DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mutuum Finance (MUTM) has delivered a new round of updates regarding its upcoming V1 lending protocol launch as investor participation accelerates. Funding for the project is now approaching the $20M mark as distribution phases move closer to completion and visibility increases across the sector. Analysts note that the timing of the V1 announcement aligns with late-stage presale behavior, tightening allocation, and rising whale interest.
Funding Approaches $20M as Distribution Advances
Mutuum Finance began its staged token distribution in early 2025 at a low entry level. Since then, capital formation has continued without major marketing cycles or sudden meme-driven waves. Instead, participation has grown steadily from phase to phase.
The project has now raised approximately $19.8M with more than 18,800 holders taking part across multiple allocation rounds. This wide holder distribution has become one of the key points analysts highlight, since it differs from concentrated seed rounds typical of private deals. The large holder base indicates broad participation rather than a narrow investor pool.
Pricing during the distribution has followed a fixed step structure. The token opened at $0.01 in the first phase and has now reached $0.04 in Phase 7. The planned listing price is $0.06, which positions early phase participants for strong upside if the price stabilizes near that level once mainnet usage begins.
V1 Protocol Launch Nears
The presale growth coincides with the latest announcement regarding V1 deployment. According to Mutuum Finance’s official X account, the V1 protocol is preparing for testnet release before mainnet activation. The testnet will run on the Sepolia network and will include the core components of the lending system, including liquidity pools, mtTokens, debt tokens and liquidator logic.
Analysts argue that the timing of this announcement matters. In lending markets, token valuations tend to change once usage activates rather than during the development stage. When borrowing, repayment and liquidation data start to appear on-chain, analysts can build real revenue models instead of speculative ones. This is why many consider V1 to be a turning point rather than a routine update.
mtToken Mechanics
Mutuum Finance is building a dual-market lending design. Users will supply assets into shared pools and receive mtTokens in return. These mtTokens track both deposit value and interest earned from borrowers. Borrowers will post collateral to unlock liquidity without selling their long-term holdings. Liquidators will step in when positions become unsafe and repay part of the loan while buying the collateral at a discount. This structure is designed to handle borrowing cycles during bullish market phases when leverage demand increases.
Security preparation has also been part of the roadmap. The Mutuum Finance V1 codebase was audited by Halborn Security, a firm known for reviewing complex DeFi products. The MUTM token received a 90 out of 100 score based on CertiK’s token scan metrics. The project also launched a $50,000 bug bounty aimed at catching vulnerabilities before mainnet activation.
Analysts say these checks are meaningful because lending protocols depend on accurate price feeds, collateral safety and liquidation reliability. These elements can only function in production if the codebase and oracle systems are verified beforehand.
Visibility Shift in Q1 2026
Many early investors expect a visibility acceleration during Q1 2026 as V1 moves from testnet to mainnet and lending markets begin producing measurable data. Stablecoin borrowing plans and layer-2 execution features are also viewed as important for long-term usage, since both enable faster liquidations and predictable repayment terms.
Mutuum Finance has not yet announced a firm mainnet date, but with funding nearing the $20M mark, distribution almost halfway completed and V1 preparing for testnet, analysts argue that the project may be entering what they call its “visibility window.”
When watching the best new crypto opportunities under $1 for 2026, MUTM has quickly become one of the most discussed examples due to its combination of early pricing, protocol design and proximity to real usage.
For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:
Website: https://www.mutuum.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance
