Fundstrat’s chief investment officer, Tom Lee, says the next big move in markets won’t be led by stocks — it’ll be driven by crypto. Speaking Wednesday on CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” Lee argued that Bitcoin and Ether are positioned to lead the next leg of the rally, alongside the Magnificent 7 tech stocks and the broader software sector. Related Reading: Bitcoin Could Hit $85K Before April Ends, Analyst Says Crypto And Tech Move In Step He also said some investors are still sitting on the sidelines, waiting for more clarity on the Middle East conflict before putting money to work — and that their eventual return could push prices higher. His comments came on a day when markets moved decisively. The Nasdaq Composite closed at a new all-time high of 24,016, up 1.60% for the session. The S&P 500 tagged its own record at 7,022, gaining 0.78%. Tech stocks as a group were up more than 2% on the day, according to data from Yahoo Finance. Even as S&P 500 $SPY reached all-time hit today, investors remain skeptical and sidelined: – many said long war = long bear – but stocks bottom on bad news not “good” We expect leaders to be: – crypto $ETH $BTC $BMNR – MAG7/software $MAGS $IGV Great speaking with… https://t.co/5hTtN3Wcl9 — Thomas (Tom) Lee (not drummer) FundstratDirect.com (@fundstrat) April 15, 2026 Bitcoin kept pace. The world’s largest cryptocurrency briefly hit $76,000 on Wednesday, up roughly 1.20% over the prior 24 hours. That move was part of a broader run — BTC has climbed nearly 10% over the past two weeks. A War Winding Down Much of Wednesday’s optimism was tied to signals out of Washington. US President Donald Trump said that the US-Iran conflict may be close to ending. “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country,” Trump said. “We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.” Trump stopped short of declaring victory. A deal, he made clear, has not been struck. But the tone was enough to lift investor confidence across both equity and crypto markets, with traders interpreting the comments as a sign that the geopolitical pressure weighing on risk assets could soon ease. Related Reading: ‘Extremely Good News’ – XRP DeFi Momentum Builds As SEC Softens Position On Interfaces Bulls See Room To Run Lee, known for his bullish market calls, pushed back against any suggestion that the recent rally has run out of steam. He posted on X that stocks tend to bottom on bad news — not good — making the case that the upward move has further to go. His view is that the market and US economy have held up well despite the ongoing conflict, and that the conditions for continued gains remain in place. Whether crypto leads equities or simply rides alongside them remains to be seen. But on Wednesday, at least, both were pointing in the same direction — up. Featured image from MetaAI, chart from TradingView
Strategy is one of the most aggressively promoted stocks on Wall Street, with a consensus “Strong Buy” rating and an average analyst price target that implies a 155% upside from recent prices. That's nearly double the implied upside for any other large-cap name in America. It's also, by a wide margin, the single largest issuer […]
The post Banks rate Strategy a ‘buy’ while collecting $274M to issue stock for its Bitcoin purchases appeared first on CryptoSlate.
More than 80 crypto projects formally shuttered or began winding down in the first quarter of this year. RootData’s “dead-project” archive, which tracks closures, bankruptcies, and chronic project inactivity, logged 86 casualties as of March 20. The pullback has spared almost no corner of the ecosystem, sweeping across digital wallets, NFT marketplaces, decentralized finance (DeFi) […]
The post Crypto apps are shutting down as billions move into Bitcoin ETFs and stablecoins appeared first on CryptoSlate.
At 8:30 on a Friday morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics dropped one of the more surprising jobs reports of the past year. The US economy added 178,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.3%. When put against a Wall Street consensus calling for roughly 57,000 nonfarm payrolls, the number was […]
The post Can markets trust the jobs report? Another revision risk hangs over Bitcoin’s macro test appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The federal government is preparing to redraw the boundaries of America's retirement accounts. The US Department of Labor has proposed a new rule clarifying how 401(k) fiduciaries (the employer committees legally responsible for plan investment decisions) should evaluate so-called “alternative” assets, including private equity, private credit, and…digital assets. The proposal came directly out of an […]
The post Wall Street sees a $10 trillion opening as Washington rewrites 401(k) rules appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Crypto pundit X Finance Bull has highlighted XRP’s mass adoption and its use across several continents. Given the altcoin’s global utility, the analyst noted that the token won’t remain undervalued forever, hinting it could still reach higher prices. Pundit Points To XRP’s Global Adoption Among Different Countries In an X post, X Finance Bull said that the estimated global distribution of XRP holders paints a picture most people miss. He revealed that Asia-Pacific leads with roughly 35% to 40% of holders and holds an average of 4,200 XRP. The primary uses of the altcoin among these Asia-Pacific holders are remittances and trading. The pundit noted that this is real people moving money across borders using XRP, highlighting the token’s utility. Related Reading: XRP Season About To Start? Historical Oversold Levels Point To Major Rally Furthermore, North America accounts for 25% to 30% of XRP holders globally, with smaller average holdings of around 1,850 XRP. The use case for the token among these holders is shifting towards institutional positioning, the pundit stated. Notably, demand for the altcoin has increased since the XRP ETFs launched last year. Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs is currently the largest XRP holder among these institutional investors. X Finance Bull also revealed that Europe accounts for 20% to 25% of holders, with an average of 2,100 XRP. These holders are said to be holding the token for portfolio diversification. Latin America is behind, accounting for between 8% to 12% of holders. As in the Asia-Pacific region, the primary use case in Latin America is cross-border payments. In line with this, the pundit said that the altcoin isn’t limited to a single country and is a global asset, solving different problems for different people depending on where they live. He added that this kind of global utility doesn’t stay undervalued forever. Bull Case For The Altcoin In another X post, X Finance Bull made a bullish case for XRP, noting that 12 of the 30 banks SWIFT is collaborating with on a blockchain-based shared ledger for real-time, 24/7 cross-border payments are confirmed Ripple partners. He described this development as the moment he had been watching for. Related Reading: Analyst Reveals The Plan For XRP Price Using The Bitcoin Chart The pundit remarked that these 12 banks are linked to Ripple through payment networks, custody, steering groups, or banking consortia. He noted that the regulatory framework and the infrastructure are arriving at the same time and that the banks designing SWIFT’s blockchain future are the same ones that have partnered with Ripple. X Finance Bull added that the architecture of the future is being built by institutions that already know the XRP Ledger inside and out. At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.32, down over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
Wall Street spent years talking about tokenization, but never seemed to move beyond vague plans and pilot projects. This week, however, we've seen a culmination of various efforts and incentives that showed it's finally taking things seriously. BMO said it plans to launch tokenized cash capabilities with CME Group and Google Cloud for real-time payments […]
The post Here’s why Wall Street suddenly obsessed with tokenization – but on its own terms appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Ripple is being viewed as a key player in the evolving push toward tokenized financial markets, as the New York Stock Exchange advances its plans to bring traditional assets onto blockchain rails. This development signals a broader shift on Wall Street, where traditional infrastructure is beginning to intersect with blockchain-driven innovation, settlement layer, and transition from legacy systems to faster and more transparent digital infrastructure. How Ripple Is Positioned At The Core Of Financial Transformation Wall Street has just surrendered to Ripple, as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) takes a decisive step to launch the tokenized securities era. Crypto analyst Pumpius has revealed on X that the exchange overseeing $30 trillion in market capitalization has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Securitize. Related Reading: Ripple Pushes XRP Global With Multi-Continent Expansion Drive They named it the first official transfer agent allowed to mint blockchain native securities on its upcoming NYSE digital trading platform. However, this infrastructure is being built for all activity to move on-chain. The shift will be bullish for XRP and Ripple because, for years, the firm has long focused on tokenizing real-world assets and building institutional-grade blockchain rails. Within that framework, XRP was built as the neutral bridge asset for value transfer in a tokenized world, facilitating fast, low-cost, and regulatory-friendly transactions that are already battle-tested by banks. While narrative was speculating, Ripple was positioning XRP as the liquidity engine that allows tokenized securities to move across borders and chains without friction. Furthermore, Pumpius argues that adding the NYSE and Securitize will result in the expansion of tokenized equities. Meanwhile, major players such as BlackRock, JPMorgan, and SWIFT continue to explore tokenization and blockchain settlement, and the entire $100 trillion real-world assets market needs a global settlement layer. Here, XRP sits between this shift with On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), RLUSD, and partnerships that have reached the world’s biggest financial institutions. Pumpius emphasized that XRP might be the bridge they will use when the first tokenized Apple or BlackRock ETF settles on-chain and needs instant global rails. Ripple Custody Bridges Traditional Finance And Blockchain The February 2026 report reveals how institutions are actively leveraging Ripple Custody. An analyst known as SMQKE on X noted that Ripple Custody supported DZ Bank in launching a digital custody service for crypto securities in under 10 months, through the deployment of a robust digital asset infrastructure. Related Reading: Ripple’s New Whitepaper Shows What’s Coming For XRP Meanwhile, at the core of these solutions are XRP and Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD. With these capabilities, financial institutions across over 20 jurisdictions have been able to develop, expand, and scale digital asset business models with confidence. Meanwhile, Ripple Custody is now used across these jurisdictions, and XRP and RLUSD are allowed to support the entire lifecycle of a tokenized asset. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
Ethereum is flashing early warning signs as momentum begins to shift beneath the surface. The RSI trendline break on the USDT pair suggests weakening strength, while the ETH/BTC pair now sits on the edge of following suit. With a familiar breakdown pattern taking shape, the risk of a double confirmation is rising, one that could open the door to a sharper move lower. RSI Breakdown Signals Early Weakness On Ethereum/USDT According to a recent Ethereum analysis from Umair Crypto, the USDT pair has already seen its RSI trendline break, signaling an initial shift in momentum. The ETH/BTC pair is expected to follow suit shortly, making a new lower low a matter of when, not if. Related Reading: Ethereum Exchange Inflows Signal Shift: Whales Reduce Selling Pressure This pattern mirrors a sequence recently observed with Solana. In that instance, the USDT pair’s RSI trendline fractured first while the BTC pair initially appeared to maintain its strength. Ethereum is now replicating this exact behavior, setting the stage for a similar recursive breakdown. While the ETH/BTC pair is currently holding its levels, the analysis suggests this resilience is temporary. However, once the BTC pair loses its footing, the lack of support across both denominations will likely trigger a sharp move to the downside. This alignment represents the most volatile and high-risk version of a market breakdown for Ethereum. Resilience Under Pressure, But At What Cost? The analyst went on to emphasize that both Bitcoin and Ethereum have shown notable strength throughout the intensity of the broader macro battle. That resilience is undeniable, but it hasn’t come without a cost. Rather than forming a solid base, the market has effectively been running on borrowed time, and the fatigue now visible on the charts suggests that the cost of that strength is beginning to surface. From this point, a move toward a lower low should not come as a surprise. Related Reading: Ethereum Rising Wedge Warning: Breakdown Could Send Price Toward $1,500 A major catalyst is adding to the current tension. Over $2.1 billion in BTC and ETH options is set to expire today, alongside Wall Street’s massive $5.7 trillion Triple Witching event. While such large expiries don’t directly trigger market direction, they tend to magnify existing momentum. In this case, the underlying structure already points to the downside, meaning any move could be accelerated under these conditions. The breakdown sequence is also becoming increasingly clear. The USDT pair was the first to show weakness, losing its key structure and signaling the initial shift in momentum. Now, attention turns to confirmation from the ETH/BTC pair. When this alignment occurs, it typically leads to a more decisive and aggressive move lower as bearish pressure takes full control. Featured image from Pexels, chart from Tradingview.com
Polymarket and Kalshi are trying to raise money at valuations that put them in the top tier of consumer-fintech names, even as Washington moves closer to writing new rules for the product they sell. Both companies are reportedly in early fundraising talks that could value each at around $20 billion. That fundraising chatter is taking […]
The post $700M in Iran war bets and $1.2M in suspicious profits push Washington toward prediction-market crackdown appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Exchanges are racing toward blockchain-based equities and 24/7 trading. Institutions, however, fear liquidity and funding risks.
Ripple’s push into traditional finance appears to have taken another step forward after its institutional brokerage platform, Hidden Road, was listed in the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) directory under the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). The implications of this development, which recently went live, are massive for both Ripple and XRP. Members of the XRP community are seeing the development as a signal that Ripple is steadily positioning itself inside the infrastructure that powers conventional financial markets. Hidden Road’s DTCC Listing Places Ripple Inside Wall Street’s Infrastructure On March 2, 2026, a quiet but seismic event occurred in the crypto world. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, the backbone of the US securities market, officially added Hidden Road Partners CIV US LLC to its National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) Market Participant Identifiers directory. Related Reading: Ripple Exec Clears The Air On Blocked XRP Transactions – When Does It Happen? Ripple’s decision to acquire Hidden Road was already one of the boldest moves the crypto industry had ever seen. Hidden Road, now operating as Ripple Prime following Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition in 2025, is a global prime brokerage. Before Ripple acquired the company, Hidden Road was already processing financing trades for over 300 institutional clients, moving approximately $3 trillion annually. Gaining a listing on the NSCC directory grants a firm direct operational standing within the post-trade workflows used by the world’s largest financial institutions. Ripple has done something no crypto company has done before: it has embedded itself into the very machinery of Wall Street. The NSCC listing means Ripple Prime can now process over-the-counter trades through the NSCC’s centralized clearing system. Ripple’s former CTO, David Schwartz, also acknowledged the development on X, responding to a post about the update with the short remark: “Seems important.” Interestingly, Schwartz also noted that the update comes from something that’s been in the works since a bit before Ripple’s acquisition of Hidden Road and rebranding to Ripple Prime was 100% final. XRP Holders See The Writing On The Wall The XRP community’s reaction has been a mix of serious institutional analysis and unmistakable excitement. Many holders see the DTCC listing as the clearest signal yet that Ripple is no longer building toward mainstream finance but is now arriving inside it. That perspective gained further traction after David Schwartz publicly reacted to the update with his brief response. Related Reading: The Uncomfortable Truth About XRP That Shows How High Price Can Actually Go “Important milestone for Ripple Prime,” wrote one X user. Another X user known as SMQKE noted that Ripple’s Hidden Road acquisition and the recent move will supercharge XRP’s utility. The contention is that Ripple Prime will start to gradually move parts of its post-trade processes onto the XRP Ledger. Even if only a portion of that institutional volume were to eventually move through XRPL-based settlement systems, the development could significantly increase blockchain activity tied to Ripple’s ecosystem. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
When markets are closed and Bitcoin is moving, the custody agreement decides who can act. A spot Bitcoin ETF fixed an awkward problem for finance. Bitcoin used to arrive as software, keys, and operational responsibility. The ETF repackaged it as a ticker that sits next to every other ticker. That convenience came with a structural […]
The post Bitcoin ETF custody concentrates power in one place, and now a single operational failure causes dangerous ripples appeared first on CryptoSlate.
As Citi integrates Bitcoin into bank-grade custody and reporting frameworks, Morgan Stanley moves to bring crypto trading, lending exploration and tokenized products to mainstream wealth clients.
Bitcoin climbed to $69,550 on Wednesday, its highest point in over a week, after a sharp swing upward from around $62,350 in less than a day. The move came as US stock markets turned green again, giving investors across the board a reason to buy back in. Related Reading: Crypto’s Biggest Bull Run Could Come From The Most Unexpected Place: AI Bubble ETF Cash Returns After Five Weeks Of Outflows One of the clearest signs of renewed confidence came from the spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund market. Reports say US-listed Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $257.7 million in a single day on Tuesday — a notable turnaround after five straight weeks of withdrawals that had drained roughly close to $4 billion from those same funds. Fidelity drew approximately $83 million of that total. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust attracted close to $79 million. The return of institutional buying added fuel to a rally already building on the back of a calmer macro backdrop. The broader stock market’s recovery was partly tied to US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, in which he described his first year in office as an economic success. He pointed to falling mortgage rates and a 1.7% drop in core inflation over the final three months of 2025. Markets took the speech as a sign that the policy chaos seen in recent months — particularly around tariffs and court battles — might be settling down. Spot Buyers, Not Speculators, Are Behind This Rally What makes this price move stand out is the data beneath the surface. Reports note that Bitcoin’s aggregated open interest — a measure of outstanding futures positions — has actually been declining even as prices climbed. It fell from above 240,000 BTC earlier in the week to around 235,167 BTC. That kind of drop suggests traders with borrowed money were closing out positions rather than opening new ones. Funding rates tell a similar story. They remain slightly negative at around -0.0037%, meaning short sellers are currently paying fees to traders betting on higher prices. That is an unusual setup during a strong rally, and it points to a market where aggressive speculation has been squeezed out rather than amplified. Related Reading: Bullish Signal? Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Turns Positive After Months In Red Ticking Upward The cumulative volume delta — which tracks whether buyers or sellers are more aggressive on spot markets — has been ticking upward, confirming that real purchasing activity is driving the move. According to market experts, options market dynamics are also playing a role. Dealers holding what is known as a positive gamma position tend to buy when prices dip and sell when prices rise, as part of routine hedging. That behavior acts as a natural shock absorber, smoothing out big swings and making explosive breakouts harder to sustain in either direction. Featured image from Yellow, chart from TradingView
A set of new ETF filings wants to turn election outcomes into brokerage-account tickers. If approved, they’d also make “political risk” a tradable product on the same rails that already carry spot Bitcoin ETFs, pulling attention, liquidity, and regulatory pressure into the same lane. Roundhill, GraniteShares, and Bitwise’s PredictionShares brand propose funds that track binary […]
The post Election odds, but with an ETF wrapper: the “ambient gambling” shift coming to brokerage accounts appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Executives and industry groups pressed regulators to apply traditional securities rules to blockchain-based trading, pushing back on exemptions even as DeFi enters the debate.
The crypto industry assumes institutions discover products the way retail traders do: stumbling across them on Twitter, experimenting quickly, and iterating in public. But that's not how asset allocators at pension funds or family offices operate, argues Dean Khan Dhillon, head of growth at RWA.xyz.
Bitcoin is no longer an outlier, says OKX President Hong Fang. it now behaves more like a macro proxy — one that traders use to express their views on growth, risk appetite, and volatility.
The national banks regulator OCC released a statement signaling a shift in rules that will have significant crypto market consequences across the United States.
Kalshi's markets aggregate information from diverse traders with financial incentives, creating a "wisdom of the crowd" effect, the platform said.
A longtime fixture on Wall Street, Tom Lee’s pivot to crypto comes as the traditional finance industry is increasingly embracing digital assets.
Crypto pundit NoLimit has explained why the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin prices have been dumping recently. He specifically raised claims of manipulation, with these crypto prices recording gains and then fully retracing those gains. In an X post, No Limit stated that the Bitcoin price is dumping because Binance is buying and that Coinbase is dumping a large amount of BTC. The Bitcoin decline has also sparked declines for the Ethereum and Dogecoin prices, which are known to mirror the flagship crypto. Meanwhile, the crypto pundit raised claims of BTC being manipulated. Pundit Explains What Is Happening With The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Dogecoin Prices NoLimit pointed out something weird that happened on the order books, noting a massive spike in Binance’s CVD, which didn’t come from retail suddenly buying millions of dollars in BTC. On the other hand, he stated that Coinbase’s CVD fell at the exact same time, indicating that the crypto exchange dumped some BTC, which sparked declines in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin prices. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Can Hit These ‘Realistic’ Bullish Targets Before The Bear Market Begins The crypto pundit highlighted the sharp decline in Bitcoin’s price as liquidity was yanked, creating a thin order book. He further remarked that one venue is getting aggressively bid up while the other is getting drained. NoLimit explained that this is not a normal spot flow and that it is likely coordinated positioning, hedging, arbitrage, or pure manipulation. NoLimited pointed out that the Bitcoin price reacted instantly to this alleged manipulation, dropping, then pushing to $94,000, and then dropping again. This also dragged down the Ethereum and Dogecoin prices. The crypto pundit asserted that a group of people is playing with the market and that most people won’t notice until it is too late. He stated that when crypto exchanges completely disagree on net flow like this, it is usually a warning. NoLimit added that the next big move is being set up before the public catches on. The crypto pundit urged market participants to pay attention because things are about to get interesting. Another Pundit Raises Manipulation Claims Crypto pundit Vivek also indicated that the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin prices may be manipulated at the moment. He noted that BTC round-tripped from $94,000 to $88,000 three times in the last few days, liquidating both longs and shorts worth over $200 million. The pundit added that this is an example of clear market manipulation to wipe out both leveraged longs and shorts. Related Reading: When Will Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Dogecoin Go Into A Bear Market? Crypto pundit Bull Theory also recently accused Wall Street trading firm Jane Street of manipulating the Bitcoin price. This came as the pundit noted that BTC, alongside Ethereum and Dogecoin, usually declines at the market open before recovering later. Bull Theory suggested that the firm may be manipulating the market in order to buy at lower prices. Featured image from Pngtree, chart from Tradingview.com
Ethereum’s momentum in institutional markets just hit a major roadblock. After months of enthusiasm surrounding spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs), new data has shown that ETF flows have sunk to their worst monthly total since their launch. The sharp drop reflects a broader cooldown in investor demand, as market volatility and shifting risk appetite weigh on crypto allocations. Will Staking ETFs Emerge To Stabilize Flows? In an X post, a crypto analyst known as Milk Road revealed that the Ethereum ETFs had just printed their worst month on record since launch, which is roughly $1.4 billion in net outflows, the largest single-month withdrawal that ETH has ever encountered. Related Reading: Ethereum Shows Signs Of Accumulation As CVD Strengthens And Correlation Stays Elevated Historically, ETF flow reversals tell more about liquidity pressure in the broader financial system than the long-term fundamentals of the asset itself. When redemptions spike this hard, it’s usually a sign that broader risk sentiment is cracking, not that the asset itself broke. Meanwhile, most investors don’t know that while ETFs were handing back, Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs) stepped in as aggressive buyers. BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) quietly added over 300,000 ETH, worth nearly $800 million at the time, to its treasuries. If the ETF outflow continues to accelerate, the near-term price action will remain choppy as liquidity gets strained at the edges. However, if DAT inflows continue scaling, it builds the foundation for a tighter supply setup into 2026. The tension between this panicked short-term selling pressure and the quiet structural long-term accumulation is the most important dynamic for positioning. Why ETH Reserves Are Becoming Strategic Corporate Assets Crypto trader Bull Theory has noted that last week, BitMine bought an astonishing 138,452 ETH, worth $437.7 million. This single transaction solidifies their position as the largest ETH treasury in the world, holding 3.86 million ETH, valued at $12.4 billion and accounting for 3.2% of the entire circulating supply. Related Reading: Here’s Why Ethereum Emerges As The Global Capital Rails For On-Chain Finance The true source of rising ETH demand is that Wall Street is quietly building on ETH. BlackRock, with $13.5 trillion AUM, has launched tokenized funds on ETH and has filed for a staked ETH ETF. JPMorgan, with $4 trillion, Deutsche Bank, with $1.1 trillion, and Standard Chartered, with $800 billion, are developing tokenization and DeFi infrastructure using ETH and its Layer-2 networks. Institutions like Amundi, HSBC, BNY Mellon, Coinbase, Kraken, and Robinhood are all using ETH rails for custody and settlement or rollup infrastructure for scaling and security. Furthermore, large companies are now holding and staking ETH for yield. BitMine alone expects to generate $400 million+ a year in staking revenue from its position. Tom Lee believes that as staking demand grows and institutions scale tokenization increases, ETH could reach $12,000 in 2026. “A Bitcoin miner is now the largest Ethereum whale, Wall Street is building on ETH, and treasuries are shifting toward yield. ETH is quickly becoming part of the Global Financial System.” Bull Theory noted. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
For a while, owning Bitcoin was professionally awkward. Big asset managers couldn’t touch it, compliance teams didn’t know what to do with it, and internal mandates typically banned the direct custody of anything that looked like a bearer instrument. But equities? Equities were fine. That’s how MicroStrategy, a Virginia-based enterprise software firm, became the most […]
The post Why did Wall Street just dump $5.4 billion in Strategy MSTR stock? appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Despite record levels of institutional investment, most Wall Street firms are still trading off-chain, says Annabelle Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer of Altius Labs.
According to comments made at the Ripple Swell conference, Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg said the XRP Ledger is lining up as a set of financial rails that could rival legacy systems on Wall Street. Related Reading: ‘Good News’ Finally Arrives For SHIB Army As Team Unveils New Update He argued the ledger’s payment features make it a practical tool for moving money across borders. His remarks come as several big fund managers update filings for potential XRP exchange-traded funds, and as traders watch for approvals that may arrive as soon as mid-November. XRP Ledger Framed As Payment Rails McClurg drew on his background as an emerging-market bond manager when he pointed to high remittance costs as a clear problem. Workers often pay between 8% and 15% to send money home, he said. Blockchain rails like the XRPL can cut those fees, the CEO added, and that use case is part of why he believes institutional interest will grow. He also repeated a prediction he has made before: that XRP ETFs could see $10 billion in inflows in their first month if they launch with strong backing. I liked the ETF session at Ripple Swell. “Way to think about XRP is to think about the XRP Ledger. It’s financial rails. A competitor to Wall Street” pic.twitter.com/KlAaOQPDpl — Vet ????☠️ (@Vet_X0) November 4, 2025 ETF Filings Gain Momentum Meanwhile, Franklin Templeton, Bitwise, and Canary Capital have updated S-1 filings tied to XRP funds. Franklin removed an 8(a) clause from its S-1, a change that reduces a procedural reason for delay. Grayscale has filed a second amendment and has named key executives and counsel on its paperwork. Market participants say these moves suggest managers are preparing for a possible rollout in November, though SEC timing still matters. Payments Utility Versus Investment Structure McClurg argued that XRP’s role as a payments token gives it a different profile from assets that rely on staking. He suggested ETF holders would not face the tradeoff of missing staking yields, which has affected some Ethereum products. That claim is used to explain why an XRP ETF might attract distinct flows, rather than simply following the path of prior crypto funds. Ecosystem Bets And Industry Players Ripple has pushed XRPL-focused products such as RLUSD and institutional services under the Ripple Prime brand. Reports mention partnerships with GTreasury and Rail to boost clearing and custody capabilities. Those efforts are designed to make XRPL more useful for banks and large treasuries that need predictable settlement and custody options. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Grip Holds — But Signs Of Weakness Are Piling Up: Analyst What Markets Might Do Traders will watch liquidity, trading spreads, and whether early ETF buyers come from corporate treasuries, family offices, or retail channels. A large opening month inflow, like the $10 billion McClurg projected, would change short-term price dynamics. Yet approval dates and fund structures will shape how fast capital moves. Market observers say the timing of filings and removals of delaying clauses increases the odds of visible launches this quarter. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Crypto analyst Arthur has predicted that the XRP price is preparing to decouple from Bitcoin (BTC). For years, XRP’s price movements have mirrored those of BTC, but according to Arthur, the market is evolving in ways that could soon set XRP apart. The emergence of Ripple’s new institutional brokerage platform and recent acquisitions, alongside the growing strength of its associated stablecoin, are key drivers that the analyst believes could drive this separation. XRP Price Set To Break Away From Bitcoin Arthur’s recent thread shared on X social media paints a confident picture of XRP’s future. He argues that the cryptocurrency is starting to chart its own course, breaking away from Bitcoin’s influence. Traditionally, XRP’s price has followed BTC’s overall direction and trajectory, rising and falling in tandem with the broader altcoin market. Related Reading: Why This Analyst Is More Bullish On XRP Over Ethereum For The Short-Term However, Arthur believes that the latest developments surrounding Ripple, a crypto payments company, could significantly change this dynamic. He points to Ripple Prime as the biggest factor that could drive this shift. Notably, Ripple Prime is a digital asset spot prime brokerage that Ripple recently launched following its acquisition of Hidden Road. The brokerage platform offers OTC spot trading, Foreign Exchange (FX), derivatives, and swaps, all seamlessly integrated with XRP and RLUSD, Ripple’s regulated stablecoin. By offering Wall Street a means to enter the blockchain finance market, Arthur contends that Ripple Prime could redefine how institutions view digital assets like XRP. Instead of being swayed by broader market sentiment, this institutional demand from Ripple’s new brokerage platform and ongoing developments could drive XRP’s value based on measurable utility. Additionally, it could finally establish the cryptocurrency as a standalone asset rather than one that constantly tracks Bitcoin’s movements. In his analysis, Arthur frames Bitcoin as a speculative digital asset, while XRP is viewed as a form of financial infrastructure. He explains that this is a crucial distinction considering infrastructure assets are typically driven by real-world adoption and utility, rather than “hype cycles.” With RLUSD surpassing a $1 billion market cap just a year after its launch, the analyst maintains that Ripple has established a stable and transparent institutional framework that effectively balances liquidity and compliance. Through this setup, RLUSD provides price stability, while XRP offers transaction liquidity, creating a financial ecosystem designed for real-world use, which is ideal for driving price growth. Regulation And Utility Shifts To Redefine XRP’s Identity Arthur expands on his analysis by connecting Ripple’s recent developments to a broader picture. He explains that institutions using Ripple Prime to settle payments with XRP and RLUSD are driven by different incentives. They do not care about Bitcoin and are not chasing speculative gains like typical crypto traders, but prioritize efficiency, regulation, and liquidity. Related Reading: Analyst Shares Why He Bought A Massive Stack Of XRP, ‘It’s Not A Gamble’ He also highlighted the potential impact of the upcoming CLARITY Act in the US. If passed, the analyst says that the bill could reclassify XRP as a commodity, moving it away from the “crypto basket” and placing it in the same regulatory category as assets like gold. Through this combination of legal clarity, stablecoin integration, asset class change, and subsequent institutional demand, Arthur says that XRP’s price will gradually decouple from Bitcoin. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
Grayscale Investments kicked off trading of a new Solana-focused ETF on Wednesday, adding a staking feature that passes network rewards to investors. Related Reading: Avalanche Expands In Asia — Japan’s Biggest Card Processor Joins The Network The fund, now listed on NYSE Arca as the Grayscale Solana Trust ETF (GSOL), was converted from a closed-end vehicle that first launched in 2021. From Closed-End Trust To ETF According to Grayscale, the move makes the firm one of the largest Solana exchange-traded product managers in the US by assets under management. The converted ETF lets ordinary brokerage accounts hold SOL exposure while receiving staking rewards tied to the network. Inkoo Kang, Grayscale’s Senior Vice President of ETFs, said the launch shows the firm’s belief that digital assets should sit alongside stocks and bonds in modern portfolios. Introducing Grayscale Solana Trust ETF (Ticker: $GSOL), offering investors exposure to @Solana $SOL, one of the fastest-growing digital assets. $GSOL features: ⚡ Convenient Solana exposure paired with staking benefits. ???? Exposure to a high-speed, low-cost blockchain.… pic.twitter.com/TgVNlhqBPO — Grayscale (@Grayscale) October 29, 2025 Competition Increased This Week Based on reports, Grayscale is not alone. Bitwise rolled out its own Solana ETF on the New York Stock Exchange one day earlier. Canary also listed Litecoin and HBAR ETFs on Nasdaq on Tuesday. Those moves came amid strong interest from asset managers to offer regulated crypto funds that give investors straightforward access to tokens without direct custody. ????JUST IN: $GSOL, the first Grayscale Solana Trust ETF with staking, goes live on @NYSE Arca, offering U.S. investors spot @Solana exposure and staking rewards under newly approved SEC listing standards. pic.twitter.com/eTzVP9Kb1X — SolanaFloor (@SolanaFloor) October 29, 2025 Regulatory Timing And Guidance These ETF launches happened while the US government was partially shut down and some SEC staff were furloughed. Kristin Smith, president of the Solana Policy Institute, said staking-enabled funds offer more than simple price exposure; participants can help secure the network, support developer work, and earn rewards. The Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance permitting firms to file S-1 registration statements without a delaying amendment, which lets certain funds take effect automatically within 20 days of filing. The SEC had also approved updated listing standards for commodity-based trust shares shortly before the staffing disruption, a step that helped speed up approvals for dozens of pending crypto ETF applications. What This Means For Solana Holders Solana has consistently cemented its status among the powerhouse tokens in terms of market valuation, taking the sixth spot, according to CoinMarketCap. Related Reading: Dogecoin Ignites — 60% Volume Boom Teases Potential Rally Based on reports, the new listings did not include full details on fee levels, which validators will be used for staking, or how staking rewards will be split after expenses. Those operational questions matter to investors weighing net returns and counterparty risk. Trading on NYSE Arca does mean easier access through brokerages, but the finer points of how staking is run will shape how attractive GSOL becomes versus other Solana products. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView
The US stock market has just achieved a historic milestone, closing at its highest weekly levels ever recorded. The S&P 500 finished the week at 6,791.68 while the US 100 Index reached 25,358.15, both setting new all-time highs. Easing inflation data, strong corporate earnings, and expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts have all combined to keep investor sentiment bullish. Amid this record-setting environment, crypto analyst Ash Crypto posted an observation on X that asks the question of how high Bitcoin would trade when it finally catches up to the US stock market. US Stock Market’s Record-Breaking Momentum The S&P 500’s record-breaking climb represents a continuation of the stock market’s steady ascent through the second half of the year, which has been boosted by the Fed rate cut in September, expectations of further rate cuts, and confidence in corporate performance. Related Reading: Analyst Says Understanding This Bitcoin Structure Is Like Having A Superpower The tech-heavy US 100 Index led the charge, climbing past 25,000 for the first time ever this week as large-cap technology stocks posted strong quarterly results. This trend means that the long-running bull trend in traditional markets is intact. However, what is really compelling is the contrast between Wall Street’s all-time highs and Bitcoin’s relative stagnation. After starting October in a breakout move to new all-time highs above $126,000, the leading cryptocurrency went on a flash crash that took many traders by surprise. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is consolidating around $111,000 despite other asset classes showing strength. Ash Crypto’s post argues that Bitcoin’s price is being artificially held back compared to how stocks have responded to the same macro backdrop. If Bitcoin had followed the percentage gains of the S&P 500 or US 100 Index, it could already be trading between $140,000 and $150,000. When Bitcoin Finally Catches Up The first surge of liquidity always appears in the stock market whenever the Fed begins to slow quantitative tightening (QT) or hints at loosening conditions. This is because the stock market is where the deepest capital pools and institutional participation exist. Equities react first because that’s where the credit channels are most established. Related Reading: Bitcoin Supply In Profit Sees Sharp Decline With Market Crash – Here Are The Numbers Bitcoin is still positioned outside the traditional financial system, and hence, tends to lag this initial move. But once the excess liquidity starts spilling into other assets, Bitcoin’s price has always increased at a much faster pace than stocks. According to Ash Crypto, Bitcoin will catch up soon and hit at least $130,000. Notably, Bitcoin’s on-chain data is already showing signs of the impending surge. For instance, recent figures show that available sell-side liquidity (the total amount of Bitcoin sitting on exchanges ready to be sold) has dropped to just 3.12 million BTC, its lowest point in seven years. Furthermore, data shows that long-term investors have bought 373,700 BTC in the past 30 days. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $111,600. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com