Software engineer and AI founder Vincent Van Code (@vincent_vancode) is arguing that institutional barriers to holding and using XRP have largely shifted from “market structure” to “plumbing,” claiming Ripple has spent 2025–2026 assembling an institutional stack for custody, treasury, and prime brokerage that makes large-scale participation operationally viable. In a post on X on Wednesday, the engineer framed self-custody as a non-starter for traditional allocators managing retirement pools, pensions, and bank balance sheets. Ripple Assembles The XRP ‘Wall Street Kit’ “Institutions juggling billions in 401(k)s, pensions, hedge funds, banks & governments? Self-custody was always insane—audit hell, compliance nightmares, risk officers saying ‘no way,’” he wrote. “That changed in 2025–2026. Ripple built the full-stack bridge: regulated, scalable, bank-trusted infrastructure so big money can finally hold & use XRP + RLUSD without the chaos.” Related Reading: Why XRP Is Gearing Up For A Massive Week Van Code’s core contention is that the crypto-native custody debate misses the institutional reality: risk committees, auditors, and compliance functions require regulated custody, reporting, and controls that can plug into existing workflows. He argues Ripple’s recent buildout amounts to a “Wall Street kit” that addresses those constraints end-to-end, spanning payments rails, corporate treasury tooling, prime brokerage services, and bank-grade custody. While the post is advocacy rather than a formal Ripple announcement, it reflects a view increasingly common among XRP supporters: that productized rails and regulated wrappers matter as much as market narratives when large allocators consider adding exposure or utility. Van Code pointed to Ripple Payments as the transaction layer, describing it as “ISO 20022-compliant, real-time cross-border rails on XRPL—already moving billions for global banks.” He then tied institutional adoption to what he portrayed as adjacent infrastructure designed to make XRP and Ripple’s RLUSD workable inside corporate and financial-institution operations. Related Reading: XRP Is At An Unique Moment In History: Developer Calls End Of Suppression Among the pieces he highlighted was GTreasury, which Ripple acquired for $1 billion, characterizing it as an enterprise treasury management platform enabling corporations to manage “fiat + digital liquidity in real-time.” He also cited Ripple Prime, described as being “powered by Hidden Road acquisition for $1.25B”, as a prime brokerage stack offering “clearing, financing & OTC trading—including XRP & RLUSD—with seamless XRPL settlement for faster, cheaper post-trade ops.” For custody, he argued Ripple has converged on a bank-facing offering through a series of deals and integrations. “Ripple Custody (bolstered by Palisade acquisition + prior Standard Custody/Metaco) → Bank-grade, regulated storage with MPC security, multi-chain support & zero-trust architecture,” he wrote, adding that it is “auditable, insured, scalable for billions.” Van Code also claimed “RLUSD reserves [are] custodied by BNY Mellon for ultimate trust.” The post’s conclusion was blunt about expected impact. “Bottom line: Excuses erased. Compliance baked in. Custody risk? Solved,” Van Code wrote. “Institutions aren’t just watching—they’re quietly stacking & building on XRPL. 2026 is the year XRP shifts from ‘spec play’ to core financial infrastructure. Billions incoming.” If that thesis holds, the next signal for markets will not be rhetoric but observable integration: whether these components translate into sustained institutional flows, deeper liquidity venues, and production use of XRP and RLUSD, ultimately showing up in price discovery. At press time, XRP traded at $2.15. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
The private beta of 'Unified Prediction Portfolio' marks Backpack's foray into the burgeoning prediction markets sector.
The Ethereum blockchain underwent a series of upgrades last year that have resulted in lower transaction fees and more active addresses.
Pakistan has signed an MOU with SC Financial Technologies, affiliated with the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial, to pilot the USD1 stablecoin, pegged one-to-one to the U.S. dollar, within its payment system. The central bank aims to accelerate $30 billion in annual remittances while cutting high fees. Set for an official announcement in Islamabad, this …
The new feature lets companies send money to digital wallets instantly, even outside banking hours.
The investment strengthens Bit2Me's capital structure and supports its regulatory ambitions in Europe and Latin America.
Pakistan signed an agreement with SC Financial Technologies, which is linked to Trump-backed World Liberty Financial, to explore using its USD1 stablecoin for payments.
On Jan. 13, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a huge $754 million in inflows, marking the strongest single day since October. Fidelity’s FBTC led with $351 million, followed by Bitwise’s BITB and BlackRock’s IBIT. Other crypto ETFs also saw gains, including Ethereum ($130M), Solana ($5.9M), and XRP ($13M). The surge pushed total ETF assets near …
Cooling inflation and post–year-end rebalancing help draw institutional money back into spot bitcoin funds.
Dash (DASH) price latest rally marks a clear range breakout, confirmed by a sharp influx of trading volume, placing the rally firmly in the spotlight. As sector rotation was in play, DASH price rallied over 30% intraday, trading at $58.83. Following several weeks of price consolidation, DASH price escaped the range with a sharp breakout. …
Bitcoin is showing renewed strength, trading near $95,450 after breaking out of a prolonged consolidation phase. The move has reignited debate over whether the rally is merely a relief bounce or the beginning of a fresh leg toward new all-time highs. Altcoins are starting to move alongside Bitcoin, lifting the Total crypto market cap and …
Heightened spot ETF inflows and improved macroeconomic clarity have helped boost crypto prices, analysts told The Block.
The long-awaited US CLARITY Act is moving into a critical stage, as the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry has scheduled its markup hearing for January 27, 2026. The step signals renewed momentum toward setting clear rules for the US crypto market after weeks of delays and uncertainty. The announcement has lifted confidence across …
The rally in meme coins like Dogecoin and Pepe reflects renewed speculative interest as broader crypto markets remain mixed.
Germany’s second-largest banking group, DZ Bank, received MiCAR authorization from BaFin in late December 2025 to launch its crypto platform meinKrypto, a significant step toward regulated digital asset access in Europe’s mainstream banking. Under the EU’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets rules, the platform lets around 700 Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken offer Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Cardano trading …
Russia is preparing to change how cryptocurrencies are treated under the law. According to state media outlet TASS, Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, confirmed that lawmakers have finalized a draft bill to remove cryptocurrencies from the country’s “special financial regulation” category. The goal is to make crypto usage more …
Rulemaking involves individual regulators and agencies fleshing out the details of a law passed by legislators. It can include publishing proposed rules and seeking public comment.
BitMine staked another 186,560 Ether, bringing its total staked to 1.53 million, which is valued at over $5 billion.
January 14, 2026 06:14:58 UTC Bitcoin Tests $94K Breakout as Bulls Seek Acceptance Bitcoin has pushed above the key $94K resistance, marking its first strong attempt to reclaim this level. While the move is significant, acceptance above $94K is now crucial, as a brief breakout alone isn’t enough. A sustained hold would reduce downside risk …
JPMorgan chief financial officer Jeremy Barnum told investors in an earnings call that stablecoin yields are a “dangerous and undesirable thing.”
Monero (XMR) has witnessed a sharp rally to a new record during the last few days, but social media suggests FOMO could be brewing in the market. Monero Has Shot Up To A New All-Time High Bitcoin and most other cryptocurrencies have been locked in consolidation recently, but Monero has been an outlier, with its price breaking away with a strong surge. Related Reading: Bitcoin Decouples From Global Liquidity: Analyst Says Quantum Threat Behind It Below is a chart that showcases how the asset’s recent performance has looked. The sharp rally has led to new all-time highs (ATHs) for the privacy-focused token, with the latest one coming earlier in the past day around $695. XMR has retraced a bit since this new high, but it’s still in a weekly profit of 51%, which is significantly higher than the returns of other top assets. For perspective, Bitcoin and Ethereum have seen returns of +1% and -2% in this period, respectively. Fellow privacy coin Zcash (ZEC) was flying earlier, but the asset has faced a steep 23% drop during the same window. Generally, rallies of the order that Monero has seen attract attention from traders, and data would confirm that the same has been true for the latest one as well. XMR Has Seen A Peak In Social Dominance Recently According to data from analytics firm Santiment, the Monero Social Dominance witnessed a spike recently. This indicator keeps track of the percentage of the Social Volume associated with the top 100 tokens that a given cryptocurrency is responsible for. The Social Volume here refers to a measure of the total number of posts/comments/threads on the major social media platforms that contain mentions of a given asset. In other words, it tells us about the amount of discussion that a particular coin is receiving from social media users. As such, the Social Dominance contains information about how the degree of talk surrounding a cryptocurrency compares against that of the top 100 coins combined. Here is a chart that shows the trend in this metric for Monero since the start of 2026: As displayed in the above graph, the Monero Social Dominance saw a huge spike on Sunday as the asset’s rally took off, suggesting social media interest in the asset shot up. Historically, a rapid surge in the Social Dominance has often corresponded to Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) developing among traders, which is something that tends to not end well for rallies. Related Reading: Bitcoin HODLer Selloff Ending? LTH Outflows Decline Despite the crowd excitement, however, XMR has only continued to go up since the spike, setting new ATHs. Given the past pattern with digital asset markets, though, it only remains to be seen how long the coin can sustain its move. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
While XRP's recent rally stands out in a mixed crypto market, it remains below longer-term resistance levels.
Crypto security experts said a good way to counter scams that rely on deceiving victims is to be skeptical of every unsolicited message and interaction.
Solana started a fresh increase above the $142 zone. SOL price is now consolidating above $142 and might aim for more gains above the $150 zone. SOL price started a fresh upward move above the $142 and $145 levels against the US Dollar. The price is now trading above $142 and the 100-hourly simple moving average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support at $140 on the hourly chart of the SOL/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could extend gains if it clears the $150 resistance zone. Solana Price Starts Fresh Surge Solana price started a decent increase after it settled above the $135 zone, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. SOL climbed above the $140 level to enter a short-term positive zone. The price even smashed the $142 resistance. The bulls were able to push the price above $145. A high was formed at $148, and the price is now consolidating gains. There was a minor decline below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent upward move from the $138 swing low to the $148 high. Solana is now trading above $142 and the 100-hourly simple moving average. Besides, there is a bullish trend line forming with support at $140 on the hourly chart of the SOL/USD pair. On the upside, the price is facing resistance near $148. The next major resistance is near the $150 level. The main resistance could be $155. A successful close above the $155 resistance zone could set the pace for another steady increase. The next key resistance is $162. Any more gains might send the price toward the $170 level. Downside Correction In SOL? If SOL fails to rise above the $148 resistance, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $144 zone. The first major support is near the $143 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent upward move from the $138 swing low to the $148 high. A break below the $143 level might send the price toward the $140 support zone and the trend line. If there is a close below the $140 support, the price could decline toward the $135 support in the near term. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for SOL/USD is gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly Hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for SOL/USD is above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $144 and $140. Major Resistance Levels – $148 and $150.
Lower inflation eased pressure on bond yields and improved liquidity conditions, a setup that has historically favored crypto and other risk assets.
As Bitcoin (BTC) breaks out of key resistance levels, an analyst suggests that the cryptocurrency is positioning itself for a move to higher levels and a retest of a crucial technical area in the coming weeks. Related Reading: Monero (XMR) Hits New $610 All-Time High – Veteran Trader Shares Silver-Like Setup Bitcoin Approaching Make-Or-Break Test On Tuesday, Bitcoin surged 2.5% to retest the $93,500 resistance level for the first time in a week. The cryptocurrency has been hovering between the $84,000 to $93,500 price range for three months and has failed to turn this level into support multiple times. Analyst Rekt Capital recently noted that the flagship crypto is near a “historic” test as it has begun to form “another technically decisive region” just above current price levels. The market watcher explained that BTC is approaching its dynamic Bull Market Exponential Moving Average (EMA) cluster, where the 50-week EMA and 21-week EMA are getting closer. This key cluster, currently located between the $96,000 and $97,500 levels, has historically been tested before a “meaningful crossover,” with the Bitcoin price overextending beyond the cluster. However, this has usually been followed by an unsuccessful confirmation of this region as support. “When that happens, the crossover itself often follows the bearish price event, rather than causing it, with the EMA cluster flipping into resistance from the underside and leading to downside continuation,” the analyst detailed. Notably, past cycles reveal that the 50-week and 21-week EMAs can move very close together, Rekt Capital wrote, emphasizing that they can even overlap for prolonged periods before a decisive crossover. Currently, Bitcoin has yet to retest and overextend beyond the two EMAs, but its historical performance suggests that it will likely occur. Moreover, BTC’s price is “positioning itself in a way that could allow for a springboard higher, potentially enabling a test of this cluster in the weeks ahead. The key question is timing.” BTC Price Breaks Out Of Key Resistances In his analysis, the market observer discussed BTC’s recent performance, which has seen a structural change despite the sideways price action. Last week, the cryptocurrency’s price closed above its multi-week downtrend, which has been serving as a major resistance point since late November. This marks “a small but notable technical milestone” as Bitcoin now holds above the November and December highs in the weekly timeframe, treating the previous resistance as support. In addition, the mid-zone of its local range, around the $90,500 level, is now “almost perfectly confluent with the former Downtrend, meaning the Downtrend that last week rejected price is beginning to act as layered support instead.” Therefore, if Bitcoin continues to hold the mid-range region, the price should be able to challenge higher levels and find a path toward $100,000. Rekt Capital added that, unlike previous retests, the most recent rejection from the crucial $93,500 resistance was significantly shallower and shorter, suggesting that it was getting weaker. Related Reading: Top Bullish Predictions That Put XRP Price At New All-Time Highs Above $3.8 Now, the flagship crypto has successfully retested the downtrend breakout area as support and momentarily reclaimed the $93,500 resistance, surging above the $94,000 area once again. Ultimately, BTC will need to hold this area and close the week above $93,500 to “kickstart a breakout from the Weekly Range as per previous green circles,” the analyst concluded. As of this writing, BTC trades at $94,334, a 2.6% increase in the weekly timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
The patent application covers a hybrid payment system that allows users to spend stablecoins through their existing credit cards.
The Coinbase premium index remains negative, indicating a relatively weaker U.S. demand.
Corporate Bitcoin treasuries expanded by 260,000 BTC in six months, three times the amount mined, with Strategy holding 60% of all corporate holdings.
Prediction market Kalshi dominated trading volumes on Monday, accounting for two-thirds of the $701.7 million tally.