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April 2025

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In the latest development within the Ripple ecosystem, the RLUSD stabecoin goes live on the Aave V3 Ethereum Core Market. Bolstering Ripple’s entry into the stablecoin market, RLUSD gained new utility, allowing users to supply or borrow the coin.

Notably, Aave’s listing of the token comes amidst growing adoption of the Ripple stablecoin. With increased momentum, the token has surpassed a market capitalization of $293 million since its December 2024 launch.

Ripple RLUSD Enters DeFi Space, Launches on Aave

In a recent X post, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Aave officially announced the launch of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin. While the listing marks Ripple’s entry into the DeFi space, it provides users with lending and borrowing services.

“Users can now supply and borrow RLUSD, Ripple’s enterprise-grade stablecoin, on the Aave V3 Ethereum Core market,” announced Aave on X. The initial launch of the stablecoin includes a supply cap of 50 million tokens and a borrowing cap of 5 million tokens.

RLUSD Market Activity Update

According to Aave’s dashboard, RLUSD markets are still ramping up, with a reserve size and available liquidity of $124.98 and a utilization rate of 0%. The price remains stable at $1.00, aligned with its USD peg. With no borrowings recorded, the current APY stands at 0%, reflecting low activity and a lack of lending promotions.

Growing Exchange Listings Fuel Ripple’s Growth

Interestingly, Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin is expanding globally. The stable token has initiated integrations with major platforms like Kraken, LMAX Digital, Bitstamp, Bullish, and Zero Hash. This paves the way for increased institutional and retail adoption of RLUSD.

Now, Ripple has plans to further boost adoption by engaging with institutions, integrating the stable token into more decentralized and centralized apps. The platform intends to explore new use cases in lending, trading, and DeFi. This positions RLUSD for growth in the competitive stablecoin market.

Recently, Ripple announced RLUSD’s major role in the Hidden Road broker deal. Reportedly, the stablecoin will be used as collateral.

The post Ripple’s Stablecoin RLUSD Now Live on Aave V3 appeared first on CoinGape.

The crypto market has somewhat come to a standstill after the massive bloodshed that happened after US President Donald Trump took the seat. This not only caused most crypto prices to drop but also instilled negative sentiments. The Pi Network price also fell victim to this, as its value dropped by over 37% in the last month. 

Pi’s price today stands at $0.6349 with a market capitalization of over $4.4 billion. However, the entire scenario might change soon. World Of Charts, a popular crypto analyst, recently posted a tweet highlighting a notable development. As per the tweet, the total crypto market capitalization broke above a falling wedge pattern. This suggested that the bulls are ready to take over, which can result in a crypto bull run, in turn helping the Pi Network price to rise again. 

What Pi Network Price Analysis Suggests…

Since the analyst pointed at a possible bull breakout soon, let’s take a look at Pi Network’s current state to understand whether it’s also preparing for the same. The Pi Network price chart revealed that the price broke above a similar falling wedge pattern a few days ago.

However, after that, it has entered a non-volatile zone, as depicted by the narrow Bollinger Bands. Therefore, if the crypto market turns bullish, the Pi Network price might break the upper resistance of the Bollinger Bands and enter a high volatility zone. Nonetheless, this might take a few days or weeks more to happen. 

Source: TradingView

Decoding Pi’s Upcoming Targets

Notably, since the Pi price dropped over the last month, market sentiment around it has also turned bearish. For instance, the token’s weighted sentiment remains in the negative zone. Pi, which created a lot of buzz recently, witnessed a massive decline in social dominance during the same period. Nonetheless, in case of a fresh crypto bull run, market sentiments might pivot. 

Source: Santiment

In a utopian scenario where the crypto market actually explodes, the Pi Network price has to cross a few barriers, though. Mentioning Pi Network price prediction, in case of a bullish market switch, it will be crucial for Pi price to first go above its strong resistances at $0.65 and $0.7. This will allow the token to target $1.5 next. Going further ahead, if market conditions remain favorable, the Pi price might as well go beyond $3 in case of a continued crypto bull market. 

Source: TradingView

To Conclude

Right now, the Pi Network price is facing trouble and seems to have a bearish sentiment around it. However, there are possibilities of an upcoming crypto bull run to change this. Should the momentum build for the Pi price to thrive, the following hike in investor confidence could see some optimistic targets hit.

The post Is Pi Network Price Ready to Moon? Crypto Bull Run Sparks Fresh Predictions appeared first on CoinGape.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has recently taken the stage to warn against Trump’s crypto push, claiming it could stifle the European economy. Primarily, the ECB has questioned whether the current MiCA regulations are ample enough to cushion the blow caused by financial spillover effects due to Trump’s support for cryptocurrencies.

However, the European Commission has dismissed the central bank’s alarming remarks, deeming it to be an overexaggerated concern. In turn, the Commission has argued that the ECB itself misunderstood the EU’s rules, sparking a flurry of discussions nationwide.

European Central Bank Claims Trump’s Pro-Crypto Push Can Impact Europe’s Economy, Commission Says Otherwise

According to a recent Politico report, the European Central Bank and Commission are tussling over whether the current MiCA regulations are enough to negate the blow caused by Trump’s pro-crypto usher. While the ECB thinks that America’s pro-crypto stance could risk causing financial “contagion” and blow up Europe’s economy, the Commission is in a snub.

The Commission primarily believes that the current MiCA regulations, which were introduced in 2023, provide sufficient safeguards that could mitigate potential losses caused by Trump’s pro-crypto push. While the ECB argued that legislative changes are a must, the EC took a contrary stand on the matter.

What’s The Point Of Contention?

CoinGape found that the point of contention remains about the potential challenges that Trump’s USD stablecoin expansion saga could bring into the Eurozone, negatively impacting its financial sovereignty. A majority of the stablecoin projects are denominated in American dollars, risking the nation’s traditional currencies.

To mitigate such risks, the ECB looks forward to making some legislative changes to the MiCA regulations. However, the EC believes that the current set of standards is enough to reduce the risk of foreign currency pegged stablecoins. As a result, both parties ended up in a squabble surrounding the impact of Trump’s crypto push on Europe’s economy.

The scuffle initially kicked off on April 14, when top EU government officials held discussions over the risks of US crypto assets on the nation’s financial stability. The European Central Bank’s claims were primarily dismissed by EU officials and most governments in the end.

However, it’s worth pointing out that the central banking authority cannot be seen completely wrong, as it has always pushed for the betterment of traditional and digital assets in Europe. Intriguingly, CoinGape recently reported that the ECB advanced with digital Euro plans to counter U.S. stablecoins, another move to preserve financial sovereignty.

The post European Central Bank Claims Trump’s Crypto Push to Impact Europe Economy appeared first on CoinGape.

Solana price seems to be gearing up for a recovery after crypto investment firm Galaxy Digital sold Ethereum and purchased $98M worth of SOL. This purchase has sparked optimism that the Solana price can rally past $200, but a bearish formation in the SOL/BTC chart suggests that bearish headwinds are still at play. 

Galaxy Digital Swaps ETH With SOL – Can Solana Price Hit $200? 

According to a recent X post by Lookonchain, on-chain data shows that Galaxy Digital is selling Ethereum while accumulating Solana, suggesting that a strong price move is on the horizon. In the last two weeks, this entity has sent $105M ETH to Binance and withdrawn $98M SOL from the exchange. 

Lookonchain

This activity shows that the crypto investment firm is bearish on Ethereum, while being bullish on the SOL value today despite the altcoin’s recent struggles to bounce past the resistance level of $140. The optimism has investors wondering whether the Solana price may hit $200 soon as more whales accumulate. 

Data from Solscan shows that a newly created Solana wallet has withdrawn 44,116 SOL valued at more than $6M and staked the tokens. As SOL staking activity picks up, it reduces the altcoin’s supply, which then bodes well for the price if demand also rises. 

Meanwhile, Santiment revealed that the level of positive sentiment towards SOL has increased significantly in the last two days, which is also a sign that many traders are bullish about the altcoin. This coincides with an X post by analyst CryptoCurb who noted that a Solana cycle is looming

Solana Positive Sentiment

As institutions accumulate when the level of SOL staking is high and the market sentiment is highly positive, it signals a bullish Solana price prediction and that the token might soon surge past $200. However, there are several obstacles that SOL needs to clear before making such an upswing. 

Analyst Identifies Bearish Pattern on SOL/BTC Chart 

Despite the bullish on-chain data, Solana price seems to be underperforming relative to Bitcoin, which recently surged to a three-week high above $88,000. Bitcoin trader Tuur Demeester has observed that SOL/BTC has lost support at around $0.0020, suggesting that SOL is poised to continue underperforming against BTC. 

The analyst also observed that the last time the SOL/BTC trading pair lost critical support, it plunged by 82% within one year. If history rhymes and this trading pair falls by 82% from the current support, it might plunge to a record low of 0.00036. 

SOL/BTC

In conclusion, Solana might clear key levels as accumulation by institutions, a spike in positive sentiment, and staking activity indicate that a rally past $200 is looming. Despite these bullish metrics, the SOL/BTC pair is dropping after losing a critical support level, which suggests that Solana price might continue to underperform against Bitcoin. 

The post Can Solana Price Hit $200 As Galaxy Digital Replaces ETH With SOL? appeared first on CoinGape.

Chipotle Mexican Grill will open its first location in Mexico early next year as the latest stage in its international expansion.

The company announced Monday that it has signed a development agreement with Alsea, which operates Latin American and European locations of Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza and Burger King, among other chains.

After the initial restaurant opens in 2026, Chipotle plans to explore “additional expansion markets in the region,” which could mean broader Latin American development.

The deal to expand in Mexico comes as President Donald Trump wages a trade war with the country, straining the relationship between the two neighbors. Avocados from Mexico were originally subject to a 25% tariff until he paused new duties on goods compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. While Chipotle has diversified its avocado sourcing in recent years, it still imports about half of its avocados from Mexico.

In recent years, Chipotle has been trying to expand internationally, after decades focusing almost entirely on its U.S. business. The company operates 58 locations in Canada, 20 in the United Kingdom, six in France and two in Germany. Chipotle also currently has three restaurants in Kuwait and two in the United Arab Emirates through a deal with Alshaya Group.

Chipotle is betting that Mexico’s familiarity with its ingredients and appreciation for fresh food will win over consumers, according to a statement from Nate Lawton, Chipotle’s chief business development officer.

But U.S. interpretations of Mexican food don’t always resonate in the market; Yum Brands’ Taco Bell has twice attempted to expand into Mexico, but both efforts failed quickly.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Trading is all about the odds. Trade when the odds are in your favor. Exercise patience and stand aside when the odds are NOT in your favor. Stocks are in a bear market with the vast majority of names (76%) trading below their 200-day SMAs. Clearly, the odds are NOT in our favor for equities and equity ETFs. Traders need to look elsewhere. Today’s report will highlight some non-equity leaders and analyze Bitcoin as it sets up.

TrendInvestorPro works with a ChartList that has 72 ETFs covering all sectors, the key industry groups, commodities, bonds and crypto. Note that this curated ChartList is available to TrendInvestorPro subscribers. The image below is sorted by the percentage above the 200-day SMA (blue shading) to show the top 20 performers. This simple performance overview reveals a lot. We are NOT in a bull market and alternative assets are attracting attention (gold, Bitcoin).

First, we see leadership from gold, silver, Bitcoin, and commodity-related ETFs. Second, only a handful of equity ETFs are trading above their 200-day SMAs. Third, these ETFs represent defensive groups (Consumer Staples Utilities, MLPs, Aerospace & Defense, Insurance). This is NOT the performance profile for a bull market. We are in a bear market and equities are not the place to be right now.

Improve your odds and stay on the right side of the market with the models and analysis at TrendInvestorPro. Our stock market model turned bearish in mid March, and remains bearish. Even with the big surge on April 9th, our thrust indicators fell well short of a signal because of weak follow through. We will continue to watch these models and focus on equity alternatives. Click here to get a bonus and learn more!  

The Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) is in the leadership group and Bitcoin ($BTCUSD) is bouncing off its 270 day SMA. Where did 270 come from? A typical 200-day SMA covers a little less than 9 months of trading days, which exclude weekends and holidays. Bitcoin trades 24/7, weekends and holidays. Chartists, therefore, need an adjustment to get the ~9-month equivalent for Bitcoin. I chose 270.

The chart below shows Bitcoin ($BTCUSD) with a classic correction and setup in the making. Bitcoin gained over 100% from September to January and was entitled to a correction. Dow Theory teaches us that normal corrections retrace 33 to 67 percent of the prior advance. 50 percent is the base case. The chart shows the Fibonacci retracements with Bitcoin retracing 61.8% as it fell to 75000. Bitcoin also tested the rising 270-day SMA in March and April. A 61.8% retracement and return to the ~9-month SMA are normal for corrections (blue shading).

A falling wedge formed with Bitcoin establishing resistance at 88000 (pink line). Falling wedge patterns are also typical for corrections. More importantly, these patterns provide levels to watch for a trend reversal. Bitcoin is making its first breakout attempt with a move above the upper trendline. Further strength above 88000 would forge a higher high and argue for a new uptrend. I would then set a re-evaluation level at the 270-day SMA. A close below this moving average would suggest a failed breakout.  

TrendInvestorPro keeps you on the right side.

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MicroStrategy, now known as Strategy, has announced another Bitcoin purchase, which it made between April 14 and April 20. This brings the company’s total Bitcoin holdings to 538,200 BTC. The MSTR Stock price has rebounded amid this latest purchase.

MicroStrategy Purchases 6,556 BTC For $555 Million

In a press release, MicroStrategy announced that it had purchased 6,556 Bitcoins for $555.80 million at an average price of $84,785 per BTC. The company, which is now known as Strategy, has also achieved a BTC yield of 12.1% year-to-date (YTD).

Michael Saylor’s company now holds 538,200 BTC, which it acquired for $36.47 billion at an average price of $67,766 per bitcoin. The firm remains the public company with the largest Bitcoin holdings, well ahead of the rest, including MARA Holdings.

It is worth mentioning that this is MicroStrategy’s second consecutive weekly purchase. As CoinGape reported, the company acquired 3,459 BTC for $285 million two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Strategy has indicated that it plans to continue purchasing BTC in the foreseeable future through its stock sales. This year, the company has already announced plans to raise over $20 billion to fund its Bitcoin acquisition plans.

The company continues to acquire more BTC despite the flagship crypto’s sideways movement over the last few months. Other institutional investors, like Metaplant, have also shown a commitment to their Bitcoin strategy despite the current market trend.

Metaplanent recently acquired 330 BTC for $28.2 million, bringing its total BTC holdings to 4,855 BTC, which is worth nearly $500 million. Japanese retailer ANAP also acquired $70 million worth of Bitcoin.

MSTR Stock Rebounds Almost 3%

MicroStrategy’s stock has rebounded almost 3% amid news of the company’s latest Bitcoin purchase. Nasdaq data shows that the stock is currently trading at around $325 in pre-market trading, up from its closing price of $317 last Friday.

The MSTR stock price rebound is also likely thanks to the recent Bitcoin price rally, with the leading crypto rallying to as high as $87,500 on Easter Monday. MSTR and BTC share a strong positive price correlation due to Strategy’s massive exposure to Bitcoin.

It is unclear if Bitcoin’s latest move is simply a bull trap or the beginning of a massive uptrend for the leading crypto. Crypto analysts like Kevin Capital have warned that BTC needs to break above $89,000 for confirmation of an uptrend. Until then, he warned market participants to stay measured.

If BTC continues to rally in the short to mid-term, MSTR stock could also maintain a sustained upward trend. Michael Saylor recently highlighted how MicroStrategy has recorded the best returns among the major assets since it adopted a Bitcoin strategy.

The post Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy Acquires 6,556 Bitcoins For $555M, MSTR Stock Rebounds appeared first on CoinGape.

Former Senatorial candidate and pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton has commented on a recent report that revealed certain crypto firms are looking to apply for bank licenses. Deaton expressed surprise that Ripple wasn’t among these firms, considering the efforts the crypto firm has made so far to disrupt the financial landscape.

John Deaton Comments On Ripple’s Exclusion

In an X post, Deaton stated that he is surprised not to see Ripple on the list of crypto firms looking to apply for bank licenses. The pro-XRP lawyer was reacting to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, which revealed that Coinbase, Circle, BitGo, and Paxos were looking to apply for bank licenses.

Deaton remarked that it was only a matter of time before crypto firms look to compete with traditional financial institutions and become the go-to for banking needs. According to the WSJ report, the top crypto exchange and these other crypto firms plan to apply for bank charters or licenses.

This bank charter would enable these firms to operate as a bank or any other type of financial institution, depending on the agreement between the regulator and these firms on what kind of services they can provide.

Deaton’s surprise likely relates to the fact that Ripple has so far made several efforts to establish itself in the financial space, especially through its payment services. Moreover, the crypto firm recently agreed to acquire prime broker Hidden Road for $1.25 billion, as part of its effort to expand its services.

However, the crypto firm could still make a similar move to apply for a bank license once it ends its ongoing legal battle against the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The court recently granted both parties’ joint motion to pause the XRP lawsuit while they finalize their settlement.

Hidden Road Acquires FINRA Approval

While Ripple may not be looking to apply for a bank license just yet, the crypto firm is still making other moves, especially through its latest acquisition. Hidden Road recently received approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to operate as a member broker-dealer.

The firm explained that the approval will enable it to expand its recently launched fixed income prime brokerage platform, which includes Fixed Income Repo and Global Funding services. As a broker-dealer, Hidden Road will also be able to provide its clients with several regulatory-compliant prime brokerage, clearing, and financing services in fixed-income assets.

It is worth mentioning that Ripple executive Cassie Craddock recently revealed that the XRP Ledger (XRPL) will begin to power Hidden Road’s post-trade infrastructure as part of the crypto firm’s acquisition of the prime broker.

The post John Deaton Expresses Surprise At Ripple’s Exclusion As Crypto Firms Look To Apply For Bank Licenses appeared first on CoinGape.

After several days of price declined followed by sideways price movement, the crypto market has again turned in bulls’ favor. Like most crypto, Shiba Inu (SHIB) price is also benefiting from it. To be precise, the meme coin’s value pumped by more than 4% in just the last 24 hours. 

Following this promising surge, SHIB’s value is standing at $0.00001258 with a market capitalization of over $7.41 billion, making it the 16th largest crypto. In fact, things can get even better, as an analyst suggested that the chances of SHIB’s price skyrocketing are high—a sign of an upcoming bull run. 

Shiba Inu Price Analysis—A Bull Rally Soon?

As Shiba Inu price gains momentum, several analysts are prediction SHIB’s surge to the moon. One of them is a popular crypto analyst $SHIB KNIGHT. The analyst recently posted a tweet on X mentioning that ill make history again. It is one of the hottest token on the market. The tweet also mentioned that the analyst is waiting for the accumulation phase to end, which will be followed by a massive boom.

However, other datasets revealed not much buying activity was taking place around SHIB. This was evident from the closely knit supply on exchanges and supply outside exchanges charts. 

Source: Santiment

Additionally, after a sharp spike, SHIB’s weighted sentiment also entered the negative zone—a sign of declining bullish sentiment. Hyblock Capital’s data further established the fact that investors were not buying SHIB, one of the top meme coins.

Analysis revealed that SHIB’s sell volume touched 86 in the last few days. For starters, a number closer to 100 means that selling pressure is high. This can negatively affect Shiba Inu price action as it suggested that there are chances of SHIB’s ongoing price uptrend to end soon. 

Source: Hyblock Capital

What Lies Ahead For SHIB

Since there are mixed signals in the market, we then took a closer look at Shiba Inu price chart to better understand whether the meme coin is ready for a bull run. Mentioning Shiba Inu price prediction, in order for the meme coin to sustain its bull rally, it must first go above the $0.00001514 resistance level. A breakout above that will allow SHIB price to reclaim its January 2025 high. 

Source: TradingView

Conclusion

Shiba Inu price analysis shows promising short-term momentum, but mixed market signals suggest caution. A breakout above key resistance could confirm a bull run, making it crucial for investors to closely monitor SHIB’s next moves.

The post Shiba Inu Price Analysis: Could SHIB Start a New Bull Run Soon? appeared first on CoinGape.

Cardano price appears to be inching towards a key breakpoint as it continues to consolidate within a symmetrical triangle pattern visible on its price chart. According to cryptocurrency analyst Ali, this formation could help ADA in a major price movement.

Cardano price predicted to surge 27%

In a recent tweet, Ali suggested that Cardano might be in the early stages of breaking out from this consolidation pattern. The symmetrical triangle visible on the price chart shows converging trendlines that have contained ADA’s price movement since early April 2025.

The symmetrical triangle pattern forming on Cardano’s chart is a period of consolidation where buyers and sellers reach a temporary equilibrium. According to technical analysis principles, symmetrical triangles often serve as continuation patterns, with the breakout direction typically following the prior trend.

In Cardano’s case, the breakout yields the potential 27% price movement mentioned by Ali. The analyst has pointed out that Cardano might be in the early stages of breaking out from this pattern. The analysis by Ali comes as Cardano bulls secure the most important signal to drive a price rally.

Cardano is currently trading at $0.6424 with a 4.3% increase over the past 24 hours. Despite this short-term gain, ADA remains down nearly 10% over the past 30 days.

ADA sentiment remains neutral

Current market sentiment surrounding Cardano is mixed despite the potentially bullish technical setup. According to data from CoinCodex, the overall sentiment toward ADA is currently classified as “Neutral.” However, the Fear & Greed Index shows a reading of 39 and places it in the “Fear” category.

Looking ahead, CoinCodex projects that Cardano’s price could rise by 18.55% to reach $0.765833 by May 21, 2025. While this forecast falls short of the full 27% move suggested by the triangle pattern analysis, it aligns with the general direction and timeframe for a potential upside breakout.

The platform’s analysis of Cardano’s recent performance shows that ADA recorded 14 green days out of the last 30, which is a 47% positive day ratio. Price volatility over this period also stood 7.31%.

Despite the current “Fear” reading and mixed sentiment indicators, CoinCodex concludes that it’s now a good time to buy Cardano based on their technical indicators. However, the next move by ADA could very well be based on the overall market conditions too.

The post Will Cardano Price Break Out Soon? Triangle Pattern Hints at 27% ADA Surge appeared first on CoinGape.