Michaël van de Poppe’s recent comment that “crucial resistance at $180” could be the springboard for a larger move has put fresh eyes on Bittensor’s native token, TAO, as traders weigh whether the AI + crypto narrative still has fuel left. On X, the Dutch analyst suggested that a clean break above $180 would open the door toward roughly $250 as the next major resistance, a short, clear roadmap that many in the market are now watching.
Market data shows TAO trading around $191 as of this writing, positioning the token just around the $180–$195 decision band that traders are discussing. CoinMarketCap lists TAO’s price and market-cap metrics in real time, and the token sits within the top 50 by capitalization, showing how much attention an AI-focused coin can still draw.
The project behind TAO, Bittensor, bills itself as a decentralized, incentive-driven network for AI, a marketplace where compute and models are rewarded in TAO, and where Proof-of-Intelligence-like mechanisms aim to value contributions from validators and researchers. That underlying narrative has helped TAO decouple from traditional altcoin behavior at moments of positive headlines around AI, and it’s the reason traders like van de Poppe highlight TAO when talking about the AI <> crypto thesis.
AI-Crypto Momentum Puts TAO Back on Radar
Exchange data and orderbook glimpses also tell part of the story. TAO pairs are actively traded across major venues, and recent 24-hour ranges and volumes show the token has liquidity to fuel a swift move if buyers step in decisively. Some exchange pages report intraday highs near the mid-$190s, sketching a short-term volatility window for anyone tracking the $180 threshold closely.
Technically, the chart action in early March looks like a classic consolidation after a steep prior downtrend: price hovering below a well-defined resistance line, limited daily range, and a handful of higher lows that suggest buyers are attempting to build a foothold. Volume has picked up in pockets, which is encouraging for bulls, but the $180 level remains the control point.
If TAO can close convincingly above that line with follow-through volume, momentum traders will likely target the next supply zones, with $250 showing up on many watchlists because it represents an area of prior price congestion. If buyers fail, expect retests of the recent support band and a return to range trading.
Beyond the chart, TAO’s story is part of a larger market narrative. 2026 has already seen AI-linked tokens gain renewed interest, and exchanges and analysts are publishing scenarios that range from measured rallies to more ambitious targets. For now, the path is simple: a break above $180 could validate the bullish take; a rejection would hand control back to the bears. Traders will be watching orderflow, volume, and whether broader crypto risk appetite continues to favor narrative-driven names.
