XRP futures trading on CME Group has surged to a combined $25.6 million in notional volume within its first two days of launch. It marks a strong debut for the altcoin’s entry into regulated derivatives markets. Meanwhile, XRP continues to trade below $2.50, dropping 7% in the past week.
According to official CME data and corroborating reports, 120 standard and 206 micro contracts were traded on May 19, totaling approximately 6.5 million XRP.
On May 20, the exchange logged 59 standard and 485 micro contracts, adding another 4.1 million XRP to the tally.
So, using XRP’s current market price of $2.39, the total trading volume across both days equals approximately $25.6 million.
XRP Futures Notional Volume on CME. Source: CME Group
This volume positions XRP’s debut ahead of other altcoin launches on CME. Solana (SOL) futures, which debuted in March 2025, recorded $12.3 million in first-day notional volume.
Futures Mirror XRP Spot Price, Hint at Stable Outlook
CME’s XRP futures are cash-settled and based on the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate. This is updated daily at 11 am Eastern Time.
This structure means the futures are pegged closely to the spot market. With XRP currently trading at $2.39, the futures contracts are not reflecting a premium or discount. This suggests traders expect price stability in the short term.
So far, there is no indication of strong bullish or bearish sentiment among futures participants. This could reflect broader market indecision or simply the fact that participants are using the contracts for hedging rather than speculation.
Sam Bankman-Fried interviewed Tucker Carlson from prison. The former FTX CEO still thinks declaring bankruptcy was a bad decision, and the exchange would have $93 billion in assets from his investments.
Bankman-Fried’s answers showed that many of his beliefs have remained the same since 2022, but it’s important to remember his biases.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s First Video Interview From Prison
Today, Bankman-Fried sat down with Tucker Carlson for a new video interview covering a wide range of topics.
This time, however, he didn’t mention the pardon. When Carlson asked Bankman-Fried why his extensive political contributions didn’t help him avoid prison in 2022, he responded by talking about his disillusionment with the Democratic Party.
This aligns with statements made in his previous interview.
“One factor that might be relevant is, in 2020, I was center-left, and I gave a lot to Biden’s campaign. I was optimistic. By 2022, I was giving to Republicans, privately, as much as Democrats. That started becoming known right around FTX’s collapse. That probably played a role,” he claimed.
Other than that change, however, many of his crypto-related beliefs appear unchanged since the FTX collapse in 2022. For example, Carlson asked Bankman-Fried whether crypto crimes were bigger 10 years ago, and he replied that they were smaller, citing the Silk Road.
When asked if he had any liquid assets, Bankman-Fried talked about roads not taken.
“The company I used to own, had nothing intervened, today would have about $15 billion of liabilities and about $93 billion of assets. There was enough money to pay everyone back in kind at the time. Plenty of interest left over, and tens of billions left for investors. But that’s not how it worked out. It’s been a colossal disaster,” Bankman-Fried stated.
In other words, he doesn’t seem to think that his actions at FTX were wrong or fraudulent. Similarly, the Silk Road achieved widespread notoriety, but its transactions amounted to less than $200 million.
Meanwhile, crypto scams in 2025 can steal that much in one day. In other words, it’s important to remember his biases, especially since he is removed from the scene.
Carlson grilled Bankman-Fried on a few other topics, like whether crypto scams were tarnishing the industry’s reputation. For the most part, they talked about other topics, such as celebrities incarcerated with him, using muffins as “prison money,” Bankman-Fried’s upcoming birthday, etc.
“This was due to an entity(s) on the Binance perpetuals market. That’s what triggered the entire cascade. The initial drop below $5 was triggered by a ~1 million USD short position being market-sold. This caused over 5% of slippage in literal microseconds. That was the trigger. This seems intentional to me. They knew what they were doing,” the analyst stated.
Pi Network: From Chainlink Buzz to Transparency Fears
Pi Network recorded strong optimism this week as its native Pi Coin surged by double digits. BeInCrypto attributed the surge to the announcement of a key integration with Chainlink.
They pitched this strategic collaboration as a gateway to real-world utility. Specifically, it positioned Pi closer to the broader DeFi and smart contract ecosystem. However, the euphoria proved short-lived.
Allegations suggest that, like the OM token, Pi coin lacks full clarity around circulating supply, wallet distribution, and centralized control. To some, these are potential red flags in an increasingly regulation-sensitive industry.
“The OM incident is a wake-up call for the entire crypto industry, proof that stricter regulations are urgently needed. It also serves as a huge lesson for the Pi Core Team as we transition from the Open Network to the Open Mainnet,” wrote Dr Altcoin.
Pi coin reversed gains within days, falling 18% from its weekly high. At the time of writing, PI was trading at $0.6112, up by a modest 0.7% in the past 24 hours, per CoinGecko.
Grayscale’s Altcoin Shake-Up: 40 Tokens Under Review
This week in crypto also showed that institutional investor interest in altcoins is heating up again, with Grayscale leading the charge.
The digital asset manager unveiled its updated list of assets under consideration for the second quarter (Q2) 2025. BeInCrypto reported that the list featured zero altcoins across sectors such as DePIN, AI, modular blockchains, and restaking. Among the notable tokens being eyed are SUI, STRK, TIA, JUP, and MANTA.
The update reflects Grayscale’s growing thesis around emerging crypto trends, particularly as the firm seeks to expand beyond its core Bitcoin and Ethereum products.
This announcement follows a broader strategic overhaul from three weeks ago when Grayscale reshuffled its top 20 list of altcoins by market exposure. Several older names were dropped at the time, while newer narratives like Solana-based DePIN and Ethereum restaking plays were pushed to the forefront.
The expansion into 40 coins signals Grayscale’s recognition of renewed retail and institutional appetite for differentiated assets. However, inclusion in the list does not guarantee a fund launch. It only indicates Grayscale’s active research.
XRP and SWIFT Partnership: Breaking Down the Rumors
There was speculation this week about a possible partnership between Ripple’s XRP and banking giant SWIFT in crypto.
This narrative was based on a misinterpreted document. A series of cryptic social posts exacerbated the speculation, which some took as confirmation of collaboration between the global payments network and the XRP ledger.
However, BeInCrypto’s in-depth reporting sank the rumors. While Ripple has long pursued banking institutions and SWIFT has shown openness to blockchain innovations, there is no verified partnership between the two.
SWIFT’s public-facing projects around tokenization and digital asset settlement do not include XRP.
Despite the debunking, the rumors sparked an important conversation about XRP’s long-term positioning. The token remains a top-10 asset and a favorite among retail investors banking on utility-driven price appreciation.
With Ripple’s legal battles with the SEC nearing resolution and international CBDC partnerships in the works, the project is far from irrelevant.
US Dollar Dives: What the DXY Crash Means for Bitcoin
The US Dollar Index (DXY) hit a three-year low this week, sending ripples through the crypto markets. Historically, a falling DXY has been bullish for Bitcoin, and this week was no different, with BTC reclaiming above the $84,000 range.
The greenback’s weakness reflects growing fears of fiscal deterioration in the US, as rate cuts loom and Treasury debt soars.
Japan’s 10-year bond yields hit multi-decade highs, forcing the Bank of Japan (BoJ) into increasingly precarious interventions. As Japanese liquidity spills outward, crypto and risk assets have become inadvertent beneficiaries.
This macroenvironment is ideal for Bitcoin. Weakening fiat, rising global liquidity, and crumbling bond market confidence create a perfect storm.
PI has been in a persistent downtrend since reaching an all-time high of $3 on February 26. In fact, it has traded below a descending trendline since April 12, highlighting the negative bias against the altcoin.
However, the tide may finally be turning. Technical indicators now point to a potential bullish resurgence, hinting at a PI rebound in the short term.
PI’s Quiet Accumulation Phase Could Trigger a Rally
BeInCrypto’s assessment of the PI/USD one-day chart suggests that the altcoin may be preparing for a bullish breakout. For example, its on-balance volume (OBV) has spiked over the past two days, showing early signs of accumulation.
The OBV indicator uses trading volume to predict price movements, adding volume on up days and subtracting it on down days. When its value rises like this, it suggests a surge in buying pressure.
OBV is considered a leading indicator, meaning it often moves ahead of price action and can signal shifts in market sentiment before they are reflected in the asset’s price. Therefore, PI’s rising OBV indicates that buyers are quietly accumulating the token, even as its price remains subdued.
This divergence signals that bullish momentum is building, increasing the likelihood of a PI breakout once broader market sentiment aligns.
Furthermore, the red bars forming PI’s BBTrend indicator have gradually shrunk. This reduction suggests that selling pressure is weakening, serving as an early signal that the current downtrend may be losing steam.
In technical analysis, a contraction in the BBTrend histogram is a precursor to a potential trend reversal, especially when accompanied by rising volume and other bullish indicators.
As the bars shorten, it indicates that volatility is stabilizing in the PI market and that a bullish shift in price is increasingly likely.
PI for Reversal as Bullish Signals Point to $1 Breakout
PI currently trades at $0.591, resting below its descending trend line, which forms resistance above it at $0.605. If bullish pressure strengthens and PI demand rockets, it could flip this price point into a support floor and climb toward $1.01.
