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Ripple’s U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin RLUSD has reached a $1 billion market capitalization just one year after launch, marking another milestone for XRP and the broader Ripple ecosystem. The milestone was highlighted by Ripple executive Jack McDonald, who pointed to a combination of regulatory compliance, institutional infrastructure, practical usage, global expansion, and multichain interoperability as the key factors driving RLUSD’s growth. Together, these developments justify the stablecoin’s rapid ascent.

Building RLUSD Into A $1 Billion Trusted Asset With Ripple And XRP

RLUSD’s rise to a $1 billion valuation on its first anniversary was shaped by deliberate structural decisions before launch. Ripple designed the stablecoin to operate within U.S. regulatory frameworks, combining state-level licensing with federal oversight via the OCC’s conditional approval of its national trust bank charter. This dual-layer compliance gave financial institutions immediate clarity on governance, reserve management, and operational standards, paving the way for quick adoption.

As institutional demand grew, RLUSD issuance expanded in line with actual usage, helping it surpass the $1 billion market cap in November 2025 and secure a position among the top five USD-backed stablecoins globally. Confidence in the stablecoin was reinforced through robust infrastructure choices: Ripple selected BNY Mellon to custody RLUSD reserves, while Deloitte’s independent attestations provided transparency into its backing and operational controls. These measures strengthened institutional trust and enabled RLUSD’s steady expansion into professional financial environments.

Moreover, within Ripple’s ecosystem, RLUSD complements XRP by providing a regulated dollar instrument for settlement, liquidity management, and institutional treasury functions, while XRP continues to support cross-border transfers and on-chain liquidity. Together, two assets form an integrated framework that has underpinned RLUSD’s expansion and milestone achievement.

Institutional Adoption And Global Market Integration

Beyond compliance, RLUSD’s growth has been driven by practical adoption and real-world financial usage. The stablecoin serves as a 24/7 off-ramp for tokenized products, including funds issued by BlackRock and VanEck, allowing smooth movement between tokenized assets and traditional cash positions. Its role extends into capital markets activity, with repo trades and money market fund operations enabled through partnerships with global banks and asset managers, embedding RLUSD directly into institutional workflows rather than peripheral use cases.

RLUSD’s international footprint has expanded alongside its domestic adoption. Recognition in financial hubs such as Dubai (DFSA) and Abu Dhabi (FSRA) enables cross-border operations while maintaining regulatory consistency. Ripple has also extended RLUSD across multiple layer-two blockchain networks, including Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain via Wormhole’s NTT standard, increasing interoperability and access to liquidity throughout the ecosystem.

By its one-year anniversary, RLUSD has established itself as a core component of Ripple’s financial infrastructure, demonstrating that trust, compliance, structural design, institutional adoption, and cross-chain expansion can drive rapid, sustainable market growth while achieving a top-five USD stablecoin status.

New reports have revealed that a billionaire Shiba Inu investor has transferred billions of SHIB tokens to a crypto exchange, setting the stage for possible market shifts. Typically, large exchange inflows of this size precede heightened market volatility as traders assess whether the move signals a distribution or a strategic repositioning. The outcome of this large-scale transfer could also influence Shiba Inu’s near-term price, which has been trending down for months.

Billionaire Shiba Inu Whale Moves 469 Billion SHIB

Blockchain analyst EmberCN was the first to report the large-scale movement on X this Thursday, highlighting that a top whale had transferred a significant amount of SHIB tokens to a centralized exchange. Fresh on-chain data from Arkham Intelligence shows that more than 48 hours ago, the anonymous whale had moved 469 billion SHIB, worth approximately $3.64 million, to OKX.

The transfer was reportedly split into two transactions: one for 468.982 billion SHIB and the other for just 5 million tokens. Following this, Arkham Intelligence revealed that the whale had executed another substantial transfer of 464.308 billion SHIB and 550,066 SHIB to OKX the next day. At the time, the value of these coins was about $3.48 million and $4.12 million, respectively. 

In his post, EmberCN referenced a 2023 disclosure revisiting an initial 2020 transaction by the same whale, which resulted in massive unrealized gains at the top. The blockchain analyst revealed that the whale had initially acquired 1.03 trillion SHIB in 2020 using just 37.8 ETH valued at around $13,700 at the time. This purchase represented roughly 17.4% of the total SHIB supply, making it one of the most profitable Shiba Inu trades ever recorded. 

At the peak of the 2021 bull market, the whale’s 1.03 trillion SHIB was valued at roughly $9.1 billion. Despite the explosive price rally, the investor largely maintained the position and avoided selling most of the holdings in the years that followed. Even after the SHIB price crash earlier this year, there were no official reports of whales moving funds to take profits. 

Current data indicates that despite its most recent 469 billion SHIB transfer, the whale still controls up to 96.22 trillion SHIB, accounting for about 16.4% of the total supply. At present market prices, these holdings are valued at roughly $707.3 million, underscoring the sheer magnitude of this whale’s holdings. EmberCN notes that the anonymous whale’s address history is fully visible on Arkham Intelligence, offering detailed insights into past transactions. 

Is The Whale Selling Or Repositioning?

Currently, it’s unclear whether the anonymous 469 billion- and 464.3 billion SHIB transfers were sold or simply repositioned. In most cases, transfers from a private wallet to exchanges are viewed as early signs of potential selling activity, especially when the volume is large. For transactions of this size, liquidating the tokens could influence Shiba Inu’s price dynamics.

The meme coin is already trading at $0.0000073, down 13.04% over the past week. So far, the market has yet to show a clear reaction to the whale’s transfer. Nevertheless, a potential market sell-off could have drastic effects on SHIB’s already weak market.

Given the heightened volatility in the broader cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin has fallen below the pivotal $90,000 level, while Ethereum has dropped below the $3,000 price mark. Following the recent pullback, a key divergence has been spotted between the two leading cryptocurrency assets, which could shape the market dynamics.

A Growing Divide Between Bitcoin And Ethereum

As volatility in the cryptocurrency market grows, a crucial divergence between Bitcoin and Ethereum is gaining strength, attracting attention in the sector. The report states that the long-running comparison between Bitcoin and Ethereum is about to reach a new stage.

On-chain data indicates a growing supply disparity between the two biggest cryptocurrencies by market cap. This divergence is a sign that Ethereum’s supply dynamics are changing more dramatically as a result of things like network activity, staking, and fee burning, whereas Bitcoin’s issuance and holder behavior remain consistent.

It is worth noting that this marks the second time in this current cycle that the development is taking place. In the coming months, investors may be compelled to reassess their positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum due to this growing disparity, which is beginning to alter market narratives.

Mignolet noted that buying liquidity is currently drying up. Meanwhile, the remaining liquidity is just moving around the market instead of growing. What this simply implies is that liquidity is slowing down, and in the absence of fresh inflows of new capital, the supply imbalance between Bitcoin and Ethereum cannot be fixed.

During past scenarios, this BTC and ETH supply imbalance has been corrected only through declines in the price of both assets. Interestingly, this is precisely what transpired when BTC was trading above the $100,000 mark. As seen on the chart, the same pattern is currently resurfacing, hinting at a potential shift in market dynamics and direction.

Mignolet claims that if fresh liquidity does not enter the crypto market, it may experience an extended period of consolidation or brief bounces. However, such moves would be pointless bounces, likely followed by further downward moves in the end.

BTC And ETH Set TO See Massive Rotation

Recent supply dynamics and capital flows are starting to align in a way that signals an impending massive rotation between Bitcoin and Ethereum. After examining the ETH/BTC chart, Melijn The Trader revealed that the pair is poised to experience its largest rotation in 8 years.

This rotation has the potential to completely change how capital flows between the two largest assets in the market over the next few months. According to the expert, the last time this rotation occurred, Ethereum saw a notable 50x upward move.

With the same trend resurfacing in addition to deeper liquidity and institutional firepower, a similar price explosion could repeat itself, which Merlijn believes will catch most crypto investors off guard. At the time of writing, CoinMarketCap’s data shows that BTC’s price was trading at $87,920 while ETH’s price was trading dangerously close to the $2,968 support level.

Charles Hoskinson says Cardano is entering a new phase centered on what he described as a “ChatGPT for privacy,” positioning the Midnight project as a cross-ecosystem application layer designed to make advanced cryptography usable at scale.

Cardano Is Entering A New Phase

Speaking in a Dec. 18 livestream titled “Rays of Sunshine in 2026,” the Cardano founder argued that Midnight marks a shift away from incremental performance battles toward privacy-first, hybrid applications that can plug into Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin, and beyond.

“I wanted to make a video to talk about the good stuff and talk about the fact that we’re leading the market for the first time in a long time,” Hoskinson said. “And it feels right. This time really does.”

The heart of the pitch was that Midnight’s early traction is not just a hype spike, but a sign the market is tired of the usual crypto incentive loop and looking for a new “paradigm.” “People deep down inside, they know that a new generation is starting,” he said. “We need a new paradigm and we have to have a reset and we have to launch things and do things differently. And they’re just tired of the way things have happened before. They’re tired of it.”

Hoskinson spent time distinguishing Midnight from the category it will inevitably be filed under. “When you looked at Midnight, Midnight is not a privacy coin,” he said. “Midnight is what will enable rational privacy and selective disclosure, but it’s so much more. It’s the platform for intents. It’s the platform for hybrid applications. It’s the platform for capacity exchange, for dual tokenomics. It’s the platform for multi-resource consensus.”

He acknowledged the underlying toolkit—“snarks,” “roll-ups,” “recursion and folding”—but argued those buzzwords miss the point. “It’s never been about roll-ups, recursion, folding, snarks from a scalability perspective,” he said. “It’s about real world applications.” The claim, in his telling, is that Midnight is one of the few projects positioned to handle “trillions of dollars worth of transactions,” precisely because it targets applications where selective disclosure and privacy are features, not trade-offs.

To make the case that Midnight is already outperforming comparable narratives, Hoskinson cited market-cap and volume figures for other ZK and privacy-adjacent projects and contrasted them with Midnight’s reported activity. He cited Starkware at $410 million market cap with $72 million volume, zkSync at $279 million market cap with $29 million volume, and Mina at $97 million market cap—before highlighting his own project: “Midnight, $1 billion market cap, $1.8 billion trading. It doesn’t even have Binance Spot yet.”

A major reason he believes the market has leaned in, Hoskinson argued, is launch structure—specifically, avoiding the standard fear that insiders will overwhelm liquidity. “And they said, well, can I believe in it? Is there an ICO? Is there an insider? Who the f*** is going to dump on me?” he said. “They just gave it away. Eight different ecosystems, seven chains. All the VCs wanted in, they got nothing. They didn’t get in. We gave it to the people.”

He later tied distribution directly to observed trading intensity. “We have about 1.5 million people that got night tokens,” he said. “That’s why the volume is so f***ing high.”

Midnight Is The ‘ChatGPT For Privacy’

For Cardano itself, Hoskinson’s most pointed strategic claim was that “better, faster, cheaper” is not a durable wedge—even if upcoming upgrades land. “Let’s say Leios ships and Hydra ships and we’re better, faster, and cheaper. Great,” he said. “What reason does someone have to leave Solana? And what reason does someone have to leave Ethereum? Because the transaction fee is 3% less. Okay.”

Instead, he argued Cardano can win by being first to build hybrid applications that route through Midnight and unlock privacy-first financial primitives. “They could go through midnight to Cardano and they get privacy,” he said. “They do something new and different […] private prediction markets, private DEXs, private stablecoins.”

He extended that thinking to Bitcoin-adjacent flows: “Maybe just maybe all those Bitcoin people are going to want to trade on a private DEX instead of a public DEX,” he said. “And maybe we’ll have volumes in the billions of dollars of turnaround every single day.”

Hoskinson repeatedly returned to a simplifying metaphor: Midnight as an abstraction layer that makes heavy cryptography usable. “Everybody else gets jealous. So they’ll go use Midnight too because it’s the ChatGPT of privacy,” he said. “Just send stuff and stuff comes out.” He later described a product-like cadence of improvement: “You basically just have this API. You send something in, you get something back. And every six months it gets better.”

He also framed 2026 as an execution year, sketching an outward-facing expansion plan where Midnight is integrated across major ecosystems in tight succession: “We’re going to do Cardano Midnight. Show them how it’s done. Then we’re gonna do Midnight Ethereum. Two months later, three months later, Midnight Solana… Midnight Avalanche… Midnight Bitcoin.”

The broader ambition, he said, is to move crypto past siloed tribal finance toward one interoperable market. “This is the last generation,” Hoskinson said. “It’s gonna unify the marketplaces and it’s gonna get rid of DeFi and TradFi. And there’s just going to be Fi.”

At press time, Cardano traded at $0.36.

Crypto pundit Finance Bull has advised XRP investors against selling their holdings now despite the market downturn. This came as the pundit explained that the CLARITY Act could pass next year, which he predicts will positively impact the altcoin’s adoption. 

Why XRP Investors Should Think Again About Selling Their Coins

In an X post, Finance Bull told XRP investors to think again if they are considering selling their coins right now. He reminded them that Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse confirmed that the CLARITY Act is expected in early 2026, which the pundit indicated will benefit the token when that happens. 

Finance Bull explained that when the CLARITY Act passes, Ripple will be forced to declare the fate of its XRP in escrow, and that when that happens, the company won’t sell its holdings. Instead, he predicts that they will pre-allocate it to bank corridors, sovereign rails, liquidity hubs powering cross-border settlement, institutional infrastructure, and countries integrating next-generation payment rails. 

Finance Bull further remarked that this flips the entire conversation, as what looks like overhead supply is already reserved, meaning that XRP won’t face a sell-off as some investors may fear. He added that the real move is locked liquidity flowing into banks, FX routes, and custody frameworks, which would boost the altcoin’s adoption. 

The pundit stated that this isn’t about market-making but about monetary wiring and that once Ripple releases its official escrow roadmap, the re-pricing will be instant, irreversible, and demand-driven. 

Interestingly, Finance Bull claimed that BlackRock will be one of the institutions that will adopt the altcoin when there is regulatory clarity through the CLARITY Act. Notably, BlackRock is one of the crypto ETF issuers that has yet to file for a spot XRP ETF, but the pundit has suggested that could change soon. 

Ripple Secures Another Institutional Partnership

In a press release, Ripple announced a strategic partnership with TJM Investments, providing a boost for XRP’s adoption. The crypto firm stated that under the terms of the partnership, it has invested in THM and will continue to provide best-in-class infrastructure to support TJM’s execution and clearing services. 

This builds on the existing relationship between Ripple’s multi-asset prime brokerage platform, Ripple Prime, and TJM. Ripple stated that the expanded partnership will enable TJM offer its clients improved capital and collateral efficiency as well as enhanced clearing stability and balance-sheet support. 

This development comes as Ripple continues to explore ways to enhance the utility of RLUSD and XRP. The firm recently announced plans. The firm recently announced plans to begin testing RLUSD on Base, Optimism, Unichain, and Ink. 

At the time of writing, the altcoin price is trading at around $1.80, down almost 4% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Large on-chain movements involving Bitcoin whales have a way of putting the market on edge, especially when they involve transfers to centralized exchanges. A new transaction involving 5,152 BTC moving into Binance has now raised questions around potential sell pressure at a time when Bitcoin’s price action is fragile, highly reactive, and struggling to get a hold of bullish momentum.

Bitcoin Whale Moves 5,152 BTC Worth $445 Million To Binance

On-chain data identified by whale transaction tracker Lookonchain has revealed that a long-term Bitcoin holder deposited 5,152 BTC, valued at approximately $444.73 million, into Binance. The data, sourced from Arkham Intelligence, shows the wallet belongs to an entity tagged as Bitcoin OG (1011short), a trader known to hold a massive combined long position estimated at around $695 million across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

The size and destination of the transfer immediately drew attention, as coins sent to exchanges are typically interpreted as becoming available for trading activity. Moving such a large amount of BTC onto Binance increases immediate sell-side liquidity and shows that the whale address is in preparation for selling. This follows the recent trend of whale addresses selling their Bitcoin holdings and a general lack of buying pressure for the cryptocurrency.

Interestingly, Lookonchain data shows that the same Bitcoin OG (1011short) wallet recently added another 12,406 ETH to its long exposure, pushing its current holdings to 203,341 ETH worth about $577.5 million, alongside 1,000 BTC valued near $87 million and 250,000 SOL worth roughly $30.7 million. Despite increasing exposure, the wallet is now down more than $70 million, having seen profits fall from over $120 million to less than $30 million at the time of writing.

Bearish Whale Behavior Is Not Isolated

This Binance deposit is not occurring in isolation. Lookonchain also noted activity from another whale address, 0x94d3, which has taken explicitly bearish action over the past several hours. According to the data, the whale sold 255 BTC worth approximately $21.77 million at an average price of $85,378 before opening a 10x leveraged short position on 876.27 BTC, valued at about $76.3 million. The same wallet also initiated a leveraged short on 372.78 ETH worth roughly $1.1 million.

Bitcoin’s recent price action makes these whale moves especially impactful. The leading cryptocurrency has failed to hold above $90,000 again and recently fell to a 24-hour low of $84,581. This movement has seen Bitcoin trading in a volatile range, repeatedly revisiting support zones around the mid-$80,000 region. Upside follow-through above $90,000 has been limited, and this has left the cryptocurrency vulnerable.

Interestingly, a careful look at on-chain data shows that any movement that looks like accumulation in recent days is not organic buying but only reshuffling among wallets.

Ethereum’s price may be hampered by selling pressure, but the leading network continues to experience heavy utilization from developers and users. After robust interaction from the participants,  the blockchain giant emerged once again as the leader in Decentralized Finance (DeFi) lending.

DeFi Lending Still Pays Best On The Ethereum Network

A recent report has underscored Ethereum’s growing dominance within the blockchain sector. The network is solidifying its position as the financial foundation for decentralized finance lending, and the data is starting to present a convincing picture.

A look at the data shared by Leon Waidmann, a market expert and the head of research at On-Chain Foundation, shows that ETH is now the revenue center of DeFi lending. This implies that most of the revenue flowed through the ETH ecosystem, outpacing other major chains like Base, Plasma, and Arbitrum. 

From borrowing fees to interest paid by active users, the ETH network continues to be the key settlement layer where value is persistently created. ETH is at the center of the revenue outlines the network’s usage in addition to its ongoing dominance as the fundamental infrastructure driving DeFi’s most lucrative lending activity.

As seen on the chart, Ethereum mainnet steadily secured over 80% to 90% of all DeFi lending revenue and activity, reinforcing its increasing role in the financial landscape. Interestingly, this share has remained a dominant force even with the vigorous expansion of the Layer 2 and alt-Layer 1 chains.

Data shows that usage may be fragmented, but fees do not. Meanwhile, at the protocol layer, Waidmann highlighted that concentration is quite stronger. Amid this rising DeFi revenue lending, Aave is the core revenue engine on the Ethereum mainnet, attracting more than 50% of the total lending funds. 

This part of the network was also responsible for over 60% of all active loans on ETH. In the end, the project generated approximately $885 million in fees in 2025 alone, reflecting the significant usage of the network.

While Ethereum mainnet secures balance sheets and profits, layer 2s are optimizing execution and User Experience (UX). Waidmann noted that where confidence and liquidity are greatest, DeFi credit markets converge. “Ethereum Mainnet is not being disrupted, but is being reinforced,” the expert added.

Active ETH Addresses Targeting Its Peak

Another instance of robust engagement across the Ethereum network is a spike in active wallet addresses. Joseph Young, a crypto enthusiast, previously highlighted that the active users on the network are drawing close to its all-time high. Such a rise in active addresses suggests a resurgence of interest and conviction among larger and retail investors.

At the time of the post, about 2.4 million wallet addresses were actively interacting with the network every week. This is an indication that tokenization, stablecoins, and privacy infrastructure are all converging on Ethereum. Currently, Young stated ETH is dominating the big three metas, while expressing his conviction in the network’s prospects.

According to David Sacks, the White House’s artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto Czar, the long-awaited crypto market structure bill, the CLARITY Act, which aims to define how regulatory bodies will oversee cryptocurrency markets, is reportedly closer to passing. 

Markups For Crypto Market Structure Bill Set For January

In a recent post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sacks shared insights from a fresh meeting with Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott, indicating that a markup for the CLARITY Act is slated for January. 

The CLARITY Act is designed with a core framework that classifies digital assets into three categories: digital commodities, overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); investment contract assets, regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and permitted stablecoins. 

This structure aims to establish distinct regulatory roles for the CFTC and SEC, require registration for cryptocurrency exchanges, define Qualified Digital Asset Custodians (QDACs) with strict key management protocols, and introduce anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) rules.

However, the bill has faced delays over recent months, primarily due to an extended US government shutdown and ongoing negotiations between Democratic and Republican lawmakers. 

As recent reports by Bitcoinist have indicated, Democrats are advocating for additional time to discuss various crucial issues, including market integrity, financial stability, and ethical considerations surrounding President Trump’s family’s business dealings in the crypto space.

Despite these hurdles, a spokesperson for Chair Scott emphasized the significant progress made by the Senate Banking Committee in creating a robust regulatory framework. 

Meanwhile, the crypto industry is also striving to address concerns regarding the recently passed GENIUS Act, which includes provisions that could exert further limits on stablecoins. 

Contention Grows Over GENIUS Act 

A letter led by the Blockchain Association, signed by over 125 industry players, criticized attempts to reinterpret and expand the existing prohibition on interest linked to stablecoins within the GENIUS Act.

Signed into law by President Trump in July, the GENIUS Act aims to establish a regulatory framework for dollar-backed digital tokens, which are widely known as stablecoins. The act contains a provision that prevents stablecoin issuers from offering “any form of interest or yield.” 

This aspect has ignited a contentious debate between the crypto and banking sectors regarding the extent of the interest prohibition and whether adjustments are necessary.

Banking representatives argue that the prohibition on interest should extend to other entities that provide rewards to stablecoin holders, labeling any attempt to exclude them a “loophole” that contradicts the law’s original intent. They also lobbying Congress to revise the GENIUS provisions as part of the crypto market structure bill.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

A coalition of leading cryptocurrency firms is urging lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee to reject specific provisions concerning stablecoins outlined in the recently passed GENIUS Act. 

This push, coordinated by the Blockchain Association, comes as more than 125 participants from the crypto industry voice their opposition to a proposed reinterpretation of an existing prohibition on stablecoin interest.

Among the organizations backing this letter are the Bitcoin Policy Institute, the Crypto Council for Innovation, the DeFi Education Fund, the Solana Policy Institute, the Digital Chamber, as well as major players like a16z Crypto, Coinbase, Gemini, Kraken, and Ripple.

Stablecoin Law Sparks Conflict

The GENIUS Act, signed into law by President Trump in July, is designed to set a regulatory framework for dollar-backed digital tokens, commonly known as stablecoins. A key element of this legislation is a provision that prevents stablecoin issuers from offering “any form of interest or yield.” 

However, this provision has ignited a contentious debate between the crypto and banking sectors regarding its extent and the necessity for any amendments.

Summer Mersinger, CEO of the Blockchain Association, addressed these concerns in comments to The Hill. “Reopening the issue before we have even started rulemaking just doesn’t make sense,” she stated, emphasizing the importance of maintaining legislative certainty. 

She argued that if Congress can revisit a bill immediately after it has been enacted, it raises questions about the law’s reliability for the marketplace.

The banking industry contends that the prohibition on interest should also apply to other entities that provide rewards to holders of stablecoins. They describe this stance as a crucial measure to address what they view as a “loophole,” asserting that it undermines the original intent aimed at stabilizing the financial ecosystem.

In contrast, the cryptocurrency sector maintains that the existing law strikes a careful balance that enables stablecoins to remain competitive in the payment services market. The letter from industry leaders outlines this perspective, stating: 

Congress prohibited stablecoin issuers from paying interest or yield to those holding stablecoins while intentionally preserving the ability of platforms, intermediaries, and other third parties to offer lawful rewards or incentives to consumers. 

Crypto Industry Challenges Banking Sector Claims

At the heart of the debate are concerns from banks about potential deposit outflows. Financial institutions fear that allowing rewards could incentivize individuals to shift funds into stablecoins, thereby reducing the amount of capital available for lending.

In response to these concerns, the crypto industry has cited an analysis from Charles River Associates, which found no significant correlation between the adoption of stablecoins and levels of deposits at community banks.

Furthermore, they pointed out that it seems contradictory to claim that banks are truly constrained by deposits when approximately $2.9 trillion in bank reserves are currently earning interest at the Federal Reserve (Fed) rather than being utilized for loans.

The industry’s letter challenges the banking sector’s position, stating, “Opposition to stablecoin rewards reflects protection of incumbent revenue models, not safety and soundness concerns.”

Democrats believe that it is possible to find a balanced approach, stating, “Congress can find solutions to this issue that protect the banking system while still permitting rewards and incentives.”

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

On-chain data shows the distribution of the underwater Bitcoin supply has been shifting recently with the share of long-term holders rising.

23.7% Of Bitcoin Supply Is Currently Being Held At A Loss

In its latest weekly report, on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has discussed about the latest trend in the Bitcoin Total Supply in Loss. This metric measures, as its name suggests, the total amount of the cryptocurrency’s supply that’s currently carrying a net unrealized loss.

The indicator works by going through the transaction history of each token in circulation to see what price it was last moved at. If this previous transaction price was lower than the latest spot price for any token, then that particular coin is assumed to be underwater right now.

The Total Supply in Loss adds up all coins of this type to produce a net situation for the network. A counterpart metric called the Total Supply in Profit accounts for the tokens of the opposite type.

Now, here is the chart shared by the analytics firm that shows the trend in the 7-day moving average (MA) of the Total Supply in Loss over the last few years:

As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin Total Supply in Loss witnessed a sharp surge as the asset’s price crashed in November. Since then, the metric has stayed inside the 6 to 7 million BTC range, with its current value being 6.7 million BTC. This phase corresponds to the highest degree of loss on the network since 2023.

Glassnode explained:

Persisting within the 6–7 million BTC range since mid-November, this pattern closely mirrors early transitional phases of prior cycles, where mounting investor frustration preceded a shift toward more pronounced bearish conditions and intensified capitulation at lower prices.

The report has also shed light on how this loss supply is distributed between the two main divisions of the Bitcoin investors based on holding time: short-term holders (STHs) and long-term holders (LTHs). The cutoff between the two groups is 155 days, with investors who purchased inside this window falling in the STHs and those with a longer holding time in LTHs.

As the below chart shows, the Bitcoin loss supply spike last month was initially dominated by STHs.

With the cryptocurrency ranging low since then, the distribution of the loss supply has seen a shift between the two cohorts: LTHs have gained some notable share.

Of the 23.7% Bitcoin supply in circulation that’s underwater right now, 13.5% is held by STHs and 10.2% by LTHs. “This distribution suggests that, much like in prior cycle transitions into deeper bearish regimes, loss-bearing supply accumulated by recent buyers is gradually maturing into the long-term holder cohort,” noted the analytics firm.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $85,400, down more than 5.5% over the last week.

In its latest effort to provide clearer regulatory clarity, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published detailed guidelines for broker-dealers on the custody of crypto assets.

SEC Clarifies Crypto Custody Standards For Broker-Dealers

On Wednesday, the SEC’s staff of the Division of Trading and Markets issued a statement addressed its views on the application of paragraph (b)(1) of Rule 15c3-3 to crypto assets that are considered securities, including tokenized versions of an equity or debt security.

Under Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Rule 15c3-3 requires any broker-dealer to “promptly obtain and thereafter maintain physical possession or control of all fully paid and excess margin securities it carries for the account of customers.”

The new guidelines clarify how “any broker-dealer that carries crypto asset securities for customers, including broker-dealers that conduct a traditional securities business” can maintain compliance with this rule despite tokens being on the blockchain.

According to the SEC’s statement, a broker-dealer can consider itself to have “physical possession” of the crypto assets if it has direct access to the asset and the capability to transfer it on the associated distributed ledger technology (DLT).

Broker-dealers must also conduct and document an throughout assessment “of the distributed ledger technology and the associated network where transfers of ownership of a crypto asset security are recorded prior to undertaking to maintain possession of the crypto asset security, and at reasonable intervals thereafter.”

In additions, they must establish, maintain, and enforce “reasonably designed written policies and procedures” to ensure the assets’ security, the protection of private keys, they have adequate plans to address unexpected disruptions to its possession of the crypto assets, including theft, unauthorized used, network attacks, and hard forks.

This circumstance emphasizes that a broker-dealer has policies, procedures, and controls reasonably designed to help ensure that no other person, including the broker-dealer’s customer or a third-party (including the broker-dealer’s affiliate), has access to the relevant private keys and the ability to transfer the asset without the authorization of the broker-dealer.

Meanwhile, the agency explained that “a broker-dealer does not deem itself to possess a crypto asset security if the broker-dealer is aware of any material security or operational problems or weaknesses with the distributed ledger technology and associated network used to access and transfer the crypto asset security or is aware of other material risks posed to the broker-dealer’s business by custodying the crypto asset security.”

SEC’s Path To Clearer Rules

The SEC affirmed that the statement is part of its efforts to provide greater clarity on the application of federal securities laws to crypto assets. Notably, the regulatory agency recently published guidelines to help educate retail investors about the ways they can hold crypto assets and is pushing to modernize its rules to facilitate an positive market environment.

Earlier this month, the US regulator revealed it is evaluating tokenization to modernize the issuance, trading, and settlement of public equities. SEC chairman Paul Atkins asserted that “Distributed ledger technology and the tokenization of financial assets, including securities, have the potential to transform our capital markets.”

Moreover, Atkins recently stated that the Commission could issue innovation exemption rules for crypto firms in early 2026.  The agency has been considering the rule exemption since July to “permit novel ways of trading and more narrowly tailored forms of relief to facilitate the building of other components of a tokenized securities ecosystem.”

The change would allow crypto firms to quickly launch products without having to comply with “burdensome prescriptive regulatory requirements that hinder productive economic activity.” Instead, they would “be able to comply with certain principles-based conditions designed to achieve the core policy aims of the federal securities laws.”

In a recent crypto crime report, blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis has uncovered a troubling trend in crypto theft. As of now, over $3.4 billion worth of digital assets has been stolen, surpassing the total amount reported in the previous year. Notably, North Korean hackers have been implicated in the majority of these thefts.

Crypto Theft Escalates

The report, published on Thursday, highlights significant alterations in how these thefts are occurring. One alarming statistic shows that compromises of personal wallets have surged, escalating from just 7.3% of the overall stolen value in 2022 to a staggering 44% in 2024. 

Even if the Bybit attack hadn’t dramatically skewed the figures, the share for 2025 would still stand at 37%. Meanwhile, centralized services are facing increasing losses due to private key compromises.

Although such compromises are comparatively infrequent, their scale often accounts for a vast majority of stolen volumes. In fact, private key compromises were responsible for an overwhelming 88% of losses in the first quarter of the year.

Chainalysis also noted a stark escalation in the scale of these attacks, with the ratio between the largest hack and the median of all incidents exceeding 1,000 times for the first time in 2025. 

This implies that funds taken in the largest hacks are now 1,000 times greater than those stolen in typical incidents—a worrying trend that eclipsed even the peak activity during the 2021 bull market.

Record-Breaking Year For DPRK Theft

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) continues to be the most formidable nation-state threat to cryptocurrency security, claiming a record year for digital asset theft despite a substantial decrease in the reported frequency of attacks. 

In 2025, North Korean hackers reportedly stole at least $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency, signifying a 51% increase from the previous year. This is the highest value ever recorded for DPRK-related crypto theft, with these attacks contributing to a record 76% of all service compromises.

The rise in stolen funds can be attributed in part to the DPRK’s tactics. Cybercriminals linked to the regime have increasingly embedded IT workers within cryptocurrency services, allowing them privileged access to high-impact compromises. 

However, a notable evolution in strategy has emerged: DPRK operatives are now impersonating recruiters for well-known Web3 and artificial intelligence (AI) firms. 

This approach involves orchestrating fake hiring processes, which culminate in technical screenings intended to harvest sensitive credentials, source code, and access to systems at current employers.

158,000 Cases Logged In 2025

In a significant finding, the report indicates that personal wallet compromises in 2025 accounted for 20% of the total value stolen. This marks a decline from 44% in 2024, reflecting an evolution in the types and scales of attacks. 

The number of theft incidents skyrocketed to 158,000 in 2025, a threefold increase from the 54,000 recorded in 2022, while unique victims surged from 40,000 to at least 80,000 in the same timeframe. 

Despite this increase in incidents and victims, the total value stolen from individual victims has decreased from $1.5 billion in 2024 to $713 million in 2025. This suggests a shift in focus, where attackers target a larger number of users but steal smaller amounts per person.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Senior researcher at on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has explained how the recent Bitcoin shark “accumulation” is not a sign of organic buying.

Bitcoin Shark-Sized Entities Have Been Growing Recently

In a new post on X, Glassnode senior researcher CryptoVizArt.₿ has talked about the recent growth in the supply attached to the Bitcoin sharks. “Sharks” are defined as the entities carrying between 100 and 1,000 BTC.

At the current exchange rate, the range of this cohort converts to $8.7 million at the lower end and $87 million at the upper one. Due to the significant size involved, sharks are considered as a investor group, although they are less influential than the whales (1,000+ BTC).

Lately, the supply of the sharks has been following a rapid upward trajectory, as the chart shared by CryptoVizArt.₿ shows.

Since November 16th, the Bitcoin sharks have seen their combined balance change from 3.33 million BTC to 3.60 million BTC, reflecting a significant rise of 270,000 tokens. “The key question, however, is whether this reflects genuine net accumulation, or merely internal reshuffling across cohorts, a distinction only deeper on-chain analysis can resolve,” said the Glassnode researcher.

By “reshuffling,” CryptoVizArt.₿ is referring to the merging or splitting of holdings that investors sometimes take part in. For example, a whale deciding to break their balance across multiple wallets can register as a decrease in the whale supply, and an increase in the supply of whatever bracket the smaller holdings fall inside.

Signs point to something similar being a factor behind the recent Bitcoin shark supply increase. Below is another chart shared by the analyst, this one comparing the trend in the supply of the 100,000+ BTC entities against that of the sharks.

The 100,000+ BTC cohort corresponds to the largest of entities on the blockchain, including exchanges, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and custodial services. From the graph, it’s apparent that the holdings of this group have been declining recently.

Interestingly, the amount distributed by the cohort in this drawdown is 300,000 BTC, which is roughly equal to that accumulated by the sharks (270,000 BTC). “This pattern strongly points to wallet reshuffling, not organic accumulation,” noted CryptoVizArt.₿.

Since the 100,000+ BTC bracket also includes exchanges, reshuffling out of these platforms (that is, withdrawals) can still point toward positive accumulation. It turns out, however, that the nature of the reshuffling is truly likely to be internal, as Coinbase made internal wallet transfers amounting to a massive 640,000 BTC alongside this trend.

Based on the data, the analyst has concluded:

The key takeaway is that >90% of the apparent “shark accumulation” is likely driven by internal reshuffling by large custodial entities, rather than net buying by new 100–1K BTC holders.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $87,300, down over 3% in the last seven days.

Ethereum is increasingly struggling to maintain a convincing bullish narrative as market sentiment continues to deteriorate. Price action remains fragile, and a growing number of analysts are openly discussing the possibility that Ethereum is transitioning into a broader bear market phase.

Repeated failures to sustain upside momentum have weakened confidence, while risk appetite across the crypto market continues to fade. As volatility persists and capital rotates defensively, ETH finds itself at the center of a debate between structural weakness in price and resilience beneath the surface.

According to a recent CryptoQuant report, Ethereum’s current state reflects a notable shift in supply behavior across exchanges. The Exchange Supply Ratio (ESR), which tracks the proportion of ETH held on centralized trading platforms, has been steadily declining across all major exchanges.

This trend signals that a smaller share of the circulating supply is readily available for immediate sale, a critical factor when evaluating supply-and-demand dynamics.

Historically, declining exchange balances suggest reduced selling pressure, as investors move assets into self-custody or long-term storage rather than preparing to liquidate. In the current environment, this structural change adds nuance to the bearish narrative.

Exchange Supply Declines Signal Structural Shift

The report highlights a pronounced decline in Ethereum’s Exchange Supply Ratio (ESR), reinforcing the view that supply dynamics are quietly shifting beneath the surface. Across all platforms, the ESR has fallen to approximately 0.137, one of its lowest readings since 2016.

This sustained drop reflects a steady outflow of ETH from exchanges into external wallets, signaling a reduced inclination toward immediate selling and a growing preference for long-term holding. Historically, similar patterns have emerged during re-accumulation phases or in transitional periods that follow extended volatility, often preceding more stable price behavior.

The trend is even more evident on Binance, where the ESR has declined to roughly 0.0325. As the exchange with the deepest liquidity, Binance’s balances serve as a key barometer for short-term supply conditions. The ongoing withdrawal of ETH from its wallets suggests a meaningful reduction in spot-side sellable supply, pointing to increased trader caution rather than aggressive distribution.

At the same time, Ethereum is trading near $2,960, a mid-range level that reflects a temporary equilibrium between buyers and sellers. The combination of falling exchange supply and relatively stable pricing indicates that the market is not under heavy selling pressure.

Instead, it appears to be entering a phase of liquidity absorption and strategic repositioning, where participants reduce exposure to short-term trades while preparing for a potential shift in market structure.

Ethereum Price Struggles Below Key Trend Levels

The daily ETH chart highlights a market that remains structurally fragile despite short-term stabilization. After failing to hold above the $3,200–$3,300 region, Ethereum has continued to print lower highs, confirming a loss of bullish momentum since late October. Price is currently trading around the $2,850–$2,900 area, a zone that has acted as a short-term demand pocket but lacks strong follow-through from buyers.

From a trend perspective, ETH remains below its short- and medium-term moving averages. The 50-day moving average has rolled over and is now acting as dynamic resistance, while the 100-day moving average is also trending lower.

The 200-day moving average sits higher, reinforcing the idea that Ethereum has shifted from a trending market into a corrective or distribution phase. As long as price remains capped below these levels, rallies are likely to be sold into rather than extended.

Volume dynamics reinforce this view. Recent rebounds have occurred on relatively muted volume compared to the heavy selling seen during prior breakdowns, suggesting reactive short covering rather than fresh demand.

Structurally, ETH needs to reclaim and hold above the $3,100–$3,200 range to rebuild a bullish case. Failure to do so keeps the risk tilted toward continued consolidation or a deeper corrective leg toward lower support levels.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum is struggling to maintain a convincing bullish narrative as market conditions continue to deteriorate and a growing number of analysts begin to call for a broader bear market. After months of heightened volatility and repeated corrective phases, price action alone has failed to restore confidence, leaving participants increasingly cautious.

This hesitation is now being reflected clearly in on-chain data, reinforcing the idea that the current weakness is not purely technical, but structural.

According to a recent CryptoQuant report, Ethereum’s network activity has dropped to levels that strongly suggest a withdrawal of retail participation. Active sending addresses have fallen toward the 170,000 mark, a threshold historically associated with reduced engagement from smaller investors. In past cycles, retail activity typically expands during bullish phases as new participants enter the market, then contracts sharply once confidence fades and price momentum weakens.

Prolonged volatility and corrective price action have likely eroded Ethereum’s short-term conviction, pushing retail participants either to the sidelines or out of the market entirely. This absence matters. Retail flow often plays a critical role in sustaining momentum during recoveries, and without it, upside moves tend to stall quickly.

On-Chain Signals Point to Exhaustion, Not Capitulation

According to CryptoOnchain’s analysis, Ethereum’s sharply depressed on-chain activity aligns with a classic phase of seller exhaustion rather than active capitulation. In this regime, selling pressure gradually diminishes as participants willing to exit have largely done so, yet fresh demand has not meaningfully returned. The result is a fragile equilibrium where price may stabilize, but upside remains limited in the absence of new buyers.

The lack of retail participation plays a central role in this dynamic. Retail flow typically provides the initial momentum during early rebounds, amplifying price moves once confidence begins to recover. With active sending addresses at one-year lows, that catalyst is currently missing, which helps explain why upside attempts have been shallow and short-lived.

However, this same environment has historically attracted larger, long-term participants. Institutional and high-conviction holders often accumulate during periods of low activity, when liquidity is thin, and sentiment is decisively negative.

Importantly, a credible recovery signal would not emerge from price action alone. CryptoOnchain emphasizes that a sustainable shift would require a gradual rebound in active sending addresses alongside price stabilization.

That combination would point to returning demand and improving network utilization. Conversely, continued stagnation or further declines in address activity would increase the risk of Ethereum entering a deeper consolidation or even a demand-destruction phase.

While current conditions highlight clear short-term weakness and retail disengagement, similar on-chain setups have historically formed near structural bottoms, creating the potential for medium-term trend shifts if activity begins to recover.

Ethereum Price Struggles at Key Structural Support

Ethereum’s price action on the 3-day chart reflects a market caught between structural support and persistent bearish pressure. After failing to hold above the $3,200–$3,300 region, ETH has rolled over and is now consolidating near the $2,850 area, a zone that aligns closely with the 200-day moving average. This level has historically acted as a medium-term inflection point, making it critical for bulls to defend in order to avoid a deeper trend shift.

The recent rejection from the $4,000–$4,800 highs marks a clear lower high within the broader structure, reinforcing the idea that momentum has weakened since late 2025. While price briefly reclaimed the 100-day moving average during the mid-year rebound, it failed to sustain acceptance above it, and ETH has since slipped back below the shorter-term averages. This suggests that rallies are still being sold into rather than accumulated aggressively.

Price action aligns with a market transitioning into consolidation rather than immediate capitulation. If ETH loses the $2,800–$2,750 support zone decisively, downside risk opens toward the $2,400 region, where the long-term trend support converges.

Conversely, any bullish recovery would require ETH to stabilize above the 200-day moving average and reclaim the $3,200 level with expanding volume. Until then, the chart favors a cautious, range-bound outlook with downside risks still present.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price action has entered a conflicted phase, with renewed institutional inflows clashing against clear signs of market stress. After peaking above $126,000 earlier this year, the world’s largest crypto has retreated sharply and is now trading more than 30% below its all-time high.

Related Reading: Bipartisan SAFE Crypto Act Unveiled: New Task Force To Combat Digital Asset Scams

While some capital has returned through exchange-traded funds (ETFs), broader market signals suggest that selling pressure and weak participation continue to weigh on sentiment. Consequently, recent weeks have shown that Bitcoin’s recovery attempts remain fragile.

Long-Term Holders Drive Persistent Supply Pressure

A major source of downside pressure has been sustained selling by long-term holders. Data from K33 Research shows that roughly 1.6 million BTC that had been dormant for at least two years has been sold since early 2023. In 2025 alone, more than $300 billion worth of long-held Bitcoin has re-entered circulation.

Analysts note that this type of distribution creates gradual, grinding declines rather than sharp capitulation events. With fewer active buyers in the market, the reactivated supply has proven difficult to absorb.

Blockchain data indicates that the past month marked one of the heaviest long-term holder sell-offs in over five years, reinforcing the idea that structural selling remains unresolved.

ETF Inflows Return, But Demand Remains Uneven

Institutional demand has shown brief signs of recovery. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $457 million in net inflows on December 17, snapping a multi-day outflow streak. Fidelity’s Bitcoin fund accounted for the majority of the inflows, with BlackRock also posting gains.

Despite this rebound, ETF activity has been inconsistent. December inflows remain modest compared with earlier in the year, following nearly $3.5 billion in ETF outflows in November.

Market observers say these inflows, while supportive, have not yet been large or sustained enough to offset ongoing sell-side pressure from long-term holders and cautious retail participation.

Technical Signals and Market Structure Favor Bears

From a technical perspective, Bitcoin continues to flash bearish signals. The price has traded within a broad $82,000–$95,000 range for over a month, forming patterns such as an inverse cup and handle on the daily chart. Bitcoin has also slipped below key moving averages, while momentum indicators suggest sellers remain in control.

Recent liquidation events have reinforced this weakness. Around $152 million in Bitcoin positions were liquidated in a single day, and derivatives open interest has declined since the October market crash tied to macroeconomic shocks and tariff-related concerns.

Related Reading: XRP Ledger Adds Military-Grade Security Via Payments Engine Standard

Bitcoin remains caught between sporadic institutional inflows and persistent structural pressure. Until selling from long-term holders eases and liquidity improves, downside risks are likely to remain part of the market’s near-term outlook.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

Dogecoin and Shiba Inu have secured a place in Coinbase’s latest product expansion, a notable moment for meme coins within the regulated crypto derivatives market. Coinbase confirmed the launch of US perpetual-style futures trading in an announcement on X for a range of altcoins on Coinbase Derivatives, available around the clock.

Coinbase Expands Derivatives Access With Meme Coins Included

According to a recent announcement on X, US Perpetual-Style Futures are now live on Coinbase Derivatives. Among a lineup dominated by established layer-one networks and infrastructure tokens, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu stood out as the only meme-based assets included, showing how these tokens are being positioned within institutional-grade trading environments.

The new product rollout allows both retail and institutional traders to access US-regulated perpetual-style futures through approved Futures Commission Merchants. Coinbase is effectively placing both meme coins alongside assets such as Cardano, Chainlink, and Polkadot in its derivatives ecosystem with its extension of this offering to Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. In the case of Shiba Inu, the newly listed futures contract comes with a 1,000x multiplier.

This means that demand for structured exposure to these leading meme coins has grown beyond spot trading, with traders increasingly seeking hedging and leverage tools tied to them.

What This Means For DOGE And SHIB Moving Forward

Recent price action for both Dogecoin and Shiba Inu has offered little encouragement. Both cryptocurrencies are currently locked in an extended declining price action and low whale activity, except for a spike in whale activity witnessed by Shiba Inu earlier in the month. This occurred in tandem with a +1.06 trillion net change to the amount of SHIB on exchanges, which is also another sign of the intense selling pressure surrounding the meme coin.

However, behind the scenes, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu might be working towards a bullish momentum in their fundamentals. For one, the availability of perpetual-style futures for Dogecoin and Shiba Inu could add to how traders interact with these assets. Futures markets often attract higher trading volumes and more sophisticated participants, which can influence price discovery and volatility patterns. 

As the largest crypto exchange in the United States, Coinbase provides the best regulated gateway for institutional traders. Therefore, this development may increase institutional visibility for Dogecoin and Shiba Inu in the US market while also providing traders with new ways to manage risk.

At the time of writing, Shiba Inu is trading at $0.000007523, down by 3% in the past 24 hours. Notably, the meme coin is currently trading at its lowest price point in over a year. 

Dogecoin is also trading at its lowest price point in over a year. The king of meme coins is currently trading at $0.1256, down by 3.2% in the past 24 hours.

XRP is closing out 2025 caught between two opposing forces. On one side, price action has weakened, technical indicators are flashing caution, and liquidity has thinned as the holidays approach.

On the other hand, analysts continue to publish ambitious upside targets, while fresh narratives around utility, adoption, and yield generation keep the token in focus. The result is a market struggling to reconcile near-term pressure with longer-term expectations.

After spending much of the year underperforming other large-cap cryptocurrencies, XRP has slipped below the closely watched $2 level. That breakdown has sharpened debate over whether the market is entering a deeper correction or simply extending a prolonged consolidation phase.

XRP Price Structure Shows Growing Strain

Technical analysts point to mounting downside risks. XRP has formed what some describe as a higher-timeframe double-top near the $3.30–$3.40 region, with momentum indicators rolling over.

The $1.85–$1.90 zone is now acting as a critical support area. A confirmed break below that range could expose XRP to a deeper pullback toward the $1.60–$1.65 region, aligning with key Fibonacci retracement levels.

Additional on-chain metrics add to the cautious tone. XRP continues to trade well above its realized price, a condition that in previous cycles has preceded mean-reversion pullbacks.

Meanwhile, moving averages and momentum indicators, such as the MACD, remain tilted to the downside, reinforcing the view that sellers retain control in the short term.

Analysts Split Between Caution and Optimism

Despite the weak chart structure, some analysts argue that the broader narrative has not changed materially. Vincent Van Code has noted that while XRP’s price performance disappointed in 2025, there has been no clear fundamental shock to explain the decline.

Legal clarity around Ripple, ongoing institutional interest, and XRPL development remain intact, suggesting the disconnect may be driven more by market structure and liquidity than by fundamentals.

Others are more explicit with upside targets. Analyst Dark Defender, who previously identified the $1.88 support zone, argues that XRP has completed a corrective phase under Elliott Wave analysis.

From that perspective, targets around $5.85 remain possible in the next major advance, though timing depends heavily on broader market conditions.

Utility Narratives and Speculation Add Noise

Beyond price charts, new narratives are complicating sentiment. Reports highlighting XRP-based yield strategies, including mining-related platforms, have circulated widely; however, these claims vary in transparency and risk, and are not directly tied to XRP’s core protocol.

Separately, unconfirmed rumors suggesting that EA Sports may explore XRP for in-game payments have briefly reignited discussion around mass adoption, even as no official confirmation has emerged.

XRP currently sits at an uncomfortable crossroads. Technical pressure is real, downside risks remain, and patience is being tested. At the same time, bold analyst targets and recurring adoption stories ensure the token remains one of the most closely watched assets heading into early 2026.

Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart from Tradingview

Analysts have calculated that passive funds could pull as much as $11.6 billion from companies that treat large crypto holdings as corporate treasuries if MSCI removes them from its indexes, a move that would force index-tracking vehicles to sell shares.

Reports say that number comes from adding direct MSCI-tracked outflows to possible follow-on selling by other index providers.

Estimated Outflows Range

The figure sits inside a wider band of estimates. Some analysts and press pieces put the possible damage anywhere between $10 billion and $15 billion, depending on whether other major index providers copy MSCI’s decision and how much passive money is forced to move.

The analysis that produced these numbers looked at roughly 39 listed companies that meet MSCI’s proposed definition of a digital-asset treasury firm.

MSCI’s Proposal And The Mechanics

According to MSCI’s own consultation documents, the index provider is reviewing a rule that would treat companies holding more than 50% of their assets in digital assets as non-constituents of its broad equity indexes.

MSCI extended the consultation through December and said it expects to announce conclusions by January 15, 2026, with any changes applied in the February 2026 index review. If a firm is removed, funds that track MSCI benchmarks typically must reduce or sell their stakes automatically.

We spell out the potential implications of MSCI’s proposed 50% DAT exclusion rule: https://t.co/ceJZU0dRTP pic.twitter.com/5CixFrEYVR

— George Mekhail (@gmekhail) December 17, 2025

Strategy Stands Out

JPMorgan’s work has been singled out in multiple reports. According to that note, Strategy alone could face about $2.8 billion in passive outflows if removed from MSCI indexes, and larger losses if other index families follow.

Analysts say Strategy’s unique position — with a very high share of its balance sheet in Bitcoin — makes it the single biggest driver of the total outflow math.

Risk To Crypto Holdings

Some sectors warn that, beyond stock selling, the companies themselves might liquidate crypto positions to meet margin or liquidity needs, which could push crypto asset sales toward a figure as high as $15 billion in the worst scenarios. That would add direct selling pressure to both the equities and crypto markets.

Industry Pushback

Based on reports, a group named Bitcoin For Corporations, along with several affected firms, pushed back, saying the MSCI test relies on a single balance-sheet threshold that doesn’t reflect how these companies actually operate.

The campaign has drawn public comments and petitions; several reports put the signature count at about 1,200 to 1,300. Companies have filed feedback with MSCI and have argued for an operations-based classification instead of a holdings-based cut-off.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A long-dormant Shiba Inu wallet that on-chain watchers have tracked since the meme coin’s early days just pinged the market again — this time by sending a chunky clip of SHIB to an exchange.

According to posts from on-chain analyst 余烬 (@EmberCN), the address moved roughly 469 billion SHIB (about $3.64 million) into OKX roughly nine hours before the post hit X on Dec. 18, 2025.

Mega Whale Stuns Shiba Inu Community

In 2020, the “top whale” who bought 1.03 trillion $SHIB (17.4% of the total supply) using only 37.8 ETH ($13.7K), transferred 469 billion SHIB ($3.64 million) into #OKX 9 hours ago,” EmberCN wrote.

That “top whale” label is doing a lot of work here. The wallet is known for an almost absurd entry: buying roughly 103 trillion SHIB back in 2020 for just 37.8 ETH. Then the 2021 mania happened. At the cycle peak, that stake would have been worth around $9.1 billion. And the whale, famously, didn’t cash most of it.

EmberCN says the address still controls about 96.684 trillion SHIB, or roughly 16.4% of total supply, valued around $722–$726 million depending on the price snapshot used. “At the 2021 price peak, his 1.03 trillion SHIB was worth $9.1 billion. He has not sold the vast majority of these coins yet, and currently still holds up to 96.684 trillion SHIB (16.4% of the total supply), worth $726 million,” @EmberCN explained.

The reason traders care about “to OKX” is obvious: deposits to exchanges can be a prelude to selling, collateralizing, or rotating into something else. Still, a deposit is not a sale. Overall, it’s unclear whether the SHIB has been dumped yet.

Zoom out and it’s not the first time the wallet has stirred. EmberCN previously flagged activity in July 2023, describing transfers of 1.5 trillion SHIB split across three addresses (500 billion each) after a long dormant stretch.

On July 12, already alerted the Shiba Inu community when he posted: “After being dormant for 610 days, he made another move: 4 hours ago, he transferred 1.5 trillion SHIB to 3 addresses, with 500 billion SHIB ($3.75M) to each address. He bought 1.03 quadrillion $SHIB, and only sold 1.9 trillion SHIB ($18.79M) in 2021 at a price of 0.0000098. The remaining 1.01 quadrillion (17.2% of the total SHIB supply) is distributed across 17 addresses and held to this day, with a current total value of $760 million.”

So, is this “the” sell signal? Maybe. Maybe not. But when an entity sitting on 16.4% of supply starts routing size toward an exchange again, the market tends to stop scrolling.

At press time, SHIB was down 3.9% over the past 24 hours, more or less tracking the broader market wide pullback in the same window. On the chart, it’s not pretty: the current weekly candle has broken below a key support zone around $0.00000790.

That puts the Oct. 10 low at $0.00000680 back in play as the next obvious downside check. If that level gives way, traders will likely start eyeing the June 2023 low near $0.00000543 as the next major reference point.