Binance announced today that MGX, a sovereign wealth fund from Abu Dhabi, invested $2 billion in the company. The transaction happened entirely using stablecoins.
This is both the largest investment ever made in a crypto-related business and the largest investment ever made using cryptoassets. Binance didn’t specify which stablecoin was used, but the UAE has favored Tether products in the past.
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, former CEO of Binance, also shared this news on X (formerly Twitter).
“MGX, an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, invests $2 billion in Binance for a minority stake. The transaction will be 100% in crypto (stablecoins), marking it the largest investment transaction done in crypto to date. This is also the first institutional investment Binance has taken. Onwards,Build!” CZ wrote.
Since then, however, interest has shifted back. The firm’s press release claimed that roughly one-fifth of its workforce is based in the UAE, for example.
Teng called the development a “significant milestone” and said Binance is “committed to working with regulators worldwide.” This MGX investment will likely increase economic ties in the region.
“We are excited to announce the first-ever institutional investment in Binance by MGX. This is a significant step in advancing digital asset adoption and reinforcing blockchain’s role in global finance,” Binace annouced on X.
Binance’s announcements have been surprisingly light on the exact details of its future relationship with MGX.
However, they were very clear that it was a big deal. This marks the largest-ever investment in a crypto firm and the largest investment paid entirely in cryptocurrency. Wherever the partnership goes from here, it has already made history.
Bakkt, a crypto exchange, is preparing to raise $75 million to fund new Bitcoin purchases. Last November, reports suggested that Trump Media was planning to buy out the company, but this evidently fell through.
Additionally, firms around the world continue to invest in BTC and altcoin stockpiles. Jordan Fried was named as the incoming CEO of a corporate Bitcoin buyer, but he’s simultaneously the Chairman of an HBAR treasury firm.
Bakkt, a centralized exchange with a marginal presence in the industry, is the latest firm to bet big on Bitcoin. Specifically, according to a press release, Bakkt plans to offer over 6.7 million shares of company stock to raise funds:
“The gross proceeds from the offering, before deducting underwriter discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $75 million. Bakkt intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to purchase Bitcoin and other digital assets in accordance with its investment policy,” Bakkt’s statement read.
Evidently, however, this deal fell through. Instead, last month, it filed to create massive new stock offerings, exploring a potential BTC pivot. Today’s offering may be the first step of this plan.
Additionally, Bakkt isn’t the only company making massive Bitcoin commitments today. Antelope Enterprise Holdings Limited announced a $50 million investment thanks to a new securities purchase agreement.
It’s unclear if this represents a limited entry into the crypto sector or a full-fledged turn towards the treasury strategy.
Although firms like Bakkt and Antelope Enterprise specialize in Bitcoin, some individuals are on both sides of the fence. Altcoin treasury strategies are rising around the world, with new assets receiving corporate cash.
Yesterday, Immutable announced an HBAR reserve strategy, which its Chairman, Jordan Fried, commented on.
Today, however, Jordan Fried was named in a Bitcoin-specific treasury plan. ZOOZ Power, an EV infrastructure firm, announced a $180 million private placement to fund BTC purchases.
“The company intends to leverage every resource available to a dual-listed entity to scale its Bitcoin holdings, while signaling crypto-native and innovation-focused stakeholders that we are forward-thinking. We see our treasury evolving into a strategic asset that drives growth, stability, and differentiation,” Fried claimed.
In other words, Bakkt and other firms are bullish on Bitcoin, but there are other options. Neither of Fried’s associated companies is preparing a diversified strategy yet, taking a maximalist position on different assets.
Moving forward, the comparative performance of these two tactics could provide valuable data for corporate investors.
Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.]
Grab a coffee as we delve into market sentiment about XRP ETFs (exchange-traded funds) in the US. As prospects for this financial instrument continue to grow, experts have weighed in on the possible impact on Ripple’s XRP token.
Crypto News of the Day: XRP ETF Inflows to Reach $8.3 Billion, Standard Chartered Predicts
There has been much chatter this week in crypto about XRP ETFs, ranging from false rumors and reports to delays in key decisions. However, one thing appears certain: the conversation is growing more than ever.
In a recent US Crypto News publication, ETF analyst Eric Balchunas indicated they have raised their odds to 85%. Based on this, analysts offer diverging outlooks on how such a product might perform.
“XRP price could rise to $12.23 or $22.20 after ETF Approval if XRP ETFs Get 15% to 30% of Bitcoin ETF Inflows,” a popular account on X shared.
BeInCrypto data shows that XRP was trading for $2.22 as of this writing, down by almost 1% in the last 24 hours.
Against this backdrop, BeInCrypto contacted Standard Chartered for a commentary. The bank’s head of digital assets research, Geoff Kendrick, said it was challenging to predict precise inflow figures.
However, he indicated that comparative data from Europe could provide some guidance.
“The amount of eventual inflows to XRP ETFs is difficult to estimate. However, Bitwise has listed ETPs in Germany for XRP, Solana, Litecoin, BTC, and ETH, which may provide an apples-for-apples comparison,” Kendrick told BeInCrypto.
Drawing on his prediction of how an XRP ETF could perform and the associated impact on XRP price, Kendrick compared Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other altcoins.
Citing Bitwise data, the Standard Chartered executive noted that altcoins garner a larger percentage of ETP (exchange-traded product) net asset value (NAV) as a percentage of coin market capitalization than Bitcoin and Ethereum.
However, he acknowledged that this could be because fewer ETPs are available for altcoins. Kendrick added that NAV-to-market-cap ratios from already approved US spot ETFs provide a useful benchmark.
Based on these assessments, Geoff Kendrick projected that a US-listed spot XRP ETF could attract as much as $8.3 billion in inflows within its first year.
“Of the US spot ETFs approved so far, NAV as a percentage of market cap is 3% for Ethereum and just under 6% for Bitcoin. At current XRP market cap, that would imply a range of $4.4 billion to $8.3 billion as a future total NAV measure for an XRP ETF, which seems like a reasonable target range for inflows in the first 12 months,” Kendrick added.
Kendrick Sees Ripple Price at $8, Bitfinex Analysts Question Investor Interest for XRP ETFs
The Standard Chartered executive said he expects XRP price gains to keep pace with Bitcoin price growth targets.
He forecasted the Ripple price to rise to $8 by 2026, contingent on spot XRP ETF approvals in the US. This would constitute a 260% surge above the current price of $2.22.
“In real terms, XRP inflation is currently 6%, versus 0.8% for Bitcoin. As such, we target the XRP-USD price levels of $5.50 at end-2025, $8.00 at end-2026, $10.40 at end-2027, $12.50 at end-2028 and $12.25 at end-2029,” Kendrick explained.
Meanwhile, analysts at Bitfinex caution against optimism, saying that investor interest in a US-based spot XRP ETF may not match that witnessed in Bitcoin ETFs.
“We expect limited inflows into an XRP ETF as some investors may choose to broaden their exposure across available crypto ETFs. However it is unlikely to see the level of flows experienced by Bitcoin,” Bitfinex analysts told BeInCrypto.
The contrasting assessments reflect broader uncertainty over how altcoin ETFs might perform in a regulated US market.
Bitcoin’s dominance and changing regulatory attitudes toward digital assets still heavily influence the crypto market in the US.
So far, Grayscale, Wisdom Tree, Bitwise, Canary, and 21Shares have filed for XRP ETF approvals with the SEC. Bitwise’s application received official acknowledgment on February 18, triggering several timelines for approving, denying, or extending the application.
The final deadline is October 12, 240 days after official receipt. This date is equivalent to the ‘final deadline’ of January 10, 2024, for BTC ETF approvals, the day they were approved.
However, with other applications beyond XRP ETF pending approval, including Solana and Litecoin, Kendrick noted that other applications in the pipeline could affect the timeline for XRP ETF approval.
“Litecoin seems most likely to progress the fastest, providing early insight into how the new SEC leadership will treat altcoin ETFs,” Kendrick said.
As a hard fork of Bitcoin, Litecoin could already be viewed by the SEC as a commodity rather than a security. According to Kendrick, its similarity to Bitcoin may make it conceptually easier for investors to understand.
“We expect a wave of cryptocurrency ETFs next year, albeit not all at once. First out is likely the BTC + ETH combo ETFs, then probably Litecoin (because it is a fork of BTC, [therefore it’s a] commodity), then HBAR (because it’s not labeled security), and then XRP/Solana (which have been labeled securities in pending lawsuits),” Balchunas stated.
