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After losing more than half its value from the 2025 peak, XRP has entered a period of calm that may prove temporary. Analysts say the current consolidation phase near $1.40 coincides with several rare market conditions, from key inflation data to multi-year technical confirmations, that could influence the asset’s next major move.

Related Reading: Coinbase CEO Sees ‘Win-Win’ Outcome For Delayed Crypto Market Structure Bill

At the center of attention is upcoming U.S. inflation data, alongside growing debate among analysts over whether XRP is forming a long-term base or preparing for another corrective leg.

Macro Data and Market Liquidity Take Center Stage

XRP has been trading around the $1.40–$1.45 region as investors await the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report, the inflation gauge closely monitored by the Federal Reserve. The data, published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, could influence expectations around interest rates.

Recent real-time inflation estimates suggest cooling price pressures, raising hopes that monetary conditions could eventually ease. Analysts note that softer inflation could support crypto through improved liquidity, while stronger-than-expected data may strengthen the dollar and weigh on speculative assets.

Market commentators increasingly argue that XRP’s performance is tied less to crypto-specific developments and more to broader financial conditions. Several analysts say liquidity has yet to fully return to markets following the 2025 cycle peak, suggesting volatility may persist in the near term.

Technical Structure Signals a Pivotal Phase

From a technical perspective, XRP remains in a broader downtrend after falling more than 60% from its July 2025 high near $3.66. However, recent price action has drawn attention after a sharp drop to $1.11 successfully retested a multi-year breakout level formed in late 2024.

Analysts describe the current $1.30–$1.80 range as historically underdeveloped, meaning the market may be building structural support before a larger move. Fibonacci projections cited by traders outline potential upside targets near $5 and, in extended scenarios, much higher levels if bullish momentum returns.

Short-term indicators still show sellers maintaining a slight edge, though downside momentum has slowed compared with earlier in the year.

Forecast Revisions Reflect Mixed Outlook

Institutional expectations remain divided. Standard Chartered recently lowered its 2026 XRP price forecast from $8 to $2.8, citing challenging market conditions. Despite the downgrade, the bank maintained optimistic longer-term projections extending toward the end of the decade.

Meanwhile, some analysts warn the market may not have reached a full cycle bottom yet, pointing to historical patterns that suggest consolidation could continue through 2026. Others highlight recurring macro structures that previously preceded major rallies.

Related Reading: Russia May Block Global Crypto Exchanges Ahead Of New Regulatory Framework – Report

According to market data from CoinMarketCap and derivatives analytics by CoinGlass, XRP remains under pressure but is showing signs of stabilization. Analysts say the market now reflects a clash between short-term weakness and longer-term optimism, with global liquidity likely to determine the next move.

Cover image from ChatGPT, XRPUSD chart from Tradingview

On-chain data has sparked intense discussion and concern in the crypto market after revealing that XRP supply on Coinbase has plunged by 90% while reserves on Binance have fallen to their lowest levels since 2024. This sharp decline coincides with speculation that the world’s largest asset management company, BlackRock, may be quietly accumulating significant amounts of the token through crypto exchanges. 

XRP On Coinbase Decline As BlackRock Investment Rumors Intensify 

Crypto commentator Ledger Man ignited the debate earlier this Tuesday in a post on X, highlighting concerns about Coinbase’s declining XRP reserves and the growing speculation surrounding BlackRock’s potential involvement with the cryptocurrency. He suggested that the sharp reduction in the altcoin held on Coinbase could point to large-scale off-exchange accumulation. 

Ledger Man claimed that BlackRock may be buying substantial amounts of XRP through Coinbase. According to his estimates, the asset management giant may already control between 200 million and 400 million XRP if the withdrawals are tied to institutional buying. 

While the claims have not been confirmed, the extent of its exchange decline is hard to ignore. A 90% drop in supply on one of the largest US exchanges signals either aggressive self-custody moves or major institutional transfers, and Ledger Man leans towards the latter. 

Given BlackRock’s expanding footprint in digital assets, speculation about a potential investment in the cryptocurrency is hardly surprising. Over the years, the asset management giant has steadily deepened its involvement in the crypto market, fueling rumors that it may be expanding its exposure beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum products. 

In particular, after launching spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, speculation spread across the crypto community that BlackRock may be setting its sights on an XRP ETF next. However, those claims ultimately proved to be false. 

Notably, the altcoin, with its established cross-border payment focus and diverse use cases, could fit into a longer-term portfolio strategy for many organizations, as seen in recent investment activity by Goldman Sachs. However, the cryptocurrency remains a largely speculative and volatile asset. 

Binance Reserves Crash To 2024 Levels

As supply on Coinbase fell by 90%, XRP reserves on Binance also plummeted, reaching their lowest level since early 2024. According to CryptoQuant data shared by market analyst Ripple Bull Winkle, a whopping 700 million XRP has left Binance since its November 2025 peak. 

At current prices, the analyst noted that this substantial amount represents hundreds of millions of dollars withdrawn from exchange wallets. The scale of the outflow has raised concerns about large holders’ intentions, whether they are preparing for long-term accumulation or short-term trading. 

Ripple Bull Winkle framed the recent development in simple terms, highlighting that investors typically sell on exchanges, but move assets off these platforms when they plan to hold. In that context, declines in exchange reserves could indicate reduced immediate sell pressure on XRP.

Solana’s (SOL) latest price action is drawing increased attention from traders as derivatives data and technical indicators converge around a critical level.

With SOL trading near $80 after a sharp decline, futures markets are showing signs of stress, while broader ecosystem developments present a contrasting longer-term narrative. The coming sessions may determine whether the current pullback stabilizes or evolves into a deeper correction.

Futures Market Pressure Builds Around Key Support

Recent derivatives data show mounting liquidation risk as leveraged bullish positions unwind. According to market analytics, falling open interest alongside negative funding rates suggests traders are closing positions rather than adding new exposure. This typically signals weakening confidence in short-term price recovery.

As SOL approaches the psychologically important $80 mark, long liquidations have accelerated. Forced selling in futures markets can amplify downward moves, creating a feedback loop where declining prices trigger additional liquidations.

Analysts note that a confirmed break below $80 could expose lower support zones near $75 and potentially the $70–$60 range if bearish momentum persists.

Technical structures reinforce the cautious outlook. A weekly head-and-shoulders pattern and a developing bear flag on lower timeframes both point to downside risks, with some projections targeting the $50–$57 region if support fails.

Mixed Signals From Technical Indicators and Market Sentiment

Despite persistent selling pressure, some indicators suggest the market may be nearing exhaustion. RSI readings hover close to oversold territory, historically a zone where short-term rebounds can occur. However, momentum indicators and trend strength measurements still favor sellers.

Funding rates turning negative also reveal a shift in positioning, with short exposure increasing across derivatives markets. Data referenced by Santiment shows declining social activity and fading speculative interest compared with 2025 highs, reflecting cooler sentiment across the Solana ecosystem.

Short-term resistance remains clustered between $83 and $90, while failure to reclaim those levels keeps the broader downtrend intact.

Institutional Growth Offers Longer-Term Support

While price action remains fragile, network fundamentals continue to show expansion.

Research from Messari indicates that RWA value on Solana grew nearly 59% quarter-over-quarter to reach $1.1 billion. Much of the increase has been driven by tokenized treasury products, including funds linked to BlackRock and yield products from Ondo Finance.

Total value locked on the network is also approaching $10 billion, highlighting continued institutional experimentation with tokenized finance despite market volatility.

For now, traders remain focused on whether buyers defend the $80 level. A successful hold could stabilize sentiment and reduce liquidation pressure, while a decisive breakdown may set the stage for another wave of selling across the Solana market.

Cover image from ChatGPT, SOLUSD chart on Tradingview

The Ethereum Foundation’s protocol track leads published a new “Protocol Priorities Update for 2026” on Feb. 18, outlining how core R&D will be organized this year and what the next upgrade cycle is expected to emphasize.

Ethereum’s Priorities In 2026

The update looks back at 2025 as a high-throughput year for mainnet changes, anchored by two network upgrades. Pectra shipped in May, Fusaka followed in December with PeerDAS on mainnet. Alongside those upgrades, the community increased the mainnet gas limit from 30 million to 60 million, calling it the first significant jump since 2021.

The main change is organizational. “Now that those milestones are behind us, we have the opportunity to think about how we organize our work at a slightly higher level,” the authors wrote. For 2026, Protocol work is grouped into three tracks: Scale, Improve UX, and Harden the L1, each with named leads.

The Scale track, led by Ansgar Dietrichs, Marius van der Wijden, and Raúl Kripalani, merges last year’s “Scale L1” and “Scale Blobs” initiatives into one effort. The foundation frames this as a pragmatic consolidation, because execution capacity, networking, and consensus changes tend to land in the same client code and influence each other.

On the roadmap, the update highlights continued gas limit increases “toward and beyond 100M,” supported by block-level access lists via EIP-7928 and ongoing client benchmarking. It also flags “the scaling components of Glamsterdam,” including enshrined PBS through EIP-7732, repricings, and further blob parameter increases.

Beyond that, the Scale track includes pushing a zkEVM attester client from prototype toward production readiness, and longer-run state scaling work that spans near-term repricing and history expiry through to binary trees and statelessness.

The Improve UX track, led by Barnabé Monnot and Matt Garnett, narrows in on two areas the foundation calls the most leverage for 2026 usability: native account abstraction and interoperability.

On account abstraction, the update positions EIP-7702 as a step toward an endpoint where smart contract wallets become the default without bundlers, relayers, or extra gas overhead. It points to proposals including EIP-7701 and EIP-8141, described as “Frame Transactions,” as work that moves smart account logic deeper into the protocol itself.

That UX roadmap is also tied to security direction. The foundation argues native account abstraction provides a cleaner migration path away from ECDSA-based authentication, and says parallel proposals aim to make quantum-resistant signature verification meaningfully cheaper inside the EVM.

Interoperability work builds on the Open Intents Framework with the stated goal of “seamless, trust-minimized cross-L2 interactions,” supported by faster L1 confirmations and shorter L2 settlement times.

The new Harden the L1 track, led by Fredrik Svantes, Parithosh Jayanthi, and Thomas Thiery, is framed as insurance policy work that preserves Ethereum’s core properties while scaling continues.

The update ties security efforts to Svantes’ Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, including post-quantum readiness and execution-layer safeguards like post-execution transaction assertions and “trustless RPCs.”

On censorship resistance, Thiery’s scope includes FOCIL via EIP-7805 and extensions that touch censorship resistance for blobs, statelessness work labeled VOPS, and the development of measurable censorship-resistance metrics. Jayanthi’s remit covers devnets, testnets, and client interoperability testing, which the foundation says becomes more critical if Ethereum moves into a faster fork cadence.

Looking ahead, the foundation targets Glamsterdam for the first half of 2026, with Hegotá planned later in the year. The stated ambition bundles parallel execution, significantly higher gas limits, enshrined PBS, continued blob scaling, and progress on censorship resistance, native account abstraction, and post-quantum security, with more track-level updates promised as the year unfolds.

At press time, Ethereum traded at $1,968.

Террористические и экстремистские группировки, а также «криминальные организованные сообщества» стали все чаще эксплуатировать цифровые активы для совершения преступлений, заявил президент России Владимир Путин.

Американский сенатор-республиканец Берни Морено (Bernie Moreno) заявил, что продвигаемый администрацией президента США Дональда Трампа законопроект CLARITY о разделении полномочий финансовых регуляторов будет принят через пару месяцев.

US senator Elizabeth Warren has sent a sharp note to regulators, warning against any move that could let public money shore up the crypto market. She argues such steps would hand a windfall to the richest holders in the sector and risk fueling public anger.

Reports say her letter was aimed at preventing what she calls an unfair transfer of wealth from everyday taxpayers to well-connected crypto owners.

Calls For Clear Boundaries

Warren’s message was short on technical detail but heavy on tone. She told officials to avoid buying or guaranteeing crypto assets, and to steer clear of emergency facilities that might prop up prices.

Her stance puts political pressure on supervisors who face a choice between market calm and public scrutiny.

A Private Forum, A Public Question

Reports note that the push came as a new crypto forum was held at Mar-a-Lago, where industry figures and policy allies gathered. The event was hosted by World Liberty Financial, which is linked to US President Donald Trump.

That coincidence gave extra weight to worries about conflicts and how any help might look if delivered while a president-linked firm is active in the space.

Seized Assets And Limits

At a federal oversight meeting, questions were raised about what officials could do. During that session, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked pointed questions about whether the Treasury could intervene or use seized assets in ways that would affect markets.

He said the government is keeping Bitcoin it obtained through seizures, calling those holdings an asset of the US rather than taxpayer money.

The point was pressed by Congressman Brad Sherman, and the discussion took place under the umbrella of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was also on the list of recipients of Warren’s letter, reflecting how the issue crosses agencies.

Bitcoin Price Movement

Bitcoin has recently fallen below important levels of support, with prices falling below $67,000-$70,000 due to risk-off sentiment in the market.

The overall risk-off sentiment in the market has been driven by increasing geopolitical tensions, specifically in the Middle East, which has seen Bitcoin prices fall alongside equities and other risk-related assets.

Traders are closely observing the current price action as it tests short-term levels of support, which are indicative of the impact of global events on the sentiment of the cryptocurrency market.

Despite the challenging environment, some investors have cited the ability of Bitcoin to withstand previous geopolitical events, which have seen overall trends and macro forces re-emerge after periods of initial market volatility.

Political Stakes And Public Money

Warren frames the debate as a fairness test. Any program designed to steady crypto would, in her view, be felt first by the wealthiest insiders — the exact group she singled out.

She warned that even talk of special facilities or guaranteed purchases would inflame voters and create the impression that officials are protecting a narrow economic class.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Societe Generale’s digital-asset arm SG-FORGE has launched its euro stablecoin, EUR CoinVertible, on the XRP Ledger, extending a deployment that already spans Ethereum and Solana and putting another bank-issued, compliance-forward asset into the XRPL ecosystem.

Cassie Craddock, Ripple’s UK & Europe managing director, celebrated the go-live in a post that leaned heavily on the “institutional” framing. “Delighted that EUR CoinVertible is live on the XRP Ledger! A win for the ecosystem. Proud to have Ripple’s custody tech powering this milestone,” she wrote.

XRP Ledger Lands Major TradFi Win

In its February 18, 2026 press release, SG-FORGE described the XRPL integration as part of a “multi-chain deployment strategy,” explicitly positioning the ledger alongside Ethereum and Solana rather than as a one-off experiment. The firm said it expects the move to “increase adoption” by tapping XRPL’s scalability, speed, and low costs on what it called a “secure and decentralized Layer 1 blockchain.”

That line matters because it clarifies the target user: not retail “stablecoin tourists,” but institutions that care about predictable settlement characteristics and operational risk. In parallel messaging shared on social channels, SG-FORGE framed the choice in plain infrastructure terms, performance, cost, and architecture, rather than community affinity or token narratives.

Ripple’s involvement is not merely promotional. SG-FORGE said the XRPL launch is “supported by Ripple’s custody solution,” and it flagged follow-on paths that sound tailored to professional trading and treasury workflows: potential integration into Ripple’s product suite and use of EUR CoinVertible as trading collateral.

Craddock echoed that institutional positioning in the release itself, describing SG-FORGE as “a pioneer… market-leading crypto-assets offering.” She added: “Ripple is proud to have played a part… providing proven and trusted technology.”

Ripple staff also used the moment to underline how these launches tend to happen in practice. One Ripple employee, Luke Judges, wrote that the partnership is real and added: “A top 10 European bank with $1.8TN in assets does not follow XRP ledger community norms or niceties and has their own compliance reqs & timescale for announcements.”

For SG-FORGE, the XRPL rollout also reads like a delivered roadmap item. Back in November 2024, the firm publicly signaled its intent to deploy its MiCA-aligned euro stablecoin on XRPL to broaden adoption, language that closely matches the rationale in today’s announcement.

Jean-Marc Stenger, CEO of SG-FORGE, framed the XRPL go-live as a continuation of that regulated product push. “The successful launch of EUR CoinVertible on the XRP Ledger is a new step. We look forward to further innovation and expanding the reach,” he said.

At press time, XRP traded at $1.42.

Участник исполнительного совета Европейского центрального банка (ЕЦБ) Пьеро Чиполлоне (Piero Cipollone) на заседании исполнительного комитета Итальянской банковской ассоциации сообщил, что до конца марта европейский финансовый регулятор проведет отбор поставщиков платежных услуг (PSP) для цифрового евро.

Прокуратура Южной Кореи получила от неназванного хакера биткоины на сумму около $21,4 млн, которые были украдены из кошелька с конфискованными криптовалютными активами.

Сыновья президента США Эрик Трамп и Дональд Трамп-младший назвали криптовалюту быстроразвивающейся альтернативой традиционным валютам, а значит, и американским долларам.

В регионах Северо-Кавказского федерального округа за прошлый год российские силовики закрыли 128 майнинг-ферм — втрое больше, чем годом ранее. Ущерб от кражи электроэнергии превысил 1 млрд рублей, увеличившись по сравнению с 2024 годом на 42,6%, сообщили «Россети Северный Кавказ».

On-chain data shows the crypto sector has witnessed the largest decline in the monthly Realized Cap since the previous bear market.

Crypto Realized Cap Has Seen A Deep Negative Change Recently

In a new post on X, Glassnode analyst Chris Beamish has discussed the latest trend in capital flows for the crypto market. While the digital asset sector is large, most of the capital that enters or leaves it does so through three main segments: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the stablecoins.

Investors first inject capital into these primary assets, and then it rotates out into the riskier altcoins. Similarly, when exiting from the market, traders tend to sell altcoins first and move their capital into Bitcoin or stablecoins.

An on-chain indicator that can be used to track sector flows is the Realized Cap. This capitalization model calculates an asset’s total value by assuming that the ‘real’ value of any token in circulation is equal to the last spot price it was moved at. This approach is different from that of the usual market cap, which simply sums up the supply at the current spot price.

The last transaction price of any coin can be thought to represent its current cost basis, so the Realized Cap is essentially a sum of the acquisition value for the entire supply. As such, the indicator can be considered as a measure of the total amount of capital that investors have put into the cryptocurrency.

Whenever this metric’s value changes, capital leaves or enters the asset, based on the direction of the change. Below is the chart shared by Beamish that shows the trend in the monthly change in the Realized Cap for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the stablecoins.

As displayed in the graph, the Realized Cap netflow for these primary assets, serving as a proxy of the demand in the crypto sector as a whole, has plummeted deep into the negative zone recently.

During most of 2025, this indicator was at positive levels, indicating that capital was consistently flowing into the sector. The trend ended up flipping in December, as outflows started taking place instead.

As the crypto market downturn has only deepened in 2026, capital outflows have also intensified on a monthly scale. Today, the indicator is at its most red level since the 2022 bear market.

In the same chart, the data for Bitcoin + Ethereum and the stablecoins is also separately displayed. It would appear that the recent outflows are mostly driven by the combined BTC and ETH Realized Cap, while the stables have seen their netflow sit at a more-or-less neutral level.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $67,100, up 1% over the last week.

The long‑awaited crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, remains stuck in the US Senate, but Coinbase Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong says he still expects a positive resolution.

Coinbase CEO Remains Optimistic

Speaking Wednesday on CNBC during the World Liberty Forum at Mar‑a‑Lago, Armstrong expressed confidence that lawmakers will ultimately deliver what he described as a “win‑win” outcome for the crypto industry, the banking sector, and American consumers. 

“There is now a path forward,” he said, framing the legislation as an opportunity to bring regulatory certainty while strengthening the country’s position in the global digital asset race.

The legislation cleared the House of Representatives in July 2025 with a strong bipartisan vote of 294–134. It was later referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in September 2025, where it has yet to receive a floor vote. 

Planned committee markups in mid‑January 2026, including sessions scheduled for January 15 and January 27, were canceled or indefinitely postponed amid industry pushback and internal disputes.

In late January and early February, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced a related measure that included elements of the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act (S. 3755) on a narrow party‑line vote. However, that step has not resolved the broader stalemate over market structure reform.

Senator Moreno Opposes Stablecoin Rewards 

One of the main sticking points continues to be stablecoin yield — whether issuers should be allowed to offer rewards or interest to holders. Senator Bernie Moreno has argued that such rewards should not be included in the framework. 

During the CNBC interview, Moreno suggested that, unless one owns a bank, one likely should not be concerned. He contended that consumers would benefit from greater competition for their deposits. 

Nonetheless, the Senator from Ohio further expressed confidence that the crypto legislation would ultimately pass the current deadlock, saying, “We are going to get this bill across the finish line,” and adding that he hopes it happens by April.

Coinbase CEO has taken a different view on stablecoins, arguing that rewards are essential to building a competitive domestic market. “To build the stablecoin industry in America, we have to have stablecoin rewards,” he said. 

The executive also noted that some financial institutions are already embracing the technology, adding that the “smartest banks” are leaning into crypto and forming partnerships with Coinbase.

“It is good for the banking industry to embrace innovation,” Armstrong said, stressing that the United States has historically succeeded by adapting rather than protecting incumbents. 

“America has never been one to be stagnant and protect the incumbents. We want to lean into the future and make sure America stays competitive. We are existing on a global stage here.”

Bitcoinist reported Tuesday that the White House is considering convening another meeting as soon as Thursday to address the stablecoin yield issue, signaling that high‑level efforts to break the impasse are continuing.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Криптовалютная кредитная компания Ledn привлекла $188 млн на выпуске облигаций, обеспеченных залогом в виде биткоина. Держатели ценных бумаг получают выплаты за счет денег, генерируемых криптокредитами.

Крупнейший по величине активов американский банк Bank of America увеличил свою долю в компании BitMine более чем в 17 раз, до 3,1 млн акций. BitMine является крупнейшим корпоративным держателем эфира.

Russia is preparing to restrict access to global crypto exchanges this summer, experts said, suggesting that authorities are planning to shift trading from foreign platforms to domestic ones under the upcoming regulatory framework.

Russia To Restrict Foreign Crypto Exchanges

On Tuesday, experts said Russia will likely block foreign crypto exchanges by summer 2026 as lawmakers advance the highly anticipated domestic framework, expected by July 1, to bring the industry out of the shadows.

According to a report by local news outlet RBC Crypto, industry participants believe authorities will soon begin restricting access to overseas exchanges, similar to the Telegram and YouTube block.

Nikita Zuborev, senior analyst at crypto exchange aggregator Bestchange.ru, told the news media outlet that this scenario is likely, asserting that as soon as the domestic market enters the new regulatory regime, “there is an almost 100% chance that the fight against major competitors will begin.”

“We expect that Roskomnadzor may begin mass blocking of websites of crypto exchanges and large exchangers not registered in Russia as early as this summer. Most likely, they will act according to the YouTube blocking model — they will delete DNS records in the Russian segment of the Internet and continue to fight against means of circumventing the blocks,” the analyst stated.

However, Zuborev cautioned that if global exchanges are not allowed to obtain licenses or to operate as agents of domestic exchanges or brokers, a part of the market will move underground, increasing fraud, complicating regulation, and resulting in higher commission fees.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Machikhin, lawyer and founder of BitOK, considers a “Belarusian scenario” highly possible. Notably, only companies operating under Belarus’ special regime can conduct cryptocurrency transactions, while individuals are prohibited from buying and selling digital assets on foreign platforms.

Machikhin noted that completely restricting operations is impossible, citing Binance as an example. The global exchange still has over 1 million Russian customers despite its departure from the country’s market. Therefore, the chances of a direct ban on transactions using foreign exchanges are low, the lawmakers added.

EU Explores Broader Sanctions

Ignat Likhunov, founder of Cartesius law agency, agreed with the other two experts, affirming, “It seems that blocking measures are being prepared in parallel with the creation of a ‘white’ zone, and conditions for ‘illegal’ exchangers and unfriendly foreign exchanges will deteriorate.”

He pointed out that the lack of “real levers of influence” over foreign exchanges, noting that the platforms don’t need to hurry to comply with any requirements of Russian legislation.

As a result, authorities will likely hold them accountable in absentia and block access to the foreign exchanges that enforce sanctions against Russia for various reasons, including economic or non-compliance with the law on data landing.

It’s worth noting that the European Union has been exploring implementing strict sanctions on all crypto transactions linked to Russia to limit sanctions evasion. As reported by Bitcoinist, the European Commission is strengthening its crackdown on the country’s use of digital assets to evade sanctions by considering measures to ban all Russia-related crypto transactions.

Legal documents show that the Commission has proposed a broader prohibition “instead of attempting to ban copycat Russian crypto entities spun out of already sanctioned platforms.” The proposal focuses on stopping the growth of successors to Russia-linked crypto exchange Garantex, while aiming at payment platforms such as A7 and its related ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5.

The Commission also suggested adding 20 banks to the list of sanctioned entities and a ban on any digital ruble-related transactions.

Инвестиционный директор управляющей криптоактивами компании Bitwise Мэтт Хоуган (Matt Hougan) заявил, что крипторынок из медвежьего цикла может вывести сектор децентрализованных финансов (DeFi).

Компания World Liberty Financial (WLFI), связанная с президентом США Дональдом Трампом, объявила о планах токенизировать права на получение дохода от финансирования строительства курорта Trump International Hotel & Resort на Мальдивах. Это первый проект токенизации реальных активов (RWA) под брендом WLFI.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) announced on Wednesday that its Foundation will back the creation of the Hyperliquid Policy Center (HPC), a new Washington, D.C.-based organization designed to advocate for clearer federal rules governing decentralized finance (DeFi).

Jake Chervinsky To Lead Hyperliquid Policy Center 

The new center will be led by Jake Chervinsky, who previously held senior roles at the Blockchain Association, one of the industry’s leading trade groups, and at venture capital firm Variant.

As HPC’s inaugural CEO, he is expected to lead efforts to engage lawmakers and regulators at a time when digital asset policy is shifting away from previous roadblocks that hampered the sector’s growth in the United States.

In comments to Fortune, Chervinsky said the United States is at a pivotal juncture in determining how decentralized finance should be integrated into the country’s financial framework. 

The center’s mission will be to help members of Congress and federal agencies better understand how DeFi protocols function and to offer technical expertise as regulators craft rules that can accommodate the technology, the executive asserted.

He emphasized that much of today’s financial regulatory system was designed for an earlier, analog era. In his view, those frameworks are poorly suited to decentralized protocols, which enable users to trade digital assets on automated platforms that operate without centralized intermediaries. 

HPC Backs Perpetuals Framework

Among the center’s top priorities will be establishing a legal structure for perpetual derivatives, commonly known as “perps.” These instruments, which do not have expiration dates, are widely traded on offshore crypto exchanges and account for a significant share of global digital asset activity. 

Chervinsky contends that perpetuals offer advantages over traditional options and futures contracts because they are simpler and provide more direct exposure to underlying assets. Despite their popularity abroad, they have yet to gain a foothold in mainstream US finance, in part due to regulatory uncertainty.

To fund the initiative, the foundation affiliated with Hyperliquid is contributing 1 million HYPE tokens. At current prices of $28.75 per token, that allocation is valued at approximately $28.7 million.

In addition to Jake Chervinsky’s role in the new venture, the founding team includes Policy Counsel Brad Bourque, formerly an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and Policy Director Salah Ghazzal, who previously served as Policy Lead at Variant. 

The Hyperliquid Policy Center is also building out its leadership bench and is currently recruiting for key roles, including Chief of Staff, Head of Communications, and Head of Government Relations.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com