Standard Chartered Bullish on Ethereum

Standard Chartered analysts stated that Ethereum ETF staking will likely push  ETH price above $14,000 by the end of the year. These assets can yield additional returns if staked by allocating a portion of ETH to validators to safeguard the blockchain network and compensate them with extra tokens.

 

Fidelity has applied to the SEC for permission to implement a staking provision for its Ethereum [ETH] ETF product through the CBOE exchange.

There is more optimism about potential staking features in the U.S. S ETFs after Grayscale and 21Shares applied similarly in February. The products introduced last summer have roughly $7 billion in net assets held in custody accounts.

Ethereum’s price stayed mildly bullish amid bearish sentiment affecting the overall cryptocurrency market, trading at about $1,900 during Thursday’s London trading session.

Expectations regarding the possible approval of staking within the US spot Ethereum ETF may help the leading altcoin recover from its recent poor performance.

According to Bitwise, a similar filing in the largest economy in the world would boost investor returns.  Matt Hougan, Bitwise chief, recently told Bloomberg that ETPs ought to stake.  We have observed that staking ETPs can improve network security and investor returns. 

Etherealize founder Vivek Raman highlighted that the adoption of ETH ETFs was “dampened” by the absence of staking. The executive claims that ETH ETF staking “can open up more money, it can open up a differentiated narrative around Ethereum.”. 

Ethereum’s next technical upgrade, Pectra, which will add multiple UX improvement features to its blockchain, is drawing closer.

The mainnet upgrade will signal a change in ETH’s price trajectory, which has significantly underperformed compared to Bitcoin and Solana.

Such technological advancement might be the catalyst ETH needs to gain some traction and win back the support of market players.

 

 

Ripple receives Payment License in Dubai

Ripple received complete regulatory approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to provide payment solutions powered by blockchain technology.

Ripple became the first payments company authorized to conduct business in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), marking significant growth in the Middle East.

The company can now access the $40 billion cross-border payments market in the United Arab Emirates thanks to the DFSA license.

As stated in the announcement on Thursday, “The UAE is exceptionally well-positioned to benefit due to its early leadership in establishing a supportive environment for tech and crypto innovation,” said Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple.

This latest approval comes after Ripple was granted an in-principle DFSA license in October 2024, which enabled the company to begin providing its services in the DIFC, a crucial financial zone for multinational corporations.

The U.S.-based crypto firm expanded its Middle East presence since establishing its headquarters in the DIFC in 2020, with the Middle East now accounting for nearly 20% of its global clientele.

the company achieved a significant milestone that enables licensed businesses in the DIFC to integrate cryptocurrency into their offerings by obtaining DFSA approval for XRP in November 2023,

Forex Brief March 13: Can Softer PPI Inflation Boosts Stock Market Sentiment Further?

Today the UK GDP is expected to show a slowdown to 0.1% in January, after a spike to 0.4% in December due to Christmas.

The UK GDP report is expected at 0.1% today

Continue reading “Forex Brief March 13: Can Softer PPI Inflation Boosts Stock Market Sentiment Further?”

Bitcoin Fragile amid Risk Aversion

Bitcoin was up 2% for the day, hitting $84.5K, but it displayed weakness and dropped below $82K at publication, even though inflation data was positive.

The flagship cryptocurrency asset dropped from $100,000 last month to less than $80,000 this week because of several factors, including Wall Street’s risk aversion, worries about Trump’s tariffs, and fears of a recession in the world’s largest economy.

The most recent retaliatory tariffs from the European Union have increased macroeconomic uncertainty, leading cryptocurrency analysts to predict higher volatility for Bitcoin prices, which could fall below the crucial $80K support level.

The European Commission announced on March 12 that the EU would begin enforcing counter-tariffs on 26 billion euros ($28 billion) worth of US goods in April. In response to US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Market fundamentals have turned negative due to Trump’s intermittent tariff dispute. Trade tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico have a negative impact. Retaliatory tariffs are expected to increase the cost of foreign goods, further burdening the American people. Trump’s strategic reserve plan’s lack of new Bitcoin purchases was a disappointment, which accelerated BTC’s price moderation

The Federal Reserve’s signal that it would cut interest rates less frequently in 2025 than last year has caused the entire cryptocurrency market to plummet from its December highs, losing almost 30% of its market capitalization.

Crypto traders will likely tighten their belts and reduce exposure to riskier assets because there will be less economic liquidity. President Trump further alarmed investors by refusing to rule out a recession this year as the nation enters a “period of transition.”.

Trump’s Tariffs weigh on Ripple’s XRP

XRP’s market dynamics are negatively impacted by geopolitical uncertainty.  The already uncertain XRP market may see more negative trends amid high economic uncertainty in the global economy. The most recent action comes after tensions between the U.S. and Canada.

 

President Trump’s announcement of additional tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel has raised worries about market volatility.

Investor sentiment remained low amid high cryptocurrency liquidations. Although these tariffs might increase pressure, some analysts contend that other macroeconomic factors were already causing the market to decline. The Crypto Greed & Fear Index stands at 19, showing extreme fear.

The uncertainty is alarming even though the tariffs may not be implemented or may be reversed. Long-term holders (LTHs) have become a crucial stabilizing factor for XRP. Many LTHs have opted to hold onto their positions rather than sell at lower prices amid market correction.

This economic volatility has mostly been detrimental to XRP. Announcements about tariffs have historically caused price declines, with the remittance token and other cryptocurrency assets suffering. Although it’s uncertain if the new Canadian tariffs will significantly alter the market’s downward trajectory, they may increase these losses.

LTHs maintain large profits as shown on the MVRV (Market Value to Realized Value) Long/Short Difference, which reduces their motivation to sell during market downturns. Their choice to hang onto their investments has been essential to XRP’s price stability.

Market action

The Ripple-based token sits above the crucial $2 support level. Even though the altcoin has dropped 10% over the past seven days, it struggled to stay above the $2 mark. This suggests that the asset’s long-term holders play a part in providing a safety net. The ability of XRP to consolidate above the $2.2 mark is contingent upon LTHs sticking to their position.

Metaplanet Bitcoin Holdings worth $250 million

CEO Simon Gerovich revealed that the Japanese investment firm paid an average price of $83,123 per coin, or about $13.5 million, for the most recent acquisition. Metaplanet has acquired almost 3,050 Bitcoin. Metaplanet’s Bitcoin holdings are worth $106 million, and the acquisition cost was about $250 million.

 

 

Gerovich declared that by the end of this year, the company wants to have 10,000 coins, and 21,000 BTC by next year.

Bitcoin Yield (BTC Yield), a key performance indicator that has seen significant swings in recent quarters, is used by the company to monitor the success of its accumulation strategy.

Metaplanet reported a 41.7 percent BTC Yield from July to September 2024, which jumped to 309.8 percent in the fourth quarter. As of right now in 2025, the metric is 53.2%.

Metaplanet’s board of directors has authorized the issuance of its eighth series of common bonds to EVO FUND as part of this initiative. Metaplanet’s bond issuance valued at JPY 2 billion (roughly $18.2 million), is anticipated to be used directly to finance additional Bitcoin purchases.

Meanwhile, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) announced it would raise $21 billion for Bitcoin acquisitions.

A notice from the company states that this new funding initiative is in line with its announcement on January 28th about stock acquisition rights, which detailed its intentions to issue and sell shares of its Series A perpetual strike preferred stock with an 8% percent stake.

UAE-backed MGX Invests $2 billion on Binance

The world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume announced that Abu Dhabi investment group MGX invested $2 billion in cryptocurrency to the business. Binance stated that this was the first time it had accepted institutional investment.

The amount of MGX’s stake, the stablecoins Binance received as part of the transaction, and the valuation at which the investment was made were all withheld by a representative for the cryptocurrency exchange.

“This investment by MGX is a significant milestone for the crypto industry,” said Richard Teng, the crypto exchange’s CEO, in the press release. The UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, is home to MGX’s headquarters.

Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family and one of the primary managers of the UAE’s sovereign wealth fund, serves as the chairman of the company, which focuses on AI and tech investments.

According to a statement from Ahmed Yahia, managing director and CEO of MGX, “the need for secure, compliant, and scalable blockchain infrastructure and solutions has never been greater as institutional adoption accelerates.”.

The UAE’s support of Binance solidifies the cryptocurrency exchange’s position in the Gulf and represents one of the biggest capital infusions into a business in the history of the sector. According to the press release, of Binance’s 5,000 employees, roughly 1,000 are based in the United Arab Emirates.

Teng, the company’s current CEO, was formerly an Abu Dhabi regulator, and Changpeng Zhao, its former CEO, still resides in the nation.

Although Binance has long avoided committing to a corporate headquarters, its executives have expressed satisfaction with the UAE’s crypto regulatory framework. The company has offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and organizes crypto conferences throughout the nation.

 

 

Forex Signals Brief March 12: Jump in Egg Prices Unlikely to Impact CPI Inflation Data Today

Today we have the US CPI inflation and BOC rate meeting, which will likely increase market volatility on top of tariff uncertainty.

US CPI inflation is expected to tick lower
US CPI inflation is expected to tick lower

Continue reading “Forex Signals Brief March 12: Jump in Egg Prices Unlikely to Impact CPI Inflation Data Today”

Ripple: Franklin Templeton Files For XRP ETF

Franklin Templeton’s filing on Tuesday is the most recent in a series of spot cryptocurrency ETF filings by asset managers, who anticipate a more accommodating stance from the Securities and Exchange Commission under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The American investment bank plans to introduce an exchange-traded fund that will track the spot price of the cryptocurrency XRP, demonstrating asset managers’ increasing appetite for digital assets beyond Bitcoin .

Additionally, Franklin Templeton filed an ETF last month that will follow the Solana spot price. Grayscale Investments introduced a fund associated with Dogecoin earlier in January.

XRP was created by Ripple an American-based company. The token is the fourth largest cryptocurrency by market valuation, with a market valuation of about $128 billion, according to CoinGecko data.

President Trump plans to introduce a new strategic reserve including XRP in the world’s largest economy. The remittance token has more than tripled in the past year amid recent market correction.

Franklin’s XRP ETF is anticipated to debut on the Cboe BZX exchange. Coinbase is the custodian of the fund’s XRP holdings.

Ripple Strong Buy Zone at $2, as XRP Price Rebounds 15% Off Support Again

Ripple coin sank below $2 earlier today as the crypto sentiment deteriorated, but the XRP price bounced to $2.20, facing the resistance level which used to act as support.

Ripple XRP Chart Daily
Ripple XRP Chart Daily

Continue reading “Ripple Strong Buy Zone at $2, as XRP Price Rebounds 15% Off Support Again”