Early morning coffee is also known to interfere with your natural morning cortisol production and stress your adrenal glands if consumed in excess. Cortisol continues to diminish after peaking at 8:30 a.m. but increases again around noon. As a result, the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. may be the best for getting the most out of your caffeine/coffee usage. Although cortisol levels decline in the afternoon, it’s definitely not the greatest time to get another cup of coffee because it may disrupt your sleep later in the day. Hemp Oil might help you get the most out of your coffee. Both caffeine and stress can raise cortisol levels. Caffeine in excess can cause unfavorable health consequences linked with persistently increased cortisol levels (as in chronic stress). Small to moderate doses of caffeine, on the other hand, might improve your mood and give you a boost.
Welcome to the US Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee to see why Standard Chartered thinks XRP could soon leapfrog Ethereum, how Tether’s institutional pivot might reshape the stablecoin market, and how players like BlackRock, Galaxy Digital, and the Federal Reserve could shape crypto’s next chapter.
Standard Chartered says XRP Set to Outperform, Could Overtake Ethereum by 2028
As global trade tensions intensify, Standard Chartered sees a silver lining for crypto investors, urging them to focus on long-term winners poised to benefit from the disruption.
“Tariff noise creates the opportunity to look for long-term value/pick winners in Digital Assets for the next leg higher. Today we add XRP to that list of winners (BTC and AVAX other identified winners, ETH identified loser). XRP’s core use is as a cross-border and cross-currency payments platform. That part of Digital Assets is undergoing a shift higher in volumes, something we see continuing. By the end of 2028 we see XRP’s market cap overtaking Ethereum’s. That will make XRP the second largest (non-stablecoin) Digital Asset at that time. Keep looking for winners and HODLing those you already own”, Geoff Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s Head of Digital Asset Research, in an email to BeInCrypto.
Kendrick also pointed to Bitcoin’s resilience as a signal of what’s to come for the broader crypto market.
“Tariff mess will be over soon, and Bitcoin’s solid performance during the noise tells us a leg higher for the asset class will follow” he said.
He also points out important points about the recent performance of XRP:
“XRP price rose 6x in the two months following Trump’s election victory, the strongest performance among the top 15 digital assets by market cap. This reflected market expectations that the SEC would drop its appeal of a court ruling concerning Ripple, as well as the potential for XRP ETFs to be approved under new SEC leadership.”
But Kendrick believes the fundamentals — not just politics — are driving XRP’s momentum.
“We think these gains are sustainable, not just because of recent leadership changes at the SEC but also because 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: blockchain-enabled financial transactions that have traditionally been done through traditional financial (TradFi) institutions. 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.”
Tether’s Big Play: Institutional-Grade Stablecoin Targets US Market
Charles Wayn, co-founder of decentralized Web3 super-app Galxe, told BeInCrypto that:
“The news that Tether is planning to launch an institutional-grade stablecoin for the US market is fantastic for the crypto industry. Tether pioneered stablecoins with its first launch over a decade ago in 2014, and its flagship product — USDT — is now the third largest cryptocurrency in the world. Unlike its rival, USDC, USDT has never been formally audited, leading to frequent questions over its balance sheet. Nonetheless, it remains the industry’s favored stablecoin, shown by its market cap of over $144 billion, which is well over double the size of USDC’s $60 billion.”
Wayn believes this move, along with Tether’s push for transparency, positions the company as a future leader in institutional crypto adoption.
“As such, this move, combined with other recent news that Tether is seeking a full audit from a Big Four accounting firm, shows that the company is not only willing to be compliant but also be a leader in institutional adoption. While USDT sadly did not pass the EU’s directive on stablecoins under MiCA, this new product will likely be designed to pass new legislation coming from the US.”
He adds that institutional momentum — fueled by players like BlackRock — reinforces why now is a pivotal moment for stablecoins and broader market stability.
“As such, there is little doubt that USDT will work hard to launch its new product in good time. As we see huge institutions like BlackRock further entering the market with another $66 million purchase of Bitcoin last week, along with the rapid growth of its RWA BUIDL fund, institutional adoption is now taking off rapidly.”
Crypto Chart of the Day
Total Stablecoin Market Cap and BTC Price. Source: Coinglass.
Stablecoins total market cap is currently close to its all-time highs, above $210 billion.
Byte-Sized Alpha
– Analysts warn that a return to Quantitative Easing in 2025 could ignite a massive crypto rally, potentially pushing Bitcoin toward $1 million and sparking a surge in altcoins.
– Zero inflows into Bitcoin ETFs and declining futures interest hint at fading investor confidence, though rising put contracts and positive funding rates point to cautious optimism.
– Galaxy Digital secures SEC approval to reorganize and move toward a May 2025 Nasdaq listing, signaling renewed confidence in crypto amid improving US policy support.
– Binance Research shows that during tariffs, RWA tokens outperform Bitcoin, as rising macro pressures weaken BTC’s role as a diversification asset.
– MicroStrategy’s pause in Bitcoin buying last week, amid $5.91 billion in unrealized losses, signals growing caution and raises questions about liquidity, debt, and broader institutional confidence.
Ethereum has recently shown an attempt to recover from the significant losses it sustained toward the end of March. The altcoin, often considered the leader in the smart contract space, is currently trading at $1,774.
While this reflects an effort to regain momentum, Ethereum’s recovery might be hindered by short-term holders (STHs) looking to capitalize on any immediate profits.
Ethereum Investors Are Prone To Selling
Ethereum’s network value and user activity are showing signs of a possible recovery, but its current market sentiment remains under pressure. The Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) indicator, which gauges the overall profit or loss of coins in circulation, has entered a phase of capitulation.
Despite the uptick in Ethereum’s price, the underlying sentiment remains cautious. The increase in the NUPL could quickly reverse if short-term holders (STHs) decide to liquidate their positions.
Ethereum’s recovery hinges on investor confidence, with those holding onto their assets being the key to avoiding another sell-off. If more STHs choose to HODL instead of selling, Ethereum could see sustained upward momentum in the coming weeks.
On a broader scale, Ethereum’s macro momentum presents mixed signals. The Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) Long/Short Difference indicator is currently deeply negative at -30%. This suggests that the market may face additional resistance in its recovery efforts.
The indicator highlights the disconnect between long-term and short-term holders, with the latter showing profits at a two-year high. The last time this occurred was in January 2023, when Ethereum experienced significant sell-offs, pushing the price lower.
The presence of STHs in a profitable position increases the likelihood of further selling pressure on Ethereum. As these investors are more likely to liquidate at the first sign of profits, the recovery could face challenges.
Ethereum’s price could struggle to maintain upward momentum, especially if short-term holders capitalize on their gains, pushing the altcoin back into a downtrend.
Ethereum’s price has risen by 11% in the past week, currently trading at $1,774. It is now testing the resistance at $1,796, and breaching this level is crucial for Ethereum to continue its recovery toward the $2,000 mark. A successful breakout above this resistance would signal a continuation of the recovery trend, pushing Ethereum closer to its previous high.
However, considering the market sentiment and the current indicators, Ethereum’s chances of reaching $2,000 in the short term seem unlikely. Ethereum is at risk of falling below the $1,671 support, which could trigger a deeper pullback to $1,522. This bearish outlook suggests that the recovery may be short-lived unless strong buying support materializes.
If the broader market conditions remain strong, Ethereum could manage to breach the $1,796 resistance and even push past $1,906. A move above these levels would set Ethereum on track to reach $2,000, invalidating the bearish outlook and signaling a more sustainable recovery for the altcoin.
