Ripple’s XRP has been making headlines repeatedly for its efforts to encourage mainstream adoption. Despite a setback last week on the SEC lawsuit, positive news has kept coming. Today, CME Group is launching the XRP futures ETF, which is yet another milestone for the community. This strategic move is expected to bolster the Ripple Coin’s institutional demand and adoption. CME Group Launches XRP Futures ETF Today: Know Details Today (May 19), the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group, is launching XRP futures and Micro XRP futures. The platform will debut the futures in two contract sizes: a micro contract covering 2,500 tokens and a larger contract covering 50,000, both based on the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate. In response to the development, lawyer Bill Morgan stated, these “cash-settled futures contracts” could drive the token’s institutional demand in multiple ways. Bill highlighted the significance of XRP futures for… Read More at Coingape.com
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.
The Pi Network community is eagerly awaiting Pi Day, which will mark the sixth anniversary of the project. However, even as anticipation builds within the community over the impact that this day will have on Pi coin price, several concerns remain that could impact token holders. This article explores the four things that Pi Network token holders need to worry about on this pivotal date.
Things Pi Network Token Holders Should Worry About on Pi Day
Pi Day is an event that is celebrated on March 14 every year and will coincide with the project’s sixth anniversary. During this event, Pi Network token holders are awaiting a flurry of announcements that could spike the level of market interest in the altcoin.
Pi Coin has made waves since its launch, with its market cap surging to more than $11 billion. Top exchanges like OKX and Bitget have listed Pi Coin. There has also been notable Pi Coin adoption from a top US real estate company.
Pi Day is set to unlock another stage for the project. This day is also the deadline for mainnet migration. There is also anticipation that a major exchange might list Pi Network token on this day.
Nevertheless, despite the buzz surrounding this day, Pi Coin holders should remain concerned about the following:
KYC and Mainnet Deadline Migration
The Pi Network migration deadline is on Pi Day 2025. This migration will transfer Pi token holders and users from the testnet to the official blockchain that launched last month. Users can only migrate their tokens if they complete Know Your Customer (KYC) verification.
Pi Network has set the deadline for migration on March 14, 2025. It has also stated that there will be no extensions to this deadline. Those who fail to complete KYC and the migration will end up losing most of their Pi tokens.
Pi Network Migration Deadline
The possibility of losing Pi Coins if one misses the migration deadline should concern token holders. Moreover, given the gains that the Pi Network token could see during this event, losing these coins could lead to major losses.
Concerns About Decentralization
Pi Network token holders should also be concerned about the level of decentralization on the project. Pi Coin has a maximum supply of 100 billion tokens. Meanwhile, data from PiScan shows that 62 billion tokens are held by six wallets belonging to the core team.
Pi Coin Core Team Wallets
Besides the supply distribution, the Pi Network has 2 active validators globally and only 17 active nodes. This is a significantly small number compared to decentralized networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which have thousands of active nodes and validators that guarantee decentralization.
Pi Network Nodes
Such concerns could weigh on the Pi Network price after Pi Day. It may also hinder broader adoption, and impact investor confidence.
Delayed Listing on Top Exchanges
The Pi Network community is optimistic about Binance listing Pi Coin. Some anticipate that the listing could happen on Pi Day after the mainnet migration and users meet KYC requirements.
Nevertheless, Binance has yet to confirm the listing. Coinbase has also not revealed plans to list this token despite Pi Coin gaining swift adoption in the US. If Pi Network token is not listed on another major exchange on Pi Day, it could slow the momentum and reduce investor confidence.
Pi Network Price Shows Slow Momentum
Pi Network price today is $1.68 with a marginal drop of 1.7% in 24 hours. The RSI is at 55, which is close to neutral levels, indicating that buying activity has slowed. The CMF indicator has also tipped south, which is a sign of Pi Coin price weakness as buying pressure fades.
The lack of significant buying pressure around the Pi Network token despite the hype around Pi Day is concerning. If this momentum continues, the price could slip to the 23.6% Fibonacci level of $1.36. Conversely, if buying pressure surges and reverses the trend, Pi Coin could touch the 123.6% Fib level of $1.93.
PI/USDT: 2-hour Chart
Bottom Line
The Pi Network token is poised for price volatility on Pi Day. While a flurry of announcements could spark gains, Pi Coin holders should still take note of factors like the mainnet migration. Concerns about decentralization and failure of being listed on other top exchanges may affect the price performance.
Donald Trump has followed through on his promises and signed an executive order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate US Digital Asset Stockpile.
While some industry figures have lauded the order, others remain skeptical. They argue that the initiative is little more than a rebranding of existing government holdings with no substantive new strategy.
Donald Trump Signs Order for Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
“Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, is referred to as “digital gold” because of its scarcity and security, having never been hacked. With a fixed supply of 21 million coins, there is a strategic advantage to being among the first nations to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve,” the order read.
Arkham Intelligence data shows that the US government holds 198,109 BTC in its public wallets, valued at $17.5 billion at current market prices.
Despite this substantial holding, David Sacks, the White House’s AI and Crypto Czar, noted that a comprehensive audit of the government’s digital assets has never been conducted. The new executive order mandates this accounting.
“Premature sales of Bitcoin have already cost US taxpayers over $17 billion in lost value. Now the federal government will have a strategy to maximize the value of its holdings,” he wrote.
Industry Experts Divided on Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
Jacob King, founder of WhaleWire, dismissed the recent attention around the reserve.
“In reality, this has existed for over a decade—they’re just slapping a fancy title on it to appease Bitcoiners,” he remarked.
King also pointed out that the reserve would not involve any new Bitcoin purchases. Therefore, he believes, this makes the move largely insignificant in the grand scheme of the market.
Peter Schiff, an outspoken critic of Bitcoin, also weighed in on the order. According to Schiff, the move was made under pressure from donors and conflicted cabinet members.
He described the order as a “bogus” attempt to capitalize on the Bitcoin the government already holds.
“If they seize any more Bitcoin they can keep that too. But they can’t buy any more, as buying by definition requires a payment,” Schiff posted.
Despite the criticisms, some industry leaders see the order as a significant step toward legitimizing Bitcoin on the world stage.
“The end game was never the US government buys all of the world’s Bitcoin,” Ryan Rasmussen, Head of Research at Bitwise, said.
Rasmussen explained that the move will likely prompt other countries to buy Bitcoin. He also expects it to pressure wealth managers, financial institutions, pensions, and endowments to adopt the cryptocurrency.
The reserve, Rasmussen said, will alleviate concerns about the US selling its holdings and may pave the way for future acquisitions. He added that the move increases the likelihood of US states adopting Bitcoin.
Matt Hougan, CIO at Bitwise, also concurred. He pointed out that the order could significantly reduce the likelihood of future Bitcoin bans. Hougan added that the reserve,
“Accelerates the speed at which other nations will consider establishing strategic bitcoin reserves, because it creates a short-term window for nations to front-run potential additional buying by the US.”
Analyst Nic Carter also praised the decision, calling it a successful fulfillment of a key campaign promise. He highlighted that Bitcoin had received official US government approval, a distinction not granted to other cryptocurrencies. Carter emphasized that using no taxpayer funds helped shield the initiative from backlash.
“Announcement couldn’t have gone better,” he claimed.
The signing of the executive order took place just one day before the White House Crypto Summit. Initially, it was anticipated that Trump would sign the Bitcoin reserve order at the summit, which had driven Bitcoin prices up. Nonetheless, the actual signing led to a dip in the cryptocurrency’s value.
After briefly regaining that level on March 5, Bitcoin dropped below $90,000 again. At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $87,469, marking a 4.5% decrease over the past 24 hours.
