Ripple (XRP) price stalled below the $2.40 mark on Wednesday, May 21, despite Bitcoin surging to new all-time highs above $109,500. Derivatives market data shows $145 million in bearish leverage overhead, as XRP lagged behind the broader crypto rally. Regulatory uncertainty continues to weigh heavily after a U.S. District Judge upheld the $125 million penalty against Ripple, deterring bullish momentum. XRP Faces $320M Derivatives Wall as Bears Eye $2.50 Rejection Ripple (XRP) emerged as one of the weakest performers on Wednesday, even as Bitcoin’s record-breaking rally lifted top altcoins. Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), and Binance Coin (BNB) each posted over 3% gains, breaking past resistance at $0.73, $165, and $645, respectively. In contrast, XRP managed only a 1.5% uptick, failing to pierce the $2.40 resistance. XRP Price Action | Coingecko Daily trading volume for XRP stood at $2.7 billion—down nearly 80% from its May 13 peak of $11 billion. This… Read More at Coingape.com
Ethereum blockchain will receive the Pectra upgrade on May 7, which could have a bullish impact on its price. Let’s explore three key reasons why the post-Pectra update could propel Ethereum (ETH) price to $2,000 after weeks of struggle.
Three Key Reasons Ethereum Price Will Hit $2,000 After Pectra Upgrade
The Pectra advancement will modernize the Ethereum blockchain, bringing new features to the table. Reducing the layer-2 transaction costs, the update will implement 6 blobs per block. Validators will be able to consolidate 2,048 ETH, and EIP-7702 will bring smart contract functionality to wallets.
The huge update for Ethereum will result in a notable impact on the token’s underlying price. This could be the reason that ends the lackluster performance of Ethereum price. Here are the three reasons why this technological reform could catalyze a bull rally for ETH.
With a crypto market turnaround, Ethereum price has created an evening star pattern near the $1,755 demand zone. Following the trend reversal pattern, ETH began a new V-shaped reversal, creating consecutive green candles, signaling the resurgence of bullish momentum.
This bounce from the 50% Fibonacci level near $1,755 pushed ETH price to revisit the 61.80% Fibonacci level at $1,835. Due to this pivotal recovery, investors expect the possibility of a $1,855 breakout rally for Ethereum.
The MACD’s bullishcrossover signals trend reversal, which is in line with the above outlook. Furthermore, the 4-hour RSI line has bounced off the oversold level, reflecting the buyer strength.
As a result, investors can expect the breakout rally to push Ethereum price to the next key hurdle at $1,949 or roughly $2,000. This level coincides with the 78.60% level.
Ethereum Price Chart
Optimistically, with the new Pectra upgrade amid a broader market recovery, Ethereum could reach the previous swing high near $2,100. Hence, the Ethereum price prediction marks an upside potential of 25% upon breakout.
2. Ethereum On-Chain Data Signals Potential Rally Trend
IntoTheBlock’s Global In/Out of the Money Around Price (GIOM) metric shows the next key hurdle extends from $2,042 to $2,499. Here, roughly 13 million addresses that bought nearly 70 million ETH at an average price of $2,298 are “out of the money”. While the Pectra upgrade-driven Ethereum price jump could hit $2,000, investors should consider booking profits here due to selling pressure from the aforementioned underwater investors.
Intotheblock
Alternatively, the nearly 7 million addresses that purchased 8 million ETH at $1,794 are a good support level that investors should keep an eye on.
3. Growing Confidence of Large Holders
Large Holders’ Netflow for Ethereum spiked by 78.07% from 37.12k to 105.33k between April 29 to May 6. Large Holder Netflow tracks smart money investors that hold 0.1% of ETH’s supply. An uptick in this cohort signals an optimistic outlook and hints at an upcoming price rally for Ethereum. Combined with the optimistic technicals and ITB’s data, the outlook for ETH remains largely hopeful.
Ethereum Large Holders Netflow
Conclusion
The recent price surge aligns with the upcoming network upgrade which is a few hours away. The crypto market is anticipating a cheaper Layer-2 transaction and a smart contract facility for Ethereum wallets that could boost its price to key psychological levels or higher.
Solana has emerged as a powerful presence in the crypto industry. Since its inception in 2020, the network has dominated the market, demonstrating remarkable levels of user engagement and practical utility, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi). Many in the industry view it as the next natural contender to receive an ETF approval in the United States.
However, others are more cautious in their evaluations. BeInCrypto spoke with representatives from Gravity, Variant, and OKX to understand the areas where Solana is still lacking. Industry leaders referred to centralization, network reliability, and excessive regulation as points of contention for Solana’s ETF approval.
Bitcoin and Ethereum’s Precedent
The availability of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for prominent cryptocurrencies has grown over the past year. These funds offer investors diversified investment opportunities and act as a bridge between traditional finance and the increasingly mainstream cryptocurrency market.
Meanwhile, the deadline for some filings, including Grayscale’s, was extended until October. Nonetheless, posts on X and some analytical reports suggest yesterday’s deadline as a date of interest for an initial or consolidated SEC response to several applications.
2025 Predictions and Market Expectations
The tentative approval of a Solana ETF has generated much debate across social media platforms. ETF President Nate Geraci formally predicted that 2025 would be the year of crypto ETFs and that Solana would receive its approval this year.
Per previous reports, former Trump White House Secretary Anthony Scaramucci expressed that, with a Trump reelection, Solana ETFs could gain approval during Q1 of 2025. According to his predictions, Solana would receive the SEC’s green light during the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, the prediction market Polymarket estimates an 82% chance that a Solana ETF will get approved in 2025.
According to a Polymarket poll, Solana has an 82% chance of getting an ETF approval in 2025. Source: Polymarket
Several factors make an imminent Solana ETF approval seem plausible. Less than five years after the network launched, Solana quickly became a major player in the crypto industry, attracting users for its high transaction speeds and low gas fees.
“From a network perspective, Solana’s performance has been remarkable, now driving nearly 50% of all global DEX volume– a dominance that fundamentally reshapes the DeFi landscape. The blockchain is not just handling unprecedented transaction volumes… it’s transforming our understanding of blockchain scalability at scale,” Lennix Lai, Global Chief Commercial Officer at OKX told BeInCrypto.
Solana has established itself as a dynamic force in the crypto industry following a successful 2024.
A Messari report detailed particular growth in Solana’s final quarter across DeFi, liquid staking, NFTs, and institutional involvement. The total value locked (TVL) in Solana’s DeFi sector increased substantially, growing by 64% to $8.6 billion, which placed it behind Ethereum as the second-largest network based on TVL.
Solana’s positive performance, coupled with Donald Trump’s reelection to the US presidency, further amplified the crypto industry’s optimism over an ETF approval.
However, some industry experts have expressed more tempered expectations.
Experts Offer Tempered Expectations
A few days before Trump assumed the presidency, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart said Solana ETFs may not be launched in the US until 2026. He cited the SEC’s precedent of taking a lot of time to review filings as the cause for delay.
In another post, Bloomberg Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said that ETF approvals for other cryptocurrencies were more likely to occur before Solana.
“We expect a wave of cryptocurrency ETFs next year, albeit not all at once. First out is likely the BTC + ETH combo ETFs, then prob Litecoin (bc its fork of btc = commodity), then HBAR (bc not labeled security) and then XRP/Solana (which have been labeled securities in pending lawsuits),” Balchunas said.
Balchunas further explained that complex legal issues around Solana, relating to its status as a security, need to be resolved before it can gain ETF approval. Consequently, he deemed the approval of Litecoin or Hedera ETFs more likely.
Uncertainty over whether Solana classifies as a security is a major driver fueling doubts over its ETF approval.
Security Classification Concerns
Martins Benkitis, co-founder and CEO of Gravity, explained that Solana’s regulatory classification complicates its path to approval.
“It’s no secret there’s currently a lack of precedent for Layer-1 blockchains beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum in the ETF space, this suggests cautious optimism but with higher regulatory hurdles. Bitcoin, being a commodity in the SEC’s eyes, and Ethereum’s gradual transition to PoS had different legal considerations. Solana, on the other hand, faces concerns over potential classification as a security due to its token distribution and foundation’s involvement,” Benkitis told BeInCrypto.
The SEC identified Solana as a security in lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase over the past two years, although these lawsuits have since been dropped. The SEC argued that these tokens could be considered investment contracts under the Howey Test.
While some interpreted the SEC’s lawsuit withdrawal as a softening stance on Solana’s security classification, others quickly challenged this assumption.
“There is no reason to think [the] SEC has decided SOL is a non-security. That they don’t want to do discovery on a dozen tokens in the Binance case appears to be a litigation tactic, not a change in policy,” said Jake Chervinsky, Chief Legal Officer at Variant, following the Binance lawsuit withdrawal in July 2024.
Others believe that a pro-crypto administration should be enough to influence the SEC to consider Solana as a non-security. Lai disagrees.
“The changing political landscape, particularly with Trump’s victory and pro-crypto stance, could create a more constructive environment for innovative blockchain platforms like Solana. However, the technical and market structure considerations will remain crucial regardless of administration changes,” he said.
In the meantime, there are several other requirements Solana must meet.
On his part, Lai added other aspects to the list of considerations.
“While Polymarket shows high odds for 2025 approval, several critical factors suggest a more complex pathway: Solana’s technological architecture presents unique challenges with its PoS mechanism; The absence of CME futures raises liquidity and risk management concerns; Historical network downtime incidents need addressing; Centralization questions relative to BTC and ETH remain unresolved; Institutional interest hasn’t matched BTC and ETH levels despite the network driving 48% of global DEX volume; [and] the temporary nature of trending themes suggests caution in using current volumes as primary indicators,” Lai told BeInCrypto.
Concerns about centralization and scalability have long been discussed regarding Solana, even outside of discussions over an ETF approval.
Since 2021, Solana has suffered over a dozen network outages varying in severity. These outages have jeopardized the network’s reputation as stable and reliable– two strongly considered characteristics during the ETF approval process.
“From a market making standpoint, network reliability is crucial as any downtime or congestion can significantly impact trading operations and order execution,” Benkitis affirmed.
However, Solana has successfully curbed the number of outages it has experienced. Once notorious for the frequency of its shutdowns, the last time Solana experienced one was in February 2024.
Meanwhile, developers designed Solana’s upcoming Firedancer validator client to improve network stability and transaction processing. Its distinct codebase offers greater resilience against widespread outages and will enhance Solana’s performance.
Yet, Solana must also mitigate centralization concerns to improve its chances of obtaining ETF approval.
Centralization Concerns
Solana’s validator node requirements, which demand significant hardware investments, can create barriers to entry. These obstacles can potentially concentrate power within the network among those capable of affording the necessary infrastructure.
In turn, the protocol’s limited number of validators compared to other networks raises concerns over centralization. For context, while Solana currently has around 2,000 active validators, Ethereum passed the one million benchmark last year—the largest number recorded by any blockchain network.
Though Solana’s hardware reliance speeds up the network, it also raises decentralization concerns. Benkitis factored this aspect into his evaluation of an ETF approval.
Its currently underdeveloped futures market infrastructure further complicates Solana’s viability as an ETF candidate.
Its filings were unprecedented because the network did not have a previously established futures market. This factor was crucial in determining an ETF approval for Bitcoin and Ethereum.
“The lack of CME futures and institutional frameworks comparable to BTC/ETH could influence [the SEC’s] evaluation,” Lai said.
He added that the proliferation of meme tokens minted on Solana could present themselves as a potential roadblock.
“Market reactions reflect Solana’s emergence as the primary driver of this cycle, with DEX volumes exceeding $100 billion and dominating major aggregators. However, I believe the temporary nature of trending themes suggests continued volatility. While technological advancement and growing institutional adoption may provide stronger foundations, we need to maintain perspective on the cyclical nature of crypto trends,” Lai said.
This more recent development in Solana’s attraction also brings its set of downsides.
Meme Coin Influence and Regulatory Concerns
The expanding meme coin market on Solana partially explains its popularity. Platforms like Pump.fun allow anyone to launch their tokens, and this design has even led to celebrities launching their tokens on the platform.
More recently, political figures like Donald Trump and Argentine president Javier Milei have also launched meme tokens on Solana platforms. Yet, these activities have proven to be high-risk. In many cases, meme coin investments have caused smaller retailers millions of dollars in losses.
Benkitis said that the SEC might frown upon the speculative nature of these trading activities.
“While an ETF approval could unlock liquidity opportunities, the market’s heavy dependence on speculative sentiment calls for a measured and cautious approach,” he said.
With so many considerations, approving a Solana ETF in 2025 is far from guaranteed. The SEC’s eventual decision will be a defining moment for the network and the broader crypto industry.
Shiba Inu price has dipped below $0.000015 on Saturday April 26, as bulls lose momentum. Derivatives trading data shows a SHIB price drop below $0.00001400 could trigger a cascading liquidations
Shiba Inu Price Consolidates as Bulls Lose Momentum
Shiba Inu price stalls after 17% gains on the weekly candle, with trading indicators suggesting the bullish momentum could be weakening.
Currently trading at $0.00001419, SHIB has only mustered a modest 0.6% gain over the last 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data.
However, its inability to sustain early gains above $0.000015 highlights mounting selling pressure, especially during U.S. trading hours where retail activity noticeably thinned.
Earlier in the day, multiple sharp rejections near the $0.0000150 zone on Binance and Coinbase hinted at exhaustion among short-term bulls.
Shiba Inu Price Action | Source: Coingecko
After a sharp rally in Asian morning hours, SHIB price entered series of lower highs, typically a sign that buyer conviction is dwindling.
Traders on Asian-dominated platforms like Bybit and OKX reported heavier-than-usual spot selling, suggesting that some whales may be de-risking positions ahead of the weekend.
Shiba Inu maintains a market capitalization of approximately $8.36 billion, solidifying its spot as the 18th-largest cryptocurrency.
However, after last week’s rally, traders now appear to be taking on a cautious stance as liquidity thins, seeking clearer directional signals, particularly as Bitcoin price failed to hold the $95,000 level.
Nearly 3 Million SHIB Longs Risk Liquidation at Critical Price Level
Liquidation data adds another layer of concern for Shiba Inu. According to the latest Coinglass’ Liquidation Map, approximately 2.96 million SHIB longs are at risk of liquidation if the price drops to $0.00001365.
Binance alone accounts for 766,710 SHIB of this leveraged exposure, making it the largest single source of potential liquidation pressure.
The map highlights a clear liquidity pocket around this level, meaning a breakdown could trigger a wave of forced selling as margin positions are closed automatically.
Shiba Inu Liquidatiom Map, April 26 2026 | Coinglass
Historically, similar patterns — like in late March when SHIB lost $0.000012 — saw prices collapse 5%–8% within hours as liquidation cascades intensified the downward pressure.
Recent trading on Binance Futures also shows a rise in the SHIB long-to-short ratio, reaching 2.7:1 at peak levels earlier today, before cooling slightly.
Over the past 30 days, cumulative long leverage has trended steadily downward, yet large clusters of overexposed longs persist just beneath the current SHIB price.
This concentration suggests that $0.00001365 now serves as a major liquidity cluster — if tested, it could lead to a rapid cascading effect, mirroring the sharp liquidations seen across altcoins like PEPE and FLOKI in similar setups earlier this month.
Within the current market dynamics, a sustained break below $0.00001400 could set off an aggressive liquidation cascade toward $0.00001365, and potentially lower if panic selling ensues.
Conversely, if SHIB price can maintain steady support above $0.00001420 and reclaim $0.00001450, it may avert a deeper correction.
