What is MotaCoin (MOTA) Crypto Coin? The Cannabis Industry's Niche Blockchain Token

What is MotaCoin (MOTA) Crypto Coin? The Cannabis Industry's Niche Blockchain Token

MotaCoin Value Calculator

Current price: $0.0059 (CoinGecko)
All-Time High Value:
$0.1140 (July 2021)
Optimistic Scenario:
100% growth from current price
Important Notes:
  • Trading volume is near zero (<$5 daily)
  • Price varies significantly between exchanges
  • Value calculations are hypothetical
  • High risk of illiquidity (may not sell at calculated value)

MotaCoin (MOTA) isn't just another cryptocurrency. It was built for one specific purpose: to move money in the legal marijuana industry. Launched on March 18, 2018, it’s a blockchain designed to solve real problems cannabis businesses face-like banking restrictions, cash-only operations, and lack of transparent payment systems. While Bitcoin and Ethereum might work in theory, MotaCoin was made to fit the unique legal and operational gaps in the cannabis market.

How MotaCoin Works

MotaCoin runs on a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism using the X13 hashing algorithm. That means instead of using massive amounts of electricity to mine new coins like Bitcoin, users can earn new MOTA by holding and staking their existing coins. This makes it more energy-efficient and accessible to everyday holders.

The total supply of MOTA is capped at 100 million tokens. As of late 2025, about 70.8 million are in existence, with roughly 57.8 million actively circulating. This controlled supply helps prevent inflation, but it doesn’t guarantee value-especially when demand is low.

Transactions on the MotaCoin network are peer-to-peer, fast, and irreversible. It also supports basic smart contracts, allowing developers to build simple applications on top of it-like loyalty programs for dispensaries or automated compliance tracking for tax reporting. But in practice, very few of these tools exist.

Price and Market Performance

MotaCoin’s price is all over the place. CoinGecko shows it trading around $0.0059, while CoinLore reports $0.00117. Why the difference? Because MOTA trades on almost no exchanges. Some platforms list it, but trading volume is near zero-sometimes just a few dollars in 24 hours. That’s not a market. That’s a ghost town.

Its all-time high was $0.1140 back in July 2021. Since then, it’s lost over 95% of its value. The all-time low dipped below $0.0001 in 2019. Recent data shows a modest recovery-some platforms report over 100% annual growth-but that’s from an almost worthless base. It’s like a plant growing back after a wildfire: technically alive, but barely recognizable.

Market rankings reflect this. CryptoSlate lists MOTA as #2680 out of thousands of cryptocurrencies. CoinLore puts it at #5177. For comparison, Bitcoin is #1. Even obscure tokens with no real use case often rank higher because they have more active traders.

Why It Was Created

Cannabis businesses in places like California, Canada, or Colorado often can’t open bank accounts. Banks fear federal legal risk-even if the state allows marijuana, it’s still illegal under U.S. federal law. So these businesses operate in cash. That’s dangerous, messy, and hard to track.

MotaCoin was supposed to be the solution. Imagine a dispensary owner paying suppliers, employees, and taxes digitally, without a bank. No more carrying stacks of bills. No more armored trucks. No more audits based on shoeboxes of receipts.

But here’s the catch: adoption never happened. Most dispensaries still use cash. Or they use third-party payment processors like CannaPay or LeafLink, which aren’t blockchain-based but are easier to integrate. MotaCoin never built the tools, partnerships, or user experience to make switching worthwhile.

Three investors in a dim room staring at flickering MOTA price charts on old monitors.

Is MotaCoin Still Active?

There’s no official team website with updates. No blog. No Twitter feed with regular posts. No GitHub activity showing code improvements. The project seems to exist only as a token on a few exchanges and a handful of blockchain explorers.

Price prediction sites like 3Commas and LiteFinance say MOTA might reach $0.0018 by 2028. That’s a 200% increase from today’s low price. But those forecasts are based on zero real-world traction. They’re guessing. And when a cryptocurrency has no user base, no developers, and no business partners, predictions are just wishful thinking.

Who Uses MotaCoin?

No one, really. There are no major dispensaries, growers, or manufacturers using MOTA as their primary payment method. You won’t find it listed as a payment option on any well-known cannabis e-commerce site. There are no wallet apps built for it. No mobile integrations. No merchant tools.

Most people holding MOTA are speculators-people who bought it during the 2021 crypto boom hoping it would take off. Now they’re holding on, hoping for a rebound. But without adoption, there’s no reason for the price to rise.

A giant MotaCoin token looms over abandoned dispensaries in a dreamlike, decaying landscape.

How It Compares to Other Options

Let’s be clear: Bitcoin and Ethereum are already being used by some cannabis businesses. Why? Because they’re accepted everywhere. They’re secure. They have deep liquidity. You can convert them to USD instantly on Coinbase or Kraken.

Other cannabis-specific tokens like CannabisCoin or MediBloc have had similar fates-low volume, no adoption, fading relevance. The problem isn’t the tech. It’s the market. The legal cannabis industry is still too fragmented, too cautious, and too regulated to adopt a niche crypto without massive infrastructure support.

MotaCoin didn’t have the funding, the team, or the strategy to build that infrastructure. It launched with a good idea, but no execution plan.

Should You Buy MotaCoin?

If you’re looking for a serious investment? No. MOTA has none of the qualities that make a cryptocurrency valuable: liquidity, adoption, development, or community.

If you’re curious and want to spend a few dollars to see what it’s like? Maybe. You can buy a few MOTA tokens on exchanges like CoinExchange or TradeOgre. But don’t expect to sell them easily. You might be stuck with them for years.

The only real reason to hold MOTA is if you believe the legal cannabis industry will suddenly embrace blockchain payments-and that MotaCoin will be the one that survives. That’s a huge bet. And right now, the odds are against it.

What’s Next for MotaCoin?

Without a clear roadmap, active developers, or industry partnerships, MotaCoin’s future is uncertain. It’s not dead-but it’s not alive either. It’s in limbo.

Its survival depends on one thing: real businesses using it. If a major cannabis retailer in Canada or Germany starts accepting MOTA for payments and publicizes it, the whole story could change. But that hasn’t happened. And there’s no sign it will.

For now, MotaCoin remains a footnote in crypto history-a well-intentioned idea that never crossed the gap between theory and reality.

Is MotaCoin (MOTA) a good investment?

No, MotaCoin is not a good investment for most people. It has extremely low liquidity, minimal trading volume, no active development team, and almost no real-world use. While its price has recovered slightly from its 2019 lows, it’s still down over 95% from its 2021 peak. Buying MOTA is speculative at best and risky at worst.

Can I use MotaCoin to buy cannabis products?

No, you cannot use MotaCoin to buy cannabis products at any major dispensary or online retailer. Despite being designed for the cannabis industry, no significant businesses accept it as payment. Most dispensaries still use cash or third-party payment processors, not blockchain tokens.

Where can I buy MotaCoin (MOTA)?

MotaCoin is available on a handful of small, low-volume exchanges like CoinExchange, TradeOgre, and Bitrue. It’s not listed on major platforms like Binance, Coinbase, or Kraken. Be cautious-low liquidity means you might not be able to sell your MOTA quickly or at the price you expect.

Is MotaCoin mined or staked?

MotaCoin uses a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) system, meaning you earn new coins by holding and staking your existing MOTA tokens. It originally used the X13 hashing algorithm, which allowed mining, but mining is no longer the primary way to earn new tokens. Staking is now the main method.

Why is MotaCoin’s price so different on different sites?

Because MotaCoin trades on very few exchanges with almost no volume, prices vary wildly between platforms. Some sites show prices based on a single trade from months ago. Others use outdated data. This inconsistency signals extreme illiquidity-not a healthy market.

Does MotaCoin have a future?

Its future depends entirely on adoption. If a major cannabis company starts using MOTA for payments and publicly supports it, the price and interest could spike. But without that, it will likely continue fading into obscurity. There’s no active team pushing development, no marketing, and no clear roadmap.

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