We have a lot of news to cover today, especially regarding Ripple and its XRP token! First, the Ripple team has been super generous with its donations in XRP to California fire victims, donating $100,000 in XRP through The Giving Block. Also, last week, Ripple and payment firm Moonpay made a separate donation in Ripple’s brand new stablecoin, RLUSD. (If you’re interested in donating via crypto, check out ‘The Giving Block’ on X.)
Also, for the first time ever, a U.S. politician bought XRP! Republican congressman Guy Reschenthaler, the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 14th congressional District, recently disclosed various crypto purchases including BTC, SOL and XRP.
JPMorgan predicts that if ETFs for XRP and Solana are approved in the US, they could attract $14 billion in assets within a year, potentially representing 3-6% of their market caps. This projection highlights the strong market potential of these assets, with Solana’s market cap currently at $90.5 billion and XRP’s at $146.5 billion.
Meanwhile, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson confirmed talks with Ripple to integrate RLUSD, Ripple’s stablecoin, into Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem. This partnership would boost Cardano’s DeFi presence and Ripple’s quest for wider adoption. Veteran crypto and stock trader Peter Brandt also recently softened his stance on XRP, acknowledging past criticism while advising against defending large declines in value.
Robinhood faced a $45 million SEC settlement for multiple violations, including trading misreports and cybersecurity flaws, despite reporting $14.4 billion in Q3 trading volume.
We also saw some huge news in Europe this week, with Italy’s largest bank making its first entry into the crypto markets, investing $1 million in Bitcoin by purchasing 11 BTC.
Globally, the TON blockchain (toncoin) is planning U.S. expansion under new leadership, citing the country’s growing crypto potential. This aligns with President-elect Donald Trump’s anticipated crypto-friendly policies, including potential executive orders to address crypto de-banking, repeal SEC regulations like SAB 121, and create a Bitcoin strategic reserve. Trump’s administration promises to make the U.S. a global crypto hub, ushering in what some industry analysts and experts are calling a “crypto golden age.”
Did you see any huge news this week that we didn't cover? Leave me a comment and I'll check it out.