SUI surges 26% as Pokémon-related blockchain sparks NFT frenzy

• Policy mentions Parasol, owned by Sui’s Mysten Labs.
• SUI token up over 26%, breaks $3.58 resistance.
• Market cap now $11.66 billion, driven by whale buying.

The Pokémon franchise may be edging closer to the Web3 world, sparking a wave of investor activity around the Sui blockchain and its native token, SUI.

On 23 April, a minor update to Pokémon HOME’s privacy policy drew sharp attention from the crypto community.

It mentioned that Parasol Technologies, a developer now owned by Mysten Labs—the company behind the Sui blockchain—could receive user data in select regions.

This prompted speculation that The Pokémon Company could be preparing for a deeper integration with blockchain-based technologies.

While there’s been no official confirmation from Nintendo or The Pokémon Company, the update coincided with a separate Sui Foundation announcement.

The foundation stated that Parasol would be launching blockchain-powered trading card games on the Sui network.

An early version of the blog post even included a reference to Pokémon NFTs, which was quickly deleted—adding further fuel to the speculation that a collaboration might be underway.

Sui Foundation, Parasol, and the NFT angle

The newly intensified interest in Sui isn’t only about speculative data mentions.

Parasol, the blockchain gaming studio involved, was acquired by Mysten Labs in 2023.

Its presence in the Pokémon HOME policy suggests a potential partnership that could bring recognisable intellectual properties like Pokémon into the world of NFTs and digital collectibles.

Shortly after the policy update, a crypto influencer known as Shotgun flagged the change on X (formerly Twitter), interpreting the new medals introduced in Pokémon HOME as tradable digital items.

Although no code has confirmed this assumption, the idea that Pokémon’s digital assets could eventually become NFTs or tokenised cards has resonated strongly in both the gaming and crypto communities.

The Sui Foundation’s quick removal of Pokémon-related references from its blog post has only deepened intrigue.

While this may indicate premature disclosure, it also gives weight to the idea that negotiations or development work might already be in progress, albeit behind the scenes.

Market reacts with SUI price breakout

The timing of these developments coincided with a strong upward movement in the SUI token’s market price. SUI rose over 26% in 24 hours, climbing above $3.5 for the first time since its launch.

Source: CoinMarketCap

Trading volumes surged past $128 million, and whale accumulation showed a marked increase. Analysts have pointed to $3.80–$4.00 as the next short-term target, provided market sentiment remains positive.

Crypto analyst Ted Pillows noted that the SUI price had broken through key resistance zones, with the momentum boosted by broader investor excitement over a potential Pokémon integration.

The token now ranks 13th by market capitalisation at $11.66 billion, with SUI accounting for over 90% of the total Sui ecosystem valuation of $15.79 billion.

Web3 gaming narrative gains traction

The convergence of gaming and blockchain technology has been a rising theme over the past two years, but the potential involvement of a franchise as globally significant as Pokémon would mark a turning point.

The Sui blockchain, known for its high throughput and object-based data model, is positioning itself as a preferred platform for gaming dApps.

Even though speculation around Pokémon NFTs remains unverified, the strategic alignment of updates, corporate acquisitions, and rapidly deleted blog references point towards meaningful developments.

For now, the market has clearly taken notice—reflected not just in price movement but also in renewed interest across social media and trading platforms.

Whether or not Pokémon makes the full leap into Web3 through Sui, the latest chain of events has already proven the ecosystem’s influence on market sentiment and the growing appetite for tokenised digital assets among retail and institutional investors alike.