data and analysis tools to assist decision-making.

Short-term traders should closely monitor the network performance after the January 14 upgrade and market reactions, as well as the price action around the $3.20 resistance level. Setting stop-loss orders (e.g., below $2.50 or $2.00 support) is essential for risk management.

Long-term investors should focus more on the substantive development of the ecosystem: Is the number of registered IP assets increasing? Are well-known creators or institutions participating? Is on-chain trading activity and fee income healthy and growing? These fundamental factors are the backbone of long-term price support.

It must be clearly understood that the cryptocurrency market is highly volatile and risky. All price forecasts are based on historical data, mathematical models, and market assumptions, and do not guarantee future performance. Before making any investment decisions, conduct independent research and only invest funds you can afford to lose.

Future Outlook

The coming weeks will be decisive for $IP . The technical performance of the network upgrade and the market absorption of large-scale token unlocks will directly compete on this narrow battlefield.

CoinMarketCap AI’s analysis indicates that if the upgrade succeeds and buying pressure can absorb the unlock sell-off, the price could break through $3.50, with the next target around $5.00. Conversely, if ecosystem development falls short or the overall market turns bearish, the price may retreat to around $1.50 for support.

On Gate’s real-time price chart, every candlestick records this story of technological innovation, market supply and demand, and capital battles. For every participant, the final chapter has yet to be written.