Ripple partners: Blockchain payment platform Ripple has announced that leading UAE financial platforms Zand Bank and Mamo Pay have adopted Ripple Payment, its blockchain-powered payment solution, to improve cross-border payments. Why’s New Partnership Is Important for Ripple? Ripple shared the announcement in a blog post on Monday, May 19. The partnership comes shortly after Ripple became the first blockchain-powered payment solution to receive a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). The license allows the payment infrastructure provider to tap into market opportunities in the Middle East, as well as operate legally in the region. Source: X Interestingly, the new license and partnerships with Zand Bank and Mamo Pay allow Ripple to provide round-the-clock payment services and handle payment processes on behalf of its customers in the UAE. Additionally, thanks to these local partners, Ripple says settlement time will be reduced to a few minutes, making it easier to… Read More at Coingape.com
Airdrop activity continues to heat up, with three newly launched tokens—SXT, RIZE, and DOOD—drawing investor attention in the fourth week of May. Space and Time launched its SXT token with an airdrop as a part of the new Chainlink rewards program.
Meanwhile, RIZE powers the Rizenet ecosystem, which is focused on tokenization and decentralized AI. DOOD, the native token of the Doodles NFT collection, joins the wave of NFT projects following the footsteps of APE and PENGU.
Space and Time (SXT)
The latest Space and Time (SXT) airdrop launched on May 8, 2025, as part of its official token generation event (TGE). The airdrop is integrated with Binance Launchpool and Chainlink’s new Rewards program.
The project is distributing 200 million SXT tokens into two batches, representing 4% of the total supply. Eligible users include participants in the Chainlink ecosystem, including LINK stakers, users who engaged in Space and Time’s testnet, and held Community NFTs.
Also, the SXT airdrop claim will be live until June 22.
SXT has been down since its airdrop, and if the correction continues, it could soon start trading below $0.10.
It needs a strong buying pressure to return to levels around $0.126, and if that one is broken, it could rise back to test the resistance around $0.163.
RIZE
RIZE is the native utility token of Rizenet, a decentralized platform for tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs), decentralized AI (DeAI), and DeFi.
The $RIZE token has multiple uses. It pays for tokenization services, grants access to tokenized assets, enables governance through token locking, and rewards contributions to decentralized AI models. RIZE is currently live on Kraken and Aerodrome.
From a technical standpoint, the RIZE token is at a critical point. If it manages to break through the resistance level at $0.064, bullish momentum could drive the price back toward the $0.10 region.
However, failure to maintain its current support at $0.0485 may trigger a downside move, with potential losses extending below the $0.040 mark.
Doodles
Doodles is a well-known NFT collection that originally gained popularity for its colorful, hand-drawn characters and strong community engagement.
It recently launched its own token, DOOD, marking its entry into the growing trend of NFT-native tokens—a path first carved out by Bored Ape Yacht Club with APE and later followed by Pudgy Penguins with the PENGU token in 2024.
Despite the initial excitement surrounding the DOOD airdrop, the token has struggled to maintain upward momentum, falling 35% over the last five days.
The price now faces a key resistance at $0.0052—breaking above this level would be necessary to signal a potential recovery and open the door for a move toward $0.00735.
However, continued bearish pressure could push DOOD below the $0.0040 support, marking new lows and further eroding market confidence.
Bitcoin’s decisive break above the psychologically significant $95,000 mark has injected fresh optimism into the market, at least among miners.
This key milestone has triggered a shift in miner sentiment, with on-chain data showing a noticeable uptick in BTC miner reserves over the past few days.
Miners Bet on BTC Upside as Reserve Jumps from Yearly Low
According to CryptoQuant, Bitcoin’s miner reserve, which had been in a sustained downtrend, began to rise on April 29, shortly after BTC closed above the $95,000 threshold.
For context, the reserve had dropped to a year-to-date low of 1.80 million BTC just a day earlier before reversing course and showing signs of accumulation.
Bitcoin’s miner reserve tracks the number of coins held in miners’ wallets. It represents the coin reserves miners have yet to sell. When it falls, miners are moving coins out of their wallets, usually to sell, confirming growing bearish sentiment against BTC.
Conversely, when this metric rises, as it is now, it suggests miners are holding onto more of their mined coins, often reflecting growing confidence in the BTC’s future price appreciation.
Moreover, the bullish shift in miner sentiment is further supported by the positive miner netflow recorded since April 29. This signals that more coins are being put into miner wallets rather than offloading to exchanges.
Such behavior reflects confidence in further upside, as miners, often seen as long-term holders, are choosing to accumulate rather than liquidate.
There Is a Catch
However, the sentiment is not universally bullish. While BTC miners are stepping back from selling, derivatives data tells a different story.
In the futures market, BTC’s funding rate has remained negative since the beginning of May, a sign that a significant portion of traders are betting on a near-term price correction. At press time, the coin’s funding rate is -0.0056%.
The funding rate is a periodic payment exchanged between long and short traders in perpetual futures contracts to keep the contract price aligned with the spot price.
When it is positive, it means traders holding long positions are paying those with short positions, indicating that bullish sentiment dominates the market.
On the other hand, a negative funding rate like this signals more short bets than long ones, suggesting bearish pressure on BTC’s price.
Breakout or Breakdown as Traders and Miners Diverge
While miner behavior may point to renewed confidence, the steady bearish sentiment in derivatives suggests that traders remain wary of a potential pullback.
If coin accumulation strengthens, BTC could extend its gains, break above the resistance at $98,515, and attempt to regain the $102,080 price mark.
Amid growing uncertainty, a top analyst has named three scenarios that could cause Cardano (ADA) to outperform Solana (SOL). The projection from the analyst AM_Panic comes as the broader cryptocurrency sector witnesses a massive downturn spearheaded by Bitcoin (BTC).
3 Scenarios Favoring Cardano Over Solana
The analyst began by acknowledging Cardano’s accelerated growth, including plans to enhance its scalability. He noted on X that a potential ADA price surge largely depends on Cardano’s capacity to implement its scalability plans.
Should the network achieve this feat, it may attract more Decentralized Applications (dApps), which will benefit the blockchain and help it outrank Solana.
In the second scenario, the analyst expects that any setback or regulatory challenge to the Solana network will negatively impact its price. If it records a 20% price dip, this would affect its market cap, which is currently at $50.11 billion. A 20% fall can raise the market cap to $50.11 billion, making it easier for Cardano to meet continued growth.
The last scenario is tied to favorable market conditions. Once there are either bullish crypto trends or more regulatory clarity, especially with Donald Trump as President, Cardano may benefit more. The market analyst believes the Layer-1 blockchain is even better if positioned as a stable, research-driven alternative.
The Solana Memecoin Woes
In recent weeks, Solana has faced several woes, ranging from a slowdown in token growth within its network to its price drawdown.
Solana Powerhouse Pump.Fun, known as the source of the ecosystem boom over the past few months, has recorded a slowdown in adoption. From abuse by creators to a shift from risk-on assets amid the global stock market meltdown, Solana’s price has experienced more drawbacks.
Most critics also warn that Solana is sacrificing decentralization for speed, fueling boycott concerns in the long term.
Price Outlook for Cardano and Solana
The ADA price is $0.7302 after recording a 24-hour price gain of 6.52%. SOL trades at $127.62, corresponding to a 7.31% increase within the last 24 hours.
Notably, several analysts are optimistic that the coin will see better days. Market analyst Crypto Jobs, in SOL price analysis, shows how the coin fluctuated between $153 and $138, suggesting a season of indecision in the crypto market.
While analysts have predicted that the coin’s price may hit $200 soon and even reach higher levels, there are at least three reasons why it may not attain this level in March. Similarly, Cardano’s price faces selling pressure in a descending triangle and recently tested support at $0.76.