Ripple expands RLUSD stablecoin to Ethereum Layer 2 networks

  • The firm has started testing RLUSD on leading Ethereum L2 platforms.
  • The launch reflects the growing demand for regulated stablecoins.
  • RLUSD will go live on L2s after authorization by New York regulators.

The cryptocurrency industry is gradually moving toward a world where no single platform dominates.

Rather than being locked in one blockchain, users, institutions, and developers want cross-chain transfers based on demand and opportunities.

Meanwhile, stablecoins remain at the center of this transaction as they have proven to be the entry point for new players navigating the on-chain economy.

Ripple seems to acknowledge this reality.

According to today’s, December 15, announcement, the blockchain company confirmed it has started testing stablecoin RLUSD on multiple Ethereum L2 platforms.

The experiment marks a crucial move towards the asset’s public debut, scheduled for 2026 after regulatory approval.

Meanwhile, the current testing phase will occur across Base, Unichain, and Ink, leveraging Wormholde’s interoperable infrastructure for streamlined movement between different networks.

Commenting on the latest move, Ripple’s Stablecoin SVP Jack McDonald acknowledged stablecoins as the gateway to decentralized finance and institutional adoption.

He added:

 RLUSD is designed from the ground up to be the trusted, liquid medium necessary for users to seamlessly enter, interact with, and exit the entire digital asset economy. By launching RLUSD, the first US Trust Regulated stablecoin on these L2 networks, we are not just expanding utility; we are setting the definitive standard where compliance and on-chain efficiency converge.

Why do L2 platforms matter?

Layer 2 networks have proven to be some of the busiest avenues in the cryptocurrency sector.

These blockchains are faster, cheaper, and more practical for day-to-day usage than the primary Ethereum network, which faces challenges like congestion and costly transactions.

Therefore, L2s have emerged as the perfect homes for decentralized applications, on-chain services, and digital payments.

By launching RLUSD into these platforms, Ripple is tapping into the potential where real user activity is happening.

Notably, Optimism will serve as the initial entry, with access linked to platforms like Unichain, Ink, and Base.

Such an approach allows Ripple’s stablecoin to grow alongside solid user activity.

Meanwhile, Ripple is working with Wormhole and its NTT (Native Token Transfers) standard.

With this setup, RLUSD can move between different chains while remaining a consistent, single token.

Ripple controls the stablecoin’s issuance, whereas users enjoy flexibility across multiple platforms.

The announcement added:

Leveraging Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard allows Ripple to maintain native issuance and control of RLUSD while providing the security and flexibility of on-chain liquidity movement across these new ecosystems.

Strengthening XRP’s ecosystem

RLUSD’s strategic expansion also bolsters the overall XRP ecosystem.

Stablecoins are crucial in trading, digital payments, and liquidity, and Ripple is pushing its stablecoin where demand already exists.

XRP is hovering at $1.93 after dropping 3% the past 24 hours.

Its performance reflects the overall market sentiments.

The cryptocurrency market remains deteriorated, as Bitcoin struggles below $90K, now trading at $87.7K.

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Uniswap price outlook as Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin offloads UNI tokens

  • Ethereum co-founder has sold 1,400 UNI coins, alongside KNC and DINU tokens, for 16,796 USDC.
  • The transaction comes as bears dominate the broader market.
  • UNI bulls should hold prices above $5 to support short-term recoveries.

Cryptocurrencies display bearishness as Bitcoin wavers below $90,000, currently trading at $89,800.

Amidst the pessimistic sentiments, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin sparked the altcoin community by reducing his crypto holdings, including 1,400 UNI coins (according to Arkham data).

Alongside Uniswap, Buterin has also dumped 10,000 KNC and 40 trillion DINU tokens, netting 16,796 USDC.

While the transaction might seem modest in dollar amount, any transfer from a top figure like Buterin often gains traction due to its psychological impact on investors and the community.

Is this a routine portfolio adjustment or a lack of conviction in UNI’s short-term performance?

Generally, transactions from leading crypto influencers create notable temporary volatility, prompting quick actions from traders.

Broad market context: bears dominate

Vitalik has reduced exposure to Uniswap as the overall market remains deteriorated.

Cryptocurrencies have been under immense selling pressure lately, with bullish news sparking short-lived gains, only to be followed by significant dips.

Faded liquidity has limited price rallies even after key updates like rate cuts.

Uniswap, as a leading DeFi token, tends to mirror broader sentiments, and high-profile dumps can catalyse significant short-term price fluctuations.

Thus, attention has shifted to native UNI’s performance, and of course, what to expect in the near term.

UNI price outlook

Vitalik Buterin’s selloff coincides with UNI price underperformance.

UNI wavers at $5.40 after a slight 0.87% decline over the last 24 hours.

The digital token showcases a notable post-rally retracement followed by extended consolidations.

UNI price rallied toward $9.8 – $10 in early last month before prolonged downtrends.

The momentum faded amid intensified broader selling pressure, compressing Uniswap’s price into a constricted range.

The UNI price faces its first crucial resistance at $5.80-$6.00, beyond which buyers can extend to $6.50.

Adequate trading volumes will push the alt towards $7.50 and possibly $8.50.

That would mean a nearly 60% upside from Uniswap’s current market price.

On the other hand, UNI boasts a reliable support at $5.10 – $5.20.

Failure to hold this region could trigger dips below $5.00, invalidating the potential upside.

Persistent bearishness might send Uniswap toward $4.50 and the $4.00 support level.

Prevailing broader sentiments and exit from influential individuals like Buterin suggest the downside as the path with fewer resistances for UNI.

Meanwhile, UNI enthusiasts will track overall market performance in the coming sessions, considering the alt’s massive correlation.

All eyes remain on the bellwether crypto.

Bitcoin should overcome the resistance at $94,000 and reclaim $100,000 to flip broader sentiments to bullish.

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Plume token gains 8% as Coinbase adds trading support

  • Coinbase has listed Plume, an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain for tokenizing real-world assets.
  • PLUME rose 8% as Bitcoin (BTC) oscillated between $90,000 and $92,000 amid lack of significant momentum. 
  • Other altcoins, including Hype (HYPE) and Cronos (CRO), are trading higher despite overall caution.

The cryptocurrency market remains cautious despite notable gains for tokens such as Plume (PLUME), which has climbed 8% following Coinbase’s listing.

As Plume’s upward trajectory stands out amid a generally cautious market landscape, investors have also noted price movements for Zcash, Ondo, and Cronos, among others.

Meanwhile, major cryptocurrencies are showing mixed performances, with Bitcoin poised near $90,000.

Coinbase lists Plume (PLUME)

Coinbase, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, has announced the launch of spot trading for Plume (PLUME) and Jupiter (JUPITER).

The listings go live on December 9, 2025.

Per the exchange, the opening of the PLUME-USD and JUPITER-USD trading pairs is scheduled for 9 AM PT or later.

This will be contingent on the pairs meeting liquidity conditions and availability in supported regions.

Coinbase’s listing has bolstered Plume and highlights the US crypto exchange behemoth’s commitment to expanding its offerings to include innovative blockchain projects.

Plume’s focus is on RWA tokenization, while Jupiter is a leading Solana-based DEX aggregator.

Availability via Coinbase could help attract significant trading interest for PLUME and JUP.

Notably, it’s likely to enhance the tokens’ liquidity and accessibility for institutional and retail investors alike.

PLUME price jumps 8% on listing news; Can bulls go higher?

As noted, the news of Coinbase’s support propelled PLUME’s price by 8% to above $0.022.

Gains for the token came as the broader crypto market held its breath amid Bitcoin’s flirting with the $90,000 mark.

BTC has swung around $90k and $92k on low-volume moves, while altcoins have remained largely subdued.

As the Fear & Greed Index hangs at 22 and indicates extreme Fear, Ethereum, BNB, XRP, and Solana have also touched key support areas.

Despite this slight bearish sentiment, PLUME’s rally aligns with other top movers.

This includes ONDO’s rise as news of the SEC ending its probe filtered through.

Bittensor (TAO) is also eyeing gains ahead of its halving while privacy coins Zcash and Dash continue to record winnings.

For PLUME, the critical question is whether bulls can sustain this momentum.

The immediate outlook requires that the token maintains support above $0.020 to pave the way for further gains.

However, a drop below this mark might signal a shift to bearish trading.

PLUME hit its all-time low of $0.018 on October 11, 2025.

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ONDO price soars as SEC ends confidential investigation with no charges

  • The regulator has closed its probe without filing any charges.
  • The move removes a cloud of uncertainty that had lingered since 2024.
  • ONDO price jumped as the community welcomed regulatory clarity.

The cryptocurrency industry exhibited a bullish stance on Monday as Bitcoin steadied above $91,500.

While the altcoin space recorded brief gains in the past day, ONDO jumped sharply on its 24-hour price chart, gaining more than 6% within minutes.

The uptick emerged after Ondo Finance confirmed that the United States Securities & Exchange Commission has concluded its Biden-era probe into the RWA company.

Most importantly, the regulator has ended the investigation without enforcement actions or charges against Ondo Finance.

The clean outcome renewed optimism across markets, with traders perceiving the move as a rare development in regulatory clarity within a turbulent market.

Meanwhile, the team promises to leverage this moment to democratize the US capital markets with tokenization.

Today’s announcement read:

The path is now clearer than ever for tokenized Treasuries and tokenized equities to become core components of US capital markets. The future of global finance will be on-chain, and Ondo will help lead the transition.

ONDO’s price jumped from $0.4697 to $0.4999, an over 6% increase, almost immediately after the X post.

Notably, the scrutiny began last year, in 2024, and focused on whether native ONDO violated securities laws and whether the company’s tokenization of real-world assets and US Treasuries adhered to the federal financial rules.

A shift in regulatory stance

Indeed, the US SEC has been crypto-friendly under the Trump administration and the new chair, Paul Atkins.

The regulator has closed multiple high-profile cases recently, including those tied to Ripple and Coinbase.

Also, Donald Trump pardoned Binance founder CZ for wrongdoings that saw him spend four months in prison.

These developments confirmed a shift in the United States regulatory tone, from constant clampdowns to clarity.

Rather than resorting to enforcement actions, officials are now willing to accommodate blockchain and crypto projects while exploring models that support innovative markets.

Ondo’s latest purchase of licensed Oasis Pro Markets aligns with the ongoing regulatory transitions.

Moreover, these trends suggest that American capital markets could be preparing to migrate to on-chain assets at a significant scale.

The Ondo Finance team highlighted the accelerating demand for tokenization, with US regulators displaying interest in the sector’s future potential to enhance transparency, market efficiency, and transaction speed.

They said:

The SEC is openly engaging with industry to unlock the promise of tokenization for US capital markets, global adoption continues to accelerate, and US infrastructure is evolving to support the category.

Now that the investigation has ended, all eyes remain on February 3, 2026, when Ondo Finance will host the New York Summit.

Expectations around the conference have increased as the community expects the project to introduce its long-term mission without the SEC’s uncertainty.

ONDO price outlook

The altcoin displayed a bullish performance, trading at $0.4843 after a brief dip from its intraday high.

ONDO’s 24-hour trading volume has increased by more than 300% amid renewed interest in the altcoin.

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Internet Computer (ICP) crashes to $3.50 as AI hype fades and market pressure mounts

  • Internet Computer (ICP) price has dropped 6% in the past 24 hours to under $3.50.
  • Recently, the altcoin pumped from lows of $2.80 to above $9.62.
  • Overall market weakness could see ICP price tank further, although an uptick for Bitcoin will boost altcoins.
The Internet Computer (ICP) token has endured a sharp downturn in the past month, culminating in a 24-hour dip of over 6% as the price broke below $3.50.

Losses for Internet Computer come amid a 29% decrease in trading volume, suggesting bulls could benefit from reduced selling pressure.

However, with ICP briefly rallying on hype around AI integrations like the Caffeine platform, only to reverse course, it may yet allow bears to strengthen the upper hand.

Internet Computer price slips to $3.50

The ICP project, launched by the DFINITY Foundation, is one of the top artificial intelligence-related coins.

DFINITY aims to revolutionize the internet by enabling fully on-chain applications, from decentralized finance to AI-driven services, without reliance on traditional cloud providers.

In early November, the DFINITY Foundation unveiled an update for its AI platform Caffeine DeAI.

The news saw the price of ICP surge sharply, with bulls eventually hitting highs of $9.62 on Nov. 8, 2025.

ICP Price Chart
Internet Computer price chart by TradingView

The uptick aligned with market cheer for an update that pushed the narrative of the Internet Computer as a key AI cloud engine.

As well as allowing users to create and deploy apps easily, Caffeine features an App Market and supports monetization.

DFINITY said Caffeine will help drive network usage and transition ICP to a deflationary asset, among other features.

However, the token’s price has tumbled since that November peak and hit $3.50 on December 5, 2025. That’s a 64% dump in the past month and reflects broader market pressure.

What could catalyze short-term losses for ICP?

Market analysts have attributed the sell-off pressure across crypto to a confluence of factors.

As well as macroeconomic headwinds, FUD around Tether and Strategy (MSTR) has dampened risk appetite for Bitcoin (BTC) and the speculative assets across altcoins.

These same aspects apply to ICP and the dip to $3.50, with intraday revisits of lower levels, strengthening the fragile outlook.

Adding to this is the overall sentiment around token dumps if BTC price tanks.

Recently, when Bitcoin dipped to near $80,000, the Internet Computer token plummeted from above $5 to below $4.2.

Price currently hovers around $3.51 as Bitcoin flirts with support near $90,500. If momentum escapes bulls further, sellers could eye the all-time lows of $1.98 reached in October 2025.

On the flipside, the altcoin could benefit from network upgrades and adoption trends.

This, amid a resurgence in AI tokens and tokenized Bitcoin demand, may help buyers. A shift in sentiment as the macro environment improves will be crucial to bulls.

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