ShapeShift’s Houston Morgan told The Block that JPMorgan Chase abruptly closed his business bank account last Friday.
Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, the largest public holder of Bitcoin (BTC), finds itself at the center of a stormy controversy involving JPMorgan as Bitcoin prices continue to struggle. With signs of a potential bear market emerging, fresh rumors suggest that one of the world’s largest banks allegedly holds a significant short position on Strategy’s stock (MSTR), which has plunged 69% from its record high of $543 per share last year. Strategy Faces Potential MSCI Exclusion The turmoil escalated last week when JPMorgan issued a warning that Strategy might soon be removed from major equity indices, specifically the MSCI USA Index. JPMorgan’s analysts noted that the issues facing Strategy extend beyond the recent downturn in cryptocurrency prices, which have seen Bitcoin fall more than 30% from its all-time highs. As of this writing, Bitcoin is trading around $86,000, while the broader crypto market has experienced a staggering $1 trillion decline in total market capitalization over the past month. Related Reading: Why XRP Price Crash Below $2 Is Not A Problem – $20 Is Still The Target JPMorgan’s analysts indicated that MSCI is considering whether companies with over 50% of their total assets in digital currencies should qualify for inclusion in traditional equity indices. Given that Strategy’s balance sheet is heavily weighted with Bitcoin, it is at significant risk of exclusion. The analysts stated that “MicroStrategy [is] at risk of exclusion from major equity indices as the January 15th MSCI decision approaches.” They speculated that removal from the MSCI could trigger approximately $2.8 billion in outflows, and if other index providers follow MSCI’s lead, the total could reach as high as $8.8 billion. The situation is complicated by market dynamics, particularly the timing of JPMorgan’s bearish note, which coincided with Bitcoin’s weakness and MSTR’s decline, all while liquidity was thin and overall sentiment fragile. JPMorgan Faces Account Closures Surge According to analysts at the Bull Theory, JPMorgan has been noted for timing its market reports—bearing down when prices are already weak and striking a more bullish tone near market peaks. The analysts have highlighted that share lending for MSTR has reportedly increased, allowing brokers to lend shares to short sellers, which can exacerbate downward pressure on the stock price. Additionally, there are escalating reports of widespread account closures at JPMorgan, with thousands claiming to have exited due to perceived manipulation of both MSTR and Bitcoin. Related Reading: A Quiet Move In Bitcoin Options Is Starting To Raise Big Questions Amid these developments, the fear of a potential short squeeze is growing. The analysts believe that if Strategy’s stock were to rally around 40% to 50%, it could trigger a short squeeze in the bank’s position and spell major financial troubles. In response, Michael Saylor, the CEO of Strategy, has sought to clarify the company’s identity, emphasizing that it is not just a passive Bitcoin holder. He pointed out that Strategy operates as a software business with an active financial strategy, countering the narrative circulating around MSCI’s concerns. As the situation unfolds, several key points emerge. The October 10th crash appeared to align with the MSCI announcement, coinciding with an already fragile market state. JP Morgan’s strategic timing of its bearish insights has amplified existing fears, creating further uncertainty as MSCI’s final decision looms. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Teucrium Trading, Sal Gilbertie, has given a bold endorsement of Ripple and XRP, positioning the crypto payments company as a potential competitor to JPMorgan Chase. He described Ripple as a highly interconnected ecosystem that could scale globally once it acquires a banking license. As Ripple grows to challenge the largest bank in the US, it raises the question about how its rapidly expanding network could also rival legacy banking systems like SWIFT. Ripple Positioned As New JPMorgan And SWIFT Rival Crypto enthusiast and XRP advocate Diana recently shared a striking interview between Paul Barron, founder of the Paul Barron Network, and Gilbertie. In the interview, the Teucrium Trading CEO shared his perspective on Ripple, showing full support for the crypto payment company’s growth and future potential. Related Reading: Ripple CEO Predicts XRP Rush, What Does He Mean? He explained that Ripple is actively building a fully operational financial institution capable of rivaling traditional banking giants like JPMorgan. The crypto payments company has also frequently been described as a competitor to SWIFT, positioning itself as a faster and more efficient alternative for cross-border payments. Gilbertie stressed that once Ripple obtains a banking license, it would operate with the capitalization and operational discipline typically associated with top-tier banks. Notably, the crypto payments company has been seeking a US national banking charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a new national trust bank. If authorized, Ripple could become one of the first crypto-native companies to obtain a US national bank license. Moving forward, Gilbertie said during the interview that XRP lies at the heart of this growing banking ecosystem. He noted that Ripple has no intention of selling XRP, describing the cryptocurrency as a strategic asset whose value is intended to appreciate over time through its use across the XRPL ecosystem. The Teucrium Trading CEO also called Ripple a “machine,” highlighting how the company operates in a disciplined, coordinated way, with its team growing and innovating while keeping the network strong and connected. Furthermore, he boldly claimed that Ripple is at the center of the universe, underscoring its pivotal role in potentially shaping the global banking landscape. Gilbertie’s Validation Confirms XRP’s Role The interview between Gilbertie and Barron drew strong, supportive reactions from many members of the crypto community, who interpreted the Teucrium Trading CEO’s statement as validation of XRP’s evolving role in institutional finance. Observers noted that hearing a regulated TradFi CEO describe Ripple as a JPMorgan rival offered rare institutional recognition that went beyond the usual industry speculation. Related Reading: Ripple Exec Addresses Tax Issue On XRP Ledger, Where Does It Go? They also pointed out that the timing of this endorsement coincides with the upcoming full enforcement of ISO 20022 standards and rising XRP ETF inflows. Diana, the XRP advocate who shared the interview, echoed this view, emphasizing that Gilbertie’s statements signal that infrastructure, compliance, and institutional interest are all aligning. She noted that price movements typically follow institutional and infrastructure rails, suggesting that XRP may be positioned for substantial growth once these rails are fully in place. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
The bank sees new upside for bitcoin miners as HPC partnerships reshape the sector.
Maller's news prompted scrutiny on whether the alleged Biden-era 'Operation Chokepoint 2.0' is still at large.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
JPMorgan analysts said fourth-quarter trends look strong, setting grounds for a 'much more constructive' trading environment for Bullish.
Retail investors have sold about $4 billion of spot BTC and ETH ETFs in November — the main driver of the latest crypto market correction.
The bank said billions in passive flows could unwind if MSCI removes Strategy from major equity benchmarks, heightening pressure on the bitcoin-levered firm.
An analyst has sounded the alarm on what could become one of the most explosive rally in XRP’s history. As the cryptocurrency prepares for its long-awaited Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) debut, the balance of XRP on major exchanges continues to decline. Analysts are warning that an impending supply crisis could spark a significant surge in the XRP price, which is currently more than 34% below its all-time high levels. XRP Supply Shortage To Trigger Parabolic Surge Amidst ongoing market volatility and whale capitulation, crypto market expert Arthur remains positive about XRP, drawing attention to a series of on-chain developments that could mark the beginning of a parabolic upward move. In his post on X social media, the analyst emphasized that an XRP could soon see a supply crisis, which may ignite its next price explosion. Related Reading: Pundit Reveals Final Nail In The Coffin For XRP, What This Means According to recent chart data from CryptoQuant, XRP reserves on Binance have fallen to about 2.79 million tokens, marking a sustained decline that began in early 2025. The chart also shows that while XRP’s price has remained relatively stable between $2 and $3, the available supply on almost all major cryptocurrency exchanges has continued to decline drastically. Arthur has revealed that this signals a growing imbalance between supply and demand, which could set the foundation for a bullish move. Arthur has also referenced a prediction made by JPMorgan analysts, who estimated that between $4 to $8 billion could flow into the upcoming XRP Spot ETFs once they launch in the market. This projection indicates confidence in XRP’s future institutional demand and interest as a legitimate digital asset class. The analyst has suggested that increased ETF demand from institutions, combined with limited liquidity, could create a “perfect storm” for a price breakout of XRP. Additionally, the analyst has revealed that the XRP ETF could also see a surge in retail demand, contributing to its projected price appreciation. Currently, reports indicate that approval of XRP Spot ETFs by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is still pending. However, prominent analysts like Nate Geraci remain confident that these investment products will be launched soon. Binance XRP Reserve Data Shows Steady Losses Delving deeper into XRP’s supply on exchanges, CryptoQuant’s data shows that the cryptocurrency’s reserve on Binance is sitting at approximately 2.785 billion tokens as of November 12, 2025. Notably, this marks a decrease of over 10 million tokens from the previous day, when 2.795 billion XRP was recorded. Since the beginning of November, Binance’s XRP balance has been declining, hovering just above the 2.7 billion token threshold. Related Reading: $300 Million Worth Of XRP On The Move – Where Are They Headed? Earlier in October, reserves dipped to 2.74 billion tokens, one of the lowest levels recorded in almost a year. While balances briefly rebounded in mid-October, the latest data shows a renewed downward trajectory, suggesting that selling pressure may have eased and accumulation could be taking place off exchanges. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Bitcoin’s downside from current levels appears to be “very limited,” according to JPMorgan, which sees its support price at around $94,000.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Unlike stablecoins, deposit tokens are digital claims on existing bank funds and can be interest-bearing, offering a new option for institutional investors.
The framework could potentially enable round-the-clock transfers of tokenized deposits across public and permissioned blockchain networks.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
The Wall Street bank lifted its HOOD price target to $130 and reiterated its neutral rating on the stock.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Bitcoin could climb to around $170,000 over the next 6–12 months based on its volatility-adjusted comparison to gold, according to JPMorgan.
A prominent crypto commentator known as Remi Relief has expanded on theories linking Ripple, SWIFT, and the global banking system to the long-term valuation of XRP. His post on the social media platform X came in response to a discussion initiated by well-known analyst Paul Barron, who questioned whether Ripple’s strategy has always been to bridge the increasingly fragmented world of bank-issued stablecoins. The idea brings attention to XRP’s utility in facilitating liquidity between institutional networks, with Remi Relief noting that this could push the XRP price to $1,000. The Ripple/SWIFT Dual-System Theories Remi Relief proposed that the global payment structure could split into two interconnected systems where both ultimately rely on XRP for settlement and support the cryptocurrency’s price at $1,000. The first theory proposes a revamped version of SWIFT that would retain much of its existing framework but incorporate blockchain-based assets such as XRP, XDC, HBAR, and Chainlink to achieve faster transaction speeds and improved efficiency. Despite these upgrades, it would still face skepticism from some financial institutions due to it being weaponized in the past. Related Reading: Ripple CTO Stacks XRP Ledger Against Other Blockchains, What’s The Catch? The second theory is the setup of a new Ripple-based network built in collaboration with Thunes, which would function as a more trusted and independent channel for cross-border payments. This system would be much quicker, much cheaper and more trusted by countries. In Remi’s view, both models would coexist for a time, giving banks and governments the freedom to choose based on transaction scale, cost, and reliability. However, he believes that the Ripple-Thunes system will later gain dominance and overtake SWIFT as more and more banks use that system. Regardless of which of the two theories prevails, Remi Relief pointed out that both have the potential to lead to a $1,000 XRP more quickly than most people think. Paul Barron’s Perspective On Institutional Stablecoins Paul Barron’s initial post that prompted Remi Relief’s response is based on the growing race among major banks to issue their own stablecoins. He pointed out that while SWIFT continues to promote neutral rails, banks like JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citi, and Wells Fargo are developing US-based consortium stablecoins. Similarly, European institutions such as ING and Deutsche Bank plan to launch euro-denominated versions by 2026. Related Reading: High Liquidity At This Level Could Send The XRP Price Surging Soon Barron warned that this trend toward proprietary stablecoin systems would fragment the global financial network even further and create walled gardens where each bank’s stablecoin operates in isolation. In his view, such fragmentation will bring out the original purpose of XRP, and this might have been the plan of Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse all along. The plan has always been to use XRP as a bridge asset capable of allowing interoperability between otherwise disconnected financial ecosystems. This function aligns with Ripple’s long-standing vision for the XRP Ledger as a neutral settlement layer for easy cross-border value transfer between different digital and fiat systems. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $2.41 and is a long way away from trading at $1,000. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
The monthly average network hashrate, a proxy for competition in the industry and mining difficulty, rose 5% to 1,082 EH/s.
USDC's market cap has surged 72% since January to $74 billion, far outpacing USDT's 32% growth, JPMorgan said.
Kinexys Fund Flow, developed by the bank's digital asset arm Kinexys, aims to streamline access to alternative funds.
USDC leapfrogged USDT in onchain activity as regulatory clarity pushes investors toward transparent and compliant stablecoins.
After years of tension between crypto and traditional finance, a symbolic shift is taking shape inside the world’s largest bank. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is reportedly preparing to let institutional clients use Bitcoin and Ethereum as collateral for cash loans. This means the bank’s borrowers can pledge the two top cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, which […]
The post How JPMorgan’s Bitcoin collateral plan could unlock $20 billion in liquidity appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Analysts from the banking giant upgraded Coinbase to overweight from neutral and raised its price target on the stock to $404 from $342.
The tokens pledged under the global program will be safeguarded by a third-party custodian.
JPMorgan will allow institutional clients to post BTC and ETH as collateral for loans by year-end, building on prior ETF collateral programs.