LayerZero's $110 million acquisition of Stargate Finance reshaped the outlook for STG in ways that most price prediction models haven't caught up with yet. The August 2025 deal retired STG as a standalone governance token and introduced a fixed conversion to ZRO at a rate of 1 STG = 0.08634 ZRO, which fundamentally alters how traders and investors should think about STG's future value.

Despite the merger, STG continues to trade on exchanges and the conversion contract remains open indefinitely. That creates an unusual dynamic where STG's price floor is effectively tied to ZRO's market value, while its ceiling depends on whether enough holders delay or decline the swap. Below, we break down where STG stands today, what the acquisition means for its price, and what forecasters are projecting through 2030.

Where STG Stands in Early 2026

STG trades around $0.15 as of February 2026, according to CoinGecko, giving it a market cap between $70 million and $100 million depending on how circulating supply is measured. The token reached an all-time high of $4.14 shortly after its March 2022 launch, meaning current prices sit roughly 96% below that peak.

Several key metrics provide context for the current valuation:

The wide range in circulating supply reflects ongoing token unlocks and the gradual conversion of STG to ZRO following the acquisition. As more holders convert, STG's effective circulating supply shrinks while ZRO's grows.

How the LayerZero Merger Affects STG's Price

The LayerZero Foundation's acquisition of Stargate passed with 94% DAO approval on August 24, 2025, beating out a competing $120 million cash bid from Wormhole. Under the terms, all STG holders can convert their tokens to ZRO through a redemption contract on the Stargate platform, with no deadline attached.

This creates an implicit price floor. At the fixed 1:0.08634 ratio, STG's theoretical value at any given moment equals 0.08634 multiplied by ZRO's current price. If ZRO trades at $2.00, STG's implied floor sits around $0.17. If ZRO rises to $5.00, that floor jumps to $0.43. The conversion contract essentially tethers STG to ZRO's performance.

For the six months following the deal (September 2025 through February 2026), veSTG holders who had tokens locked before August 10 received 50% of Stargate's protocol revenue. The other half went toward ZRO buybacks. After that revenue-sharing window closes, all of Stargate's future earnings will flow directly to ZRO buybacks, removing one of the last direct value-accrual mechanisms for STG holders.

What This Means for Trading STG

Traders watching STG need to monitor ZRO's price movements closely, since STG's value increasingly reflects ZRO's trajectory. Any significant divergence between STG's market price and its ZRO-implied value creates an arbitrage opportunity. If STG trades below its implied floor, converting to ZRO and selling becomes profitable. If it trades above, holding STG offers no clear advantage over simply buying ZRO directly.

STG Price Predictions: 2026, 2027, and 2030

Price prediction models for STG are unusually fragmented given the merger situation. Some forecasters base their projections on STG as a standalone token, while others factor in the ZRO conversion. Here's how the major prediction platforms break down:

2026 Outlook

Most analysts project STG trading between $0.15 and $0.50 through 2026. The lower end reflects continued sideways movement in a market that increasingly treats STG as a wrapper for ZRO exposure. The higher end assumes a broader crypto market recovery lifts both ZRO and, by extension, STG. One analysis from CCN suggests a potential rebound toward $0.50–$0.95 if sustained market improvement materializes.

2027 Projections

Forecasts for 2027 range from $0.10 on the bearish side to $0.40 on the bullish side. The spread reflects deep uncertainty about how much of STG's supply will have converted to ZRO by then. A significant reduction in STG's circulating supply could create scarcity-driven price spikes, though the open-ended conversion contract limits how high those spikes can go.

2030 and Beyond

Longer-term projections from platforms like CoinLore estimate STG could reach $2.60 by 2030 under bullish conditions, while more conservative models from CoinDataFlow place the upper range closer to $0.48. The key variable at this horizon is whether STG still exists as a tradeable token. If the vast majority of supply converts to ZRO, remaining STG tokens could become illiquid or delist from exchanges entirely.

Catalysts and Risks to Watch

Several factors will determine where STG lands within these wide prediction ranges.

Stargate's Continued Infrastructure Growth. Even under LayerZero's umbrella, Stargate continues to expand. The bridge supports transfers across 80+ blockchains and recently integrated with Ondo Finance for cross-chain tokenized stock transfers. The December 2025 Ondo partnership added 100+ tokenized assets to Stargate's transfer capabilities, pushing the platform beyond simple stablecoin bridging. These integrations strengthen ZRO's value proposition, which indirectly supports STG's price through the conversion ratio.

ZRO's Fee Switch Referendum. LayerZero's governance includes a recurring vote on whether to activate protocol fees for ZRO buybacks and burns. A successful "yes" vote would make ZRO deflationary and likely push its price higher, dragging STG's implied floor up with it. The next referendum is expected around June 2026.

Cross-Chain Market Competition. Stargate competes with bridges like Wormhole, Across Protocol, and emerging intent-based systems. If competitors capture significant market share, Stargate's revenue declines, weakening the ZRO buyback mechanism and putting downward pressure on both tokens.

Broader Market Conditions. Like most altcoins, STG correlates heavily with Bitcoin and Ethereum cycles. A sustained crypto bull run would likely lift both ZRO and STG, while a prolonged bear market could push STG toward its all-time lows regardless of protocol fundamentals.

Pricing STG in a Post-Merger Market

STG's price trajectory is now inseparable from LayerZero's success. The conversion to ZRO creates a mathematical floor that moves in lockstep with ZRO's market price, making STG one of the few altcoins with a built-in, protocol-defined valuation anchor. For traders interested in Stargate's cross-chain infrastructure thesis, the question centers on whether the LayerZero ecosystem will grow enough to justify higher ZRO valuations.

The bridge's operating metrics remain strong by any measure. Over $70 billion in lifetime transfer volume, $135 million in TVL, and integrations across 80+ chains give Stargate meaningful infrastructure relevance. Whether that translates to price appreciation depends on execution, competitive dynamics, and the unpredictable swings of broader crypto sentiment. As with any price prediction, these forecasts carry significant uncertainty, and traders should conduct their own research before making position decisions.

Trade STG on LeveX via spot markets or perpetual futures, and explore more token guides in the Crypto in a Minute series.