THE LATEST CRYPTO NEWS

According to Farside Investors data, US investors put close to $32 billion into US crypto exchange-traded funds in 2025 even as markets lost steam late in the year. Related Reading: Crypto Headed For A $10 Trillion Future? Hoskinson Says RWA Is The Key Spot Bitcoin ETFs drew the biggest share, with $21.4 billion in net inflows. That is smaller than the $35 billion that poured into Bitcoin ETFs in 2024. Blackrock Dominates Flows BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, IBIT, accounted for most of the activity. Reports show IBIT took in about $24.7 billion. That makes its inflows roughly five times larger than the nearest rival, Fidelity’s FBTC. Market watchers noted IBIT ranked near the top among all ETF flows, placing behind only a few broad index funds and a big treasury bond fund. If IBIT’s number is removed, the wider spot Bitcoin ETF group actually finished the year with about $3 billion in combined outflows. Grayscale’s Bitcoin product lost nearly $4 billion on the year. Bitcoin’s price was lower than at the start of 2025; it began the year around $93,500. Ethereum Interest Strong But Cooling Based on reports, interest in Ethereum ETFs was real, but the momentum looks uneven. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust, ETHA, sits at nearly $12.6 billion in inflows. Fidelity’s FETH follows at $2.6 billion, while Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust ETF holds about $1.5 billion. Still, public on-chain data showed little renewed demand for spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs in the last month of the year, suggesting flows may slow into 2026. Ether ETFs benefited from being new and giving investors a regulated way to own ETH, but recent days have seen quieter buying. Spot Ether ETFs, which only became widely tradable after their July 2024 launch, gathered $9.6 billion in their first full year. Spot Solana ETFs, launched in late October, added $765 million through year end. Altcoin ETFs Show Curiosity, Not Frenzy Litecoin and XRP ETFs also began trading in the latter half of the year, giving investors more choices for regulated altcoin exposure. The sums are small compared with Bitcoin and Ether. Solana’s $765 million is an example of early interest that has not yet turned into a large, steady stream of assets. These products are being tested by the market. Related Reading: Gold And Stocks Ran Ahead, But Bitcoin May Close The Gap In 2026 Global Flows Tell A Different Story Industry trackers reported that crypto ETFs listed worldwide experienced $2.95 billion in net outflows in November, and there was about $179 billion invested in crypto ETFs globally at the end of that month. Regulators and exchanges moved faster this year under new SEC leadership that was more open to approvals, which in turn helped institutional adoption in the US. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Standard Chartered analysts have predicted that the XRP price could surge by around 330%. They also outlined catalysts that could spark this price surge, which would lead to a new all-time high (ATH) for the Ripple-linked token.  Standard Chartered Predicts XRP Price Surge To $8 Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, Geoff Hendrick, has predicted that the XRP price could surge to $8 by the end of 2026, which represents an increase of around 330%. This would also mark a new all-time high for the token, with its current ATH at around $3.84. The analyst expects the token to record such growth, as it now has legal clarity following the settlement of the Ripple-SEC lawsuit.  Related Reading: This Double Bottom Formation Could Send XRP Soaring To $2.5 Kendrick also expects the XRP price to surge to $8 on the back of regulatory clarity for the U.S. crypto industry and institutional adoption of the token through the XRP ETFs. The Standard Chartered analyst noted how the improving regulatory environment has made it easier for institutions to gain exposure to the token. Meanwhile, Ripple has been able to grow its payment system, which involves XRP, thanks to the regulatory-friendly environment. These XRP ETFs are notably seeing significant demand, which is bullish for the XRP price as it eyes a rally to $8 next year. SoSoValue data shows that these ETFs have yet to record a daily net outflow since the first spot fund launched last month. The XRP ETFs currently boast a net asset of $1.27 billion, which reprersents 1.12% of the token’s market cap.  Crypto pundit Unknow noted that these ETFs are absorbing the supply fast, which is why he predicts that a supply shock could happen by early 2026, sending the XRP price higher. The pundit also declared that next year is the inflection point where the altcoin shifts from speculation to global liquidity infrastructure.  XRP Is Preparing For a Breakout In an X post, crypto analyst TARA stated that the XRP price is approaching the critical $1.88 level and is in a very tight range, signaling a breakout is coming soon. The analyst noted that XRP needs to hold support at $1.87, even as Bitcoin approaches $88,000. She added that if the altcoin bounces from here and tests $1.88 again, it could break above that resistance and then hold it as support, which TARA noted would be a very bullish sign.  In another X post, she revealed that XRP’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) was trying to break to the upside. TARA further remarked that if today’s close is bullish, with a close above $1.88, it could fuel the next wave to $2.30 for the XRP price. A positive for XRP is that Glassnode data shows that XRP on exchanges has dropped to a seven-year low of 1.6 billion tokens, down from 3.76 billion in October.  Related Reading: XRP Hasn’t Entered A Bear Market Yet; Analyst Shares Why At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.86, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

Charles Hoskinson isn’t backing away from big predictions. The Cardano founder says crypto is still early, despite years of growth and repeated boom-and-bust cycles. In his view, the industry is setting up for something much larger—both in size and in reach. Related Reading: Crypto Heat Fizzling Out? US Search Interest Plunges As Retail Shy Away Today, crypto counts more than 500 million users worldwide. The combined market value already sits in the trillions, with Bitcoin alone worth about $1.75 trillion. That’s impressive, but Hoskinson argues it’s nowhere near the finish line. He believes the sector can grow to 2 billion users and hit a $10 trillion total valuation. That’s a fourfold jump in adoption and more than triple today’s market size. His timeline is clear too. Hoskinson says this could happen within the next 10 years, by 2035. Why Hoskinson Thinks Crypto Explodes From Here The key driver, according to Hoskinson, is real-world asset tokenization, often called RWA. It’s the idea of putting traditional assets—like bonds, property, and commodities—onto blockchains. This isn’t theoretical anymore. Data from RWA.xyz shows close to $20 billion worth of assets, including bonds and real estate, have already been tokenized. That number keeps climbing, even during slow market periods. UPDATE: #Cardano $ADA Founder Charles Hoskinson says the crypto industry will “grow to 2 billion users over the next 10 years and a $10 trillion market cap, because of the RWA revolution and the unification of the financial markets.” $NIGHT pic.twitter.com/F9mntPZd0I — Angry Crypto Show (@angrycryptoshow) December 28, 2025 Hoskinson says this trend changes everything. When assets move on-chain, crypto stops being just about trading tokens. It becomes financial infrastructure. Add in global payment rails and shared standards across blockchains, and you get what he calls a “unified financial market.” Privacy-focused projects also matter here. Hoskinson has pointed to initiatives like Midnight, which aim to balance compliance and privacy. He believes these tools could make institutions more comfortable bringing large pools of capital on-chain. Cardano’s Reality Check In The Market Still, Hoskinson’s optimism comes at an awkward time for his own network. Cardano (ADA) is ending the year under pressure. Selling has stayed heavy, and rallies haven’t lasted. Buying volume remains thin. Price action is stuck below key resistance levels, and momentum hasn’t flipped. As a result, ADA is hovering near important support zones. If those levels break, traders warn the token could drop below $0.30, a psychological line many are watching closely. Market activity overall has slowed, and for now, sellers are still in control. This disconnect hasn’t gone unnoticed. Critics argue Hoskinson’s push for cooperation is partly driven by Cardano’s struggle to attract users at the pace seen on other major chains. Abundance Of Wealth Hoskinson rejects the idea that crypto is a winner-takes-all game. He says the future isn’t about one chain dominating the rest. Instead, he sees room for many networks to grow together. Related Reading: Crypto Policy In The Hot Seat As US Lawmaker Calls SEC Hearing There’s lots of wealth to spread around, he’s said recently. In his view, projects with real use cases will find users naturally as the market expands. That thinking explains his openness to partnerships. Hoskinson has previously hinted at collaborations involving major ecosystems like XRP and Solana. The goal, he says, is shared growth, not tribal fights. Whether the industry reaches $10 trillion remains an open question. But here’s the thing: If RWAs keep moving on-chain and global finance truly starts to merge with crypto rails, the market Hoskinson imagines won’t sound so far-fetched anymore. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

In the evolving landscape, the narrative around XRP’s real use case is increasingly standing out in a market often driven by speculation. The altcoin is embedded in live financial workflows, particularly in cross-border payments and liquidity management. Its role as a bridge asset allows institutions to move value quickly, cheaply, and at scale, solving real inefficiencies in the global payments system. Why XRP Functions As A Bridge Asset In Global Payments This design choice is centered on understanding why its utility will drive price appreciation. An analyst known as SMQKE revealed on X that the core of this model is payment utility. XRP is designed to operate within the global payment infrastructure, and Ripple has integrated with existing financial systems to enhance speed, reduce costs, and improve settlement efficiency. Related Reading: Pundit Shares ‘Urgent Update’ With XRP Community – Here’s What He Said Through Ripple’s integrations, financial institutions adopt the network, and the altcoin is utilized directly to move value across borders. From a price perspective, this document outlines how institutional settlement activity has created a sustainable demand for XRP, supporting price appreciation through real transaction flow. Analyst Vet has highlighted the areas where XRP and the XRP Ledger were great in 2025. One is smart contracts, and a significant amount of development went into getting the alpha testnet live, where individuals can currently deploy and play around with it. Community awareness toward this also increased meaningfully. On the DeFi front, momentum came out strongly from late 2024, especially driven by meme coins. However, the activity dried out over the year. Baseline DEX activity is now higher than it was before the DeFi wave, but this raises the potential for more growth in 2026.  Furthermore, interoperability has made tangible progress as Wormhole went live, Axelar live became operational, and yield-bearing issued assets were bridged onto the XRPL. Currently, Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) appear to be a key enabler for trust-minimized bridging. On the application side, existing XRPL projects and wallets doubled down. Apps became more polished, with new feature-rich and better integrations, while no new app took over the community.  At the same time, tokenization stood out as one of the strongest verticals. RLUSD was a major milestone, complemented by smaller launches of other stablecoins and tokenized funds. The distribution channel of these assets needs a lot of work, which directly ties back to application-layer development. That’s why this year should be viewed as the foundation for 2026. How Fee Destruction Changes Economic Incentives Ripple’s XRP is designed to compete in low-fee markets and has built programmable economics. According to Xfinancebull, every transaction fee is destroyed; it is not paid to validators,  no middleman, and there is no inflation loop. Related Reading: Flare Launches New Way For XRP Investors To Earn This is because XRPL is designed to scale global payment rails, not enrich toll collectors. That’s why XRP is one of the few chains where volume is value, not congestion. Xfinancebull stated that this isn’t a trading feature, but it’s a monetary policy shift hidden at the protocol layer. Featured image from Pxfuel, chart from Tradingview.com

US Representative Maxine Waters has formally asked House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill to schedule an oversight hearing with Securities and Exchange Commission  (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins, saying the agency must explain recent choices that, she argues, weaken enforcement of securities laws. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rules The Decade: Outshines Gold And Silver, Analyst Says Waters Seeks Answers On Dropped SEC Cases According to Waters’ letter, the SEC has terminated or stayed a number of high-profile crypto enforcement actions that had been moving through the agency’s process, and committee Democrats want an explanation for those decisions. Reports have disclosed that the letter names actions involving Coinbase, Binance, Justin Sun, Kraken, and Ripple among those of concern. The request lists nine areas where the SEC’s recent conduct raises questions for lawmakers, including whether enforcement choices were driven by legal judgment or by outside pressures. Waters, who is the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, told Chairman Hill that the public deserves clarity about changes to enforcement strategy and about how investor protections will be preserved. Concerns About Politicization And Investor Protections Based on reports, Waters expressed particular alarm that the agency’s handling of cases since US President Donald Trump took office looks different from prior enforcement patterns, and she argues that some moves could amount to an erosion of investor protections. Industry observers and several media outlets have picked up the story, noting the broader context: a year of big shifts in crypto policy and new legislation that has altered the regulatory picture. ???? MAXINE WATERS CALLS FOR HEARING ON SEC CHAIR ATKINS’ CRYPTO DECISIONS — The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) December 30, 2025 Some outlets say the timing of Waters’ letter—sent late in December—reflects rising pressure from Democrats as they prepare for oversight if they regain more committee influence. What Waters Wants From The SEC In her request, Waters seeks direct answers about why certain cases were dropped or delayed, what internal analyses the SEC relied on, and whether staff reductions or policy shifts affected enforcement. She also asked that Chairman Atkins appear before the committee so members can question him in public. Committee Role And Next Steps Reports indicate the letter was delivered to Chairman Hill on December 29, 2025, and that Waters urged him to set a date for an oversight hearing as soon as possible. Related Reading: Crypto Heat Fizzling Out? US Search Interest Plunges As Retail Shy Away The committee could use a hearing to examine documents and testimony from SEC officials, and to press for a public accounting of how decisions were made about major crypto matters. How quickly that happens will depend on the committee’s calendar and on whether Hill agrees to a formal public session. The issue has drawn attention because it involves both enforcement of existing securities law and the future of crypto oversight in the US. Investors, industry groups, and lawmakers on both sides are watching to see whether the SEC’s recent moves represent a long-term policy shift or isolated choices tied to individual cases. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Investor Paul Barron’s hint at “big news” has reignited attention on XRP exchange-traded funds this week, sending the community into speculation over possible upcoming announcements or launches. Related Reading: Crypto Heat Fizzling Out? US Search Interest Plunges As Retail Shy Away Traders and holders reacted fast on social channels, pushing chatter and price focus higher even as specifics remain unclear. ETF Flows Heat Up According to data shared by Nate Geraci, President of NovaDius Wealth, Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs dominated year-to-date inflows. BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF led with $25 billion in inflows. Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF followed at $1.11 billion. Fidelity and VanEck posted $477 million and $305 million respectively. On the Ethereum side, BlackRock’s offerings recorded about $9.12 billion. A Solana staking ETF from Bitwise pulled in $839 million. These numbers show where most large investors are putting money right now. Expect some big news this week $XRP ETFs https://t.co/3BY5XJosPx — PaulBarron (@paulbarron) December 29, 2025 Community Reaction And Speculation Barron’s remark has been read by many as a hint at another XRP-related announcement. Some expect a new ETF launch; others are watching for updates from issuers already in the market. That talk has helped push attention — and inflows — to XRP products that only debuted late in the year. XRP Ledger Tokenization Surge Based on reports from rwa.xyz, on-chain data indicates tokenized real-world assets on the XRP Ledger rose by 2,200% in 2025. The network saw about 23x growth in the value of native real-world assets, including stablecoins, and crossed the $500 million threshold. Themes around RWA tokenization were widely discussed this year by figures such as BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and former SEC Chair Paul Atkins, and the XRPL appears to be drawing benefit from that interest. XRP ETFs Show Early Strength Canary’s XRP ETF (XRPC) registered $384 million in year-to-date inflows after launching in November. Other XRP spot funds have built sizable holdings too: 21Shares holds about $250 million, Bitwise roughly $227 million, Grayscale around $244 million, and Franklin about $206 million. Based on reports, all of these XRP spot ETFs launched in November and December and now tally roughly $1.24 billion in total assets under management with cumulative inflows near $1.14 billion. For a new category, that level of money moving in over a short span is notable; some industry voices point out the total might have been higher if market mood had not cooled recently. Reports also say XRP ETFs pulled in over $1 billion through 21 days of steady inflows. Pending Products And Rumors WisdomTree’s XRP ETF is among the pending offerings that market watchers expect to arrive next. At the same time, talk about a BlackRock XRP ETF has circulated widely. There is currently no public filing tied to a BlackRock XRP product, and reports caution that such expectations are premature without official filings or approvals. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rules The Decade: Outshines Gold And Silver, Analyst Says Current flows note that XRP’s ETF debut has shifted part of investor focus from pure crypto bets to spot ETF allocations and tokenization themes. Whether Barron’s hinted “big news” becomes a concrete catalyst will depend on filings and formal product launches. For now, the mix of solid early inflows and rapid XRPL tokenization growth has put XRP squarely in the conversation among ETF-focused investors and network adopters. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Search interest for the word “crypto” has fallen to levels not seen in a year, signaling a sharp drop in retail curiosity as 2025 ends. According to recent Google Trends readings, worldwide interest stood at 26 on the 0–100 scale, just above this year’s low of 24. Related Reading: Bitcoin Forecasts For 2026 Range From $65K To $250K As Sentiment Hits ‘Extreme Fear’ Searches Slide As Prices And Headlines Stumble Based on reports, US search activity for “crypto” hit a one-year low of 26, underscoring that casual investors are not hunting for basic information the way they did in earlier cycles. The dip follows a turbulent year that included a severe market sell-off in April and a sharp October flash crash that knocked major coins down from recent highs. Market watchers point to several triggers. Memecoin collapses tied to high-profile figures shook confidence. Policy shocks tied to US President Donald Trump’s tariff moves also coincided with big drops in interest during the spring. Some commentators say retail users moved on after heavy losses and viral token drama. There is close to no retail interest in crypto right now Do we need to start pumping the dino coins again to get retail to come back? After the Trump/Melania memecoin drama it seems that retail lost a lot of faith in the space None of my normie friends or family ask me… pic.twitter.com/ZNnOwT4FKe — 0xMarioNawfal (@RoundtableSpace) December 27, 2025 Retail Pullback Could Mean Quieter Weeks Ahead The practical effect is a quieter retail base. Trading volumes from small accounts have thinned. That does not mean prices must fall; it can mean fewer headline-grabbing rallies driven by newcomers. Institutions, which do not typically show up in Google searches, still play a big role in market flow. Year-end coverage highlights that institutional activity and regulatory moves shaped much of 2025’s action. Analysts Offer Different Takes On What Comes Next Some analysts warn that low retail interest removes a source of quick upside, making long rallies harder to sustain without strong macro catalysts. Others argue this lull is a pause, and that interest can return if prices break out or a major positive regulatory decision lands. Mario Nawfal and other commentators have described the current environment as a near-total absence of retail buzz. Data Points And What They Show The Google Trends scale gives a quick read. A 26 reading is low compared with earlier peaks during boom months. Reports from several industry outlets show the same pattern across regions, with the US particularly muted. Industry trackers note that big headline events still move markets, but everyday search traffic — the kind that often signals mass retail involvement — is down. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rules The Decade: Outshines Gold And Silver, Analyst Says A fall in Google searches is a sentiment indicator, not a trading rule. It shows fewer people are asking basic questions like how to buy or where to trade. That can cut both upside and downside volatility driven by inexperienced traders. Crypto is likely to remain under the radar until new catalysts appear, like significant price changes, regulatory updates, or a compelling story that captures mainstream interest again. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP is trading around $1.87 and has slipped below the $2 mark after a recent slide. According to market trackers, the token is down about 30% in the fourth quarter of 2025, yet some analysts say the current weakness may be part of a larger build-up that has preceded strong rallies before. Investors and commentators are watching price action closely as debate grows over whether the token is setting up for a sharp rebound or more weakness. Related Reading: Bitcoin Forecasts For 2026 Range From $65K To $250K As Sentiment Hits ‘Extreme Fear’ Historical Accumulation Patterns Based on reports from chart watchers, XRP has shown what some call repeatable accumulation phases in past cycles. One run of consolidation unfolded from early 2015 through early 2017. During that span a steep drop took XRP from $0.00885 to $0.005, and later it rallied hard, climbing to about $3.30 by January 2018. A second cycle ran from mid-2023 into late 2024, where an August to November slide saw prices fall from $0.62 to $0.50, before a quick push up to roughly $3.4 in January 2025. Analysts point to these past moves as a pattern that could provide clues about what happens next. Recent Downtrend And Support Levels Reports show that since October 2025, XRP has fallen from about $2.8 to the current price near $1.84. Technical commentators have highlighted that the $1.8–$2 band, which acted as resistance earlier, may now be acting as support after recent trading. One analyst framed the present setup as an ABC reset, a short-term corrective structure that sometimes precedes renewed upward movement. Still, traders are split; some see a base forming, while others view the decline as evidence of continued selling pressure. The most hated $XRP rally is about to start! ???? pic.twitter.com/HTwbTIwxZ2 — STEPH IS CRYPTO (@Steph_iscrypto) December 16, 2025 Market Voices And Possible Catalysts According to community commentators, legal and market actions could influence XRP’s next leg. The potential end of a long-running SEC case, the arrival of XRP-focused ETFs, and pending legislation known as the Clarity Act were all cited as items that might change investor sentiment. One market watcher went so far as to say this could become the “most hated” rally, a phrase meant to describe a sudden surge that comes while many remain doubtful and frustrated. Utility Versus Price Several observers have urged a focus on real-world use. According to Aljarrah, the token’s value comes from practical utility and improved liquidity, which allows larger transfers with fewer tokens and makes the payment rails more efficient. People obsess over price, but XRP’s value is in its utility. A higher price strengthens liquidity, efficiency, and adoption. Let the tech and leadership do the work, short-term noise doesn’t matter. — Black Swan Capitalist (@VersanAljarrah) December 21, 2025 Related Reading: Big Bet On Ethereum: CEO Sees 10X TVL Growth In 2026 Price moves matter, he said, but not as speculation—rather as a factor that can broaden adoption by improving liquidity and network function. Traders should note that past patterns do not guarantee future results. While the accumulation thesis rests on historical parallels and technical charts, the market remains sensitive to news and flows. Selling now could mean missing gains if a rally follows, some warn; others say patience and careful sizing remain essential. For investors, the coming weeks may tell whether the current slump is the end of a retracement or the start of another climb. Featured image from LumerB/Getty Images, chart from TradingView

XRP is slowly entering one of the most important structural phases in its history. Price action has been mostly bearish and sentiment across the broader crypto market has been cautious, but on-chain data tells a very different story.  Data from Glassnode shows XRP balances on centralized exchanges falling to around 1.5 billion XRP, their lowest in over a year. This trend is unfolding alongside accumulation from newly launched XRP ETFs, creating conditions that could change the altcoin’s price dynamics heading into 2026. Related Reading: Bitcoin Forecasts For 2026 Range From $65K To $250K As Sentiment Hits ‘Extreme Fear’ XRP Exchange Balances Fall To Multi-Year Lows Data from Glassnode’s XRP balance on exchanges metric points to a clear and persistent downtrend in balances held on crypto exchanges throughout 2025. Earlier in the year, about 4 billion XRP sat on centralized platforms.  Since then, balances have steadily declined, with a particularly sharp drop visible in the fourth quarter of the year. As it stands, exchange-held XRP has compressed toward the 1.5 billion mark, one of the lowest levels recorded in recent years. This decline has occurred despite the current downtrend in XRP’s price action, meaning that some holders are increasingly opting to move tokens into longer-term custody, even as some others are selling off their holdings. This trend is important for bullish momentum, as falling exchange balances reduce near-term sell pressure and make cryptocurrencies more sensitive to incoming demand. At the center of this supply contraction are US-based Spot XRP ETFs, which have risen as a powerful new source of demand. Market estimates indicate that about 750 million XRP have been absorbed by the six Spot ETF products since the first one launched in November.  As ETFs continue pulling XRP off exchanges, the pool of liquid supply available to the spot market keeps shrinking. This dynamic does not force an immediate price response, but it changes the balance between supply and demand, and we could start to see the effects on the crypto in 2026. Related Reading: Big Bet On Ethereum: CEO Sees 10X TVL Growth In 2026 Weekly Chart Points To Exhaustion As XRP Sits On Support While on-chain data highlights tightening supply, technical conditions are beginning to reflect a similar theme. Crypto analyst Steph Is Crypto recently pointed out that XRP is now sitting on an important horizontal support zone on the weekly timeframe.  The chart shows XRP’s price action is now compressing into the $1.90 to $2.00 range after an extended decline from mid-2025 highs near $3.50, placing XRP back at a level that previously acted as a launch point earlier in the cycle.  Furthermore, the weekly Stochastic RSI is now in extreme oversold territory and this means that selling pressure has already done much of its work. Steph’s analysis noted that turning points tend to form when downside momentum is exhausted and there is little energy left for sellers to continue pushing price lower. Based on this, traders can expect XRP to transition into bullish momentum in early 2026. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView

Crypto analyst and XRP advocate Levi Rietveld recently shared a short post on X stating that “$XRP is built for this,” alongside a video clip of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaking about reviewing regulatory barriers around blockchain, stablecoins, and new payment systems like the crypto industry. Bessent’s comments focused on reforming financial infrastructure so capital markets can function more efficiently for mainstream users. In turn, Rietveld viewed those comments as closely matching the original purpose XRP was created to serve. Related Reading: Ethereum’s 2026 Overhaul Aims To Cut Costs, Boost Speed, Limit Censorship What XRP Was Designed To Do In the video clip that Levi Rietveld shared on X alongside his statement of XRP being built for this, Scott Bessent outlined a policy direction that places emphasis on evaluating regulatory impediments to blockchain technology, stablecoins, and new payment systems.  Bessent stated that officials will take a close look at regulatory impediments to blockchain, stablecoins, and new payment systems and consider reforms to unleash the power of American capital markets. Notably, this plan corresponds to a more crypto-positive approach adopted by the current US administration under President Donald Trump.  $XRP Is Built For This! pic.twitter.com/WNDUoeFPC4 — Levi | Crypto Crusaders (@LeviRietveld) December 22, 2025 These are a part of efforts by the US government to modernize crypto regulation and define clearer frameworks for digital assets, including proposed acts aimed at bringing clarity to markets and stablecoins. One example of this is the Clarity Act, a legislative proposal that aims to clearly define the regulatory treatment of digital assets, separate payment-focused tokens from securities, and assign clearer oversight roles to agencies such as the SEC and CFTC.  Bessent’s comments focused on improving payment systems and removing friction around new financial technology. XRP proponents like Levi Rietveld would quickly point out that the theme aligns closely with how the cryptocurrency and the XRP Ledger were engineered.  The XRP Ledger works with transparent settlement, predictable transaction costs, and finality that does not depend on mining or complex smart contract execution. These characteristics are important for institutions that need clarity and reliability.  In practice, XRP’s real-world role is most visible through payment solutions developed by Ripple. Banks and other financial institutions do not need to hold large balances of foreign currencies, since XRP can be used as an intermediate asset during settlement.  XRP’s Current Regulatory And Institutional Position Progress on regulatory clarity has been helping real institutional infrastructure around XRP. Multiple Spot XRP ETFs have gained approval and launched in 2025 and early numbers are positive, with over $1.14 billion worth of inflows. Bloomberg estimates suggest these funds could draw $5 billion to $7 billion in institutional capital by 2026.  Related Reading: Could XRP Make Trillionaires? Tech Firm Founder Thinks It’s Possible This creates new avenues for asset managers, pension funds, and other institutional allocators to hold XRP within traditional investment vehicles. All these cannot be possible without the clear framework for blockchain, stable coins, and new payment systems proposed by Bessent. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Ethereum has spent much of December under pressure, and the recent fall below $3,000 has left a visible mark on investor positioning.  On-chain data now shows a notable deterioration in profitability across the network, with the share of ETH supply sitting in profit falling below 60%. At the same time, institutional demand has decreased, with data from Glassnode showing how both retail profitability and institutional participation in Ethereum have weakened simultaneously. Related Reading: Could XRP Make Trillionaires? Tech Firm Founder Thinks It’s Possible Ethereum’s Percent Supply In Profit Falls Below 60% The drop in Ethereum’s percent supply in profit has been one of the clearest signals of stress for Ethereum. Ethereum’s investors have fallen into deeper losses, and this is a reflection of recent price action.  Speaking of price action, Ethereum had initially reclaimed the $3,000 price level on December 22. During this time, the percentage of ETH supply in profit pushed back above 60% and reached as high as 63%. However, this break was for only a very brief time, and price action fell back below $3,000 after just a few hours.  As ETH broke below $3,000 again, the share of supply held at unrealized gains fell under 60%, down from above 70% earlier in December. This fall shows that the pullback has not been limited to recent buyers but has begun to impact investors who accumulated during the beginning of the month. ETH Percent Supply In Profit. Source: Glassnode ETF Net Outflows Indicate Waning Institutional Participation The weakness in on-chain profitability and price action is also a reflection of trends in the ETF market. Another data metric from Glassnode shows that since early November, the 30-day moving average of net flows into US Spot Ethereum ETFs has turned negative and remained there. This persistence of outflows points to a phase of muted participation and disengagement from institutional traders. The ETF chart below shows that inflows, which supported Ethereum’s push to new all-time highs in August, have faded, replaced by continued outflows through November and December. This matters for price action because ETF demand has been a key source of incremental buying. As that bid has weakened, Ethereum has struggled to absorb sell-side pressure, contributing to its failure to hold above $3,000. ETH: US Spot ETF Net Flows. Source: Glassnode The combination of negative ETF net flows and Ethereum’s recent price behaviorhelps explain rising unrealized losses. Interestingly, various on-chain data sources also reveal different instances of whale addresses reducing their exposure to Ethereum outside of spot ETFs.  For instance, Lookonchain recently highlighted activity from a wallet believed to be linked to Erik Voorhees, which swapped 4,619 ETH, valued at about $13.42 million, into Bitcoin Cash (BCH) over the past two weeks after having been inactive for nearly nine years. Voorhees later responded by clarifying that the wallet does not belong to him and that he does not hold any Bitcoin Cash. Related Reading: Ethereum’s 2026 Overhaul Aims To Cut Costs, Boost Speed, Limit Censorship Lookonchain also pointed to selling pressure from Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, who has offloaded a total of 1,871 ETH at about $5.53 million in the past week. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP’s open interest has reportedly crashed to lows not seen since last year, when the altcoin surged by around 600%. On-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant noted that this development could be bullish for XRP as it looks to rebound to new highs.  XRP’s Open Interest Drops To Lowest Level Since 2024 In a blog post, CryptoQuant analyst Arab Chain revealed that XRP’s open interest on Binance has fallen to its lowest level since 2024. The analyst noted that analysis of XRP Ledger data on the crypto exchange shows a clear rebalancing in the derivatives market, with open interest falling to almost $453 million, the lowest level since the end of last year.  Related Reading: Why You Should Pay Attention To XRP’s Exchange Netflows This Month Arab Chain noted that this development reflects a fundamental shift in trader behavior and confirms a significant decrease in leverage usage compared to previous periods. Notably, the XRP price looks to have been fueled by leverage in the early parts of this year. The analyst noted that open interest in XRP futures contracts exceeded $1 billion on several occasions, which coincided with strong price surges.  The XRP open interest also rose again in mid-2025 to levels similar to those recorded in the early months of the year, sparking significant volatility for XRP. However, Arab Chain noted that the current landscape is “markedly different.” Open interest has declined gradually and then sharply, indicating a significant exit by short-term speculators.  Meanwhile, the analyst explained that the decrease in XRP open interest carries dual implications. The first is that the decline in risk appetite and weakening momentum in the derivatives market explain the volatile price behavior in the absence of strong, liquidity-driven breakouts.  The second is that the contraction represents a healthy structural development, as it reduces the risk of forced liquidations and mitigates the abnormal pressures associated with excessive leverage. Arab Chain noted that periods of low open interest often represent transitional phases, during which the market shifts froma highly speculative environment to a calmer one that relies heavily on genuine spot demand.  XRP May Be Preparing For Another Significant Rally Crypto analysts have suggested that XRP may be preparing for another significant rally, although it remains to be seen if it could rally 600% like last year. In an X post, crypto analyst Niels stated that the altcoin is forming a higher low around this level. He noted that this is a similar structure that happened in April this year, before a new all-time high (ATH). The analyst added that a push above $2 could put the bulls in control.  Related Reading: XRP Stochastic RSI Just Touched 0.0 For The Second Time In History Crypto analyst Chart Nerd predicted that XRP could reach a new ATH on its next leg to the upside. This came as he noted that the altcoin was in the middle of an ABC reset. His accompanying chart showed that XRP could reach as high as $4.5 on this impulsive move to the upside, which is expected to happen in the first half of next year.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.84, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

According to Charles Hoskinson, the race between Solana and Ethereum looks different depending on the time frame. Solana may win ground quickly because it moves fast. Ethereum looks set to aim for a broader, slower build that could matter more later. Related Reading: Could XRP Make Trillionaires? Tech Firm Founder Thinks It’s Possible Short-Term Gains For Solana Solana’s appeal is plain. Its network pushes a lot of transactions every day and it can adopt upgrades more quickly, Hoskinson said. That speed has helped projects bring tokenized stocks and other finance tools onto the chain. Reports have disclosed that the total value of tokenized equities on Solana recently hit about $185 million. Platforms such as xStocksFi, Superstate, and Remora Markets are among those building there. For traders and some institutions, low fees and high throughput are hard to ignore. A Large Financial Gap Remains Still, there are big differences under the surface. Solana’s total value locked and stablecoin use sit at about 10% of Ethereum’s levels. That gap means the kinds of financial activity seen on Ethereum are not yet matched on Solana. The size of a chain’s financial ecosystem affects what kinds of services and markets can grow on it. So while adoption on Solana is growing, the scale of on-chain lending, staking and stablecoin volumes is still much smaller when compared with Ethereum. Ethereum’s Research-First Approach Ethereum’s work is focused on research and longer-term upgrades, especially in areas like zero-knowledge proofs and advanced scaling methods. Reports have suggested that Ethereum is aiming to move more of its validation to cryptographic proof systems so it can act as a verification layer for many networks. Speed Now, Strategy Later Hoskinson framed the difference as one of timing. Solana’s leadership and design allow quicker decisions and faster rollout of new features. Ethereum’s path is marked by heavy research and slow coordination. This means Solana may capture use and attention in the near term, while Ethereum’s technical direction could shape broader infrastructure over a longer span. Both approaches come with trade-offs. One focuses on quick adoption, the other on building systems that rely on stronger mathematical proofs. Tokenized stocks on Solana reach a new All-Time High with ~$185M in total value. Solana stands as the institutional infrastructure of choice for leading tokenized stock platforms like – @xStocksFi – @SuperstateInc’s Opening Bell – @RemoraMarkets pic.twitter.com/xr7q54sucs — Capital Markets (@capitalmarkets) December 24, 2025 Related Reading: Ethereum’s 2026 Overhaul Aims To Cut Costs, Boost Speed, Limit Censorship What This Means For Markets For investors and builders, the split is clear: architects chasing rapid growth may prefer Solana today, while those betting on deep financial stacks and broad verification may stick with Ethereum. The $185 million milestone for tokenized stocks on Solana signals rising trust in blockchain-based equity products, but it is small compared with traditional markets. Reports and comments from industry figures like Hoskinson help explain why different teams pick one chain over another. In the end, both chains are being tested by real use, and their paths will be measured by what users and institutions choose to run on them. Featured image from Equiti, chart from TradingView

Crypto analyst Skipper has drawn attention to a significant development for XRP, even as it continues to trade below the psychological $2 level. Based on this development, the selling pressure could be easing for the altcoin, while ETFs continue to contribute to buying pressure as they maintain their inflow streak.  Analyst Reveals XRP’s Stochastic RSI Has Hit 0.0 In an X post, Skipper revealed that XRP’s stochastic RSI has hit 0.0 for only the second time ever. This came as he noted that the altcoin has had a rough run, as it is down 35% in this quarter, 10% this year, marking its first yearly loss since 2022. The analyst added that XRP is also below the key $2 level.  Related Reading: XRP Price Must Stay Above This Level Or Crash To $0.9 However, Skipper suggested that analyst Steph’s discovery about XRP’s Stoch RSI hitting 0.0 on the 3-week chart provides some optimism. He noted that this has only happened once before, which was in 2020, right before the altcoin bottomed at $0.28 during the Terra LUNA crash.  Skipper also pointed to Steph’s statement that this could mean selling pressure is almost gone for XRP, though a quick bounce may not occur. The altcoin notably stayed flat for months in 2022 before it recovered. The analyst also mentioned that the drop in the stoch RSI marks cycle lows, not short-term trades.   While the selling pressure looks to be cooling, XRP continues to see significant buying pressure from the XRP ETFs, which marks a positive for the altcoin. SoSo Value data shows that these funds have recorded daily net inflows since they launched. As a result, they hold net assets of $1.25 billion, which is almost 1% of XRP’s market cap.  XRP Supercycle To Happen Next Year Self-acclaimed largest IQ holder YoungHoon Kim stated in an X post that the XRP supercycle will happen next year. Kim had earlier predicted that the altcoin could reach $10 or higher next year, which would mark new all-time highs (ATHs). This looks to be based on his belief that “all crypto will eventually connect with XRP.”   Related Reading: Pundit Explains Why This Changes Everything For XRP In The Long Term In the meantime, crypto analyst Crypto King has stated that patience is key as XRP looks to reclaim key levels. The analyst noted that the price is holding just above the $1.85 critical support and that a strong bounce and a reclaim of $1.98 would signal a momentum shift. He added that if that price level breaks, the first upside target is the first resistance at $2.58. Meanwhile, there is also room for the altcoin to rally to as high as $3.66 next.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.86, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

According to reports, Ethereum plans two major hard forks in 2026 that aim to change how the network runs. Mid-2026 will see the Glamsterdam upgrade, and late 2026 is set for Heze-Bogota. These steps are meant to speed up transaction handling, add new validation tools, and make the chain harder to censor. Related Reading: Could XRP Make Trillionaires? Tech Firm Founder Thinks It’s Possible Ethereum Trading, Options Pressure Ethereum is currently above $2,900 as the market awaits a large options expiry. Reports put the expiring notional at $6 billion, with more call options than puts. Many contracts could end up worthless if ETH fails to rise above $3,100, the so-called max pain level. Analysts see a consolidation range between $2,700 and $3,100 into year-end, and some experts offer a bearish 2026 view, pointing to possible drops toward $1,800–$2,000 if broader market conditions worsen. Parallel Execution Glamsterdam targets parallel processing by letting multiple transactions run at the same time instead of one after another. Block access lists will tell nodes which data each transaction needs, which makes parallel work safer and more efficient. Ethereum will undergo key upgrades in 2026, with the Glamsterdam fork enabling parallel processing and increasing the gas limit to 200 million, up from 60 million. Validators will shift to validating ZK proofs, paving the way for Ethereum L1 to achieve 10,000 transactions per… — Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) December 25, 2025 Protocol-level proposer-builder separation, or ePBS, is also planned. That move is expected to cut some centralization risks and make it easier for validators to use zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs without being penalized for extra compute time. Gas limits are expected to rise in stages, with talk of reaching 200 million per block after key changes land. About 10% of validators could start verifying ZK proofs rather than rechecking all transactions by year-end, based on current projections. The push toward parallel execution could reduce slowdowns that happen when demand spikes. But higher gas limits come with tradeoffs. Running bigger blocks or faster workloads can raise hardware needs, which could make it harder for smaller validators to stay in the network. That balance between speed and decentralization will be watched closely. Layer-2 Throughput Could Jump Sharply A major part of the story is layer-2 scaling. Increasing the number of data blobs per block to 72 or more would give L2 systems much more space to store transaction data, which could let them process hundreds of thousands of transactions per second in aggregate. Designs like ZKsync’s Elastic Network aim to let users keep money on Ethereum while using faster L2s. An interoperability layer is also being discussed to move activity between different L2s more easily. Still, user experience, liquidity splits, and coordination between chains remain open issues that need work. Related Reading: JPMorgan Eyes Crypto Services As Institutional Demand Grows – A Boost For BTC Price? Heze-Bogota: Censorship Resistance Heze-Bogota will add tools to help groups of validators make sure certain transactions are included. Fork-choice inclusion lists are meant to reduce the risk that transactions get blocked if only part of the network remains honest. That change is more about values and permissionless access than it is about raw speed. Featured image from Firi, chart from TradingView

Crypto analyst Steph has pointed to an “interesting” chart, which has previously led to an XRP price rally. This came as the analyst also suggested that the altcoin may be forming a bottom in preparation for the next leg to the upside.  Analyst Shares Why This Chart Is Interesting For The XRP Price In an X post, Steph highlighted the 3-week XRP price chart, stating that it was “interesting” for one reason. He revealed that the Stochastic Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dropped to 0.00 on the 3-week timeframe, which is extremely rare and has only happened once before, which was the 2022 bear market bottom.  Related Reading: Pundit Explains Why This Changes Everything For XRP In The Long Term Steph further explained that on such a high timeframe, this indicator only reaches zero when selling pressure is fully exhausted, which is a positive for the XRP price. The analyst added that this means that momentum to the downside has dried up, although he warned that this doesn’t mean that price must instantly reverse.  Steph noted that the last time this signal appeared, the XRP price entered a long accumulation phase before the next major move higher. As such, the analyst claimed that this again suggests that the downside risk is structurally limited and that long-term holders are absorbing supply rather than distributing. He further remarked that these signals tend to mark cycle lows rather than short-term trades.  The XRP ETFs also mark a positive for the XRP price as these funds maintain their inflows streak. These funds have recorded daily inflows since the Canary’s fund launched on November 13. As a result, they now boast net assets of over $1.1 billion, even as XRP continues to see significant demand from institutional investors.   XRP Remains Below Key Levels In an X post, CryptoXLarge stated that on the weekly chart, the XRP price remains below the descending trendline around the 8 to 21 EMA levels. He further remarked that this week, the price is attempting to break below the key support zone around $1.95, which aligns with the Fib 0.5 level and the 89-week EMA, which is a support that has held throughout the year.  Related Reading: Here’s Why The XRP Price Keeps Crashing CryptoXLarge stated that a weekly close below this level could increase the probability of a move toward the $1.60 support, which is the Fib 0.618. Meanwhile, a weekly close above $1.95 may boost buying interest, which could trigger a relief XRP price rally toward $2.30 and then $2.70. Crypto analyst Crypto King also echoed a similar sentiment, stating that a reclaim of $1.98 could eventually send the altcoin to as high as $3.66.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.87, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

According to reports, Joshua Dalton, founder of Triblu, has put forward a striking scenario: that XRP holders could become millionaires, billionaires, or even trillionaires if the token were used as part of a US strategic crypto reserve. Related Reading: JPMorgan Eyes Crypto Services As Institutional Demand Grows – A Boost For BTC Price? Dalton argued that XRP, because of its ties to a US-based company, is a safer fit for a national reserve than Bitcoin. The claim has energized some corners of the crypto community, but it also faces steep legal and market obstacles. Dalton’s Bold Claim And The Numbers Dalton’s case relies on hard math. Based on reports, the US national debt is about $38 trillion. Ripple’s escrow holds roughly 34.4 billion XRP. Using those figures, Dalton and others calculate that an XRP price near $883 would be needed to offset roughly 80% of that debt. Many people won’t like what I say below. “Bitcoin cannot be the official currency for the United States’ reserves because Satoshi Nakamoto is still unknown and it could be the currency operated by China. The government can ???? trust XRP because it is operated by @Ripple and ????… — Joshua Dalton (@J9Dalton) January 23, 2025 At present, XRP trades around $1.91. That would mean a rise of over 46,000% for the token. By comparison, Bitcoin is trading near $89,000 and would have to reach about $30 million per coin to meet a similar debt-offset goal if the plan focused on 1 million BTC, an idea once floated by US Senator Cynthia Lummis. That would be a gain of more than 33,000% from current levels. Legal And Market Limits US President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year creating a national Bitcoin reserve and a wider crypto stockpile framework. But policymakers appear to be focused mainly on Bitcoin for the reserve role, with other coins treated as seizure assets or general holdings. Importantly, Ripple’s escrow is privately controlled and governed by contracts. It cannot be commandeered by a government without legal action and likely long court fights. Even if US authorities somehow obtained large amounts of XRP, unloading such a position on global markets would likely push the price down, not up. Markets are not built to absorb trillions of dollars without heavy distortion. Holders And Wealth Scenarios Based on wallet data, some XRP addresses would see big nominal gains at an $880 price. For example, a holder of 10,000 XRP — currently worth about $19,100 — could see that stake climb to nearly $9 million on paper. Reports show 179,546 wallets hold between 5,000 and 10,000 XRP. About 2,006 addresses sit between 500,000 and 1 million XRP. Yet most of the largest reserves are held by Ripple, its founders, or exchanges. Only 20 wallets contain between 500 million and 1 billion XRP, and six addresses hold more than 1 billion. 2026 is going to be epic! Locked in! XRP will be the star of 2026. — Coach, JV (@Coachjv_) December 23, 2025 Market Reaction And Expert Views Matthew Sigel, lead researcher at VanEck, has argued in public that Bitcoin offers the best path to large-scale fiscal uses, and other analysts remain skeptical of any single token being used to “solve” national debt. Related Reading: XRP To $1,000? Korean Researcher Lays Out 10-Year Roadmap Coach JV and other commentators have shifted attention to 2026 as a potentially strong year for XRP price action, framing the outlook as speculative and time-bound. These views are primarily sentiment-driven and rely on factors beyond government policy, such as market demand and regulatory clarity. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from TradingView

Recent market dynamics have seen Ethereum (ETH) at the forefront of a significant decline in the altcoin sector, pushing many top cryptocurrencies below crucial price levels.  Market expert CyrilXBT has taken to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to unravel the factors contributing to this downturn and explore the potential for a recovery rally in 2026. Altcoin Struggles CyrilXBT began his analysis by addressing the role of Bitcoin (BTC) dominance in the market. When Bitcoin’s dominance increases, capital tends to concentrate within the asset rather than exiting the broader cryptocurrency market.  Related Reading: Expert Predicts Bitcoin Could Hit $70,000, Drawing Parallels To December 2021 Crash This indicates that Bitcoin becomes a refuge for investors seeking safety, while altcoins transform into sources of liquidity. As a result, risk compresses prior to any expansion, a pattern consistently observed in previous cycles before altcoins regain strength. Another contributing factor to the current turmoil is tax-loss harvesting. Cryptocurrencies are one of the few major asset classes that have seen declines compared to January 1st, with equities and gold demonstrating gains.  To lock in losses before year-end, funds are actively selling off unprofitable altcoin positions, crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other high-risk assets. CyrilXBT noted that this pressure would likely dissipate as the calendar turns to the new year. Liquidity Lag And Exhausted Demand The expert further highlighted that liquidity tends to work on a lagging basis. Although the Federal Reserve (Fed) has started to inject liquidity back into the system, markets typically do not react immediately.  Historically, improvements in liquidity occur first, followed by Bitcoin stabilizing, with altcoins lagging behind. Currently, the market remains in the lag phase, not yet experiencing the anticipated breakout. With low volatility, stagnant Bitcoin prices, and declining altcoins, CyrilXBT asserts that it evokes memories of previous cycles, such as the early 2019 and early 2023 recoveries.  Related Reading: Ethereum Bearish Structure Meets Bullish Supply Signal – What Happens Next Overall, the drop in the altcoin market can be attributed to several interconnected factors: rising Bitcoin dominance, peak tax-loss selling, thin liquidity, exhausted demand, and the delayed effects of macro liquidity.  Instead of a capitulation scenario, the expert suggests that this moment appears to represent compression—a phase that frequently precedes significant recoveries. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

South Korean scientist YoungHoon Kim has sketched an extreme long-term view for XRP, saying the token could reach $1,000 within the next 10 years. Related Reading: JPMorgan Eyes Crypto Services As Institutional Demand Grows – A Boost For BTC Price? According to his posts on X, the forecast rests on a series of big macro shifts — a major flow of capital into crypto, a weaker US dollar, and prolonged high inflation. Kim added that this is not financial advice and framed the number as contingent on those assumptions. High Price Scenario And The Assumptions According to Kim, moving from around $1.87 today to $1,000 by 2035 requires more than sentiment. The math is stark. XRP’s circulating supply is about 60.57 billion tokens. At $1,000 a coin, that implies an overall market value near $60.57 trillion. Some critics pointed out that such a figure would place XRP above assets like gold in total market value. Update: In my view, #XRP could potentially approach $1,000 over the next 10 years. (NFA / DYOR) pic.twitter.com/fZaxmZaF1Q — YoungHoon Kim, IQ 276 (@yhbryankimiq) December 22, 2025 Others in the community pushed back, saying that headline targets miss other important measures such as adoption and liquidity. Support And Skepticism In The Community Some supporters are vocal. Matthew Brienen, COO of CryptoCharged, is among those who have suggested ranges from $100 to $1,000 over a decade are “highly possible,” saying he holds a large amount of XRP. Investor Armando Pantoja also told followers he is willing to wait up to 10 years for a very large payoff, arguing that regulatory strain from the SEC previously capped XRP’s price. On the other side, X users and creators like Utumax and YouTuber Zach Humphries asked for clearer methods behind the forecast, noting the implied $60 trillion valuation raises obvious questions. Short-Term Performance And Market Moves At the time these comments appeared, XRP traded near $1.84 and was down almost 30% over the previous three months. Market watchers say tokens can move quickly when sentiment flips. Coach JV, a finance coach and market analyst, said he expects “fast and aggressive” moves when bullish momentum returns, though he stopped short of offering price targets. That kind of volatility has been seen before in crypto markets, where large moves can come in either direction. XRP will move fast and aggressively when the time comes! pic.twitter.com/DHh4e1md7O — Coach, JV (@Coachjv_) December 22, 2025 How Realistic Is $1,000? Reaching $1,000 would mean XRP would capture value at a scale not supported by current on-chain use or settlement volume. Long-term value depends on real-world use, steady liquidity, and broad market acceptance. Regulatory clarity could help, but it alone would not automatically produce multitrillion-dollar market caps. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s $126K Sprint May Be Over — Fidelity Predicts 2026 Slide Some commentators dismiss round-number targets as attention-grabbing rather than rigorous forecasting. The conversation around Kim’s forecast highlights a split: a group ready to bet on huge upside, and many who want clearer proofs and step-by-step logic. Investors should weigh the big assumptions behind any sky-high target, and remember that bold forecasts depend on events well outside a single token’s current reach. Featured image from Yellow, chart from TradingView

There’s been a major shift in profitability since the Bitcoin price crashed from $126,000, and altcoins have borne the brunt of it. With major altcoins down between 30% and 80% from their all-time high values, calls for an altcoin season have gone down drastically. This has been reflected in the performance of the Altcoin Season Index, falling to one of the lowest recorded levels in 2025 as the year draws to an end. Altcoin Season Index Says Losses Are The Order Of The Day The Altcoin Season Index Chart on the CoinMarketCap website, which tracks the performance of altcoins against Bitcoin, has now fallen below 20 again. This index collates the performance of the top 100 altcoins in the market, comparing their 90-day performance to that of Bitcoin, in order to pinpoint whether the market is currently experiencing an altcoin season. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Remains Stuck Inside This Range, But A Breakout Could Follow The index ranks the performance on a scale of 1-100, depending on how many altcoins out of the top 100 are outperforming Bitcoin, and uses that to score the market. At the time of writing, the Altcoin Season Index was sitting at a score of 17, which means only 17 of the top 100 altcoins have seen a better performance than Bitcoin in the last 90 days. With the index’s score sitting this low, it suggests that altcoins are currently in a bear market. Additionally, Ethereum, which is often the altcoin leader when it comes to an alt season, is still underperforming compared to Bitcoin. The second-largest cryptocurrency has recorded a 28.30% decrease in the last 90 days, while Bitcoin is down 21.10% in comparison. How To Know If Altcoins Are In A Bull Run? To know if the altcoin market is experiencing an altcoin season, the index would have to read at a score of 75 or higher. This is when the majority of altcoins are outperforming Bitcoin in a 3-month period, and their combined market cap surpasses that of the leading cryptocurrency. Related Reading: Pundit Shares Why XRP Will Become Expensive And A $1,000 Price Tag Is Possible Scores lower than 75 suggest that the market is yet to enter a full-blown altcoin season, and the lower it goes, the higher the chances that altcoins are experiencing a bear market. However, the higher the Altcoin Season Index score is, nearing 100, the more likely it is that the altcoin market may be experiencing a top. Altcoin seasons are often characterized by rapid increases in price, with 100% rallies on a daily basis being the norm. The last major altcoin season was back in 2021, and while the expectation was that another altcoin season would begin in 2025, this has not been the case. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com

Crypto pundit BarriC has explained why an XRP rally to $1,000 is possible, even though it could mean the altcoin would have a market cap of almost $100 trillion. The pundit also raised the possibility of XRP rallying to as high as $50,000, which he described as “absolutely possible.” Why XRP Could Rally To $1,000 In an X post, BarriC stated that XRP will have to become extremely expensive so that it can be fractionalized and allocated to every bank and financial institution globally. He noted that this will be the case if every bank and financial institution around the world adopts and utilizes the altcoin.  Related Reading: XRP Price About $1,000 Is A Necessity, Analyst Claims In line with this, BarriC declared that this is why a $1,000, $10,000, and $50,000 price tag is “absolutely possible” for XRP. The pundit has continued to reiterate that XRP can hit the $1,000 price target despite how ambitious it sounds, considering what the altcoin’s market cap will be.  In another X post, he stated that the altcoin could still close out this year at $100 and hit $1,000 early next year. The pundit admitted that quite a few things would have to happen simultaneously, but that anything is possible in crypto. It is worth noting that finance expert Dr. Camila Stevenson recently echoed BarriC’s sentiment that XRP needs to be expensive to be easily adopted by banks for larger volumes.  Meanwhile, BarriC is confident that the XRP adoption among banks is already happening. He recently noted that Swiss bank AMINA plans to start utilizing Ripple payments and, by association, XRP. The pundit also alluded to the fact that Ripple is on course to become a Trust bank after the OCC granted it a conditional approval.  Other Potential Catalysts For Higher Price Crypto pundit X Finance Bull highlighted a Trump stimulus and XRP ETFs as catalysts that could drive the XRP price higher. He noted that 20% to 28% of U.S. adults now own crypto, equating to 50 to 65 million people with wallets and market impact. The pundit then raised the scenario in which a small percentage of the proposed $2,000 stimulus check flows into XRP.  Related Reading: Here’s Why The XRP Price Keeps Crashing X Finance Bull declared that this will create billions in demand, hitting an already rising market. The pundit also mentioned that the infrastructure is in place as XRP ETFs keep launching and banks are onboarding. He added that liquidity finds utility, which is why he is confident that a significant amount of global liquidity could flow into the XRP ecosystem, sparking higher prices for the altcoin.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.92, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

Expectations around XRP exchange-traded funds were seen as a turning point that could unlock new institutional demand and change XRP’s price structure in favor of buyers. However, recent on-chain data suggests the price response has diverged immensely from that narrative.  Metrics tracked by the on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant point to a very different dynamic unfolding beneath the surface, one that explains why the altcoin continues to struggle for traction despite headline optimism and inflows into Spot XRP ETFs. Related Reading: Banks Could Favor A Higher XRP Price, Finance Expert Says Whale Exchange Inflows Expose Supply Pressure Data from on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant reveals an interesting trend among XRP whale addresses and their activity on crypto exchange Binance. A closer look at the Binance Inflow-Value Band chart shows that recent XRP deposits to exchanges are overwhelmingly concentrated in the 100,000 to 1 million XRP range and transactions exceeding 1 million coins.  These are not retail-sized movements. They reflect activity from large holders moving significant balances onto exchanges, and this behavior aligns with distribution or preparation for selling. The chart showing the exchange inflow into Binance makes this pattern clear, with repeated inflow spikes driven almost entirely by these higher-value bands, while smaller transaction sizes are comparatively lower.  The chart image below shows inflows in chunks between 100,000 XRP and 1 million XRP in purple and inflows of chunks more than 1 million XRP in light blue. Most of the inflows into Binance in the past few days have been characterized by these two cohorts, with a few instances of inflows in chunks between 10,000 XRP and 100,000 XRP.  XRP Ledger: Exchange Inflow Value Bands – Binance. Source: CryptoQuant This imbalance means that supply is being added to the market by whales at a pace that smaller buyers cannot absorb, and this is why inflows into Spot XRP ETFs have failed to have a positive effect on the altcoin’s price action. Lower Highs, Lower Lows Confirm Supply Overpowering Demand As shown in the price action overlaid in the chart above, the coin printed repeatedly lower highs and lower lows after major exchange deposits. This happens because of the relatively low numbers of new spot buyers on Binance, and even moderate selling pressure has been enough to cap rallies. As it stands, the crypto is facing selling pressure every time it approaches $1.95. Based on the intensity of exchange inflows and the market’s reaction, the first meaningful support zone is between $1.82 and $1.87. However, if large inflows persist, the data suggests the XRP price could continue declining to the $1.50 to $1.66 range. Related Reading: Bitcoin Feels The Weight Of Quantum Risk Concerns, Industry Leaders Warn The interpretation is that the ETF trend did not translate into sustained spot demand for XRP. Instead, whales who accumulated XRP ahead of ETF approval expectations appear to have used the resulting attention as an opportunity to dump their holdings.  That said, inflows into Spot XRP ETFs may have helped limit deeper downside, as data from SoSoValue shows these funds recorded $82.04 million in inflows over the recent week. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView 

Ethereum’s derivatives market is showing signs of a decisive shift beneath the surface, and price action is about to return above the $3,000 mark. On-chain data suggests trader behavior on major exchanges is shifting into a more accumulative phase. Even as ETH continues to linger below the psychologically important $3,000 price level, this metric indicates that market participants are already preparing for a bullish move and a test of direction in the days ahead. Related Reading: XRP ETFs Grow Past $60M As Price Struggles To Respond Ethereum Leverage Ratio Prints New All-Time High Data from on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant shows that Ethereum’s Estimated Leverage Ratio on Binance has climbed to 0.611, the highest level ever recorded for this metric. The Estimated Leverage Ratio compares open interest to exchange reserves, and this offers insight into how much borrowed capital traders are deploying relative to available liquidity. Sustained increases in this ratio are a reflection of an increase in risk appetite from investors. It means that traders are committing larger leveraged positions in anticipation of favorable price movement. The current reading surpasses previous cycle peaks, and this environment can amplify price moves, since even modest spot price changes can trigger large liquidations when leverage is elevated. Ethereum: Estimated Leverage Ratio – Binance: CryptoQuant Another important metric points to an increase in Ethereum demand alongside record leverage. This metric is in the form of the Taker Buy Sell Ratio, which recently spiked to 1.13 on Binance. This is interesting because this level was last observed in September 2023. A reading above 1 indicates that market participants are executing more buy orders than sell orders. This combination of strong taker demand and rising leverage reveals optimism is now dominating short-term sentiment. The chart below shows the spikes in the Taker Buy Sell Ratio have more often than not coincided with periods of increased volatility. This buying pressure is now notable, with Ethereum trading around $2,900 in the past few hours, and this means that many traders are positioning ahead of a potential attempt to reclaim $3,000.  Ethereum: Taker Buy Sell Ratio – Binance. Source: CryptoQuant Analyst Maps Out Ethereum’s Path Back Above $3,000 Adding a price-based perspective to the on-chain signals, crypto analyst Ted Pillows has outlined a clear technical roadmap for Ethereum’s next move. According to his analysis, ETH recently tapped into an important demand zone between $2,700 and $2,800 and has started to rebound from that area. This move occurred when Ethereum broke below $3,000 again this week to reach a low of $2,781 on December 18, which is highlighted on the chart below as a major support band. Ethereum Price Chart. Source: @TedPillows On X Pillows noted that holding this support zone keeps the bullish structure intact. If buyers continue to defend the $2,700-$2,800 range, Ethereum could build enough momentum for a push to the $3,100 to $3,200 region. That zone also sits just above the psychologically important $3,000 level.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Feels The Weight Of Quantum Risk Concerns, Industry Leaders Warn The downside scenario is equally clear. A failure to hold the current support would expose Ethereum to a deeper pullback, with the chart pointing toward a potential retest of the $2,500 level. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

XRP has continued to trade lower as crypto prices weaken across the board, with the total market shedding more than $1.3 trillion since October. Related Reading: Bitcoin Feels The Weight Of Quantum Risk Concerns, Industry Leaders Warn During the past three months, XRP has dropped more than 30%, keeping pressure on sentiment even as some commentators argue the token’s purpose goes far beyond short-term price moves. Retail Vs. Institutional Viewpoint According to health and finance commentator Dr. Camila Stevenson, much of the debate around XRP misses how large financial players judge settlement tools. Everyday traders tend to focus on charts and quick exits. Banks do not. They look at whether a system can handle stress, move large sums, and keep working when conditions worsen. Stevenson compared it to infrastructure testing, where strength and capacity matter more than the initial cost. XRP Was Built For Flows Based on reports from her recent video discussion, XRP was structured to act as a bridge for moving value, not as a speculative chip. With a fixed supply, the token cannot expand in quantity to meet higher transaction demand. Stevenson said that leaves price as the only way to support larger volumes. Analyst XFinanceBull echoed this view, encouraging market watchers to think in terms of flows rather than daily price action. Price Alone Does Not Prove Use Even so, market behavior still plays a major role. XRP trades in open markets, and speculation continues to influence price direction. A higher price may improve efficiency, but it does not guarantee adoption. Stevenson pointed out that many institutions position through custodians, OTC desks, and private agreements. These transactions often happen quietly and may not show up as sharp moves on public charts. Sudden spikes during positioning, she warned, would suggest instability rather than healthy use. Why Higher Price Helps Stevenson argued that banks moving billions would rather use fewer units that each represent more value. Fewer tokens can mean simpler settlement and less risk of slippage during busy periods. Large financial systems tend to fail when money cannot move or when settlement slows, not when prices fall. In that context, a higher XRP price could support smoother transfers if volumes rise enough to test the system. Related Reading: XRP ETFs Grow Past $60M As Price Struggles To Respond Market Reality Remains Mixed Despite the theory, clear proof of large-scale institutional demand remains limited. Regulation, liquidity depth, and reliable access still shape whether banks commit real volume. XRP’s 33% slide over recent months shows how quickly sentiment can shift, even as long-term use cases are debated. The idea that banks prefer a higher XRP price rests on future scale, not current trading patterns. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView  

Discussions around XRP supply have resurfaced after a detailed post on X by an XRP investor known as Lord Belgrave, who offered a perspective that goes beyond the usual conversations about the XRP tokens locked in escrow.  According to the XRP investor, Ripple’s escrow mechanism is a deliberately structured system designed years in advance with institutional deployment in mind, and we might see more details in the near future as NDAs start to expire. Related Reading: Bitcoin Feels The Weight Of Quantum Risk Concerns, Industry Leaders Warn Why Ripple Created The XRP Escrow In The First Place Lord Belgrave’s remarks on the Ripple escrow system address questions about how XRP supply is managed, why the escrow exists in its current form, and what its role could be as Ripple’s infrastructure matures. The argument is that Ripple’s escrow was never designed internally as a pool of tokens just waiting for the best market distribution. In the discussions he describes, escrowed XRP was presented as locked supply governed by deterministic release schedules and multi-year planning phases.  The emphasis was on predictability and control, with supply aligned not to short-term trading dynamics but to institutional readiness. Although not publicly assigned or disclosed, portions of the supply were viewed as conceptually reserved for future system deployments.  Lord Belgrave claims these conversations occurred under strict non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and involved institutions across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. These institutions included central banks, systemically important financial institutions, multilateral bodies, the International Monetary Fund and the Bank for International Settlements. Ripple introduced its escrow system in 2017 to bring transparency and discipline to XRP supply. XRP was created with a total supply of 100 billion tokens. However, not all of these tokens were in circulation during launch. About 55 million XRP was locked into on-ledger escrow contracts during launch, with 1 billion XRP scheduled for release each month. However, Ripple also re-locks around 700-800 million XRP, and only 200-300 million XRP is effectively released into circulation each month. This rules-based approach has become a cornerstone of XRP’s tokenomics for the past few years. NDAs, Disclosure Timing, And What Could Come Next Lord Belgrave also pointed to a perceived change in institutional language following Ripple’s regulatory progress, interpreting it as a sign that long-standing NDAs may be nearing a disclosure phase. Systems are now moving from preparation into active deployment, and as such, previously reserved liquidity will become operational. That interpretation was met with a response from Vincent Van Code, another popular XRP enthusiast on X. In his view, many NDAs exist but disclosure does not occur automatically. He explained that information is typically revealed only when both parties formally agree to share specific confidential details.  Related Reading: XRP ETFs Grow Past $60M As Price Struggles To Respond From this point of view, the NDAs are so that Ripple does not disclose its counterparties and keeps them clear of regulatory scrutiny until compliance checks, audits, and approvals are complete. Any future transparency from Ripple and its partners would likely follow coordinated decisions instead of just NDA expiration. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

On-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant has revealed why the XRP price keeps crashing, recently dropping below the psychological $2 level. The platform noted that the XRP ETF approval has failed to stop the selling pressure but instead looks to have escalated it.  Why The XRP Price Is Crashing Despite ETF Success In a CryptoQuant report, analyst PelinayPA revealed that the XRP price is facing significant selling pressure from whales holding between $100,000 and 1m XRP and those holding above 1m. These XRP whales are said to account for the majority of inflows into the crypto exchange Binance.  Related Reading: Peter Brandt Highlights Bearish XRP Price Chart, ‘You Need To Deal With It’ These transfers indicate that these whales are typically looking to offload these coins, which is putting selling pressure on the XRP price. PelinayPA noted that after each major inflow spike on the chart, the XRP price forms a lower high and lower low structure, suggesting that supply is overwhelming demand at the moment.  The CryptoQuant report noted that this happens because there is no strong new spot buyer in the market. The continuous increase in available supply is also said to keep pushing the XRP lower, even though the whales are not aggressively dumping. Meanwhile, PelinayPA highlighted key price levels to watch out for as the price continues to crash.  The analyst stated that, based on the inflow intensity and price reactions, the first major support zone stands between $1.82 and $1.87. She noted that this range marked where the price briefly stabilized and where small buyers appeared. However, XRP still risks crashing to the $1.50 and $1.66 range if the large outflows continue. The chart does not indicate that the altcoin could rally anytime soon with this selling pressure.  Whales Took Advantage Of The ETF Narrative The CryptoQuant report stated that, in theory, the XRP ETF process was expected to create institutional demand and push the price higher through spot buying. However, that hasn’t been the case, as there have instead been high-volume XRP inflows to Binance. PelinayPA explained that whales were the first to act as ETF approval expectations increased.  Related Reading: XRP Hasn’t Entered A Bear Market Yet; Analyst Shares Why The analyst further revealed that XRP accumulated in advance for the ETF narrative was transferred to exchanges and used as sell-side liquidity. Basically, whales sold the ETF approval story to retail investors. As a result, the XRP price faces significant selling pressure every time it approaches the $1.95 level.  PelinayPA reiterated that expecting a bullish move before exchange inflows decline would be an unrealistic assumption. However, it is worth noting that the XRP ETFs have been successful so far, accumulating over $1 billion in net assets in just over a month since their launch.  At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.90, up almost 4% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

XRP-linked exchange-traded funds reached about $60 million in assets under management on December 17, according to market reports, even as XRP’s spot price slid. Related Reading: 5,606 Bitcoin: Lightning Network Sets Fresh Capacity Record At the time of reporting, XRP was trading around $1.86, down more than 8% in the last week. That gap between ETF growth and a falling spot price has left some investors puzzled. ETF Flows And How They Work According to Chad Steingraber, the way ETFs operate helps explain the disconnect. ETF shares trade on exchanges like regular stocks during market hours. Fund managers then tally net flows at the end of the trading day and arrange purchases of the underlying XRP after the market closes. Because of that timing, ETF inflows do not always translate into instant buying pressure on the spot market. Officially crossed $60Million! Record day! https://t.co/Nub2m5MK0Y pic.twitter.com/xg2zgecq24 — Chad Steingraber (@ChadSteingraber) December 18, 2025 Institutional Processes Take Time Based on reports, part of the picture is the nature of institutional decision-making. Large funds tend to move slowly. They run checks, review risk, and take time to approve new positions. That process can take months or longer. So an increase in ETF AUM can reflect careful planning and staged capital allocations rather than a rush of short-term bets. Price Action Shows Technical Weakness On charts, XRP has been under pressure for months. Traders watching longer time frames point to a steady downtrend and multiple warnings of a broader pullback since mid-year. The token has slid about 12% over the past month. Support between $1.80 and $1.90 is now being tested. A sustained break below $1.80 would likely shift focus to $1.60, and then to a wider support band near $1.30 to $1.40 if selling continues. ETF Growth Still Small In Context While $60 million sounds meaningful, that sum is small compared with AUM levels seen in larger crypto ETFs, and it may not be enough on its own to move markets. ETF structures differ, too. Some managers may hedge, use staged buys, or employ other tactics that change how and when they add XRP to reserves. These operational choices can mute any immediate impact on price. ???? Among top cap assets, here are the amount of non-empty wallets on each network currently: ???? Ethereum $ETH: 167.96M ???? Bitcoin $BTC: 57.62M ???? Tether $USDT: 9.63M ???? Dogecoin $DOGE: 8.13M ???? XRP Ledger $XRP: 7.41M ???? Cardano $ADA: 4.54M ???? USD Coin $USDC: 4.39M ???? ChainLink… pic.twitter.com/ciRBUp4GxE — Santiment (@santimentfeed) December 18, 2025 Non-Empty XRP Wallets Steadily Climbing Meanwhile, reports show that the number of non-empty wallets on the XRP Ledger has been climbing. Santiment has highlighted rising counts of addresses holding some XRP. Over the past month, while the token fell in price, on-chain wallet activity suggested accumulation by some holders. That pattern raises questions about whether larger buyers are quietly adding to positions. Related Reading: UK Crypto Ownership Takes Biggest Hit Since 2021, Regulator Says What This Means For Traders For now, markets show mixed signals. ETF AUM growth points to rising institutional involvement over time. Price action, however, signals caution. Traders and investors will be watching whether end-of-day ETF purchases increase demand on the spot market, and whether the $1.80 level holds. The coming days and weeks may help reveal whether AUM gains translate into broader buying or if technical pressure continues to dominate. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

World Liberty Financial has put forward a proposal to tap a portion of its token treasury to grow USD1, the dollar-pegged stablecoin linked with the project. The plan would free up about $120 million to back listings, liquidity programs and partner incentives. Related Reading: UK Crypto Ownership Takes Biggest Hit Since 2021, Regulator Says Treasury Move Could Add Firepower To USD1 Based on reports, WLFI’s proposal would unlock roughly 5% of its unlocked treasury — a fund slice drawn from a multi-billion dollar reserve — for strategic use to expand USD1’s reach. The move has split the community, with some holders supporting rapid expansion and others warning about tokenomics and governance risks. According to the stablecoin’s custodial partners, USD1 is backed by short-term US government treasuries, US dollar deposits and other cash equivalents and is redeemable at one-for-one for US dollars. Independent pages from the custodian outline monthly attestation reporting and a conservative reserve mix. Reports have disclosed that USD1 has grown quickly since launch and sits among the larger USD-pegged tokens, with circulating supply and market cap figures showing meaningful traction on trading platforms. Exchange listings and deeper integrations have raised visibility, and some market trackers put USD1’s market cap in the multi-billion dollar range. Political Links Add A Layer Of Scrutiny World Liberty Financial is widely described in news reporting as a project backed by the Trump family, and that political link has drawn extra attention from regulators, lawmakers and media. Coverage has noted how the family’s involvement makes governance decisions more visible and politically sensitive. The proposal is now subject to a WLFI governance vote. Supporters argue the $120 million allocation could accelerate integrations with both centralized exchanges and decentralized finance venues, improving liquidity and on-ramp options for users. Opponents point to the size of the spend and question whether deploying a large treasury sum for adoption incentives could push short-term token price moves that do not reflect long-term utility. Related Reading: Russia Rejects Crypto As Legal Tender, Finance Official Confirms What To Watch Next Observers will track the governance tally, any formal rollout plans for the funds, and reserve attestations tied to USD1. Market metrics such as circulating supply and exchange flows will also offer clues about how the push affects liquidity and peg stability. Recent exchange pages already show USD1 circulating supply figures and listing details that analysts use to measure adoption. In short, the proposal could widen USD1’s footprint quickly if approved. But it raises clear governance and market questions that WLFI holders and outside watchers now want answered before any large sums are moved. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Market analysts are closely watching the XRP price as recent movements test key support levels. A new technical analysis has highlighted a critical price zone that is currently helping contain further downside pressure on XRP. Over the past few months, the cryptocurrency has struggled to reclaim its previous highs, recently crashing below the $2 psychological level amid increased volatility and market uncertainty.  XRP Key Support Contains Downside Risks Crypto analyst Skipper shared a new technical update on XRP this week, highlighting current market dynamics and a critical support level that could help prevent further downturns. The analyst noted that XRP recently broke below $1.93, signaling heightened selling pressure and ongoing market repositioning. Related Reading: XRP Mirrors 2016 Trend That Led To 69% Crash Before 110,000% Rally Notably, XRP’s decline below $1.93 comes amid broader market weakness, as the cryptocurrency has struggled to hold key levels. Spot market data show the cryptocurrency is currently trading at $1.85, reflecting a significant drop of about 2.7% in the last 24 hours and more than 7.8% over the past seven days.  XRP’s choppy price action has also kept it pinned below many resistance zones. However, Skipper reveals that sustained trading below $1.88 keeps the cryptocurrency’s downside pressure intact in the near term. The analyst also notes that the next meaningful area where buyers may attempt to stabilize price sits around $1.85.  Despite ongoing Spot ETF inflows since its launch in November, Skipper noted that XRP’s short-term price action appears more driven by technical positioning than fundamental developments. He also highlighted that XRP’s market supply has contracted significantly, dropping by 45% from approximately 3.9 billion tokens at the beginning of 2025 to about 1.6 billion tokens by December. This reduction in supply could influence XRP’s price dynamics and overall market scarcity.  XRP Faces Continued Downtrend Amid Market Weakness In a subsequent post, Skipper reported that the XRP price fell 5% as the crypto market experienced fresh selling pressure with major altcoins extending recent declines. The analyst stated that the token had dipped to lows of around $1.81, reflecting growing investor risk aversion. Moreover, despite being one of the top-performing assets earlier in the year, XRP now risks slipping further. Related Reading: XRP Price On The Verge Of Another Crash, But There’s Still Hope According to Skipper, XRP has been in a steady downtrend since July 2025, with each price bounce weaker than the previous one. He emphasized that bulls must reverse this downtrend to restore a positive outlook, which would require XRP to rise above the $2.27 high from the last weak bounce in late November.  The analyst also noted that in past cycles, when XRP breaks below the 50-week Simple Moving Average (SMA) and stays there for roughly 50 to 84 days, a strong rally typically follows. He disclosed that the price has now spent approximately 70 days below its 50-week SMA, placing it within the same historical window. Featured image from Pxfuel, chart from Tradingview.com

Reports have circulated across social channels this week after a prominent XRP commentator warned critics that they may be underestimating the token’s long-term role in finance. Related Reading: 5,606 Bitcoin: Lightning Network Sets Fresh Capacity Record According to a post on X by user UnknowDLT, XRP’s place in global payment rails was “planned more than a decade ago,” and the token could one day become “the most valuable asset in the world,” a claim that has stirred both debate and disbelief. Community Voice Turns Loud Supporters in the XRP community have long argued that market prices miss bigger shifts. Based on reports from prominent community accounts, followers say short-term trading noise hides structural moves that could lift demand for XRP over many years. One commentator, X Finance Bull, has suggested that Ripple’s escrow — which holds 34.4 billion XRP — will act as locked liquidity for banking corridors and institutional use, not as stockpiled supply destined for retail dumps. The world is NOT ready for what is coming for XRP. It was planned more than a decade ago, it is going to be the most valuable asset in the world. There will be war for your XRP. People keep laughing at XRP. They will end up crying for life, the end will be tragic for them. — {x} (@unknowDLT) December 15, 2025 Regulatory Moves And Institutional Aims Ripple’s recent regulatory steps are central to the bullish case. Reports have disclosed that the company received conditional clearance from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to pursue a national trust bank charter, and that it is seeking a Federal Reserve master account. Community analysts argue those developments, if fully realized, would move Ripple closer to mainstream financial plumbing and could change how markets view token supply and institutional demand. $XRP HOLDERS ???????????? If you’re thinking about selling your $XRP right now, THINK AGAIN! Remember this? Brad Garlinghouse confirmed the CLARITY Act is expected in early 2026. That’s not a maybe. That’s a countdown. And when it passes, Ripple will be forced to declare the fate of… https://t.co/s1E2KnarnM pic.twitter.com/C4xAcKDltR — X Finance Bull (@Xfinancebull) December 15, 2025 Some supporters also point to a possible US Clarity Act as a legal milestone, with a timeline floated by some voices for passage in the first half of 2026. Tokenization And Big Numbers Analysts and company projections are being used to sketch wider potential. Ripple has suggested the tokenization market could grow to $19 trillion by 2033. Other commentators take that figure and run scenarios: if a slice of that activity used the XRP Ledger, price forecasts can balloon — with one cited bullish figure at $189 per XRP under high-adoption cases. Some community voices expect large-scale tokenization momentum to build between 2026 and 2027, which they say would favor high-throughput ledgers like XRP’s. Related Reading: Ethereum Meets Wall Street: JPMorgan Rolls Out Tokenized Fund Numbers And Forecasts Not everyone shares the same optimism. Several firms mentioned by community members put much lower targets on XRP, with conservative models forecasting prices under $30 by 2030. Other professional models place $100 XRP well beyond the next decade. Traders and investors are left to weigh three competing threads: legal clarity, technical capacity, and whether escrowed holdings will be used for institutional flows rather than sold. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView