The crypto market is witnessing some cautious declines today, with the total market capitalization dropping below $2.9 trillion. Major tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum slipped, driven by profit-taking and market consolidation. Meanwhile, the POL (Prev. MATIC) price has been showing strong bullish momentum and has delivered an impressive performance today. This validates its growing relevance within the market, which may help the MATIC price to keep up the bullish trend.
The POL price surged over 14% to $0.2529, breaking the key resistance on strong volume amid bullish sentiment. This upward momentum follows a volatile month for POL, which plunged to a 30-day low of $0.1533 in the first week of April before staging a dramatic rebound. The current price action not only marks a striking short-term gain but also signals a potential end to the prolonged downtrend that defined the POL since December 2024.
Why POL Price is Rising? WIll it Reach $1 in 2025?
The rally was catalyzed by the announcement of the Agglayer Breakout Program, which aims to incentivize POL staking through project airdrops. This has increased the activity within the ecosystem and also the demand for the token has risen significantly. Technically, POL broke out above a critical resistance zone near $0.22, which had capped prices during weeks of accumulation. Therefore, this decisive move, supported by a rise in volume and open interest, suggests a genuine shift in the market sentiment, which could initiate a 30% to 40% rise.
As seen in the above chart, the POL price has broken above the descending trend line but failed to secure levels above $0.257, which is an important resistance level. The crypto attempted to surpass the upper band of the Gaussian channel that could have validated the beginning of a bullish trend. However, the bears restricted the move, but the MACD formation suggests the upswing may continue as the levels are heading back to the positive range for the first time in 2025.
Therefore, the POL (Prev. MATIC) price is expected to close the day’s trade above $0.257, which could validate the bullish divergence. Some overbought signals may prompt short-term volatility, but the token’s reversal from recent lows and a rise in the trader’s attention suggest the POL price could enter a new bullish phase soon.
HashKey Capital has launched the HashKey XRP Tracker Fund, the first fund in Asia focused exclusively on tracking the performance of XRP.
The fund is now open to professional investors. Ripple is backing the initiative as an early investor.
Institutional Interest in XRP Investment Continues to Grow
According to HashKey, XRP offers a faster and more cost-effective alternative to traditional cross-border payment systems. The new tracker fund aligns with HashKey Capital’s goal of connecting conventional finance with digital asset markets.
The fund allows investors to subscribe using either cash or in-kind contributions. Investors can redeem or subscribe to shares on a monthly basis.
CF Benchmarks, known for its role in global ETF markets, will provide the fund’s benchmark.
“XRP stands out as one of the most innovative cryptocurrencies in today’s market, attracting global enterprises who use it to transact, tokenize, and store value. With the first XRP Tracker Fund available in the region, we simplify access to XRP, catering to the demand for investment opportunities in the very best digital assets,” said Vivien Wong, Partner at HashKey Capital.
Meanwhile, XRP continues to gain traction with institutional investors. Standard Chartered recently forecast that XRP could surpass Ethereum by 2028, citing increased demand for efficient cross-border payment solutions and growing disruption in global trade.
“XRP is uniquely positioned at the heart of one of the fastest-growing uses for digital assets – facilitation of cross-border and cross-currency payments. In this way, XRPL is similar to the main use case for stablecoins such as Tether. This stablecoin use has grown 50% annually over the past two years, and we expect stablecoin transactions to increase 10x over the next four years. We think this bodes well for XRPL’s throughput growth, given the similar use cases for stablecoins and XRPL,” Geoff Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s Head of Digital Assets Research, told BeInCrypto.
Interest in XRP ETFs is also increasing. Teucrium Investment Advisors recently received NYSE Arca approval for the Teucrium 2x Long Daily XRP ETF (XXRP), the first leveraged XRP ETF in the United States.
Also, attention is now turning to spot XRP ETFs. Grayscale and 21Shares are both awaiting decisions from the SEC on their XRP-based products.
The SEC has up to 240 days to review the Grayscale XRP Trust and the 21Shares Core XRP Trust, with final deadlines set for October 18 and 19, 2025.
XRP’s price has declined by nearly 20% over the past month, but institutional confidence remains high.
Bitcoin price is predicted to hit $475,000 as Citigroup hints stablecoins could reach $1.6 trillion by 2030, with top crypto VC firm, identifying on-chain payments and institutional demand as key bullish catalysts.
Citigroup Forecasts $1.6 Trillion Stablecoin Market by 2030
Citigroup has projected that the stablecoin market could balloon to $1.6 trillion by 2030, citing increased adoption by institutions and integration with global payments. The report highlights a “multi-rail future,” where blockchain-based stablecoins become embedded in mainstream finance alongside traditional banking infrastructure.
The prediction hinges on regulatory clarity and strong political backing, particularly from the U.S. This has ignited speculation that a Donald Trump presidency—widely perceived as more crypto-friendly—could fast-track these developments.
At press time on Friday, April 25, the total stablecoin market cap stands at $240 billion, according to Coingecko data.
Asides from Tether (USDT), other prominent stablecoins such as USDC and PayPal USD have surged in transaction volume in Q1 2025, as payment giants Visa and Mastercard integrates blockchain rails in cross-border settlements.
Citigroup noted that the ongoing momentum, paired with favorable policy regime under Trump, could drastically expand stablecoin use cases—from remittances to tokenized assets—and indirectly lift the broader crypto market, including Bitcoin.
As of April 2025, the total stablecoin market capitalization stands at $240.16 billion, marking a 0.5% gain in the last 24 hours, according to CoinGecko.
The market remains heavily dominated by fiat-backed stablecoins, which account for $235.99 billion, or nearly 98% of the sector. USD-backed stablecoins lead with $234.90 billion in market cap and a 0.5% daily gain.
Stablecoin sector performance | Source: Coingecko
Emerging categories show increasing momentum. Yield-bearing and crypto-backed stablecoins both rose 1.0%, while US Treasury-backed stablecoins gained 1.2%, reinforcing institutional interest in tokenized low-risk debt.
Commodity-backed stablecoins also surged 2.6%, suggesting investors are hedging against macroeconomic uncertainty through blockchain-tethered hard assets.
More volatile segments, such as algorithmic stablecoins and exotic currencies like the IDR stablecoin, lagged behind, with the latter declining 0.9%. Interestingly, the TRY stablecoin, pegged to the Turkish lira, surged 317.2%, indicating rising demand from countries with unstable local fiat currencies.
Further echoing this bullish narrative, crypto investment firm Foresight Ventures published a recent report showing key drivers behind stablecoin sector growth.
“The global payment ecosystem is going through a massive transformation driven by stablecoins. Stripe’s integration of USD and Helio’s support for over 450,000 active wallets clearly signal a rising demand for stablecoins in everyday transactions.
On-chain solutions are streamlining payment flows and enhancing liquidity, paving the way for faster, more efficient digital payments.”
– Foresight Ventures, 2025 Stablecoin report.
Notably, in addition to the $240 billion capital inflow, stablecoins also function as an on-ramp for onboarding new cryptocurrency users.
Hence, as stablecoin adoption deepens, they may act as a springboard for larger crypto inflows—especially into Bitcoin.
Here’s Bitcoin Price Prediction If Stablecoins Hit $1.6 Trillion
If the stablecoin market expands from $240 billion to $1.6 trillion, as projected by Citigroup, Bitcoin’s price could be poised for a parabolic breakout. At press time, BTC price is perches above $95,000, its highest in over 60 days, dating back to February 25.
Bitcoin price action, April 25, 2025 | Source: Coingecko
Bitcoin has historically thrived during periods of expanding stablecoin supply, as capital parked in USD-pegged assets often rotates into BTC during risk-on cycles. In 2020–2021, for instance, the stablecoin market grew from around $20 billion to reach $140 billion, while Bitcoin rallied from $10,000 towards the $64,000, reflecting 640% increase.
If a similar historical ratio of stablecoin growth to BTC price appreciation holds, a 6.7x increase in stablecoins could translate into a 3x to 5x surge in Bitcoin, pushing BTC toward a target range of $285,000 to $475,000.
Even under a conservative assumption—where only 25% of stablecoin growth rotates into BTC—Bitcoin could still grow 200% to 250% from current levels, resulting in predictions for BTC price to trade between $190,000 to $237,500 by 2030.
Looking ahead:
If Citigroup’s $1.6 trillion stablecoin projection materializes and regulatory momentum continues under Trump-era policies, Bitcoin price is projected to enter price discovery, potentially reaching $285,000—with a more optimistic BTC price ceiling near $475,000 per coin.
Bitcoin price is trading at $95,035 after surging above the 50-day SMA at $93,026, confirming a bullish momentum shift. The breakout follows consolidation near the 100-day SMA at $85,083 and signals renewed strength after March’s correction.
A close above the 50-day average suggests bulls are reclaiming trend control, with the next target at $105,000, the psychological resistance just above the early March peak.
Bitcoin Price Forecast Today
The volume delta has turned positive, with a +3.38K reading, indicating rising buyer dominance. This uptick supports continuation higher, aligning with the ascending 200-day SMA at $74,420, which underpins Bitcoin’s longer-term uptrend. The three-day chart shows a bullish candle above key resistance, confirming strong buying interest has returned.
If Bitcoin price forecast indicators continue to lean bullish and remains above the current 50-day SMA of $93,000 through May’s first week, the bullish momentum could enter second-gear, potentially propelling BTC to new all-time highs above $110,000.
However, a breakdown below $93,000 would invalidate the bullish thesis, exposing BTC to a retest of $85,000. Until then, bias remains upward toward $105,000.
While the broader crypto market struggled to find direction in April, VIRTUAL bucked the trend to record significant gains. The altcoin has soared 183% over the past month, standing out as one of the few tokens to record substantial gains in an otherwise lackluster market.
VIRTUAL is up 22% in the past 24 hours, making it the top-performing crypto asset today. It is poised to continue its rally, especially as institutional interest grows.
Smart Money Fuels VIRTUAL’s Rally
VIRTUAL initiated its uptrend on April 22 and has consistently marked new daily price highs since then. As its price climbs, there has been a corresponding rise in its Smart Money Index (SMI), which currently stands at 3.07.
The SMI indicator tracks the trading activity of institutional investors, often referred to as the “smart money.” It analyzes intraday price movements, focusing on the first and last trading hours.
When the SMI rises with an asset’s price, major investors are accumulating positions, reflecting growing confidence in the asset’s upward momentum. The current uptick in VIRTUAL’s SMI suggests that institutional players are actively accumulating the token, likely positioning for further gains.
Further supporting the bullish outlook is the token’s rising Chaikin Money Flow (CMF). As of this writing, this momentum indicator stands at 0.25 and remains in an upward trend.
The CMF indicator measures money flow into and out of an asset. A rising CMF like this reflects increased capital inflows and positive sentiment among traders.
Therefore, VIRTUAL’s CMF reading reinforces its price surge and hints at the potential for a continued rally in the short term.
VIRTUAL’s Price Action Hints at Further Upside
VIRTUAL’s triple-digit rally since April 22 has caused it to trade within an ascending parallel channel. This pattern is formed when an asset’s price consistently makes higher highs and higher lows, moving within two upward-sloping, parallel trendlines.
It signals a bullish trend, suggesting that the asset’s price may continue rising as long as it stays within the channel. If demand strengthens and VIRTUAL climbs, remaining within the channel, it could trade at $2.26.
However, a resurgence in profit-taking activity will prevent this bullish projection. If selloffs begin, the VIRTUAL token could lose recent gains, break below $1.55, and fall toward $0.96.
