“Ripple can, will, and should act in its own interest,” said David “JoelKatz” Schwartz in response to criticism regarding the firm’s XRP sales.
Ripple Labs is free to sell XRP tokens to raise operational capital, according to comments from the company’s chief technology officer. His remarks have sparked concerns among cryptocurrency investors.
“XRP isn’t a security because Ripple doesn’t actually owe you ‘utility’ or anything else,” Pierre Rochard, vice president of research at Riot Platforms, wrote in a March 5 X post.
“They are free to dump on you and you have no right to do anything about it other than join them in dumping XRP,” Rochard said, cautioning that investors are “not investing in Ripple,” just “getting tokens created out of thin air dumped on you.”
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.
XRP has been struggling to make any significant upward movement, with its price failing to breach a crucial resistance level. Despite attempts at recovery, the altcoin remains stuck, with no sustainable progress beyond the $2.56 barrier.
The drastic drop in circulation is worsening the situation, signaling a lack of investor activity and growing market concern.
XRP Loses Interest
The circulation of XRP has seen a sharp decline, with its velocity falling to a five-year low. This metric, which tracks the rate at which XRP is transacted, has not been this low since January 2020. A drop in circulation often reflects investor hesitation, as less movement indicates a lack of confidence in the market.
This low velocity is a negative sign for XRP, suggesting that holders are not actively moving their assets. It points to a sense of bearishness in the market, as investors are reluctant to trade or engage with the asset. The absence of significant transaction activity further indicates that XRP may struggle to break out of its current rut without a shift in sentiment.
XRP’s macro momentum is not showing signs of strength, with technical indicators reflecting the overall market sentiment. The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) for XRP has dropped to a four-month low, remaining below the zero line and signaling bearishness. This suggests that investors are unwilling to invest more money in XRP due to the current market conditions.
The CMF being in the negative zone indicates that buying pressure is lacking and that holders are not injecting capital into the asset. This weak investor confidence could continue to hinder XRP’s potential for a rebound, making it more challenging to regain upward momentum in the near future.
XRP’s price is currently at $2.36, and it is unable to break through the critical $2.56 resistance level. This resistance has been a significant barrier for the altcoin in the past, and it continues to act as a strong point of contention. Until XRP can successfully breach this level, the altcoin is unlikely to sustain any meaningful rally.
Given the current market conditions and declining circulation, XRP is not expected to breach the $2.56 resistance anytime soon. Instead, it could face a drop toward $2.27 or potentially lower to $2.14. This could extend the consolidation phase, erasing some of the recent gains made by the altcoin.
The only way to invalidate this bearish outlook is for XRP to break through and flip the $2.56 resistance into support. If successful, XRP could rise towards $3.00, recovering some of the losses from earlier in the year. However, this would require a significant shift in investor sentiment and broader market conditions to support such a move.
The US Department of the Treasury predicts that the stablecoin market could reach a market capitalization of $2 trillion by 2028. This marks a sevenfold increase from its current level of approximately $240 billion.
Meanwhile, MEXC COO has stated that this milestone may be achieved sooner, possibly by next year.
Why the Stablecoin Market is Set to Explode by 2028
Institutional interest in crypto products, such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) ETFs, is increasing. Notably, stablecoins play a central role in blockchain-based transactions, especially as the tokenization of financial assets expands.
Additionally, clearer regulatory frameworks, including the potential inclusion of stablecoins in liquidity management strategies and allowing banks to access public blockchains, would integrate stablecoins into traditional financial systems. The developments position these assets for significant market expansion.
“Evolving market dynamics, structures, and incentives have the potential to accelerate stablecoins’ trajectory to reach ~$2 trillion in market cap by 2028,” the report read.
Currently, USD-pegged stablecoins dominate the market, accounting for over 99% of the market cap. Tether (USDT) is the leading player, with a capitalization of $145 billion. Circle’s USDC (USDC) comes in second with a market cap of $60 billion.
Thus, their growing adoption could significantly impact the banking and Treasury markets. Stablecoins, particularly those that are yield-bearing or offer unique payment features, could lead to a shift in demand from traditional bank deposits to stablecoins. This, in turn, could force banks to raise interest rates or find alternative funding sources.
Additionally, the report noted that stablecoin adoption could increase demand for short-term Treasuries. This is contingent on the passing of the GENIUS Act. The proposed bill mandates that stablecoin issuers hold US Treasuries as reserves.
Additionally, the reserve requirements outlined in the bill could help mitigate the risk of de-pegging. This would reduce the need for issuers to rely on the Federal Reserve during times of stress or volatility.
“Demand in stablecoins could have a net neutral impact on the US money supply, however the attractiveness of USD-pegged stablecoins could drive currently non-USD liquidity holdings into USD,” the report added.
MEXC COO Predicts $2 Trillion Stablecoin Market by 2026
“With many sovereign banks and corporations exploring stablecoin issuance, particularly in other fiat currencies, and governments prioritizing regulation clarity, the stablecoin market cap could exceed $2 trillion by 2026,” Jin told BeInCrypto.
Jin highlighted that ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty will likely drive further growth in stablecoin market capitalization.
“Despite the recent volatile market landscape, stablecoin demand has remained resilient, growing over $38 billion year-to-date. Stablecoins now account for 1% of the global M2 USD money supply, processing over $33 trillion in volume in the last year, including $2.8 trillion in the last month alone,” she said.
According to Jin, the expanding role of these assets in decentralized finance (DeFi), cross-border payments, and digital asset trading is expected to be crucial in the next phase of cryptocurrency market growth and the broader mainstream adoption of digital assets.
Their capacity to provide stability and liquidity, particularly during times of market volatility and liquidity shortages, solidifies their importance as a core asset for institutional and retail investors.
