The Pi Network has announced the listing of new decentralized applications (dApps) and an update on recovery options, providing a major boost for the ecosystem. This comes amid crypto exchange Kraken’s listing of Pi coin perpetual futures on its platform. Pi Network Team Announces New dApps & Recovery Options Update In a blog post, the Pi Core Team (PCT) revealed that it has integrated five new community apps into the mainnet ecosystem interface, thereby expanding the network’s offerings and reinforcing its focus on “ecosystem and utility.” The second update involves a new account recovery flow to help community members reset their passwords securely and efficiently. These announcements follow the recent launch of a $100 million VC fund to support real-world use cases. According to the team, these new applications include a snake game app, e-commerce apps, and applications that provide on-chain data about the Pi token. They noted that these… Read More at Coingape.com
The Financial Services Agency of Japan is taking a strategic step towards crypto regulation. In the latest development, the FSA released a discussion paper that intends to classify digital assets into categories, based on the distribution of funds.
Notably, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and similar decentralized cryptocurrencies will be included in the Type 2 category, while utility tokens are accommodated in Type 1.
Crypto Regulation: Japan Proposes for Two-Category Classification of Digital Assets
In a recent paper entitled “Verification of the state of the system related to crypto assets,” Japan’s Financial Services Agency has sought the public opinion on classifying digital assets. The new crypto regulation framework aims categorizing digital assets into two, based on fund distribution.
In detail, the paper outlines that the digital assets will be classified into Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1
Type 1 covers crypto assets used for business purposes or to fund the parent project. This includes altcoins from emerging projects that require community funding to grow. This category includes utility tokens. The proposal states, “For crypto assets of type 1, there is a high need to eliminate the information asymmetry between issuers and users regarding the purpose of use of funds raised and the content of projects, etc.”
Type 2
Type 2 covers digital assets that are more decentralized or have a more established presence. Top cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which do not raise funds for a business, are included in the second category. They classify these as non-fundraising or non-business crypto.” The proposal notes, “For crypto assets of type 2, there are many that cannot be identified as specific issuers, so it is difficult to impose an obligation to disclose and provide information on issuers.”
Japan’s Crypto Regulation: A Closer Look
Japan has been taking efforts to bolster the crypto industry’s growth and establishment. Despite its historical restrictive stance, Japan has taken a more nuanced approach to crypto regulation. For instance, the authority considers to lift its ban on crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), sparking enthusiasm.
The country’s latest move to classify digital assets aligns with Japan’s broader crypto regulations. Recently, the FSA announced its plans to categorize cryptocurrencies as financial products. These moves highlight the country’s proactive vision of overseeing the crypto market.
The FOMC concluded its latest meeting by announcing that it will not cut US interest rates. This decision was largely priced in, and the crypto market hasn’t seriously suffered.
Rate cuts would’ve provided a bullish narrative to juice fresh investment, which the market desperately needs. Bearish signals are growing alongside fears of a US recession.
However, the FOMC made its report to the public and claimed that no rate cuts would be taking place.
“The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. Uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate. In support of its goals, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 4.25% to 4.5%,” it said.
This news more or less fits with the industry’s expectations. Fed Chair Jerome Powell already clearly stated that the FOMC doesn’t plan to cut interest rates.
The industry hoped that rate cuts could provide a bullish narrative, especially while the markets are afraid. For now, it seems like it’ll need to find an optimistic signal somewhere else.
Despite uncertainty from tariffs and bold fiscal policies, officials expect interest rates to drop by another half percentage point by 2025. Since the Fed typically adjusts rates in 0.25% steps, that means we’re likely to see two cuts this year.
Federal Reserves Still Project Two Rate Cuts This Year. Source: CNBC
Rate cuts would be bullish for investors, especially for risk-on assets like cryptoassets. However, this isn’t the Federal Reserve’s only concern. The FOMC alluded to its “dual mandate” when denying rate cuts. In other words, it needs to juggle investor concerns with consumer inflation fears, uncertainty around Trump’s tariffs, and a possible US recession.
If the FOMC were to slash interest rates, it would likely boost US inflation. The most recent CPI report was better than expected, and some in the industry hoped that this would build confidence. Ultimately, the main hopes rested with President Trump, who personally advocated for rate cuts. However, he didn’t make a major intervention.
It’s not all bad, though. The FOMC also announced would slow Quantitative tightening (QT) by reducing the monthly redemption cap on Treasury securities from $25 billion to $5 billion.
Some members of the community were pleased by this news, as slower QT can increase market liquidity. This announcement is at least some consolation for investors.
In any event, this lack of rate cuts was expected and priced in. The FOMC didn’t shock anybody by refusing to cut interest rates, and the market hasn’t been chaotic. A few of the top-performing cryptoassets suffered minor losses, but no substantial drops have materialized.
Crypto Reacts to FOMC Decision. Source: BeInCrypto
The crypto industry has been desperate for a bullish narrative, and some major players are visibly cracking at the seams.
The FOMC, however, did not provide this narrative via rate cuts. Hopefully, crypto will find something else to be optimistic about before a full-blown market correction takes hold.
XRP price has slipped more than 5% today, slipping below the $2.2 mark, sparking speculations among investors. With a flurry of investors evaluating the potential future performance of the coins, experts have given mixed predictions, further fueling discussions. Notably, a renowned trader has recently said that Ripple’s coin may crash to $1 while others are offering bullish forecasts despite the recent retreat.
XRP Price Retreat: A Quick Evaluation Of The Current Performance
XRP price today was down more than 5.6% and exchanged hands at $2.19 during writing amid a broader crypto market selloff. Its one-day trading volume was up over 17% to $3.83 and the crypto touched a 24-hour high of $2.36. Besides, XRP Futures Open Interest fell 2% to $3.96 billion, reflecting the gloomy sentiment in the market.
Notably, the crypto has been consolidating between the $2 and $2.5 mark over the last 30 days, while nearing a monthly high of $2.97. However, on the monthly chart, the crypto has lost around 0.5% with its current performance.
Notably, this bearish momentum comes despite a flurry of good news in the market. For context, Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss recently shared a crucial update for the Ripple army. Besides, the US SEC is likely to drop the long-running case against Ripple, which has further bolstered traders’ sentiment.
Expert Predicts XRP Price Crash To $1: Here’s Why
Renowned trader Peter Brandt has sounded the alarm on XRP, warning of a potential price crash to $1.07 if Ripple’s coin fails to hold above a crucial support level. Brandt, a veteran analyst with decades of experience, identified a textbook Head and Shoulder (H&S) pattern forming on XRP’s chart.
According to Brandt, XRP is currently range-bound, and a break below $1.9 could trigger a sharp decline. He advised against holding XRP below this level, citing the H&S pattern’s projection of $1.07. However, Brandt noted that a breakout of the $3 mark could invalidate the bearish scenario.
Source: Peter Brandt, X
Meanwhile, this also comes as Brandt recently hinted towards a potential BTC price crash to $70K. This has further fueled concerns among investors, as the altcoins often tend to follow Bitcoin’s path.
Other Experts Remain Bullish On Ripple’s Coin Future
Despite the recent dip and bearish prediction from Peter Brandt, a flurry of experts has remained bullish on the future trajectory of XRP price. Renowned analyst CryptoELITES reaffirmed a $15 target for Ripple’s native asset, citing his prior 600% gain since its initial prediction when XRP traded at $0.50.
Source: CryptoELITES, X
Another expert Dark Defender also echoed this bullish sentiment, highlighting a clear upward momentum on the 3-month time frame chart. He predicted a 3rd wave targeting $5.85-$8.076 and a 5th wave potentially reaching $18.22-$23.20. Additionally, Dark Defender identified a bullish rectangle pattern, suggesting new all-time highs on the horizon.
Source: Dark Defender, X
Meanwhile, in the short term, EGRAG CRYPTO forecasts a potential “inverse head and shoulders” pattern, with a measured move targeting $3.7-$3.9. These expert predictions, in contrast to Peter Brandt’s recent forecast, have helped offset some concerns of the investors regarding the XRP price future.
