Kategorie: Crypto Markets

• Contracts settled in cash, benchmarked to XRP-Dollar Reference Rate.
• Standard futures size is 50,000 XRP; micro contracts are at 2,500 XRP.
• XRP joins CME’s existing suite, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group has officially launched XRP futures and Micro XRP futures, marking a significant expansion of its regulated cryptocurrency derivatives offerings.

With this addition, XRP—currently the fourth-largest digital asset by market capitalisation—joins Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana as part of CME’s crypto product suite.

The new contracts, which became tradable on Sunday evening, 18 May, aim to cater specifically to institutional investors seeking regulated exposure to XRP.

The move also reflects broader demand for diversified crypto assets within traditional financial infrastructure.

CME launches XRP contracts

CME introduced two XRP-based derivatives products—standard XRP futures and Micro XRP futures—on its CME Globex and CME ClearPort platforms.

The standard contract size is 50,000 XRP, while the Micro futures represent 2,500 XRP per contract.

Both instruments are cash-settled and benchmarked against the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate, a mechanism designed to offer a stable and transparent valuation of the underlying asset.

Fee structures vary depending on the type of participant and the trading venue, with separate classifications for institutional investors, market-makers, and proprietary trading firms.

These products were first reported in January through unofficial documentation and formally confirmed in April pending regulatory clearance.

Institutional interest rising

CME’s decision to launch XRP derivatives reflects rising institutional interest in diversified crypto investment vehicles.

XRP’s inclusion comes at a time when CME’s own crypto derivatives segment is experiencing rapid growth.

During the first quarter of 2025, CME reported a 141 percent year-on-year surge in average daily crypto derivatives volume, reaching 198,000 contracts and $11.3 billion in notional value.

Open interest also climbed 83 percent, totalling $21.8 billion.

The availability of XRP futures is expected to enhance market liquidity, provide new avenues for hedging strategies, and support price discovery.

These elements are particularly relevant for institutional asset managers, hedge funds, and trading desks evaluating exposure to digital assets within a compliant and risk-managed framework.

Ripple case still unresolved

The launch, however, coincides with Ripple’s ongoing legal challenges in the United States.

The Securities and Exchange Commission continues to pursue penalties against the company, despite a previous partial legal victory for Ripple regarding XRP’s status in secondary markets.

Most recently, a US federal judge declined Ripple’s request to reduce a proposed financial penalty, citing limitations on modifying final judgments.

This ongoing regulatory uncertainty in the US could potentially influence the market’s reception of the new futures products.

Nevertheless, the introduction of XRP contracts through a regulated exchange like CME may help mitigate some concerns by offering institutional-grade tools that adhere to compliance standards.

The post CME launches XRP futures as institutional demand drives crypto derivatives growth appeared first on CoinJournal.

• The PI coin has dropped to $0.803 despite the $100M Pi Network Ventures fund launch.
• The Pi Network Ventures fund targets startups to boost PI’s real-world utility.
• Bearish technicals suggest PI may fall to $0.75 or lower.

Pi Network’s Pi Coin has seen a drastic 10% drop in price over the past 24 hours despite Pi Network announcing a $100 million investment in startups as it launched the Pi Network Ventures.

Initially, the announcement sparked optimism among investors, but the market quickly turned bearish.

Consequently, PI now trades at $0.803, down from a recent high of $1.65.

This sharp decline suggests a classic “sell the news” reaction, with technical indicators pointing to further downside risks.

The Pi Network Ventures launch

On May 14, Pi Network unveiled Pi Network Ventures, committing $100 million to foster startup innovation.

Specifically, the fund, held in Pi and USD, targets ventures enhancing PI’s real-world utility.

For instance, it supports startups in AI, FinTech, and e-commerce, integrating Pi into their operations.

Moreover, the initiative draws from the Pi Foundation’s 10% token reserves.

As a result, it aims to transform Pi into a widely used cryptocurrency.

However, the lack of details on project selection has frustrated investors. Consequently, market sentiment soured post-announcement.

Additionally, the fund’s focus extends beyond blockchain to general tech sectors.

Therefore, it mirrors Silicon Valley venture capital strategies.

Ultimately, this broad approach seeks to strengthen Pi’s ecosystem for its 19 million KYC-verified users.

But despite these ambitions, the announcement failed to sustain bullish momentum.

Instead, PI’s price plummeted 26.2% within 24 hours of the news.

Furthermore, community complaints about slow migration processes after the Pi Network mainnet launch amplified selling pressure.

Nevertheless, the initiative offers startups access to Pi’s global user base across 200+ countries, and it could drive long-term adoption, although the immediate market reaction remains overwhelmingly bearish.

PI coin price prediction

At press time, PI traded at $0.803, down 10.6% over the past 24 hours according to Coingecko data.

Significantly, the price has breached the critical $1 psychological support level.

Moreover, technical analysis reveals a bear flag pattern on the 2-hour chart.

Consequently, this pattern signals potential further declines to $0.75 or even $0.57.

Additionally, the 21-period EMA has crossed below the 50-day and 200-period EMAs, reinforcing bearish signals.

However, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicates oversold conditions, hinting at intense selling pressure.

However, a bullish market reversal could push PI toward $1.25, aligning with the 0.618 Fibonacci level.

Despite recent losses, PI has remained 11.8% above where it was seven days ago, despite being 73.1% below its all-time high of $2.99 from February 2025.

Furthermore, trading volume has surged 11%, comprising 14% of the $5.75 billion market cap.

This heightened activity underscores the market’s reaction to the Ventures announcement, and looking ahead, the failure of Pi coin to reclaim $1 could intensify bearish momentum.

Conversely, a broader crypto market rally might bolster PI’s recovery, and traders should monitor the 50-day and 200-day EMAs as key resistance levels.

Ultimately, PI’s short-term outlook hinges on market sentiment and ecosystem developments.

The post PI coin price prediction as it drops below $1 despite $100m Pi Network Ventures launch appeared first on CoinJournal.

• Onyxcoin (XCN) price soared 16% as the altcoin outpaced peers.
• Gains for XCN came as daily volume rose by more than 600%.
• Most altcoins are trading green on the daily and weekly time frames amid risk-on sentiment.

Onyxcoin (XCN) is outpacing most altcoins in the past 24 hours as interest in the token sends its price skyrocketing.

Attention on the XCN coin has seen its price jump more than 16% in the past 24 hours, with volume exploding a staggering 600%.

With Onyxcoin eyeing a likely listing on a major exchange, its price could rally to new multi-month highs.

Onyxcoin price jumps as volume explodes

The broader cryptocurrency market is experiencing notable optimism as Bitcoin’s resilience above $100k continues to boost traders.

Ethereum’s gains have also seen altcoins eye fresh traction, as investors look to diversify their portfolios beyond Bitcoin.

While the fear and greed index, a key indicator of market sentiment, trends in the greed zone, small caps like Onyxcoin are building momentum.

In the past 24 hours, Onyxcoin’s price has surged more than 16%, reaching $0.022.

The token traded at lows of $0.016. Amid this hyped performance, XCN has recorded a daily volume of over $210 million.

This remarkable performance has positioned XCN as one of the top gainers in the cryptocurrency market.

Speculation about a potential Binance listing has the market in anticipation of fresh gains, which is the case if bulls continue to dictate sentiment.

“Crypto is leading the rebound. $BTC is nearing ATHs, $ETH is catching up, and with Coinbase set to join the S&P 500 on May 19, digital assets may see a fresh wave of inflows,” QCP Capital noted.

XCN price analysis

Onyxcoin’s price action looks bullish given the current movement and technical indicators. A look at the charts shows there’s notable resistance around $0.023.

However, above this, buyers may want to push for a retest of the hurdle near $0.030 and one-year highs of $0.35.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicators on the daily chart align with this outlook.

If bulls manage to break above resistance at the $0.023 level, they could pull XCN to new multi-month highs and target new gains.

However, a dip to $0.016 could accelerate selling, with a potential breakdown that pulls prices to lows of $0.0084 reached in early April 2025.

The long-term descending trend line gave way for recent gains, but bulls are not completely out of the woods.

Despite this, the huge volume coupled with broader market sentiment suggests that Onyxcoin could be positioned for a new leg up.

The post Onyxcoin price soars as 24-hour volume explodes 600% appeared first on CoinJournal.

Bitcoin and other crypto assets have been in an uptrend in recent sessions after the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) confirmed significant exposure to MicroStrategy Inc.

According to SAMA’s latest 13F filing, it owns a total of 25,656 shares of the business intelligence firm that has successfully transformed into a Bitcoin-proxy over the past few years.

This institutional purchase together with the de-escalation of trade tensions between the US and China have pushed the price of BTC up nearly 40% in early April.

Why is SAMA’s move significant for top cryptocurrencies

MSTR is broadly known as alternative means to invest in the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap. The Nasdaq listed firm currently has more than half-a-million BTC on its balance sheet.

Crypto community is cheering Saudi Central Bank’s revelation as it signals mainstream adoption and the rising institutional interest in top crypto to buy.

Investors are celebrating as SAMA’s move is being broadly interpreted as a vote of confidence on the Bitcoin strategy pioneered by Michael Saylor, the executive chairman of MicroStrategy, in 2020.

https://x.com/saylor/status/1923060408811721081

They’re hopeful that the central bank’s vote of confidence will make other companies start to invest in BTC, which may serve as a meaningful catalyst not just for Bitcoin but for the rest of the crypto industry as well.

With the global investment banks getting interested in gaining exposure to Bitcoin, investors are hoping that the world where BTC eventually earns the reserve status may now be in the near future.

What SAMA’s move may mean for meme coins like Bitcoin Pepe

Saudi Central Bank’s sizable position in MicroStrategy could signal institutional confidence in Bitcoin, potentially benefiting meme coins like Bitcoin Pepe. MicroStrategy is one of the largest corporate holders of Bitcoin, and its stock is often seen as a proxy for Bitcoin exposure.

If a major financial institution like the Saudi Central Bank is investing in MicroStrategy, it suggests growing recognition of Bitcoin as a legitimate asset class.

https://x.com/BitcoinNewsCom/status/1897289158772641882

This could have a spillover effect on meme coins like Bitcoin Pepe. Institutional adoption tends to increase liquidity and stability in the broader crypto market, attracting new retail and institutional investors.

Meme coins thrive on speculation and community enthusiasm, and a bullish institutional stance on Bitcoin could lead to increased interest in related assets.

Bitcoin Pepe may be a top crypto to buy to play the potential spillover effect of SAMA’s investment in MSTR as it’s “the world’s only Bitcoin meme ICO” narrative is already attracting strong demand.

Plus, it’s a native token that’s currently in a presale only, indicating the explosive initial moves that meme coins are broadly known for are yet to materialize for Bitcoin Pepe.

Its commitment to instant transactions and ultra-low fees has helped it raise more than $8.4 million already – and the momentum may continue once it lists on a crypto exchange after the presale, especially with SAMA type announcements supporting crypto prices in 2025.

Click here if you’d like to learn more about Bitcoin Pepe.

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