El Salvador’s bold Bitcoin experiment is taking another leap forward. The country’s official Bitcoin Office announced on X that “Bitcoin Banks” are on the way, marking what could be the first banking system in the world fully built around Bitcoin. While the announcement was brief, it signals a major step in embedding BTC into the …
Your day-ahead look for Aug. 8, 2025
As trust in crypto exchanges remains low, Binance’s new custody deal with BBVA marks a shift toward traditional finance safeguards.
China has told brokers, think tanks, and financial institutions to stop promoting stablecoins – no research reports, no seminars, no hype. The orders, issued in late July and early August, are aimed at cooling the growing interest in the sector. Regulators are worried that stablecoins could be used for fraud in mainland China, and that …
Crypto pundit Versan Aljarrah, the founder of Black Swan Capitalist, published a lengthy post on X on Aug. 7 alleging that the XRP price is being deliberately constrained by a multi-pronged architecture spanning exchanges, regulation, and liquidity infrastructure. Framing the situation as “The Biggest Financial Cover-Up,” Aljarrah writes that “the current price of XRP doesn’t reflect its utility, its adoption, or its strategic position,” and claims the “suppression mechanisms in place are layered, coordinated, and strategically embedded within the very exchanges, regulations, and infrastructure that claim to support a free market.” Is The XRP Price Manipulated? Anchoring his thesis to the SEC’s December 2020 enforcement action against Ripple, Aljarrah characterizes the timing as deliberate and disruptive rather than investor-protective. “This wasn’t about investor protection. It was strategic economic warfare,” he argues, asserting that “just days after XRP began gaining traction on Bloomberg and other news outlets,” the lawsuit was filed “under direct orders from central planners and Wall Street.” He ties that filing to what he describes as momentum in XRP’s real-world payments utility, citing Ripple’s relationship with MoneyGram and “other key global payment corridors.” According to Aljarrah, the case “froze US institutional capital, forced XRP off most trading platforms, and created uncertainty around its legal status,” echoing a view he attributes to @Jvallee2000 that the action was about “disrupting momentum and eliminating competition through regulatory overreach.” Related Reading: XRP Price Projection: 5 Key Things To Watch Out For As The Bull Market Unfolds The core of his market-structure critique targets centralized exchanges. Aljarrah claims that whenever “liquidity begins to build or organic volume starts to rise,” XRP encounters “clear patterns of coordinated resistance.” He alleges the presence of “algorithmic trading bots, spoof orders, and systematic wash trading” that “consistently stall momentum or create fake volume to obscure real demand,” and argues that if XRP “were treated like any other digital asset,” it would exhibit “sharp upward price action as utility driven demand increases.” Instead, he says, the market repeatedly “bumps into artificial sell walls at key resistance points and high volume transactions that mysteriously have no impact whatsoever on the spot price,” which he calls “no accident.” Aljarrah devotes particular attention to how he believes enterprise payments activity is insulated from public price discovery. He describes Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity flows as settling in XRP “but [being] intentionally kept off the radar of traditional market activity.” In his telling, “volume is somehow routed through OTC desks, private liquidity hubs, and arranged corridor partners to minimize slippage and limit the market exposure.” That routing, he argues, enables XRP to “function as a global bridge asset without triggering visible price increases on public exchanges.” He concedes uncertainty on the precise mechanics—“I’m not sure how this is done but maybe this has anything to do with it?”—and points readers to an external video clip as a possible illustration. Related Reading: XRP May Be Headed For A Deeper Correction, Warns Analyst He then situates these alleged microstructure effects within what he portrays as a structurally restricted US market during critical adoption years. “Coinbase, Kraken, and other major exchanges delisted and restricted XRP following the SEC lawsuit, effectively cutting off access for retail investors,” Aljarrah writes, while claiming Ripple’s expansion “globally, particularly across Asia and the Middle East,” left US participants “sidelined under the guise of regulatory uncertainty.” He characterizes the dynamic bluntly: “The US was playing both sides, and there’s proof of it.” XRP Adoption In The Dark? The post also advances a narrative of divergence between XRP’s intended function and its observed trading correlations. Aljarrah says XRP has been “treated as a long term utility instrument for a new monetary system, unlike 99% of the crypto market,” yet its price action remains tethered to “violent, speculative assets like $BTC and $ETH, neither of which offer any real utility.” He alleges “institutional accumulation behind the scenes,” asserting that while “retail investors were kept in the dark and blocked from key markets, institutional players gained early access through private investment vehicles, regulatory sandboxes, and cross-border corridor testing.” Summarizing this view, he insists: “The flows are real, yet none of it shows up on public charts. Meaning, XRP is being adopted. It’s being used. But its price is being managed.” Price level rhetoric features prominently in Aljarrah’s conclusion. “You can’t accept XRP’s role in real time settlements, central bank integrations, and global remittance adoption at a stagnant $3 price tag without acknowledging how tightly it’s being controlled,” he writes, adding a categorical forecast: “If XRP were allowed to operate in a truly open and fair global marketplace, without artificial barriers, I guarantee you it wouldn’t be hovering around three dollars.” He closes by asserting a deliberate, time-bound design to the current state of play: “There’s a deliberate framework designed to suppress XRP until the infrastructure is fully built and legacy systems are ready to migrate.” The open issue he poses—“how long will the suppression continue while the very institutions enforcing it prepare to flip the switch?”—serves as his final provocation. Aljarrah’s post presents a comprehensive allegation that links legal timing, exchange behavior, liquidity routing, and institutional access to a single outcome: visible underpricing relative to utility. The claims are framed as assertions rather than accompanied by underlying order-book data, corridor-level volumes, or documentary evidence. But his position, in his own words, is unambiguous: “XRP is being adopted. It’s being used. But its price is being managed.” At press time, XRP traded at $3.33. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Chinese financial regulators have instructed local brokerages and research organizations to halt the promotion of stablecoins. They were told to stop publishing studies and cancel seminars on stablecoins due to concerns over fraud and speculative risks. This move aims to prevent a rush of uninformed investors into the asset class. Despite China’s crypto ban, digital …
The move comes amid rapid accumulation by Ethereum treasury companies and increasing ETF inflows in recent weeks.
Coinbase’s Layer 2 network, Base, has announced it will start collecting coined content as part of its push to support creators in a new digital economy. In an Aug. 7 post on X, the Ethereum layer-2 said it will hold these tokens indefinitely, with no plans to trade or sell them. It also stressed that […]
The post Coinbase’s Base bets big on viral content coins with plan to hold every collected token forever appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Bitcoin’s energy-based “fair value” sits at $167K, 45% above its current price, as record hash rate data shows BTC trading at a deep 31% discount.
Standard Chartered’s Hong Kong arm and Animoca Brands have launched a joint venture, Anchorpoint Financial, to develop a licensed Hong Kong dollar stablecoin.
Swiss digital asset bank Sygnum, managing $1 billion in assets, has launched a full range of services for the $SUI cryptocurrency tailored to institutional clients. The offering includes secure custody, trading, staking, and lending, giving professional investors access to multiple ways of engaging with the SUI ecosystem. This move aims to meet growing demand from …
Binance has teamed up with Spain’s BBVA to provide off-exchange asset storage solutions for customers. This partnership offers a safer way to hold digital assets outside trading platforms, reducing risks associated with exchanges. By combining Binance’s crypto expertise with BBVA’s strong banking presence, the partnership aims to deliver secure, compliant, and transparent custody services. Customers …
China's move to curb stablecoin promotion highlights its cautious approach to crypto, aiming to prevent speculative bubbles and maintain control.
The post China urges brokers and think tanks to halt stablecoin promotion amid fraud concerns appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Ripple Labs’ long-running legal fight with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is officially over after both sides agreed to drop their appeals in the case. Related Reading: Bitcoin Insult Alert: Pro Trader Dubs HODLers ‘Idiots,’ Saylor Fires Back According to reports, a joint filing on August 7 confirmed the decision to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, ending a nearly five-year dispute that has shaped debate over how cryptocurrencies are regulated. Back To Business Ripple’s chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty said on social media the matter was “over” and the company could get “back to business.” Following the Commission’s vote today, the SEC and Ripple formally filed directly with the Second Circuit to dismiss their appeals. The end…and now back to business. https://t.co/nVqthNcFOt — Stuart Alderoty (@s_alderoty) August 7, 2025 Appeals Withdrawn, Penalties Finalized Based on reports, the SEC has withdrawn its challenge to a 2023 ruling that XRP sales on public exchanges were not securities. Ripple, in turn, dropped its own appeal on the finding that institutional sales of XRP violated securities laws. Both parties will shoulder their own legal expenses. The case’s resolution finalizes $125 million in penalties first outlined by Judge Analisa Torres. Of that, $50 million will go to the US Treasury, while $75 million—held in escrow since June—will be returned to Ripple. The ruling also leaves in place a permanent injunction stopping Ripple from making institutional XRP sales without following securities laws. It can be recalled that the litigation started in December 2020 when the regulatory body charged Ripple with raising $1.3 billion from unregistered securities offerings. Ripple protested innocence, claiming XRP is not a security. In July 2023, Judge Torres agreed with the SEC on “programmatic” sales to institutional buyers but decided such type of sales to retail purchasers were not deemed as “securities.” Political Shift Shapes Outcome The move to suspend appeals follows US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and appointment of new bosses at the SEC. According to reports, under the new chair, Paul Atkins, the agency has backed away from more than a dozen enforcement actions and investigations involving crypto firms in recent months. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse earlier said both parties had already agreed in June to put closure to their appeals, though negotiations to reduce the penalties failed. Meanwhile, market observers say the outcome is a reflection of the SEC’s softened approach in other high-profile cases, including those involving Coinbase and Kraken. For the crypto industry, this resolution is being viewed as a sign of changing tides in Washington’s stance when it comes to regulation. Related Reading: Crypto Is Here To Stay—Even The SEC Can’t Do Anything About It, Analyst Says XRP Sees Renewed Trading Activity Following news of the case’s end, XRP shot up 13%, registering a 24-hour trading volume of $9.50 billion—an increase of more than 100% compared from the previous day. XRP’s price has been climbing by around 14% in the last seven days, latest data shows. Analysts say the sharp spike in activity signals renewed investor confidence now that the legal cloud over Ripple has been cleared. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
Ethereum Foundation (EF) Co-Executive Director Tomasz Stańczak has urged developers to redirect their attention toward the upcoming Fusaka upgrade, warning that focus on the later Glamsterdam release could jeopardize near-term progress. In an Aug. 8 update on X, Stańczak said he had advised project coordinators to pause discussions about Glamsterdam. That upgrade is not expected […]
The post Ethereum’s Q4 Fusaka upgrade at risk as developers fixate on 2026 Glamsterdam plans appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Ripple Labs recently scored a major win after both sides filed to dismiss their appeals in the long-running SEC lawsuit. The case, which accused Ripple of selling XRP as an unregistered security, had been a major shadow over the company’s future. Interestingly, around the same time, Ripple announced its $200 million acquisition of Rail, a …
EF's Stanczak warns that Ethereum's Fusaka’s Q4 timeline is at risk, urging developers to pause Glamsterdam planning and prioritize the latest upgrade.
IVD Medical’s ETH buy will serve as both the backbone of its ivd.xyz tokenization platform and a yield-generating treasury asset, powering settlements, stablecoin backing, and staking strategies.
Ukraine’s central bank said it remains prepared to move forward with crypto legalization while reaffirming that virtual assets will not be recognized as legal tender, per RBC Ukraine. National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Governor Andriy Pyshnyy said on August 8 that “virtual assets cannot be a means of payment in Ukraine” and described this restriction […]
The post NBU draws red line on crypto payments as Ukraine eyes October legalization appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Humanity Protocol’s $1.1B-valued mainnet uses zkTLS to link Web2 credentials with Web3 services while keeping user data private.
A recent debate has been seen regarding XRP vs Bitcoin (BTC). While some say that Bitcoin is the revolution of cryptocurrency, others believe that XRP is more favorable with its 400 times faster services. The debate centers on the fundamental differences and potential investments, with strong arguments on both sides. XRP vs Bitcoin: Which One …
The joint venture, known as Anchorpoint, also includes Hong Kong Telecom and aims to build a business model for the issuance of licensed stablecoins.
Cryptocurrency exchanges have been rolling out stricter controls and clearer disclosures on how user funds are safeguarded.
The physical hat associated with the iconic photo of Achi, the dog behind the Dogwifhat memecoin, sold via auction on Ord City for 6.8 BTC.
On Thursday, the decades-old wall separating US retirement accounts from direct crypto exposure came down — and the potential capital inflow is staggering. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will open 401(k) retirement plans to a broader range of alternative assets, including private equity, real estate, and — for the first time — crypto assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. Is A Trillion-Dollar Crypto Flood About To Hit? The news marks a sharp reversal from the US Department of Labor’s (DOL) aggressive stance just three years ago, when the agency issued an unprecedented warning urging retirement plan providers to “exercise extreme caution” before offering crypto in 401(k) plans. As Ryan Rasmussen, Head of Research at Bitwise Asset Management, noted, “It was the first — and only — time the DOL singled out an asset class like this. Not even junk bonds or ESG funds.” In 2022, the DOL went further, stating that adding crypto to a 401(k) could be interpreted as a failure to meet the required fiduciary standard of professional care. The message was unambiguous: providers who failed to meet that standard could be held personally liable for any losses. This effectively froze the market before it began. “401(k) providers had to decide if adding crypto to plans was worth the risk of DOL scrutiny. Most didn’t,” Rasmussen explained. The chilling effect was immediate — sponsors backed off, firms paused crypto-linked retirement products, and investors “missed out on life-changing returns.” Related Reading: USDC Emerges As Top Pick In Booming Crypto Payroll Trend—Survey By mid-2025, however, the tide had turned. Mounting legal pressure, pushback from 401(k) providers, and Congressional criticism of regulatory overreach led the DOL to rescind its “extreme caution” guidance in full. More strikingly, the agency admitted that its 2022 approach was a deviation from its historically neutral treatment of investment strategies. As Rasmussen put it, “Once again, the US government admitted it had singled out crypto.” Now, the executive order will not merely remove the roadblocks but actively open the gates. According to Bloomberg data cited by Rasmussen, the US 401(k) market is valued at approximately $12.5 trillion. Even a 1% allocation to crypto would translate to $125 billion in inflows; a 10% allocation could reach $1.25 trillion. Rasmussen believes the earliest beneficiaries will be assets with existing exchange-traded fund (ETF) structures, naming Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, while adding that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” More Implications For industry observers, the implications extend beyond a one-time capital injection. Tom Dunleavy, Head of Venture at Varys Capital, stressed that the mechanics of 401(k) investing create a powerful and persistent demand driver. “In the US, roughly 100 million Americans have a retirement investment vehicle known as a 401(k),” Dunleavy explained. Related Reading: Crypto Is Here To Stay—Even The SEC Can’t Do Anything About It, Analyst Says “Every 2 weeks, a portion of their paychecks are routed directly into purchasing a mixture of stocks and bonds… This is a HUGE driver of the equity market run and resilience over the past 20 years. A constant background bid for assets.” With around $50 billion entering these funds biweekly, even a modest portfolio allocation to crypto — 1%, 3%, or 5% — could create recurring inflows of $120 billion to $600 billion annually. “And these aren’t one-time flows. THEY KEEP BUYING ONCE ALLOCATIONS ARE SET,” Dunleavy emphasized. Jan Happel and Yann Allemann, the founders of Glassnode and Swissblock, are already calling the move a watershed for mainstream adoption. They remarked via X, “People don’t realize yet how big today’s news has been for crypto… this will be seen as the watershed moment for mainstream adoption, much more than the ETF.” Scott Melker, known as “The Wolf of All Streets,” highlighted the transformational nature of the change: “Until now, the average American couldn’t touch Bitcoin or Altcoins in a 401(k). Soon, they might be able to DCA and trade like a degen tax-free for decades. This isn’t just policy — it’s a paradigm shift.” As Dunleavy summed it up, with 401(k)s and direct asset trusts in place, the policy “put[s] a ridiculous floor under crypto going forward and move[s] the limit from the moon to Jupiter.” At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $3.82 trillion. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Standard Chartered has partnered with Animoca Brands and Hong Kong telecom group HKT to establish Anchorpoint Financial, a joint venture applying for a license to issue a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin under the city’s new regulatory regime. As Reuters reported, the venture formally notified the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) of its intent just days […]
The post Hong Kong’s first HKD stablecoin race begins as Standard Chartered files early appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The Solana memecoin launchpad says its new Glass Full Foundation will inject liquidity into select ecosystem tokens.
The headlines were buzzing, but SBI Holdings says it’s not true – at least not yet. The Japanese financial giant has denied claims that it has already filed for crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including a dual Bitcoin-XRP product. Here’s the full truth. No ETF Filings Yet, Says SBI Holdings Reports earlier this week suggested SBI …
An SBI Holdings representative told Cointelegraph that the company had not filed any crypto-asset ETF applications.
Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have agreed to formally end their appeals in the high-profile lawsuit that has dragged on for nearly four years. In a joint filing on Aug. 7, both parties confirmed they will withdraw their appeals following a Commission vote. Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, said the […]
The post Ripple and SEC settle, sparking XRP’s 10% rally and BlackRock ETF speculation appeared first on CryptoSlate.