Google Play Store snafu, Blackrock clarifies XRP ETF stance, ETH surges to $4,700, and more in this Week in Review. Week in Review Google clarified that self custody wallets would not be banned from the Play Store after confusion over a July policy update. Blackrock addressed speculation about a spot XRP ETF. Ethereum surged past
Stablecoins are gaining traction as on- and off-ramps evolve into full-fledged payment providers, enhancing everyday transactions and attracting significant mergers and acquisitions. On- and off-ramps are now seen as valuable
In a significant development within the decentralized finance sphere, MaiaDAO has officially launched an Ethereum reserve, as reported by Strategicethreserve on X. This cross-chain DeFi protocol, renowned for its automated
Sergey Ivancheglo, the founder of AI crypto protocol Qubic, has hinted at the possibility of executing a 51% attack on privacy token Zcash. Ivancheglo, also known as Come-From-Beyond, shared the view on X. According to him , the Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn is pro-government, and the network is not as privacy-oriented as it purports to be. Therefore, it might be morally justified to attack the blockchain. He said: “It’s not a big secret that #Zcash founder likes licking govt ass if it’s profitable (x.com/zooko/status/8…) and only those who don’t care about privacy (or are misinformed) use $ZEC.” However, he did not confirm whether there would certainly be an attack, instead choosing to phrase it as a question for his followers to approve. Ivancheglo wrote: “Would it be morally justified to 51% attack Zcash, aiming to bring max damage to its blockchain as a part of an economic experiment?” However, an X user cautioned Ivancheglo about publicly documenting the planned 51% attacks, noting that it could amount to market manipulation as the posts alone could impact the price performance of the tokens. They wrote: “You can’t just hide behind economic incentives when you are facilitating losses for market participants while making posts that clearly state your motives behind the action.” In response, Ivancheglo stated that the freedom of speech is already guaranteed under the American Constitution. He added that his country, Belarus, is under sanctions from the US, which means no one in the US can sue him. Crypto users criticize Qubic for targeting Privacy Chain Meanwhile, the reaction to a possible 51% attack on the Zcash Network has been mixed. While some praise the idea and believe it will be good for the network, others are pessimistic about its impact and question the rationale. One user noted that attacking Zcash will likely harm Zcash users. Some users also point out that Ivancheglo is taking the post from Wilcox-O’Hearn’s post from 2017 out of context. They noted that the Zcash founder had changed his view on the subject of making Zcash traceable since 2020, adding that he clarified that he was not interested in changing the core protocol itself. There are also those who believe Zcash remains one of the best blockchain networks for privacy, and unless Qubic offers more privacy and anonymity, damaging Zcash would serve no purpose for the users. Others are more concerned about Qubic attacks targeting privacy networks as part of an economic experiment. Qubic mining pool had recently gained temporary control of the Monero blockchain and reorganized the blockchain. This caused a sharp decline in the value of XMR, although the token has now recovered. The move was part of an experiment to prove what Qubic can do by showing that any proof-of-work chain can be attacked if the miners get better economic incentives. While the incident did not have much impact on Monero functionality, it was enough for Kraken to temporarily pause XMR deposits and raise awareness about the need for better safeguards against centralization for PoW networks. Zcash sees slight gains despite long-term underperformance Meanwhile, the possibility of a 51% attack on the Zcash network has not impacted its ZEC token, which is up 3.15% in the last 24 hours according to CoinMarketCap. This is likely because many people do not expect the Qubic to gain sufficient network control. Some noted that getting sufficient ASIC miners to gain control of the Zcash network would be difficult. Nevertheless, any coordinated attack on the privacy coin could impact its price, especially if successful. ZEC is already struggling with the token losing 37% of its value year-to-date in a rough year for on-chain privacy. By comparison, QUBIC is enjoying a positive 4.24% performance year-to-date, even though it only has around $400 million in market cap. The token appears to have seen positive performances in recent months, with a 135% gain in the last 90 days. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .
Wellgistics Health is introducing an XRP Ledger–based payment system to thousands of pharmacies across the United States, marking one of the first large-scale blockchain deployments in the healthcare sector. Key Takeaways: Wellgistics is rolling out an XRP Ledger payment system to over 6,500 pharmacies and 200 manufacturers in the U.S. The platform enables instant, low-cost settlements while meeting HIPAA and AML compliance standards. Despite its blockchain push, Wellgistics shares have dropped over 80% since its February IPO. The Nasdaq-listed distributor (WGRX) said the platform will allow independent pharmacies to pay for drug inventory and move funds instantly, bypassing the banking delays and high credit card fees that often strain small operators. The rollout integrates with RxERP, a serialized pharmaceutical e-commerce and enterprise planning tool, offering real-time tracking, lower costs, and direct settlement between pharmacies and distributors. Wellgistics Becomes First Healthcare Firm to Launch XRP Ledger Payments Wellgistics, which counts more than 6,500 pharmacies and 200 manufacturers in its network, is among the first healthcare firms to launch a payment solution on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), the open-source blockchain supported by Ripple Labs. Pharmacies can now enroll in the beta version of the program. CEO Brian Norton said the response from pharmacy owners has been stronger than expected, noting that they are “more forward-thinking on blockchain than many in the industry assume.” While the company has not disclosed whether pharmacies will need to hold XRP directly or use fiat-to-XRP conversion for settlement, the system is designed to meet strict compliance standards, including HIPAA and anti-money laundering rules. The company plans to expand the initiative beyond pharmacy payments to include manufacturers and eventually test direct-to-patient programs, enabling medications to be shipped directly from drugmakers to patients under physician supervision. Wellgistics Heath is seeking to leverage XRP for payments in a $1.4 trillion Pharma trade market. https://t.co/zXROACmD8B pic.twitter.com/QHhRnCOxHX — bill morgan (@Belisarius2020) August 16, 2025 The rollout builds on Wellgistics’ May 8 announcement that it would use XRP as both a payments rail and a treasury reserve asset, supported by a $50 million equity line of credit. Management has said the strategy is aimed at building programmable liquidity and on-demand infrastructure across its healthcare network. Founded in 2016, Wellgistics was acquired by Danam Health in 2024 before being spun off through an IPO in February 2025. Today, it provides wholesale distribution, prescription routing, and AI-powered hub services to pharmacies nationwide. Despite its blockchain ambitions, the company’s stock has struggled since its market debut. Shares have fallen more than 80% since February, closing at $0.62 on Tuesday before ticking up to $0.65 in after-hours trading, giving Wellgistics a market cap of about $47 million. XRP Ledger Rolls Out New Upgrade Amid Rising Interest As reported, RippleX, the development arm of Ripple, has rolled out version 2.5.0 of the XRP Ledger , introducing several protocol upgrades aimed at strengthening network functionality and security. RippleX engineer Mayukha Vadari has called the upgrade “possibly the best single lineup of amendments” ever released, introducing significant improvements to token management and transaction processing. The XLS-85 amendment upgrades the escrow system by allowing third-party issued tokens, including stablecoins, and introduces multi-purpose tokens designed for institutional applications. The new update came after the XRP Ledger recorded a surge in user activity , with the number of daily active addresses climbing from an average of 35,000 to over 295,000. The post Wellgistics Rolls Out XRP Ledger Payments for Thousands of US Pharmacies appeared first on Cryptonews .
VanEck Ventures Managing Partner Juan Lopez thinks on- and off-ramps are getting a stablecoin glow-up following the GENIUS Act's passage.
Financial expert Levi Rietveld released a video in which he responded to Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood’s recent projection for Bitcoin. Rietveld welcomes Wood’s Bitcoin $1 million prediction, explaining that such a development would directly impact the broader cryptocurrency market. He emphasized that if Bitcoin were to achieve that price level, XRP would likely exceed $100 per coin due to the volume of capital that would enter the markets at that time. Rietveld presented this view as a natural extension of how inflows into Bitcoin would spill over into other digital assets. Cathie Wood’s Position on Bitcoin and Regulation In the same video, Cathie Wood outlined her perspective on Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory. She highlighted the regulatory shift that has occurred in the United States, contrasting the approach of former Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler with the current environment. Wood described the previous regulatory stance as hostile, while characterizing the present approach as more favorable. She specifically referenced MicroStrategy , calling it a “bet on Bitcoin” and underscoring the company’s influence in validating Bitcoin’s role as the leading digital asset. Wood added that Bitcoin now represents a gateway for institutional investors to enter the digital asset space. She referred to digital assets as a new asset class and explained that their integration into institutional portfolios marks a turning point for the market. She reiterated Ark Invest’s bull case for Bitcoin, which projects BTC to surpass $1 million. $100 #XRP Incoming? ! pic.twitter.com/IlhOI9Yqcn — Levi | Crypto Crusaders (@LeviRietveld) August 15, 2025 Potential Benefits for XRP Rietveld’s remarks connected Wood’s optimistic outlook for Bitcoin with potential benefits for XRP. He argued that the influx of capital into Bitcoin at those valuation levels would not remain isolated, and other assets such as XRP would experience significant appreciation as part of the market’s expansion. By suggesting that XRP could rise above $100 under these circumstances, Rietveld positioned XRP as one of the assets likely to benefit from the institutional adoption of digital assets that Wood described. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 The alignment of viewpoints between Rietveld and Wood underscores the broader relationship between Bitcoin’s market dominance and the performance of other cryptocurrencies. Wood’s analysis situates Bitcoin as the entry point for institutional investment, while Rietveld extends this outlook to XRP by pointing to the potential redistribution of capital within the sector. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Analyst Sets XRP Price Based On This Cathie Wood’s Bitcoin Prediction appeared first on Times Tabloid .
Shiba Inu (SHIB) is currently facing a “death cross,” where the 23-day moving average falls below the 50-day line, indicating potential bearish trends unless market momentum shifts quickly. Current Price
Ether (ETH) has been the talk of the crypto community over the last few weeks. Investors are seeing renewed interest and confidence in the cryptocurrency’s potential after almost writing it off for this cycle. While the hype continues to build, analysts at the market intelligence platform have identified signs of increasing selling pressure. This indicates that more investors are gearing up to realize profits as ETH keeps up its positive momentum. ETH Outperforms BTC Ether has entered a bullish cycle against bitcoin (BTC), rallying around its all-time high (ATH) over the past three days. On August 14, ETH climbed to $4,743, its highest level since November 2021. The price was just inches away from its ATH of $4,891, per data from CoinMarketCap. At press time, the asset’s value had declined slightly to $4,500. As ETH tries to record a new high, its relative price against BTC – measured by the ETH/BTC price ratio – has climbed above its 365-day moving average. Such movements have historically signaled a bullish cycle for ETH. This time, it has confirmed a new leg up for the asset against BTC. In addition, crypto investors are showing their preference for ETH through spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) allocations. Spot Ethereum ETFs are recording more inflows compared to their Bitcoin counterparts. The ETH/BTC ETFs Holding Ratio is currently at 0.15, a significant rise from 0.05 three months ago. Moreover, the increase in traders’ exposure to ETH more than BTC is evident in Ethereum’s open interest. Analysts found that the open interest of ETH relative to BTC on crypto exchanges has risen from 0.57 to 0.78. This also shows that traders in the perpetual futures market are more invested in ETH than BTC. Signs of Selling Pressure Furthermore, ETH is seeing a higher spot trading volume compared to bitcoin. Last week, the ratio of ether’s volume relative to BTC spiked to 1.66, the highest since June 2017. ETH witnessed a similar growth between 2019 and 2021 when it outperformed BTC by 4x. Within the last four consecutive weeks, ether’s spot trading volume has surpassed that of BTC by billions, with the most recent being $10 billion. Despite this commendable growth, ETH may soon face high pressure on the sell-side. The asset’s relative price against BTC is nearing overvalued levels. Daily ETH inflows into exchanges have spiked , exceeding those of BTC. These signals suggest that ETH may face headwinds in the near term. The post ETH Remains in the Spotlight as Signs of Selling Pressure Appear: CryptoQuant appeared first on CryptoPotato .
The recent surge in U.S.-listed Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) ETFs reflects a pivotal moment in the crypto market, with record trading volumes and significant performance milestones indicating growing investor