Ripple’s RLUSD Stablecoin Launch: What’s Next for Exchange Listings and Market Predictions for 2025

Pi Network (PI) is showing mounting technical weakness, down nearly 15% over the past seven days and 4.4% in the last 24 hours, with its market cap now sitting at $5.12 billion. Trading volume has surged 25% in the past day, reaching $104.6 million, signaling heightened activity amid a deepening downtrend.

Key indicators like the ADX, CMF, and EMA structure all point to growing bearish momentum, with selling pressure intensifying and price action struggling to hold support. Unless momentum shifts, PI appears vulnerable to further downside in the near term.

PI Network’s Bearish Trend Strengthens

The Directional Movement Index (DMI) chart for Pi Network (PI) shows a notable rise in the Average Directional Index (ADX), which has climbed to 21 from 11.46 just a day earlier.

The ADX measures the strength of a trend, regardless of direction. Generally, an ADX below 20 suggests a weak or non-trending market, while readings above 20 indicate that a trend is beginning to gain strength.

With PI’s ADX now breaking above this threshold, the data suggests that a more decisive move—either bullish or bearish—may be developing.

Looking deeper, the +DI (Positive Directional Indicator) has dropped to 13.21 from 20.93 two days ago, while the -DI (Negative Directional Indicator) has surged to 31.92 from 23.48.

This widening gap, with -DI clearly dominant, signals increasing downward pressure on PI. When the -DI rises above the +DI alongside a strengthening ADX, it typically confirms a bearish trend gaining momentum.

In short, the indicators are aligning to suggest PI may be entering a stronger downtrend, and traders should watch closely for follow-through in price action.

Indicators Show Strong Selling Pressure

The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) for Pi Network (PI) has dropped sharply to -0.20, down from 0.08 three days ago and -0.08 just one day ago.

The CMF is a volume-weighted indicator that measures the flow of money into and out of an asset over a set period, typically 20 or 21 days.

Values above 0 generally indicate buying pressure and accumulation, while values below 0 suggest selling pressure and distribution. A CMF reading beyond ±0.10 is usually considered significant, with deeper negative values pointing to sustained outflows.

With PI’s CMF now at -0.20—its lowest reading since May 17—there’s a strong signal that sellers are in control.

This steep drop reflects increasing capital leaving the asset, and when combined with recent price weakness, it reinforces a bearish outlook.

If CMF continues to decline or holds at deeply negative levels, it may suggest that any bounce attempts could face heavy resistance due to a lack of bullish volume support.

PI Price Eyes Lower Support

The Exponential Moving Average (EMA) indicators for PI remain bearish, with short-term EMAs positioned below long-term ones—a clear sign that downward momentum is still in control.

The growing distance between these EMA lines reinforces the strength of the current downtrend. If PI continues to slide, the next support level lies at $0.66, and losing that could open the door for a further decline toward $0.57.

On the flip side, if PI manages to reverse its current trajectory, the first key resistance to watch is at $0.727. A breakout above that level could signal a short-term recovery and potentially send the price higher toward the $0.86 mark.

However, until short-term EMAs start to flatten or cross above the longer-term ones, any bullish attempts may remain vulnerable to selling pressure.

The post Pi Network Weekly Losses Reach 15% – What’s Behind the Drop? appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Despite recent volatility, prominent analysts argue XRP’s technical setup is not bearish yet. They highlight specific price levels crucial for confirming the trend.

A technical evaluation of XRP’s recent 5-day chart adds context to these analyst views.

Analysts Remain Cautiously Optimistic About XRP Price

XRP prices dipped nearly 7% over the past week amid heightened geopolitical tensions, notably driven by US airstrikes on Iranian facilities. The altcoin fell from roughly $2.20 to a low near $1.90 before stabilizing around $2.06.

Veteran trader Peter Brandt highlighted a potential Head-and-Shoulders (H&S) pattern on XRP’s chart. This is traditionally a bearish indicator that signals a reversal from bullish to bearish if key support levels break. 

However, Brandt emphasizes caution against premature bearish conclusions. He explicitly notes the importance of XRP maintaining support above $1.80.

A decisive weekly close below that critical level would be needed to confirm a bearish scenario.

Meanwhile, analyst EGRAG CRYPTO provided a detailed bullish perspective using multiple technical indicators.

The Gaussian Channel is a volatility indicator used to identify trend strength and potential reversals. Closing within this channel boundary, around $1.75 currently, could signal weakening momentum and possible downward pressure. 

EGRAG emphasizes the importance of XRP staying above this boundary to maintain bullish strength.

Additionally, the 21-week EMA acts as a critical moving average that traders use to identify macro trends. 

A close above the EMA level of $2.33 would signify strong bullish momentum. 

Moreover, breaking above the resistance at $2.65 would confirm a robust long-term bullish trend.

EGRAG also applies Elliott Wave analysis, a technical approach that identifies repeating patterns (waves) in market prices to forecast potential targets. 

Using Elliott Wave ratios, the analyst projects XRP could reach between $9 and $10 if the altcoin successfully completes its anticipated fifth wave, provided current support levels hold firm.

Short-Term Technical Analysis Supports Caution

XRP faced significant selling pressure as prices declined sharply towards $1.90, confirmed by the Accumulation/Distribution (A/D) line dropping notably. 

The A/D line measures cumulative buying and selling pressure, and its decline indicates higher trading volume on price decreases, reflecting strong seller activity.

As XRP price reached support near $1.90, the A/D line stabilized and began a modest climb during the rebound, indicating renewed buyer activity. 

Nevertheless, the accumulation during this rebound has not yet fully neutralized the earlier distribution, suggesting caution remains warranted.

Meanwhile, the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF), an indicator showing the strength of money flowing into or out of an asset, turned negative during the sell-off, confirming strong outflows. 

Although CMF improved somewhat during XRP’s rebound, it remained weak and did not enter positive territory, signaling that buyers remain tentative.

Consolidation and Critical Levels to Watch for XRP

These technical indicators suggest XRP is currently in cautious consolidation. While support near $1.90 proved strong, the limited improvement in CMF indicates ongoing market uncertainty.

Overall, this analysis aligns with analyst views that key support around $1.75 to $1.80 remains intact. Only a decisive weekly close below these supports would validate a bearish outlook.

Traders should closely monitor XRP’s interaction with critical support and resistance levels. 

Specifically, a confirmed breakout above $2.33 and then $2.65 would signal bullish continuation, while a decisive breach of $1.75-$1.80 support would indicate increased bearish risk.

The post Why Analysts Claim XRP Price Pattern Is Not Bearish appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Bitrace’s 2024 Crypto Crime Report shows that criminals moved $649 billion in stablecoins to high-risk addresses. Stablecoins’ total use in fraud and money laundering grew, but the legitimate sector grew even faster.

The report also tracked a few other components, like gambling and darknet markets. It highlighted the growing enforcement actions against stablecoin money laundering, as Tether and Circle froze over $1 billion in assets last year.

Stablecoins and Crypto Crime – A Concerning Trend?

Stablecoins are a vital component of the international crypto ecosystem, but they fulfill a similar role in crime. For example, crypto sleuth ZachXBT alleged last month that North Korean hackers have “epidemic” participation in this space.

Bitrace’s 2024 Crime Report details illicit activities all across the industry, but it focuses specifically on stablecoins.

Its data claimed that $649 billion in stablecoins went to high-risk addresses last year, a definite increase from 2023. However, these transactions only amounted to 5.14% of global stablecoin volume, a decrease from 5.94% the previous year.

In other words, the stablecoin sector is growing faster than its usage in crypto crime.

Naturally, Tether makes up the overwhelming majority of these transactions since it’s the most popular stablecoin. Tron and Ethereum were the most popular blockchains for USDT stablecoins, making up around 90% of the crime-related volume.

Ethereum’s presence grew relative to Tron, but the latter blockchain still represents more than 75% of transactions.

Bitrace’s Crypto Crime Report mostly focused on the stablecoin industry but also covered several other sectors.

For example, illicit trade on the darknet grew by more than $30 billion as vendors switched to DeFi to avoid law enforcement. Crypto gambling is also on the rise, increasing 17.5% to $217.84 billion.

However, the industry is also taking several initiatives of its own. Scams and frauds have ballooned last year, jumping from $12 billion in 2023 to $52 billion in 2024.

Escrow services like Huione play a vital intermediary role, and Tether has been working to freeze its wallets. They’ve only neutralized a tiny fraction of Huione’s trade, but it’s a good start.

Tether and Circle have been active in freezing crypto wallets used by criminals since stablecoins are a lynchpin of this ecosystem.

The quantity of total frozen assets grew by nearly $1 billion in 2024, double the amount of the past three years combined. This is far below the necessary amount, but hopefully these operations can scale up.

To summarize, stablecoins are a thriving component of crypto’s criminal underworld, but enforcement is becoming more determined and sophisticated.

If the industry continues to focus on fighting fraud and money laundering, it could make a real difference. Stablecoin’s legitimate uses dwarf this sector, and criminals’ total market share is decreasing.

The post Crypto Criminals Traded Over $649 Billion in Stablecoins Last Year appeared first on BeInCrypto.