Category: Crypto market

Forex Signals Sept 17: Fed and BoC Poised for Rate Cuts Amid Diverging Economic Signals

Posted on by Skerdian Meta

Markets await pivotal rate decisions from the Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada as strong U.S. retail sales data and weakening Canadian growth complicate the policy outlook. Continue reading “Forex Signals Sept 17: Fed and BoC Poised for Rate Cuts Amid Diverging Economic Signals” →

Citi Tempers ETH Hype: $4.3K Target Signals Ethereum Pullback

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Citigroup recently announced that Ethereum (ETH)  could reach $4,300 by the end of 2025. This target reflects a slight decline from the current market value of approximately $4,500, indicating the bank’s cautious yet optimistic approach.

The bank’s forecast is multifaceted. In its base scenario, Ethereum is expected to end the year at $4,300. However, Citigroup also outlined a bull case where Ethereum could soar to $6,400, driven by widespread adoption and increased capital investments. Conversely, their bear case predicts a drop to $2,200, pointing out risks such as decreased network usage and tighter global liquidity.

Citi analysts highlighted that Ether’s value is heavily reliant on network activity. The more Ethereum is used for applications, transactions, and decentralized finance (DeFi), the greater the demand for it. As demand increases, so does the value of ETH, its native token.

Recently, layer-2 scaling solutions, including rollups, sidechains, and off-chain systems, have gained popularity. These platforms can process transactions more quickly and at lower costs before settling them on the main Ethereum blockchain, which helps alleviate congestion. However, Citi notes that not all activity on these layer-2 systems is detrimental to the ecosystem.

Citi estimates that only 30% of layer-2 activity significantly impacts Ethereum’s valuation. Based on this metric, Ether is currently trading above its fair value. The analysts believe that other factors, such as consistent inflows from institutional investors, enthusiasm for tokenization initiatives, and the growing importance of stablecoins on Ethereum’s network, can explain this discrepancy.

The introduction of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on Ethereum has added another layer of complexity. Although ETH ETF flows are still smaller than those for Bitcoin, they have a larger price impact per dollar invested. However, due to Ethereum’s smaller market capitalization and lower recognition among novice cryptocurrency investors, the bank expects that Ether ETFs will attract fewer inflows compared to Bitcoin.

Citi does not see much potential in the macroeconomic environment outside of crypto-specific factors, especially alongside U.S. stocks that are currently trading near the bank’s assessments.

Ripple: BlackRock, Crypto.com Signal Massive XRP Upturn

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com, made the audacious prediction that XRP’s ETF could draw $8 billion in inflows in its first year in a video John Squire posted on X.

 

The XRP community was already feeling excited about this prediction, with many hoping that the inflows would result in a significant increase in XRP’s value.  The anticipated rise in liquidity may bolster the asset and reinforce its position in the cryptocurrency market.  Marszalek’s comments highlighted XRP’s growing institutional interest and suggested that significant investments may be forthcoming. This influx of capital is likely to improve XRP’s status and attract both individual and institutional investors.

BlackRock’s head of digital assets, Robert Mitchnick, a former Ripple executive,  released research projecting a double-digit target for XRP. Mitchnick joined BlackRock after working at Ripple.

He was a co-author of a research report at the time of his move that examined digital assets and their potential values. Mitchnick’s report modeled both possible success and failure scenarios for XRP, estimating the asset’s future price in double digits.

The report’s low estimate of $6.37, although significantly higher than XRP’s current trading level, was explained by him. The forecast was then summarized into a range of fundamental values..

“The resulting fundamental value range of between $1.59 and $8.23” was reached after giving the success case a 25 percent chance, while the failure case assumed that XRP would have no value.

Although BlackRock has not yet applied for an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF), the company has significantly expanded its presence in the cryptocurrency market.

MSTR Stock Starts the Awaited Rebound While Strategy Pushes Ahead with BTC Treasury

Posted on by Skerdian Meta

MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin-focused strategy remains in the spotlight as it faces rejection from the S&P 500 committee but continues to attract institutional backing and deliver eye-catching earnings. Continue reading “MSTR Stock Starts the Awaited Rebound While Strategy Pushes Ahead with BTC Treasury” →

Pantera Capital: Ripple’s XRP Could Eclipse SWIFT

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Dan Morehead, the founder of Pantera Capital, recently appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss Ripple’s role in global finance.

 

Morehead pointed out the longstanding belief that Ripple is both challenging and potentially replacing SWIFT when he stated, “Ripple’s going after SWIFT.” He suggested that XRP is comparable to other major assets with specific use cases, much like Bitcoin is considered digital gold and Solana is recognized for its performance.

Ripple’s technology offers cross-border payment settlement almost instantly and at a lower cost than SWIFT’s conventional model. Ripple’s solutions have already been investigated or incorporated by financial institutions worldwide to lessen inefficiencies in cross-border transfers.

SWIFT—the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication—has served as the backbone for international payments. It relies on outdated infrastructure and transaction processing times that can take days to complete despite its broad reach. Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, believes that this system is outdated.

BlackRock’s head of digital assets, Robert Mitchnick, a former Ripple executive, previously released research projecting a double-digit target for XRP. Mitchnick joined BlackRock after working at Ripple.

He was a co-author of a research report at the time of his move that examined digital assets and their potential values. Mitchnick’s report modeled both possible success and failure scenarios for XRP, estimating the asset’s future price in double digits.

The report’s low estimate of $6.37, although significantly higher than XRP’s current trading level, was explained by him. The forecast was then summarized into a range of fundamental values..

“The resulting fundamental value range of between $1.59 and $8.23” was reached after giving the success case a 25 percent chance, while the failure case assumed that XRP would have no value.

Although BlackRock has not yet applied for an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF), the company has significantly expanded its presence in the cryptocurrency market.

Forex Signals Sept 15: Will the FED Sink Stock Markets and Gold or Fuel the Rally Further?

Posted on by Skerdian Meta

Investors face one of the busiest weeks of September as central bank announcements, particularly the FED, are set to shape global market sentiment. Continue reading “Forex Signals Sept 15: Will the FED Sink Stock Markets and Gold or Fuel the Rally Further?” →

Galaxy Digital Boosts Solana Holdings from Coinbase, Binance

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Galaxy Digital appears to have bought $300 million worth of Solana through centralized cryptocurrency exchanges in the last day. In 13 transactions over the past day, Galaxy purchased 1.24 million SOL from Binance, Coinbase, and Bybit, according to data from Arkham Intelligence.

Galaxy has been steadily acquiring large amounts of Solana from exchanges. Over the past five days, the company has bought about 6.5 million SOL, or $1.57 billion at current market prices, according to a report released on Sunday by the on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain.

Arkham’s data shows that Galaxy transferred millions of SOL to different addresses during this period, mainly to custody wallets on Fireblocks.

The Nasdaq-listed Solana digital asset treasury company Forward Industries (FORD) saw a $1.65 billion private placement last week, led by Galaxy, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital. The three firms collectively subscribed for over $300 million as the private placement closed on Thursday.

Galaxy and the other two companies announced they will provide Forward Industries with financial and strategic support, aiming to make the Solana treasury strategy the top publicly traded institutional player in the Solana ecosystem.

It’s unclear whether the link Lookonchain made between Forward Industries and Galaxy’s Solana acquisition can be independently verified.
Galaxy CEO Mike Novogratz said the cryptocurrency market is about to witness a “season of Solana,” citing strong market momentum and positive regulatory signals..

Coinbase’s XRP Stash Shrinks 90% in Rapid Three-Month Selloff

Posted on by Olumide Adesina

Coinbase’s XRP holdings decreased from about 970 million to around 99 million, a 90% decline in a quarter.

 

This drop was driven by ongoing off-chain transfers from 52 cold wallets to six active wallets, raising concerns about institutional custody or private transfers, while the on-chain destinations remain unknown. Multiple large transfers took place during the summer, according to blockchain analytics (as reported by XRPWallets in plain text).

Coinbase’s ten largest cold wallets each held roughly 26.7 million XRP before being moved or consolidated. One recent transfer involved 16.5 million XRP, valued at approximately $51.4 million. On-chain records only verify the outflows but do not identify the final custodians.

Transfers to institutional custody providers, private vaults, or off-exchange custody are possible explanations.

The concentration and rapid depletion of visible exchange reserves may indicate changes in liquidity and custody needs. Despite the withdrawals, XRP’s market cap remains near $183 billion, suggesting its value has held steady amid reserve changes

. Large off-exchange transfers could temporarily affect order book depth by reducing on-exchange liquidity, though market impact remains speculative without verified sell-side activity. The data only shows transfers and declining on-exchange balances.

Ripple Price Prediction: Can XRP Challenge SWIFT and Trigger $1T Liquidity Pour?

Posted on by Skerdian Meta

With whale accumulation, regulatory clarification, and growing speculation over ETF clearance stoking prospects for another significant gain, Ripple’s XRP is displaying signs of renewed vigor following a turbulent summer.
Continue reading “Ripple Price Prediction: Can XRP Challenge SWIFT and Trigger $1T Liquidity Pour?” →