Ripple’s U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, has officially launched, sparking curiosity about which major exchanges will support it. While Ripple’s Senior Vice President of Stablecoins, Jack McDonald, remained tight-lipped about specific exchange partnerships, he hinted at future listings, including potential support from leading platforms like Coinbase. This week, Bitstamp confirmed its support for RLUSD, marking a significant step in Ripple’s journey to expand its stablecoin presence.
In a recent interview with The Block, McDonald discussed the complexities of securing exchange listings, emphasizing the technical challenges involved. “There’s a lot that goes on [beyond a handshake], especially considering the diverse blockchains that stablecoins like RLUSD operate on,” McDonald explained. The stablecoin is currently supported on both Ethereum and XRP Ledger, following approval from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).
Ripple’s RLUSD is the first XRP Ledger-based stablecoin to secure NYDFS approval, positioning it as a key player in the regulatory-compliant stablecoin market. McDonald noted that this approval could encourage other NYDFS-regulated entities to adopt RLUSD, making it an attractive asset for exchanges.
When discussing other potential exchanges, McDonald mentioned that platforms like Coinbase and Binance have historically shown exclusivity toward certain stablecoins due to strategic partnerships, such as Coinbase’s relationship with Circle’s USDC. However, he remains optimistic that exchanges will eventually expand their stablecoin offerings, including the possible inclusion of RLUSD.
Looking ahead to 2025, McDonald predicted that stablecoin issuers with strong institutional backing and regulatory compliance frameworks will dominate the market. Smaller, less compliant entrants may struggle to compete as liquidity and institutional trust become key factors in exchange and liquidity provider decisions.
With Ripple’s RLUSD making strides in both regulatory approval and exchange partnerships, the stage is set for it to challenge the dominance of existing stablecoins in the coming year.
MANTRA is planning to launch a $108,888,888 Ecosystem Fund to drive RWA innovation over the next four years and help accelerate projects in MANTRA’s blockchain ecosystem.
MANTRA’s native token OM has shown significant resilience in the current market downturn. OM is currently the only altcoin among the top 30 tokens to have posted positive gains over the past 24 hours.
Today, it announced the launch of a $108,888,888 Ecosystem Fund to propel RWA innovation in its blockchain ecosystem.
“In an era where blockchain technology is revolutionizing finance, the MEF will serve as a catalyst for groundbreaking projects that drive real-world adoption through a focus upon the tokenization of real world assets. We are opening doors for visionary founders and teams to join us in building and creating a thriving ecosystem,” claimed John Patrick Mullin, founder and CEO.
Mullin delivered these comments in an exclusive press release shared with BeInCrypto. MANTRA plans to deploy this fund over the next four years, working with “a strong network of partners and investors” to maximize RWA growth.
The firm also claimed that its new license approvals in Dubai will allow it to facilitate advanced financial services.
MANTRA successfully obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license, which will allow it to act as a crypto exchange and offer broker-dealer, management, and Investment Services. With these tools, the network can direct RWA investment.
Today, we’re announcing the launch of the MEF – a $108,888,888 million investment initiative designed to propel real world asset innovation, adoption and growth.
But we’re not doing this alone. We’ve got leading incubators, accelerators and capital partners by our side;… pic.twitter.com/oyeCOJ9QrE
— MANTRA | Tokenizing RWAs (@MANTRA_Chain) April 7, 2025
In fact, MANTRA’s native token is the only cryptocurrency among the top 30 to have any positive gains. It’s also among the top 5 highest gainers in the market today.
MANTRA (OM) Daily Price Chart. Source: BeInCrypto
Overall, investors seem extremely confident in MATRA’s growth and the network’s continuous development. The project’s latest investment fund reflects its commitment to influencing positive developments in the RWA ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the find will likely encourage more RWA projects to launch or shift to the network, increasing MANTRA’s utility. According to DefiLlama, the network only has $4.2 million in total value locked (TVL).
With this fund, the project’s main goal will be to improve participation and long-term engagement on the blockchain.
In recent months, Solana has demonstrated remarkable growth in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, prompting discussions about its potential to rival Ethereum’s valuation.
A new report by Franklin Templeton highlighted that Solana’s DeFi protocols are among the most utilized and highest-earning platforms across all blockchain environments.
Franklin Templeton Predicts Solana as Ethereum’s Rival
In an analysis, Franklin Templeton highlighted the rapid growth and potential of Solana’s DeFi ecosystem. The report suggested that its valuation could soon rival Ethereum’s.
The global asset management firm, which oversees $1.68 trillion in assets, noted that six Solana-based protocols surpassed $1 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL).
During the third and fourth quarters of 2024, Solana outperformed Ethereum in several key metrics. Solana’s decentralized exchange (DEX) volume notably exceeded that of Ethereum and all Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)–based DEXs combined.
The surge indicates a significant shift in DeFi activity towards Solana, challenging Ethereum’s longstanding dominance in the space. Jito (JTO) leads the charge, a liquid staking protocol that recently reached an all-time high of $3 billion in TVL. Notably, this marked the first time a Solana-based protocol has achieved this milestone.
Other notable protocols include Jupiter (JUP), Raydium (RAY), Kamino (KMNO), Marinade (MNDE), and Sanctum Coin (SANCTA). Collectively, these protocols contributed to Solana’s growing DeFi ecosystem.
Further emphasizing its growing prominence, Solana’s active addresses per hour were reported to be 26 times higher than Ethereum’s as of January 2025. This surge in user activity reflects the network’s scalability and efficiency, making it an attractive platform for developers and investors seeking faster transactions and lower fees.
Despite the impressive growth, Franklin Templeton’s report points out that Solana’s DeFi protocols remain undervalued compared to their Ethereum counterparts. The analysis reveals that Solana’s DeFi tokens are trading at lower valuation multiples, although they exhibit higher growth profiles and strong fundamentals.
“Solana DeFi valuation multiples trade on average lower than their Ethereum counterparts despite significantly higher growth profiles. This highlights an apparent valuation asymmetry between the two ecosystems,” an excerpt in the report read.
Notwithstanding, Franklin Templeton says the increased activity has also contributed to Solana’s rising market capitalization and overall ecosystem growth. According to the asset manager, these discrepancies suggest a potential investment opportunity as the market adjusts to recognize Solana’s expanding influence in the DeFi sector.
Reflecting this optimism, Franklin Templeton filed for a spot Solana ETF (exchange-traded fund) with the US SEC. Notably, the proposed ETF includes staking capabilities. This means investors can earn rewards by participating in network validation processes, which is the first for a Solana-based ETF.
Solana Rising – Could It Overtake Ethereum?
While some investors are enthusiastic about Solana’s potential, others remain skeptical. A user on X (Twitter) challenged the move to compare Solana to Ethereum, alluding to stark differences in foundational robustness.
“It’s like comparing Ethereum versus Las Vegas casino. Yea Vegas has more chips,” the user quipped.
Similarly, industry analysts caution against assuming Solana is poised to surpass Ethereum imminently. Juan Pellicer, Senior Research Analyst at IntoTheBlock, noted that while Solana has narrowed the market capitalization gap with Ethereum, it still faces significant hurdles.
“While Solana may continue to grow and potentially challenge Ethereum in specific niches, overcoming Ethereum’s entrenched position as the dominant platform in the immediate future is still unlikely, though the competitive landscape is dynamic and evolving,” Pellicer told BeInCrypto.
Specifically, Pellicer emphasized that Ethereum benefits from established trust and a vast developer community. According to the analyst, these are critical factors in maintaining its leading position in the DeFi space.
He also highlighted the need for Solana to address centralization concerns and achieve parity in developer adoption. These, according to the analysts, would see Solana truly challenge Ethereum’s dominance.
As Solana continues to innovate and expand its DeFi ecosystem, its potential to reach valuations comparable to Ethereum becomes more plausible.
