As the SEC vs Ripple lawsuit is coming to an end with the blockchain firm paying a $50 million penalty, developments on an XRP ETF are gathering pace once again. In his latest Bloomberg interview, CEO Brad Gralinghouse said that it’s important to have this exchange-traded fund, while just falling short of accepting that they are working with the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock. XRP price movement has been relatively mute to this development, while industry players expect a $3 breakout soon.
Are Ripple and BlackRock Exploring Potential XRP ETF?
In his recent Bloomberg interview, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse was asked whether they are collaborating with BlackRock to launch an XRP ETF in the US. Although Garlinghouse didn’t explicitly accept such a collaboration, he sparked speculation by stating, “We think it makes sense for the XRP community overall”.
The prospect of a BlackRock filing for an XRP ETF in 2025 has captured the attention of the crypto community. Many believe that once the regulatory wall over Ripple is removed, asset managers will rush in the second-half of the year to bring a Ripple ETF to the market. Furthermore, Ripple CEO Garlinghouse is also confident that XRP would make it to the US Digital Asset stockpile.
Adding to the discussion, Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek highlighted the transformative potential of XRP ETFs. He predicts that the development could attract $8 billion in inflows following the approval.
Ripple Drops Cross-Appeal Against US SEC
The long-running Ripple vs SEC lawsuit has finally come to an end as the blockchain startup has decided to no longer pursue the cross-appeal against the securities regulator. The resolution involves a $75 million refund to Ripple, following the SEC’s decision to drop its appeal and Ripple abandoning its cross-appeal.
This settlement concludes a case that initially resulted in a $125 million penalty against Ripple. With the refund, the company’s net payment to the SEC amounts to $50 million. Under the Trump administration, the SEC has softened its stance, while putting a greater focus on establishing clear crypto regulations.
XRP Price Surge to $3 Soon?
Amid the current development and hopes for XRP ETF, the XRP price has given a muted response as it continues to face strong rejection at $2.50 levels. Despite this, market analysts have made bold predictions, expecting the XRP price rally to continue at $15 and beyond.
Sharing the XRPUSDT chart, popular crypto trader Seyma stated that she’s more bullish on the Ripple cryptocurrency in comparison to other altcoins. “My weekly target is $3-$3.24 i never give investment or trading advice just noted to myself,” she wrote.
Despite lingering market uncertainty fueled by Donald Trump’s escalating trade war, the cryptocurrency market showed signs of recovery this week.
On-chain data reveals that crypto whales took advantage of the volatility to accumulate select altcoins, signaling growing confidence in specific digital assets.
Dogecoin (DOGE)
Leading meme coin Dogecoin (DOGE) has received significant attention from crypto whales this week. This is reflected by the spike in the number of coins purchased over the past seven days by DOGE whale addresses that hold between 100 million and 1 billion coins.
According to data from Santiment, these DOGE holders have accumulated 1.41 billion coins worth over $220 million during the review period. As of press time, their total holdings have surged to 25.68 billion DOGE, marking the highest level since December last year.
When an asset’s large holders increase their accumulation like this, it suggests increased confidence or anticipation of future price gains. If this continues, DOGE could break above the resistance at $0.17 in the near term and climb toward $0.23.
Worldcoin (WLD)
WLD is another altcoin that has caught whales’ attention this week. The Sam Altman-linked token currently trades at $0.74, shedding 1% of its value over the past week.
During that period, whales holding between 100,000 and 1,000,000 WLD have accumulated 2.63 million tokens valued above $1.94 million.
If whale accumulation persists, it could make WLD buck the broader market downtrend to record gains.
Ondo (ONDO)
Thereal-world asset-based (RWA) token ONDO is also on this week’s crypto whales’ list. According to Santiment, in the past seven days, whales holding between 1 million and 10 million ONDO have purchased 19.41 million, valued at approximately $17 million.
This cohort of ONDO investors currently holds 702.37 million coins.
Should this prompt a market-wide ONDO accumulation phase, it could signal the resurgence of interest in RWA-based assets and drive further price momentum in the coming weeks.
BeInCrypto sat down with members of the LBank team to analyze the possible resurgence of the meme coin market as a leading crypto narrative and what their fusion with artificial intelligence (AI) can have on their reach.
LBank also discussed the impact of the four-month-old Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation on its operations across Europe. They described a fundamental change in investor confidence in light of greater regulatory clarity and simplified accessibility.
Have Meme Coin Highs Given Way to Devastating Lows?
In recent years, the meme coin market has largely been characterized by overwhelming highs and devastating lows. The first few months of 2025 have further confirmed the volatile nature of these tokens, to the point that a vocal part of the crypto community believes that their recent lows have marked the end of the meme coin lifecycle.
These claims are not unfounded, especially now that the US President has become a meme coin player. When Trump launched his meme coin in mid-January, TRUMP reached a market capitalization of nearly $8.8 billion, a number never before seen by a meme coin launch.
When insider traders capitalized on the surge to sell off their holdings and retain millions of dollars in gains, retail investors bore the brunt of the massive sell-off, suffering hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
“The decline in meme coin market cap since January can be attributed to a combination of market dynamics and sentiment shifts. A key driver was the rapid rise and subsequent crash of the TRUMP token, which drew significant market capital due to its viral appeal but collapsed sharply, eroding investor confidence and triggering a broader risk-off sentiment,” Eric He, Community Angel Officer and Risk Control Adviser at LBank told BeInCrypto.
After similar experiences with the MELANIA token and the LIBRA launch, some of these retail investors realized that meme coins —as unregulated and unpredictable as they are— may not be the best investments.
Is the Meme Coin Frenzy Coming to a Halt?
Given the devastating effects that these episodes have had on the meme coin market, trading has reduced significantly. The crypto community seems to have become saturated with news of pump-and-dump schemes and rug pulls, likely contributing to a halt in the meme coin frenzy.
The total meme coin market capitalization has been free-falling since January’s peak following the presidential token launches. Now, its levels resemble those of September 2024. The greater economic downturn that traditional and crypto markets experienced over the past several weeks has only worsened prospects.
Yet, despite this downward pressure, the market still experiences a high level of activity. It has a $14.5 billion trading volume and a $57 billion market capitalization.
Total meme coin market capitalization. Source: CoinGecko.
According to the LBank team, the meme coin industry is due for a revival.
LBank’s Belief in the Revival of the Meme Coin Market
Though the decline in meme coin performance has been significant, the LBank team expressed that these circumstances are far from unexpected. Meme coins are inherently tied to community support and social momentum.
The sustained trading volumes and large market capitalization serve as tangible indicators that, even in a downturn, the market is seeing active community engagement and liquidity. Investors still see value in the tokens’ cultural and speculative appeal.
“We see it as a healthy market correction rather than a fundamental shift. Meme coins have always been volatile, but the fact that trading volumes remain high shows continued interest. What’s happening now is not the end of the trend—it’s just a recalibration before the next wave,” Mario Iemma, Head of Spanish Markets at LBank, told BeInCrypto.
In fact, Iemma believes that meme coins will not be dying out anytime soon.
AI agents represented the first significant shift in the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry. These autonomous systems proved that they could make decisions and perform tasks independently. This technology enhances intelligence, adaptability, and fairness in financial mechanisms.
Now, developers have unlocked artificial intelligence’s potential on tokens. Systems like Grok have already made news by using AI to automatically and independently design and launch tokens.
However, with a nascent technology like AI, the LBank team emphasized the need for responsible and thorough deployment for the long-lasting success of AI-generated tokens. This success hinges on two particular factors: accessibility and security.
Security and Accessibility Challenges for AI-Generated Tokens
The concept of security is frequently associated with any emerging technology. Artificial intelligence is no exception, especially in a particularly unregulated industry like crypto.
According to He, AI-generated token projects’ degree of security and transparency will determine their success.
Iemma agreed, adding that if AI-generative tokens become widely accessible, this development will also require additional layers of oversight.
“That same accessibility demands better filters, vetting, and AI-based security audits—areas where exchanges like LBank are already investing resources,” he said.
While reflecting on the security risks associated with artificial intelligence and the breaches in consumer trust that meme coins have had on the crypto community, the LBank team also emphasized the need for greater regulation in the industry.
The development of cryptocurrency regulations varies significantly across the globe. Notably, the European Union implemented comprehensive rules almost five months ago, while key markets such as the United States are still establishing adequate frameworks.
MiCA’s Effect on the European Crypto Market
Last December, with the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, the European Union became the first jurisdiction to establish a comprehensive and unified regulatory framework for crypto-assets across all its member states, marking a significant milestone.
According to the LBank team, MiCA gives users and institutions a trustworthy framework. This development has proven critical for industry growth across the region.
“MiCA has forced firms to become more transparent and compliant, which is a good thing for long-term trust. We’ve seen exchanges accelerate their legal and operational upgrades. For users, it creates a safer, more predictable environment,” Iemma said, adding, “With clearer rules, banks and investment firms are more willing to explore crypto partnerships, custody solutions, and even tokenized assets. Regulation reduces reputational risk, and MiCA is helping bridge that gap.”
However, this experience can be largely attributed to established firms in the industry and investors with access to substantial resources. Other players, however, have struggled to gather the requirements to apply for a MiCA license.
Future Accommodation for Smaller Crypto Businesses
In discussing the impact of MiCA since its enactment last December, He highlighted how different industry players have responded to the landmark regulation. He noted that startups struggle the most to obtain an operational license.
When evaluating the cost-effectiveness of an operational license, He’s conclusions make sense.
MiCA is an expensive regulation. It mandates minimum capital requirements based on the crypto services offered. These requirements range from €50,000 for advisory and order-related services to €125,000 for exchange and trading platforms and up to €150,000 for custody services. Businesses must maintain this capital as a financial safeguard.
Beyond minimum capital requirements, companies must factor in government and legal fees, local presence costs, bank setups, and ongoing operational costs. But for prominent exchanges like LBank, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Future MiCA updates could address the high compliance costs for smaller businesses. Meanwhile, other regions developing their crypto regulations should consider this aspect to avoid creating similar barriers.
After the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) minutes and the digital asset summit on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, approximately $2.09 billion in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options expire today.
The expiration may influence market conditions, with investors monitoring potential shifts.
Over $2 Billion in Options Expiry Today
According to Deribit, $1.826 billion in Bitcoin options expire today. The maximum pain point of these contracts stands at $85,000.
These options include 21,596 contracts, slightly fewer than last week’s 35,176. Despite recent volatility, the put-to-call ratio of 0.83 indicates a general bullish sentiment.
Ethereum has $264.46 million in options expiring, involving 133,447 contracts. This figure is also lower than the previous week’s 223,395 contracts. The maximum pain point for these options is $2,000, and the put-to-call ratio is 0.62.
As the options contracts near expiration at 8:00 UTC today, Bitcoin and Ethereum prices are expected to approach their respective maximum pain points. According to BeInCrypto data, BTC traded for $84,414, whereas ETH exchanged hands for $1,977.
This suggests a modest upside for Bitcoin and Ethereum towards the $85,000 and $2,000 strike prices, respectively. This surge is plausible given smart money’s Strategy in options trading, pushing prices toward the “max pain” level. Here, the highest number of contracts, both calls and puts, expire worthless.
“Will we see a volatility squeeze or a slow unwind?” Deribit posed in a post on X (Twitter).
Based on Bitcoin and Ethereum’s put-to-call ratios, both below 1, call options (purchases) have a higher prevalence than put options (sales).
Market Sentiment Ahead of Today’s Options Expiry
Analysts from crypto options trading tool Greeks.live provided insights on the current market sentiment, highlighting a divided trader community. On the one hand, some expect a price drop after the FOMC meeting, as policymakers rejected further interest rate cuts, effectively disappointing the crypto market.
On the other hand, some anticipate a temporary rise before choppy conditions. With this, the analysts note the range between $83,000 and $85,000 as the area of interest, with expected volatility around President Trump-related developments and potential MicroStrategy (now Strategy) purchases.
“Expect chop and drift lower before heading higher again on Monday, despite the current pump not being viewed as sustainable,” Greeks.live analysts observed.
Even as Bitget’s Chen remains optimistic, traders and investors should brace for short-term volatility. Historically, options expirations tend to cause temporary price movements. However, the market usually stabilizes shortly after.
