President Donald Trump is set to speak at the Digital Asset Summit (DAS) in New York on March 20.
This is the first time a sitting US president will participate in a crypto conference.
Donald Trump to Make Historic Appearance at the Digital Asset Summit
Earlier this month, Donald Trump hosted the first-ever White House Crypto Summit. Although the community wasn’t particularly happy with the developments at the summit, it gave several significant updates on the US Bitcoin Reserve and the government’s current regulatory stance.
Reports indicate that Trump’s appearance may not be live. Some sources suggest he could deliver a pre-recorded message instead.
Either way, this marks the first time an active US president is set to formally address a crypto conference.
“Got some clarity on this — multiple sources on the ground at the DAS Conference tell me President Trump is/was planning to livestream into the conference at some point today or tomorrow to address the crowd. I’m told this may yet happen but could also be done via a taped recoding,” wrote Eleanor Terrett.
The summit will also feature key lawmakers, including Representatives Ro Khanna and Tom Emmer, alongside industry leaders such as MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse.
The crypto market has shown signs of recovery this week. Earlier today, the Feds announced that it won’t hold any rate cuts currently. Yet, two more rate cuts are planned for later this year.
Trump’s address at DAS could have further implications. If he signals a more favorable regulatory approach to digital assets, the market could respond positively.
Hedera (HBAR) enters May in a fragile yet potentially explosive technical setup, with futures activity cooling and price movements closely tied to Bitcoin’s momentum. HBAR Futures volume remains subdued, suggesting a decline in speculative interest compared to earlier this year.
Meanwhile, HBAR continues to track Bitcoin’s performance with amplified volatility. As BTC flirts with the $100,000 level and sentiment shifts bullish, HBAR could either break through key resistance levels and rally toward $0.40—or face a deeper correction if technical support fails.
Low HBAR Futures Volume Points to Cooling Speculation
HBAR Futures volume is currently at $118 million, up from a recent low of $76 million on April 19—its lowest point in the last three months.
This follows a steady decline from much higher levels seen earlier in the year.
Notably, HBAR Futures open interest had peaked at $1.3 billion on March 1 but has not surpassed $300 million since April 12, signaling a significant drop in speculative activity around the token.
Hedera Futures refer to derivative contracts that allow traders to speculate on the future price of HBAR, the native token of the Hedera network. Both retail and institutional participants often use these contracts to hedge risk or take leveraged positions.
Futures volumes and open interest are key indicators of market sentiment and liquidity—higher volumes typically suggest stronger conviction or increased trading activity. At the same time, declining figures may reflect reduced interest or confidence in near-term price action.
The current lower levels suggest HBAR’s recent price movements may have been more influenced by spot demand than leveraged speculation.
Hedera’s High Correlation with BTC Could Drive Next Rally
HBAR has recently shown a high correlation with Bitcoin (BTC), often amplifying the moves of the broader crypto market leader.
When BTC rallies, HBAR tends to rise even more sharply; conversely, HBAR often experiences deeper pullbacks during corrections. This pattern reflects Hedera’s sensitivity to market sentiment and positioning as a higher-beta asset in the crypto space.
As a result, shifts in Bitcoin’s trajectory, especially during periods of strong momentum, can significantly influence HBAR’s price action.
BTC and HBAR Performance in the last 30 Days. Source: Messari.
With Bitcoin up 13% in the past 30 days and now sitting just 6.3% below the $100,000 mark, the next leg higher could have a strong spillover effect on HBAR.
On-chain data shows a recovery in BTC’s apparent demand, while institutional sentiment is gradually improving, with ETF inflows showing early signs of a rebound. If Bitcoin breaks above $100,000, HBAR could benefit from renewed capital inflows and rising market enthusiasm.
Given HBAR’s tendency to outperform BTC in bullish phases, a decisive Bitcoin breakout could be a powerful catalyst for a broader move in Hedera.
Key Levels to Watch as HBAR Faces Bullish Breakout or Death Cross
HBAR price faces a critical technical setup heading into May, with the potential for a sharp move in either direction. On the bullish side, if HBAR can attract strong buying pressure and establish a sustained uptrend, it could climb as much as 123% to reach $0.40.
To do so, the token must first break through a series of key resistance levels at $0.20, $0.258, $0.32, and $0.37—each of which has previously acted as a rejection point during past rallies.
A successful breakout through these levels could signal renewed momentum and broader market confidence in Hedera.
However, downside risks remain firmly in play. HBAR’s EMA lines show signs of an impending death cross—a bearish pattern in which the short-term average moves below the long-term average, indicating that a deeper correction may be ahead.
If this formation is confirmed, HBAR could first test support at $0.16. Failure to hold that level may lead to further losses toward $0.124, and in a more aggressive downtrend, prices could decline to $0.0053.
Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, has confirmed that the Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin can be temporarily halted or reversed to comply with legal or regulatory requirements.
Schwartz’s statement comes after Senator Bill Hagerty updated the GENIUS Act. The bill requires stablecoin issuers to implement technology that allows freezing, seizing, or stopping transfers when legally mandated.
Ripple Technology Enables Freezing of RLUSD Stablecoin
“Requires the permitted payment stablecoin issuer to seize, freeze, burn, or prevent the transfer of payment stablecoins issued by the permitted payment stablecoin issuer.”
Attorney Jeremy Hogan took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to question the bill’s practical implications. He particularly stressed the technological capabilities required for stablecoin issuers to implement the proposed rule.
“So, can Ripple or Circle actually freeze RLUSD or USDC once it’s transferred? I didn’t think that was possible for either,” Hogan posted.
In response, Schwartz confirmed that this is indeed possible.
“RLUSD can be frozen or clawed back,” he answered.
Schwartz clarified that this functionality is essential to ensure that the balances on the ledger remain aligned with the legal obligations of the issuer. Since off-ledger events, like court orders, can change or nullify those obligations, it’s important for issuers to have the ability to update the ledger as needed.
It should be noted that in January, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) activated the clawback amendment. This followed a 90% vote from its community.
This change allows token issuers to retrieve tokens from wallets that have been deposited into Automated Market Maker (AMM) pools. This, in turn, helps maintain adherence to regulatory requirements. Given that RLUSD is natively issued on both the XRP Ledger and Ethereum (ETH) blockchains, the clawback functionality applies to it as well.
The bill also stipulates federal oversight for stablecoin issuers with market values exceeding $10 billion. At present, only Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) meet this threshold.
Meanwhile, RLUSD is a relatively new stablecoin. Ripple launched it on December 17, 2024. In addition, BeInCrypto data shows that it currently has a market capitalization of 135.1 million.
Therefore, as per the act, it will remain under state regulation. However, the state should also follow a framework comparable to federal standards.
Sygnum’s off-exchange custody platform allows traders to mirror assets held in Sygnum’s custody while trading on an exchange like Deribit.
Cryptocurrency banking firm Sygnum is partnering with crypto derivatives exchange Deribit, providing its off-exchange custody platform, Sygnum Protect.
On March 5, Sygnum announced the expansion of Sygnum Protect, its off-exchange custody platform, to include Deribit, one of the world’s largest derivatives exchanges in crypto.
This integration enables institutional Deribit traders to hold their assets in Sygnum’s institutional-grade custody while accessing Deribit’s broad trading offering and liquidity.