There’s big news for XRP holders — the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has officially announced it will launch XRP futures contracts starting May 19th. These new futures will be available in both large and micro-sized contracts, giving traders more flexibility and precision in managing their exposure to XRP.
CME Launches XRP Futures
This move is a huge milestone for XRP, as the CME is considered one of the most trusted and regulated futures exchanges in the world. While XRP futures have already been launched on platforms like Coinbase and Bitnomial, those are relatively small players compared to the CME.
Many experts believe this development is a key step toward the long-awaited approval of an XRP Spot ETF. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) often looks to the CME as a gold standard when considering futures markets, and having XRP futures listed there strengthens the case for an ETF.
XRP Spot ETF Gains Momentum
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse also reacted to the announcement, calling it “an incredibly important and exciting step in the continued growth of the XRP market”, though he admitted it was long overdue.
Looking ahead, there’s growing speculation that the SEC could approve not only an XRP Spot ETF but possibly a Solana ETF and others by later this year. With Paul Atkins recently sworn in as SEC Chair and a noticeably more pro-crypto stance from the agency, analysts believe there’s a high chance of ETF approvals by Q2 or Q3 2025.
If these ETFs get the green light, it could mark a major turning point for XRP’s market growth and wider adoption.
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XRP price managed to retake the $2.3 level on Wednesday US SEC decision to delay altcoin spot ETF decision triggered an initial pullback towards $2.24. Can Ripple CEO, Brad Garlinhouse’ latest product proposal spur more gains in the days ahead?
XRP has maintained its footing above the $2.00 mark this week, even as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) postponed its decision on multiple altcoin ETFs.
Ripple (XRP) Price Action| Source: Coingecko
On Tuesday, April 29, Ripple price is floating between $2.01 and $2.17, reflecting a 4.2% gain over the past seven days, signalling that the intially sell-off after the SEC announced the delayed verdict.
The delay in ETF decisions, particularly affecting Solana, Cardano, and Avalanche, and XRP. This intitaily caused a capital rotation back into BTC and ETH, as XRP price plunged to a daily timeframe low of $2.3
However, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas confirmed that the delay were part of normal review procedure of the SEC, reitarating high chances of approval. Following this, altcoin markets regained balances, with XRP price risking 1.7% to retake the $2.30 level at press time.
Ripple Founder Salary Proposal Inspires Payment Model Shift
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has reignited conversation around blockchain’s XRP’s real-world use cases. An X post shared by prominent analyst “CryptoSensei” showed Brad Garlinghouse proposing a new Salary model for workers globally.
“Why not get paid daily, hourly, or even by the second? – Garlinghouse asked.
The idea centers on eliminating outdated friction in global payments. Garlinghouse argued that the current monthly or biweekly paycheck system exists only due to settlement lag in traditional finance. In contrast, Ripple’s on-chain payments infrastructure could enable seamless, real-time compensation flows.
With RippleNet and the XRP Ledger already enabling low-cost, cross-border payments, analysts believe Garlinghouse’s idea could become a core use case for XRP. Enabling Real-time salary estimation and micro-payments would position XRP more major gains and international adoption.
This proposal may have contributed to XRP’s intraday price recovery above the $2.30 level at the time of publication on Wednesday.
XRP Price Forecast: Can Ripple Founder’s Proposal Drive XRP Price to $5?
The $5 XRP price target is gaining traction once again, as both technical patterns and market narrative momentum align for a mild rebound above $2.30 on Wednesday.
Garlinghouse’s salary streaming proposal could ignite interest among fintech leaders and institutional players exploring payroll automation. If Ripple successfully launches real-world applications of micro-wage payments via XRP, the coin could instantly evolve from a speculative asset into a core financial utility.
Short-Term XRP Technical Outlook: Momentum Builds but Resistance Looms at $3.50
XRP is currently trading at $2.2499, having posted a marginal daily gain of +0.53%. The asset is trading just below the Keltner Channel midline resistance of $2.3877, a level that will likely serve as the first major hurdle for bullish continuation.
The Relative Strength Index on Moving Average (RSIOMA) shows bullish convergence:
RSI is currently at 68.87, approaching the overbought zone.
The RSI MA has trended higher to 54.55, supporting ongoing momentum.
A bullish crossover occurred mid-April, and the green histogram continues to widen, suggesting sustained buyer interest. However, volume has yet to show explosive growth, with daily trading volumes capped at 18.58M, indicating the current rally is still fragile without stronger accumulation support.
Key Technical Levels:
Support: $2.17 (Keltner mid-band), followed by $1.96
Resistance: $2.39 (Keltner upper band), and psychological threshold at $2.50
RSI Critical Zone: A break above 70 could accelerate buying pressure
XRP Price Forecast
If Ripple executes its payroll automation vision using XRP as a settlement token, market perception could shift dramatically.
Utility-driven narratives are likely to attract institutional flows, particularly if the model demonstrates cost savings and scalability across borders.
In such a scenario, technical targets beyond $3.50 toward the $5 mark become realistic over the next 6–12 months—conditional on:
Regulatory clarity in the U.S. and Europe
Stablecoin legislations in progress and sustained partnerships with enterprise clients
Continued growth in on-chain settlement volume
Conclusion
While XRP’s breakout toward $5 remains speculative in the short term, both technical momentum and growing utility narratives offer a compelling setup. A breakout above $2.39 with volume confirmation could mark the next leg up.
Bitcoin (BTC) reclaimed the $93,000 threshold during the early hours of the Asian session on Wednesday. The show of strength came after President Trump articulated his position about Federal Reserve (Fed) chair Jerome Powell’s replacement talks.
Over the past several months, the pioneer crypto has demonstrated increased correlation with broader economic and political issues. This suggests that macroeconomics is growing in influence on Bitcoin.
The report followed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement that the Trump administration was planning to interview candidates to replace Jerome Powell.
“The Fed would be much better off cutting rates as US Tariffs start to transition (ease!) their way into the economy. Do the right thing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
On the other hand, Powell insists on a cautious approach to monetary policy decisions, rejecting further interest rate cuts. The Fed also made significant downward revisions to its 2025 economic projections.
These opposing views fanned speculation that Jerome Powell’s job as Fed chair was at risk. In a recent development, however, Trump stated that he has no plans to fire Powell.
“I have no intention of firing him…I would like to see him be a little more active in terms of his idea to lower interest rates,” Reuters reported, citing Trump telling reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
In the immediate aftermath, Bitcoin shattered past the $93,000 threshold. As of this writing, BTC was trading for $93,136, representing a surge of almost 6% in the last 24 hours.
Notably, there are about 13 months left in Jerome Powell’s tenure as chair of the Federal Reserve.
Bitcoin Benefits From Eroded Trust in Government
BitMEX founder and former CEO Arthur Hayes commented on the swift reaction to this topic on the Bitcoin price chart.
“Trump says he wants to fire JAYPOW – dollar dips, BTC rips Trump says he has no intention of firing JAYPOW – dollar rips, BTC rips some more,” Hayes quipped.
In tandem, Bitcoin rallied as investors viewed it as a potential hedge against a weakening dollar and inflationary pressures.
As Trump’s stances cause market volatility, fluctuations in the dollar are bullish for Bitcoin, reflecting its appeal as a hedge against traditional financial (TradFi) instability.
BeInCrypto reported this status in a recent US Crypto News publication, citing Geoff Kendrick, the Head of Digital Asset Research at Standard Chartered.
According to Kendrick, Bitcoin is increasingly seen as a hedge against TradFi and US Treasuries risks.
“I think Bitcoin is a hedge against both TradFi and US Treasury risks. The threat to remove US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell falls into Treasury risk—so the hedge is on,” Kendrick told BeInCrypto.
Meanwhile, Nate Geraci, the president of the ETF Store, says Bitcoin is benefiting from the erosion of trust in governments and politicians, which is pushing people towards alternatives.
“Bitcoin is one of the biggest winners from events over the past several weeks IMO, at least from a philosophical standpoint. Further erosion of trust in governments and politicians will push people towards alternatives. Not saying that is good or bad, but think logically,” Geraci remarked.
President Trump has once again called on Fed Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates, but the crypto community doesn’t seem interested anymore. Rate cuts seem as unlikely as ever, but the market has new bullish narratives.
Between a US-China trade deal, new investors, and technological advancements, recession fears have apparently left the crypto market.
Trump Keeps Pushing for Rate Cuts
When Trump’s tariffs threatened to disrupt the global economy, the crypto industry pinned its hopes on one bullish narrative: cuts for US interest rates.
The US President repeatedly harangued Jerome Powell, even threatening to fire him before relenting, yet Powell and his allies were firm: this was not happening. Trump has continued asking, appealing to Powell again today:
No Inflation, and Prices of Gasoline, Energy, Groceries, and practically everything else, are DOWN!!! THE FED must lower the RATE, like Europe and China have done. What is wrong with Too Late Powell? Not fair to America, which is ready to blossom? Just let it all happen, it will…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) May 13, 2025
Throughout these proceedings, the crypto industry repeatedly urged more rate cuts, claiming that the “money printer” would stave off economic collapse.
Trump asked Powell to cut interest rates recently, but the latest FOMC meeting reaffirmed the status quo. How did crypto react to this? So far, it seems like it finally got the memo.
Crypto-affiliated prediction markets like Kalshi have repeatedly posted optimistic odds of Trump’s rate cuts compared to TradFi assessors like the CME Group. For example, the last time Trump made this request, Kalshi predicted that three cuts would happen this year.
At the time, this would have signified a cut at half of the year’s remaining FOMC meetings. In March, Kalshi even expected four! The CME, on the other hand, put over 98% odds on no cuts in May.
Indeed, this scenario is what happened, and Kalshi has since lowered its expectations. It currently anticipates only two cuts for the rest of the year, much more in line with other firms’ predictions.
How Many Interest Rate Cuts in 2025? Source: Kalshi
What can crypto conclude from this? The community has apparently internalized that Trump can’t force cuts to interest rates. However, things are going well regardless.
All that is to say, Trump’s proposed interest rate cuts were just one way to potentially boost crypto investment. If Powell spontaneously changed his mind today, it’d be bullish, but as of now, the crypto market is slowly moving away from these macroeconomic drivers.
