Nasdaq has submitted Form 19b-4 to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, in which it aims at listing 21Shares’ spot Polkadot ETF. This would enable investors to invest in Polkadot by getting direct exposure to the tokens without having to directly deal with the asset directly.
Nasdaq Files 19b-4 For 21Shares Polkadot ETF
According to a recent filing, Nasdaq has submitted Form 19b-4 for a spot Polkadot ETF on behalf of 21Shares. The new ETF is to represent the Polkadot’s digital coin, the token that is the 27th in terms of its market capitalization.
This comes after 21Shares submitted an S-1 amendment discussing the firm’s intentions on offering access to a regulated fund that invests in digital asset securities.
As the sponsor of the fund, 21Shares will seek to offer a safe investment opportunity that will help the investors to benefit from the growth of Polkadot without needed to own the DOT token. Besides the Polkadot ETF, it is also working on other ETFs associated with digital assets such as solana and XRP.
Effort to Launch a Spot Polkadot ETF
Grayscale Investments, another major player in the cryptocurrency ETF space, has also filed for approval to launch its own spot Polkadot ETF. This suggests that there is high interest in Polkadot and several firms are vying to provide exposure to this asset class.
At the same time, 21Shares is considering a staking option for its Core Ethereum ETF, which would allow investors to earn extra income by staking.
However despite the filings, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed its ruling on several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in connection with XRP, Solana, Litecoin, and Dogecoin.
Market Response to the Polkadot ETF Filing
Following the Nasdaq filing, Polkadot’s native token, DOT, saw a slight price increase. As of now, DOT’s market capitalization stands at approximately $6.7 billion.
However, despite the positive news surrounding the ETF proposal, DOT price has experienced a modest downturn, with the price showing a slight decrease of 1.12% recently. This fluctuation highlights the volatility that still characterizes the cryptocurrency market.
Several support levels for DOT’s price are at $4.322, $4.129, and $3.826 which may act as potential rebound points if the price continues to test the lower ranges. Meanwhile, Polkadot price resistance levels at $4.599 and $4.898 represent obstacles to any short-term bullish movements.
Bitcoin (BTC) is now one year past its most recent halving, and this cycle is shaping up to be unlike any before it. Unlike previous cycles where explosive rallies followed the halving, BTC has seen a far more muted gain, up just 31%, compared to 436% over the same timeframe in the last cycle.
At the same time, long-term holder metrics like the MVRV ratio are signaling a sharp decline in unrealized profits, pointing to a maturing market with compressing upside. Together, these shifts suggest Bitcoin may be entering a new era, defined less by parabolic peaks and more by gradual, institution-driven growth.
A Year After the Bitcoin Halving: A Cycle Unlike Any Other
This Bitcoin cycle is unfolding noticeably differently than previous ones, signaling a potential shift in how the market responds to halving events.
In earlier cycles—most notably from 2012 to 2016 and again from 2016 to 2020—Bitcoin tended to rally aggressively around this stage. The post-halving period was often marked by strong upward momentum and parabolic price action, largely fueled by retail enthusiasm and speculative demand.
The current cycle, however, has taken a different route. Instead of accelerating after the halving, the price surge began earlier, in October and December 2024, followed by consolidation in January 2025 and a correction in late February.
This front-loaded behavior diverges sharply from historical patterns where halvings typically acted as the catalyst for major rallies.
Several factors are contributing to this shift. Bitcoin is no longer just a retail-driven speculative asset—it’s increasingly seen as a maturing financial instrument. The growing involvement of institutional investors, coupled with macroeconomic pressures and structural changes in the market, has led to a more measured and complex response.
Another clear sign of this evolution is the weakening strength of each successive cycle. The explosive gains of the early years have become harder to replicate as Bitcoin’s market cap has grown. For instance, in the 2020–2024 cycle, Bitcoin had climbed 436% one year after the halving.
In contrast, this cycle has seen a much more modest 31% increase over the same timeframe.
This shift could mean Bitcoin is entering a new chapter. One with less wild volatility and more steady, long-term growth. The halving may no longer be the main driver. Other forces are taking over—rates, liquidity, and institutional money.
The game is changing. And so is the way Bitcoin moves.
Nonetheless, it’s important to note that previous cycles also featured periods of consolidation and correction before resuming their uptrend. While this phase may feel slower or less exciting, it could still represent a healthy reset before the next move higher.
That said, the possibility remains that this cycle will continue to diverge from historical patterns. Instead of a dramatic blow-off top, the outcome may be a more prolonged and structurally supported uptrend—less driven by hype, more by fundamentals.
What Long-Term Holder MVRV Reveals About Bitcoin’s Maturing Market
The Long-Term Holder (LTH) MVRV ratio has always been a solid measure of unrealized profits. It shows how much long-term investors are sitting on before they start selling. But over time, this number is falling.
In the 2016–2020 cycle, LTH MVRV peaked at 35.8. That signaled massive paper profits and a clear top forming. By the 2020–2024 cycle, the peak dropped sharply to 12.2. This happened even as Bitcoin price hit fresh all-time highs.
In the current cycle, the highest LTH MVRV so far is just 4.35. That’s a massive drop. It shows long-term holders aren’t seeing the same kind of gains. The trend is clear: each cycle delivers smaller multiples.
Bitcoin’s explosive upside is compressing. The market is maturing.
Now, in the current cycle, the highest LTH MVRV reading so far has been 4.35. This stark drop suggests long-term holders are experiencing much lower multiples on their holdings compared to previous cycles, even with substantial price appreciation. The pattern points to one conclusion: Bitcoin’s upside is compressing.
This isn’t just a fluke. As the market matures, explosive gains are naturally harder to come by. The days of extreme, cycle-driven profit multiples may be fading, replaced by more moderate—but potentially more stable—growth.
A growing market cap means it takes exponentially more capital to move the price significantly.
Still, it’s not definitive proof that this cycle has already topped out. Previous cycles often included extended periods of sideways movement or modest pullbacks before new highs were reached.
With institutions playing a larger role, accumulation phases could stretch longer. Therefore, peak profit-taking may be less abrupt than in earlier cycles.
However, if the trend of declining MVRV peaks continues, it could reinforce the idea that Bitcoin is transitioning away from wild, cyclical surges and toward a more subdued but structured growth pattern.
The sharpest gains may already be behind, especially for those entering late in the cycle.
As the SEC vs Ripple lawsuit is coming to an end with the blockchain firm paying a $50 million penalty, developments on an XRP ETF are gathering pace once again. In his latest Bloomberg interview, CEO Brad Gralinghouse said that it’s important to have this exchange-traded fund, while just falling short of accepting that they are working with the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock. XRP price movement has been relatively mute to this development, while industry players expect a $3 breakout soon.
Are Ripple and BlackRock Exploring Potential XRP ETF?
In his recent Bloomberg interview, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse was asked whether they are collaborating with BlackRock to launch an XRP ETF in the US. Although Garlinghouse didn’t explicitly accept such a collaboration, he sparked speculation by stating, “We think it makes sense for the XRP community overall”.
The prospect of a BlackRock filing for an XRP ETF in 2025 has captured the attention of the crypto community. Many believe that once the regulatory wall over Ripple is removed, asset managers will rush in the second-half of the year to bring a Ripple ETF to the market. Furthermore, Ripple CEO Garlinghouse is also confident that XRP would make it to the US Digital Asset stockpile.
Adding to the discussion, Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek highlighted the transformative potential of XRP ETFs. He predicts that the development could attract $8 billion in inflows following the approval.
Ripple Drops Cross-Appeal Against US SEC
The long-running Ripple vs SEC lawsuit has finally come to an end as the blockchain startup has decided to no longer pursue the cross-appeal against the securities regulator. The resolution involves a $75 million refund to Ripple, following the SEC’s decision to drop its appeal and Ripple abandoning its cross-appeal.
This settlement concludes a case that initially resulted in a $125 million penalty against Ripple. With the refund, the company’s net payment to the SEC amounts to $50 million. Under the Trump administration, the SEC has softened its stance, while putting a greater focus on establishing clear crypto regulations.
XRP Price Surge to $3 Soon?
Amid the current development and hopes for XRP ETF, the XRP price has given a muted response as it continues to face strong rejection at $2.50 levels. Despite this, market analysts have made bold predictions, expecting the XRP price rally to continue at $15 and beyond.
Sharing the XRPUSDT chart, popular crypto trader Seyma stated that she’s more bullish on the Ripple cryptocurrency in comparison to other altcoins. “My weekly target is $3-$3.24 i never give investment or trading advice just noted to myself,” she wrote.
Crypto-related acquisitions and public listings in the U.S. have already hit $8.2 billion across 88 deals in the first four months of 2025 — triple the total from all of 2024. The sharp increase shows a new phase of integration between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi).
These deals fall into five main trends: companies buying Bitcoin for their treasuries (like Twenty One Capital), traditional firms merging with crypto infrastructure providers, acquisitions focused on institutional services (like Ripple buying Metaco), consolidation between crypto and traditional trading platforms, and mergers between token-based projects.
But one deal in particular is drawing high praise — especially from pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton.
Deaton recently pointed to Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of prime brokerage firm Hidden Road as “possibly the best example” of the TradFi-DeFi convergence happening in crypto. Hidden Road processes over $3 trillion a year for more than 300 institutional clients. By integrating with Ripple’s XRP Ledger (XRPL), settlement times have dropped from 24 hours to just 3–5 seconds.
I agree with Chamath. I also believe @Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road as possibly the best example of the convergence of TradFi and DeFi in all of crypto.
Hidden Road, a prime brokerage firm handling over $3T annually across 300+ institutional clients, now… https://t.co/yOJCE7zftk
Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin now acts as collateral for trades, connecting blockchain infrastructure directly to institutional trading workflows. Deaton explained how this move positions Ripple at the forefront of institutional DeFi by combining DeFi’s speed with TradFi’s reach.
He also opened up about the importance of Ripple’s rapid expansion into crypto custody. In addition to acquiring Metaco, Ripple has bought Standard Custody and launched “Ripple Custody” to offer institutions a full suite of services — from payments and stablecoins to asset storage.
Why the big push into custody?
Deaton believes Ripple is preparing for the tokenization boom. With the custody market expected to grow beyond $16 trillion by 2030, Ripple is building the tools banks will need to tokenize stocks, bonds, or even real estate using the XRPL — with RLUSD powering these transactions.
“It looks like [CEO] Brad Garlinghouse is making up for lost time,” Deaton said, referring to Ripple’s progress after its long legal battle with the SEC.
The post XRP Lawsuit in the Rearview, Ripple Goes Full Speed Ahead with $1.25B Deal appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
Crypto-related acquisitions and public listings in the U.S. have already hit $8.2 billion across 88 deals in the first four months of 2025 — triple the total from all of 2024. The sharp increase shows a new phase of integration between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). These deals fall into five main trends: …
