In a massive development, the CME Group has revealed plans to expand its derivative offerings with XRP futures. This provides a bullish outlook for the XRP price, as this move could pave the way for the launch of a spot XRP ETF.
CME Group To Launch XRP Futures
In a press release, CME Group announced plans to launch XRP futures on May 19, pending regulatory approval. The derivatives exchange revealed that market participants will have the choice to trade both a micro-sized contract (2,500 XRP) and a larger-sized contract (50,000 XRP).
Commenting on this development, Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group, said,
“As innovation in the digital asset landscape continues to evolve, market participants continue to look to regulated derivatives products to manage risks across a wider range of tokens. Interest in XRP and its underlying ledger (XRPL) has steadily increased as institutional and retail adoption for the network grows, and we are pleased to launch these new futures contracts to provide a capital-efficient toolset to support clients’ investment and hedging strategies.”
The exchange stated that they will settle the XRP futures in cash and based on the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference rate, which serves as a once-a-day rate of the XRP price in USD and is calculated at 3 pm UTC.
The XRP futures will be the fourth crypto addition on the exchange. CME Group already offers Bitcoin and Ethereum futures and recently added Solana futures in March.
This development is significant as it could pave the way for the launch of a spot XRP ETF. The court in the Grayscale case ruled that there was no difference between the futures and spot markets. As such, the existence of a futures market means the SEC has no plausible reason to deny a spot XRP ETF.
As CoinGape reported, XRP and Solana are currently leading the ETF race over other altcoins. The launch of the futures contract further solidifies the altcoin’s edge in the ETF race. Meanwhile, the CME Group futures launch is also bullish for the XRP price.
Bitcoin price surged by 4% on Wednesday, hitting a 10-day peak . This rally follows three consecutive days of substantial Bitcoin ETF inflows, totaling $512 million. As BTC flirts with the critical $90,000 resistance level, investors are closely watching the impact of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision on global markets.
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Hits 10-Day Peak on Fed Rate Decision
Bitcoin (BTC) surged by 4% on Wednesday, reaching a 10-day high of $85,900 as the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to pause interest rate hikes aligned with investor expectations.
Bitcoin price analysis | BTCUSD | March 19, 2025
This bullish momentum follows three consecutive days of strong institutional inflows into Bitcoin ETFs, totalling $512 million. With BTC price facing critical resistance at $90,000, market participants are watching closely to see whether institutional demand and macroeconomic conditions will trigger more gains in the coming trading sessions.
ETF Inflows Surged $512M ahead of Fed Rate Decision
Since their introduction, Bitcoin ETFs have become a key gauge of institutional sentiment in the cryptocurrency market. After 3-week selling spree, Bitcoin ETFs have recored positive inflows over the past three trading days, according to SosoValue data
Bitcoin ETF Flows, March 19 | Source: SosoValue
On Tuesday alone, Bitcoin ETFs saw $209 million in inflows, marking one of the strongest demand periods in weeks. The funds have accumulated over $512 million in Bitcoin purchases, underscoring strong demand from corporate and institutional investors.
Historically, such sustained inflows have often preceded significant price breakouts, suggesting that institutional investors swung bullish BTC’s short-term price prospects as markets priced in a 99% chance of a rate pause at the start of the week.
BTC Faces Key Resistance at $90,000 Amid Short Squeeze Pressure
Despite its recent gains, Bitcoin price is showing more upside potential. According to the latest derivatives data from Coinglass, over $290 million worth of BTC short positions were closed near the $85,000 level.
Short traders, who profit when prices decline, are making last-ditch efforts to defend their positions and avoid a wave of forced liquidations.
Bitcoin (BTC) Liquidation Map
However, liquidation heatmaps suggest that BTC short liquidations at the $85,000 level may have weaken ed neighboring resistance zones. If Bitcoin sustains momentum and breaks above $90,000, it could trigger a cascading effect, forcing more short sellers to cover their positions and further driving up the price.
US Fed Rate Pause Boosts Risk Asset Appetite
The Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates at current levels has provided additional support for Bitcoin’s rally. A pause in rate hikes signals a more accommodative stance toward financial markets, which typically benefits risk assets such as cryptocurrencies.
US Fed Holds Funds Rate at 4.5% | Source: TradingEconomics
Lower interest rates make traditional savings and fixed-income investments less attractive, prompting investors to seek higher returns in alternative assets like Bitcoin. If institutional investors interpret the Fed’s stance as a green light for continued Bitcoin accumulation, ETF inflows could remain strong, further reinforcing the bullish outlook.
Bitcoin Price Outlook: Path to $90K and Beyond?
With ETF inflows surging and macroeconomic conditions remaining favorable, Bitcoin price forecast signals appears well-positioned for a continued uptrend. However, to sustain its bullish momentum, BTC must overcome key resistance levels:
$90,000 – A major psychological level that could trigger a new wave of buying or profit-taking.
$92,500 – The next upside target if BTC breaks through $90K.
Bitcoin price forecast | BTCUSD
On the downside, strong support levels include:
$85,000 – A key level where short liquidations have already been triggered.
$82,500 – A potential retest zone if BTC faces rejection at $90,000.
The ongoing BTC price surge is fuelled by strong institutional demand and a favorable macroeconomic backdrop. With $512 million in ETF inflows and short sellers under pressure, BTC’s path to $90,000 looks increasingly viable. However, breaking through this critical resistance will be key in determining whether Bitcoin can extend its rally toward new all-time highs.
In crypto trading, the promise of massive gains often comes with the risk of heavy losses. Over the years, several high-profile crypto traders have made headlines for their bold bets, only to see their fortunes crumble when the market turned against them.
From Bitcoin (BTC) to Ethereum (ETH), the crypto market has proven to be a double-edged sword. Millions can be made or lost in just hours, and traders are left to deal with the fallout from their high-risk moves. Here are the stories of three crypto traders who wiped out millions:
James Wynn
James Wynn, a pseudonymous trader on Hyperliquid, has become one of the most discussed figures on crypto Twitter (now X) due to his high-risk, high-reward trading style.
“Since I began trading this year on HyperLiquid I have made a total profit of $41,696,589.75 (on-chain). Next goal is $1bn. Not for the money. But for the legacy. Unlikely I’ll do it this cycle unless I went max degen on shorting the top, which I’m probably the only person with this kind of wealth who’s willing to turn it up on 40x leverage and put a significant % on the line,” Wynn said on May 9.
The trader had several successful trades. On May 24, he booked a $25.18 million profit from a long position in kPEPE and $16.89 million from a long Bitcoin position. Other notable trades included a $4.84 million profit from Fartcoin (FARTCOIN) on May 13 and a $6.83 million profit from Official Trump (TRUMP) on May 12.
Wynn’s profits peaked at over $87 million in late May. However, this was short-lived, as the trades began to backfire soon after. Wynn faced a series of significant setbacks.
On May 23, he lost $3.69 million from a long Ethereum position and $1.59 million from a Sui (SUI) long position. Two days later, on May 25, he suffered a $15.86 million loss from a short position in BTC.
“James Wynn has wiped out almost all his profits on Hyperliquid. It took him 70 days to go from 0 to $87 million+ in profit, and only 5 days to lose almost all the $87 million+ in profit,” Lookonchain posted on May 28.
Despite losing it all, Wynn’s bets continued. The largest blow came on May 30, when a long BTC position resulted in a loss of $37.41 million. Wynn’s losses extended into May 31, with an additional $1.20 million lost from another BTC long position.
At the time of writing, Wynn’s performance showed a win rate of 40.48%, with 17 successful trades out of 42.
Anonymous ETH Whale
Wynn’s downfall is part of a larger trend, with other crypto traders also losing millions. In March 2025, an anonymous cryptocurrency trader, identified by the wallet address 0xf3F496C9486BE5924a93D67e98298733Bb47057c, suffered a staggering $308 million loss after a 50x leveraged long position on ETH was liquidated.
The trader had opened the position when ETH was trading at $1,900, with a liquidation price of $1,877. However, amid heightened market volatility driven by global tariff concerns, ETH’s price plummeted, liquidating 160,234 ETH.
An Anonymous Trader’s 160,234 ETH Liquidation. Source: Hypurrscan
Lookonchain reported that the whale had rotated all their Bitcoin holdings into this leveraged ETH trade, amplifying the risk.
“Crazy! This whale has switched all of his long BTC positions to long ETH,” the post read.
Leveraged trading, which uses borrowed funds to magnify both gains and losses, proved disastrous in this case, as a small price movement wiped out the trader’s entire position.
While leveraged bets have led to massive financial losses, they have also tragically resulted in the loss of life. In June 2019, Hui Yi, the co-founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency market analysis platform BTE.TOP reportedly took his own life.
Yi’s distress was believed to be caused by his involvement in a failed 100x leveraged short position on 2,000 Bitcoins. The extreme leverage amplified his losses, making his position highly vulnerable to even minor price fluctuations.
There was also speculation that the 2,000 Bitcoins might have belonged to clients. Some even suggested that Yi may have faked his death to avoid repayment. However, no evidence supported these theories.
An ex-partner confirmed Yi’s death. This tragic incident highlighted the psychological toll of leveraged trading and the dangers of using excessive borrowed funds in the volatile crypto market.
Decentralized perpetual exchange (DEX) Hyperliquid (HYPE) has reached a significant milestone, surpassing $1 trillion in total perpetual contract (perps) trading volume.
This achievement comes despite a broader market downturn, where major sectors have posted losses. While there has been slight growth today, it remains minimal, highlighting the market’s challenges.
Hyperliquid Dominates Perps Market
According to data from DeFiLlama, Hyperliquid perps’ cumulative trading volume has surged to $1.1 trillion. This rise in activity highlights its growing appeal among traders.
Besides its market dominance, Hyperliquid has made headlines for being central to a major development. As BeInCrypto reported, the platform gained widespread attention after a whale trader opened a 40x leverage BTC short position worth $423 million, triggering a “whale hunt.”
Nonetheless, the developments have not done much for the platform’s native token, HYPE. Instead, it has been underperforming, maintaining a consistent downtrend.
Over the past day, it has depreciated by 3.4%. At press time, it traded at $12.9, marking lows not seen since December 2024. Moreover, the platform has faced increased scrutiny following concerns about potential money laundering.
Analyst Forecasts: Will HYPE Reach $100?
Despite these struggles, an analyst predicted that HYPE could reach $50-$100, citing its status as the leading crypto DEX and its high-throughput Layer 1 blockchain.
In the latest X (formerly Twitter), he highlighted Hyperliquid’s impressive growth. The platform averages $6.7 billion in daily volume, a significant increase from $1.1 billion in October. This surge has increased its market share relative to Binance, jumping from 2% to 9% in just six months.
“If Hyperliquid can maintain just a fraction of its growth rate, we could see it reach ~20% of Binance’s volumes by the end of the year,” the post read.
Hyperliquid Growth Compared to Binance. Source: X/Duncan
According to the analyst, this expansion could significantly boost the HYPE token’s valuation.
“If Hyperliquid is able to reach 20% of Binance’s volume, I think we could easily see $40-50 HYPE with the uptick in earnings and a slight multiple expansion,” he said.
He also highlighted several factors that could fuel Hyperliquid’s continued success. The recent addition of native spot Bitcoin (BTC) trading, coin margin functionality, and the possibility of launching a delta-neutral stablecoin are seen as major catalysts for future growth.
Another key development is the evolution of Hyperliquid’s Layer 1 blockchain ecosystem. The platform has attracted over 50 projects and holds over $2.3 billion in USDC and BTC deposits.
The analyst added that Hyperliquid has a strong potential to establish itself as the third most used blockchain, following Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL), within the next few years.
“Given ETH and SOL are worth $230 billion and $75 billion, respectively what does that make Hyperliquid’s potential L1 valuation? Even at 15-25% of ETH or SOL, that adds another $10-50 to the token price. $50 for the perps/spot/stablecoin product + another $50 for the L1 and $100 HYPE seems possible,” he predicted.
