In a landmark move, Faculty Group and Ghaf Capital today announced their merger to form Ghaf Group, a vertically integrated Web3 advisory business. This strategic union leverages Faculty Group’s full-stack Web3 execution capabilities alongside Ghaf Capital’s elite access to capital markets, sovereign networks, and strategic enterprise relationships across the MENA region and beyond.
With operations spanning capital allocation, product development, token advisory, liquidity management and marketing, Ghaf Group is uniquely positioned to drive the next wave of blockchain and Web3 growth. The new entity unites over 100 experts across eight subsidiaries under a single, scalable platform committed to delivering institutional-grade solutions and unlocking long-term value across the Web3 economy.
James Childs, newly appointed CEO of Ghaf Group, commented: “This merger is not just an evolution, it’s an inflexion point. Faculty Group has always focused on high-conviction execution in Web3. Now, as Ghaf Group, we bring together global delivery capability with regional strategic access to capital, creating a new category of partner for protocols, corporates, and governments alike.”
Feras Al Sadek, Chairman of Ghaf Group, added: “We’re combining best-in-class infrastructure with unparalleled strategic reach. Ghaf Group will be the trusted bridge between East and West, unlocking capital and capability at scale. This is a defining moment for Web3, and we’re just getting started.”
The group’s new visual identity, rooted in the symbolism of the resilient Ghaf tree native to the UAE, reflects a commitment to strength, longevity, and organic growth. Ghaf Group is already in advanced discussions with sovereign entities, institutional investors, and emerging protocols as it builds out a robust pipeline for 2025 and beyond.
Looking ahead, Ghaf Group will accelerate its footprint across MENA and Asia, explore strategic acquisitions, and begin laying the groundwork for a potential UAE-based IPO, positioning itself as a publicly accountable and globally trusted vehicle for Web3 advancement.
About Ghaf Group
Ghaf Group is a global Web3 venture platform formed through the merger of Faculty Group and Ghaf Capital. The firm provides integrated services across advisory, token design, venture capital, market-making, marketing, and blockchain development. With strong roots in the Middle East and a global vision, Ghaf Group partners with ambitious founders, forward-looking institutions, and sovereign stakeholders to catalyse the next era of decentralised innovation.
Welcome to the US Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee to see why Standard Chartered thinks XRP could soon leapfrog Ethereum, how Tether’s institutional pivot might reshape the stablecoin market, and how players like BlackRock, Galaxy Digital, and the Federal Reserve could shape crypto’s next chapter.
Standard Chartered says XRP Set to Outperform, Could Overtake Ethereum by 2028
As global trade tensions intensify, Standard Chartered sees a silver lining for crypto investors, urging them to focus on long-term winners poised to benefit from the disruption.
“Tariff noise creates the opportunity to look for long-term value/pick winners in Digital Assets for the next leg higher. Today we add XRP to that list of winners (BTC and AVAX other identified winners, ETH identified loser). XRP’s core use is as a cross-border and cross-currency payments platform. That part of Digital Assets is undergoing a shift higher in volumes, something we see continuing. By the end of 2028 we see XRP’s market cap overtaking Ethereum’s. That will make XRP the second largest (non-stablecoin) Digital Asset at that time. Keep looking for winners and HODLing those you already own”, Geoff Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s Head of Digital Asset Research, in an email to BeInCrypto.
Kendrick also pointed to Bitcoin’s resilience as a signal of what’s to come for the broader crypto market.
“Tariff mess will be over soon, and Bitcoin’s solid performance during the noise tells us a leg higher for the asset class will follow” he said.
He also points out important points about the recent performance of XRP:
“XRP price rose 6x in the two months following Trump’s election victory, the strongest performance among the top 15 digital assets by market cap. This reflected market expectations that the SEC would drop its appeal of a court ruling concerning Ripple, as well as the potential for XRP ETFs to be approved under new SEC leadership.”
But Kendrick believes the fundamentals — not just politics — are driving XRP’s momentum.
“We think these gains are sustainable, not just because of recent leadership changes at the SEC but also because XRP is uniquely positioned at the heart of one of the fastest-growing uses for digital assets – facilitation of cross-border and cross-currency payments. In this way, XRPL is similar to the main use case for stablecoins such as Tether: blockchain-enabled financial transactions that have traditionally been done through traditional financial (TradFi) institutions. This stablecoin use has grown 50% annually over the past two years, and we expect stablecoin transactions to increase 10x over the next four years. We think this bodes well for XRPL’s throughput growth, given the similar use cases for stablecoins and XRPL.”
Tether’s Big Play: Institutional-Grade Stablecoin Targets US Market
Charles Wayn, co-founder of decentralized Web3 super-app Galxe, told BeInCrypto that:
“The news that Tether is planning to launch an institutional-grade stablecoin for the US market is fantastic for the crypto industry. Tether pioneered stablecoins with its first launch over a decade ago in 2014, and its flagship product — USDT — is now the third largest cryptocurrency in the world. Unlike its rival, USDC, USDT has never been formally audited, leading to frequent questions over its balance sheet. Nonetheless, it remains the industry’s favored stablecoin, shown by its market cap of over $144 billion, which is well over double the size of USDC’s $60 billion.”
Wayn believes this move, along with Tether’s push for transparency, positions the company as a future leader in institutional crypto adoption.
“As such, this move, combined with other recent news that Tether is seeking a full audit from a Big Four accounting firm, shows that the company is not only willing to be compliant but also be a leader in institutional adoption. While USDT sadly did not pass the EU’s directive on stablecoins under MiCA, this new product will likely be designed to pass new legislation coming from the US.”
He adds that institutional momentum — fueled by players like BlackRock — reinforces why now is a pivotal moment for stablecoins and broader market stability.
“As such, there is little doubt that USDT will work hard to launch its new product in good time. As we see huge institutions like BlackRock further entering the market with another $66 million purchase of Bitcoin last week, along with the rapid growth of its RWA BUIDL fund, institutional adoption is now taking off rapidly.”
Crypto Chart of the Day
Total Stablecoin Market Cap and BTC Price. Source: Coinglass.
Stablecoins total market cap is currently close to its all-time highs, above $210 billion.
Byte-Sized Alpha
– Analysts warn that a return to Quantitative Easing in 2025 could ignite a massive crypto rally, potentially pushing Bitcoin toward $1 million and sparking a surge in altcoins.
– Zero inflows into Bitcoin ETFs and declining futures interest hint at fading investor confidence, though rising put contracts and positive funding rates point to cautious optimism.
– Galaxy Digital secures SEC approval to reorganize and move toward a May 2025 Nasdaq listing, signaling renewed confidence in crypto amid improving US policy support.
– Binance Research shows that during tariffs, RWA tokens outperform Bitcoin, as rising macro pressures weaken BTC’s role as a diversification asset.
– MicroStrategy’s pause in Bitcoin buying last week, amid $5.91 billion in unrealized losses, signals growing caution and raises questions about liquidity, debt, and broader institutional confidence.
XRP is emerging as a strong contender to overtake Ethereum (ETH) in market capitalization. The 2025 market outlook reveals several factors that support the scenario where XRP becomes the second-largest altcoin by market cap.
Recent data highlights three main reasons why XRP has the potential to reach this milestone shortly: XRP’s Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV) has surpassed ETH’s, capital is shifting from ETH to XRP, and investor sentiment is increasingly positive toward XRP.
XRP’s Fully Diluted Valuation Has Surpassed ETH’s
According to the latest data from CoinMarketCap, XRP has officially surpassed Ethereum in terms of Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV). Specifically, XRP’s FDV is $210 billion, while ETH’s is $196 billion.
FDV is a key metric. It reflects the potential value of all tokens in the total supply, including those not yet in circulation. This suggests that XRP is valued higher than ETH when considering their maximum supply.
Investors like John Squire and Edoardo Farina see XRP’s lead in FDV as an early sign that its market cap might soon overtake ETH’s.
“This marks over 6 straight months of XRP outperforming Ethereum. The flip has already begun!” Edoardo Farina predicted.
Investor DONNIE also believes XRP’s higher FDV signals a shift in market perception. According to him, it reflects growing investor acceptance of XRP. This sentiment seems to favor the narratives and forecasts surrounding XRP over those of ETH.
Capital Is Shifting from ETH to XRP
Another key factor is the shift in investment capital between the two cryptocurrencies. TradingView data shows that ETH’s dominance (ETH.D) has dropped to a new low, while XRP’s dominance (XRP.D) rose sharply in 2025.
Ethereum Dominance vs XRP Dominance. Source: TradingView.
Dominance indexes reflect how capital is distributed across the market. Since November last year, ETH.D has fallen from 14% to 7%. Meanwhile, XRP.D has climbed from 1.2% to 4.5%. This contrast reveals that investors are prioritizing XRP over ETH.
This capital movement has also triggered a significant technical outcome. The XRP/ETH chart has broken a downtrend line that has held since 2016, signaling a long-term bullish trend for the pair.
The breakout represents more than just a technical signal. It reflects a broader shift in market sentiment. Investors are increasingly focusing their attention on XRP.
A recent report from CoinShares supports this. It states that digital asset investment products saw contrasting flows between ETH and XRP in the past week. While Ethereum recorded outflows of $26.7 million, XRP attracted a strong inflow of $37.7 million.
This capital shift demonstrates XRP’s growing potential to close the gap in market cap with ETH.
Investor Sentiment is More Positive Toward XRP
Finally, investor sentiment is leaning toward XRP. Recent reports highlight growing optimism around XRP, while ETH faces more skepticism.
According to a recent BeInCrypto report, XRP’s price appears to be in a “pre-set” growth stage. This is driven by support from financial institutions and the development potential of the XRP Ledger.
Recent news has fueled a positive atmosphere for XRP holders. Ripple acquired Hidden Road in a $1.25 billion deal. HashKey launched the first institutional XRP investment fund in Asia. Coinbase also introduced XRP futures regulated by the CFTC.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) has been experiencing mixed signals in recent weeks. The meme coin has made attempts to secure a breakout, but this effort hinges heavily on investor support.
Unfortunately, this support has been weak recently, forcing SHIB to rely on the broader market, particularly Bitcoin (BTC), for direction. If Bitcoin continues its upward trajectory, Shiba Inu may have a shot at a recovery rally.
Shiba Inu Needs Support
The MVRV Long/Short Difference for Shiba Inu is currently at a 6-month low, a key indicator suggesting that short-term holders are experiencing substantial profits.
This is a bearish sign for the cryptocurrency, as these investors are typically more inclined to sell when they are in profit. As a result, the potential for a sell-off is higher, and the price of Shiba Inu could take a hit as these holders exit their positions.
This behavior could put downward pressure on SHIB, limiting its chances of maintaining or building upon its recent gains. The lack of strong support from long-term holders, combined with the large profit-taking from short-term traders, creates an unstable market dynamic for Shiba Inu at present.
Shiba Inu’s correlation with Bitcoin remains strong, currently sitting at 0.77. This indicates that SHIB tends to move in tandem with Bitcoin, and as the largest cryptocurrency gradually recovers, Shiba Inu could follow suit.
Bitcoin’s potential rally toward the $90,000 mark would likely provide the necessary boost for SHIB to continue its own recovery.
If Bitcoin breaches the $90,000 level, it will instill further confidence in the broader cryptocurrency market. This, in turn, could help lift Shiba Inu from its current consolidation phase, giving it the momentum needed to push past key resistance levels.
Shiba Inu Correlation To Bitcoin. Source: IntoTheBlock
SHIB Price Is Aiming At Recovery
At the time of writing, Shiba Inu is trading at $0.00001296, just above its support level of $0.00001275. The altcoin is attempting to hold this support and bounce off it, but its ability to maintain this level depends on market conditions.
Should Bitcoin rise further, Shiba Inu may find some support to reach or surpass the $0.00001462 barrier. However, if Bitcoin experiences a slip, SHIB will likely remain consolidated around $0.00001275 or potentially fall to $0.00001141, depending on the strength of the bearish pressure.
The only way this bearish-neutral outlook would be invalidated is if Shiba Inu breaks through the $0.00001462 resistance and flips it into support.
A successful rally above this level could pave the way for SHIB to rise to $0.00001676 and beyond, marking the start of a more bullish trend for the meme coin.
