A legal battle hanging in limbo and a mysterious $439 million XRP transfer by Ripple coincided with a brutal wave of long liquidations that saw traders caught in the crossfire. The turbulence began shortly after U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres rejected a proposed settlement between Ripple Labs ( XRP ) and the SEC, dashing hopes of a swift resolution to the years-long securities lawsuit. Almost simultaneously, blockchain trackers spotted Ripple moving half a billion dollars’ worth of XRP to an undisclosed wallet, just as leveraged traders were piling into bullish bets. These events spooked the market, triggering a cascade of liquidations totaling $7.18 million, with longs outnumbering shorts by nearly 10-to-1, according to CoinGlass data. While the broader crypto sector showed signs of stabilization, XRP’s lopsided positioning turned a 5.3% drop into a bloodbath for overexposed traders, revealing the token’s overreliance on speculative optimism, with little defense against Ripple’s own corporate moves or legal headwinds. How Ripple’s corporate moves and legal woes likely fueled XRP’s decline The $7.18 million long liquidation event was the culmination of mounting pressure from Ripple’s opaque treasury management and unresolved legal battles. While Bitcoin ( BTC ) and Ethereum ( ETH ) weathered broader market turbulence with relative stability, XRP’s 45.62% drop from its all-time high of $3.84 underscores a deeper issue: the token’s price action remains disproportionately tied to Ripple’s corporate decisions rather than organic demand. This week’s 5.3% slide, while not extreme in isolation, struck hard because of its timing. It came just as traders were positioning for a potential breakout above the $2.17 resistance. Judge Analisa Torres’ rejection of Ripple’s proposed SEC settlement reinforced the market’s worst fears. Without clarity on whether XRP will face stricter securities enforcement, institutional players remain hesitant to commit. This regulatory limbo has kept XRP range-bound between $2.00 and $2.60 since March, despite the token’s CME futures listing and whispers of a potential ETF. For traders, the message is clear: until the SEC case concludes, XRP’s upside will be capped by skepticism. Add in Ripple’s $439 million transfer to a shadow wallet, and the market had the perfect recipe for forced deleveraging. RLUSD Minting Amid the chaos, Ripple has quietly accelerated its stablecoin ambitions, minting 50 million RLUSD this month alone. The move aligns with the booming $252 billion stablecoin market, where giants like Tether and Circle generate massive revenue from Treasury-backed reserves. If RLUSD gains traction, it could provide Ripple with a lucrative revenue stream independent of XRP’s volatility. But for XRP holders, the bigger question is whether RLUSD adoption will translate into ecosystem stability. In theory, deeper liquidity and institutional use cases for Ripple’s stablecoin could bolster demand for XRP as a bridge asset. However, if RLUSD overshadows XRP in Ripple’s own financial strategy, the token risks becoming an afterthought in the company’s long-term vision.
Kraken, the world's oldest crypto exchange, has unveiled Krak, the next-generation peer-to-peer payments app that seeks to merge the freedom of cryptocurrency with the convenience of everyday finance. “Krak is live! Send crypto or fiat to anyone, anywhere, instantly—no banks, no borders, no fees. This is the future.” — @krakenfx Compatible with 110 countries, Krak allows users to send, receive, and store over 300 assets—from cryptocurrencies and stablecoins to local fiat—beyond the restriction of traditional banks or wallet addresses. How Krak Works At its essence, Krak is designed for a digital-native generation. The app allows users to send money across the world in seconds, via a unique payment ID called a Kraktag—no bank information or crypto wallet addresses needed. Be it sending Bitcoin to a friend in Berlin or euros to relatives in Lagos, Krak processes in-app for fiat and on-chain for crypto, keeping things speedy and inexpensive. Krak also features built-in crypto-to-fiat conversion, allowing users to instantly swap between digital assets and local currencies at competitive rates. The app’s intuitive interface supports recurring payments, bill splitting, and multi-currency wallets, making it ideal for freelancers, digital nomads, and families with cross-border ties. Early reviews praise Krak’s speed and transparency, highlighting its potential to disrupt both traditional banking and legacy payment apps. Launch-day key features : P2P transfers in 110 countries, on 300+ crypto and fiat currencies Kraktags for instant, private transfers Earn up to 4.1% on balances of USDG stablecoin, and up to 10% on 20+ digital assets No-lockup, minimum , or subscription spend and earn accounts Kraken's backend leverages its global network of money transmitter licenses and banking relationships to enable Krak to serve as an all-in-one financial center. Fee Structure, Rewards, and Future Roadmap Krak is becoming a ”PayPal-killer” with no or ultra-low fees on most transfers—especially against the 2–2.5% of the likes of Revolut and Cash App. Users can earn up to 4.1% on USDG balances and up to 10% on select digital assets, with rewards disbursed daily and no lock-ins. In the future, Kraken will launch: Physical and virtual Krak cards to spend at millions of merchants worldwide Advance-payment services like lending, loans, and credit cards Enhanced business and company instruments for global payroll and B2B payments International Expansion and Regulatory Barriers Kraken's move comes after years of building compliance infrastructure, licensing in the U.S., U.K., EU, Canada, and beyond. Krak is still not available in Australia and sanctioned regions, rollouts to roll out behind local regulation. The company's regulatory seriousness is considered to be a differentiation from less compliant fintech rivals. Competing With Coinbase, Revolut, and Cash App Krak's launch puts Kraken directly against fintech giants. Compared to Coinbase, Krak offers broader asset coverage and lower fees but is still more convenient for new users. Compared to Revolut, Krak offers more cryptocurrency functionality, higher yields, and lower transaction fees. Cash App and Venmo dominate U.S. P2P payments but have less broad crypto coverage and higher fees. Bottom line With Krak, Kraken is betting that the future of money is instant, borderless, and multi-asset. By meshing the agility of crypto with the convenience of everyday payments, Kraken is going to serve traders, yes, but also anyone who has to send, spend, and make their money worldwide—without the hassles of old banking.
Concerns over potential conflicts of interest linked to President Trump’s crypto ventures are intensifying among Democratic lawmakers, threatening the progress of key cryptocurrency legislation in the US. Despite growing bipartisan
BD Multimedia’s recent acquisition of 10.95 BTC marks a strategic expansion of their Bitcoin treasury, reflecting a sophisticated approach to digital asset integration in corporate finance. The company utilized a
On-chain data from the market intelligence platform Santiment shows that the number of wallets holding at least 10 BTC has returned to levels not seen since March. This surge in whale and shark activity coincides with massive institutional inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs and signals deep-pocketed confidence despite recent price consolidation below critical resistance. Whales Feast Amidst Retail Jitters According to Santiment, there has been a spike in the number of whale and shark wallets holding over 10 BTC, equivalent to over $1.07 million at the current price. The number has steadily grown in the last few weeks to hit 152,280, a level last seen on March 12, reflecting long-term optimism from experienced investors. These heavy hitters typically act during moments of retail panic, scooping up discounted BTC in what analysts call “smart money” behavior. This activity dovetails with a recent observation from market watcher Axel Adler Jr., who earlier in the week pointed out that despite $66 billion in realized profits over the past two months, mainly from short-term holders, Bitcoin’s price has held firm. In his assessment, the resilience was largely due to new demand absorbing these sell-offs, indicating significant buy-side strength. Moreover, earlier in the month, Binance saw nearly 4,500 BTC withdrawn in a single day, with over $800 million in stablecoin inflows that same week. The dual action of BTC exiting exchanges and fresh liquidity arriving was a possible pointer to a deep accumulation phase, potentially led by whales positioning for future upside. ETF flows also add another dimension to the story, with reports of U.S. spot BTC ETFs pulling in nearly $1.5 billion in just three days, marking one of its most aggressive accumulation periods since inception. BlackRock’s IBIT was at the forefront of this charge, purchasing 9,400 BTC this week alone. Price Action Stagnant At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $107,353, down slightly by 0.4% in the last 24 hours and a more noticeable 2.6% for the week. This means that despite a respectable 3.1% uptick over the past fortnight, the king cryptocurrency still underperformed the broader crypto market, which had gained 3% over seven days. The asset previously touched $108,066 but failed to hold that level, with investor Daan Crypto Trades noting that it is consolidating just under the critical $108,000 to $110,000 resistance zone. In his estimation, a breakout from the current wedge pattern could open the path to a new all-time high for BTC, provided it clears the range. Bitcoin’s dominance is also up. It is currently at 62.8% but previously reached 65.7%, its highest level in four years, suggesting that capital is flowing into BTC rather than altcoins. The post Number of Large Bitcoin Investors Surge to Multi-Month Highs: Do They Know Something? appeared first on CryptoPotato .
Bitcoin treasury giant Strategy faces multiple identical class action lawsuits amid growing scrutiny of its BTC acquisition strategy. Coinbase reaches a record closing price as it prepares to launch U.S.-regulated
Why Bitcoin treasury giant Strategy is facing down multiple identical lawsuits, plus Coinbase hits a record closing price as perps near.
Corporations worldwide are accelerating their Bitcoin treasury acquisitions amid rising stablecoin adoption and evolving regulatory frameworks. From Norwegian mining firms to crypto entrepreneurs, diverse sectors are integrating digital assets to
Bitcoin’s recent price resilience amid a weakening US economy highlights a complex interplay between macroeconomic risks and crypto market dynamics. Despite a fragile bull market, onchain data reveals low retail
Popular cryptocurrency and stock exchange Robinhood continues to expand its cryptocurrency product range. The company announced today that it has launched micro futures contracts for XRP and Solana, along with a micro version of its existing “Bitcoin Friday” futures. Micro-futures are smaller in scale than traditional futures contracts, allowing investors to speculate or hedge against asset price movements with lower capital requirements and risk. These products are often preferred for assets such as stock indices, commodities and currencies. Related News: List of the Most Discussed Words in the Cryptocurrency Community in the Last 24 Hours Published - Two Altcoins Are Trending Robinhood began gradually rolling out futures products for foreign exchange (FX), index, commodity, and cryptocurrency markets earlier this year. Initially focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum, Robinhood offered products such as Bitcoin futures, micro Bitcoin futures, Bitcoin Friday contracts, and ETH futures. On the other hand, Robinhood took an important step by purchasing cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp for $200 million earlier this month. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Robinhood, One of the Largest Cryptocurrency Platforms in the US, Makes an Announcement Regarding XRP and Solana