XRP drops 1.05% to $2.29 as key resistance blocks further gains

  • Trading below the 100-hourly SMA, signalling bearish momentum.
  • Key support levels are $2.280, $2.260, and $2.2320.
  • Bulls need a clear move above $2.3720 to shift short-term trend.

XRP has lost momentum again, dropping by 1.05% over the last 24 hours to trade at $2.29.

After a brief attempt to recover, bulls failed to break through the $2.36 resistance zone, leading to renewed selling pressure.

XRP
Source: CoinMarketCap

Market data from Kraken shows the XRP/USD pair remains under its 100-hourly Simple Moving Average (SMA), with technical indicators pointing to a potential retest of key support levels if selling continues.

This latest decline follows a modest bounce from a local low of $2.2670 earlier in the week.

XRP’s price action reflects broader weakness in the crypto market, where top tokens are struggling to maintain momentum amid macroeconomic uncertainty and regulatory headwinds.

Rising expectations of delayed interest rate cuts in the US have added pressure across all major risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.

XRP faces heavy resistance at $2.36

XRP briefly rallied above $2.320 and $2.350 earlier in the week, even climbing past the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the downward wave from $2.4768 to $2.2670.

It also broke a key descending trend line at $2.305, offering short-term optimism.

However, this recovery stalled at the $2.360 level—currently acting as the first major resistance.

Without a clear breakout above this zone, bears regained control, pushing the price back down to $2.29.

A move above $2.3720, which aligns with the 50% Fib retracement, would be needed for momentum to turn.

Until then, XRP remains technically weak and vulnerable to further short-term declines.

Price at risk of deeper decline below $2.260

XRP is now hovering just above the $2.280 support zone.

A sustained break below this could send the token toward $2.260. Below that, support levels sit at $2.2320 and $2.2000.

The 100-hourly SMA continues to act as a barrier to upside movement, and the chart structure still shows lower highs, confirming a bearish trend.

A close above $2.360 would be needed to change short-term sentiment, but with selling pressure intensifying, further downside remains a possibility.

Meanwhile, Ripple Labs, the company associated with XRP, continues to expand its partnerships and utility-based applications globally, including ongoing developments in central bank digital currency (CBDC) platforms.

However, these advancements have yet to translate into consistent price support for the XRP token, which remains closely tied to speculative flows and broader market sentiment dynamics.

Wider market uncertainty weighs on altcoins

The drop in XRP mirrors caution across the broader digital asset market.

Bitcoin and Ethereum have also faced resistance in recent sessions, with traders reluctant to make strong moves ahead of macroeconomic data from the US.

With no immediate bullish catalysts and interest rate speculation weighing on investor sentiment, altcoins are particularly vulnerable to further downside movement.

XRP’s next moves will likely depend on whether it can hold above the $2.260 zone.

A breakdown could extend losses and signal a deeper correction, while any bounce will require a clear move above the $2.36 and $2.3720 levels to be sustained.

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Ethereum surges 5% as SharpLink eyes $425m ETH treasury

  • Ethereum price climbed 5% to break to highs of $2,680 and rank among the top gainers on the day.
  • The gains came as SharpLink Gaming announced plans to buy $425 million worth of ETH.
  • SharpLink is adopting ETH as its primary treasury strategy.

Ethereum price rose more than 5% on Tuesday as the top altcoin benefited from an upside spark triggered by SharpLink Gaming’s announcement that it would be buying $425 million worth of ETH as part of its treasury strategy.

The price of ETH, which hovered below $2,530 earlier in the day, rose to above $2,680, with the price surging more than 5% amid market reaction.

ETH price chart by CoinMarketCap

Per CoinMarketCap, the uptick also saw Ethereum’s daily volume spike, reaching $23 billion after surging 81%.

ETH price going up also came as Standard Chartered shared insights suggesting the altcoin will outpace Solana (SOL) in 2025.

Notably, SOL price hovered around $177, largely flat on the day and just 6.8% up in the past week.

Comparatively, Ethereum has gained 8% in the week, not up by much as Bitcoin continued to accumulate around the $110k level.

SharpLink Gaming to buy $425 million of ETH

On Tuesday, as Trump Media announced it was raising $2.5 billion to buy Bitcoin, SharpLink Gaming, a Nasdaq-listed company, dropped its own huge announcement.

The company is looking to raise $425 million to buy Ethereum, with its funding coming from the offer of a private investment in public equity (PIPE) round.

The offer, backed by Ethereum development studio Consensys, seeks to offer 69,100,313 shares of its common stock at the price of $6.15 per share.

Aggregate proceeds of the raise, which will close on May 29, subject to closing conditions, will go into ETH as the company’s primary treasury asset.

“Consensys looks forward to partnering with SharpLink to explore and develop an Ethereum Treasury Strategy and to work with them in their core business as a strategic advisor. This is an exciting time for the Ethereum community, and I am delighted to work with Rob and the team to bring the Ethereum opportunity to public markets,” said Joseph Lubin, founder and chief executive officer of Consensys.

Lubin is also a co-founder of Ethereum. Consensys’ involvement in the deal was as a lead investor.

Meanwhile, top crypto venture capital firms and ecosystem players joined the initiative, with participants including Pantera Capital, ParaFi Capital, Electric Capital, Arrington Capital, and Galaxy Digital.

Others are crypto platform Ondo, VCs White Star Capital, GSR, Hivemind Capital, Hypersphere, and Primitive Ventures.

“This is a significant milestone in SharpLink’s journey and marks an expansion beyond our core business. On closing, we look forward to working with Consensys and welcoming Joseph to the Board,” Rob Phythian, founder and CEO of SharpLink, said in a statement.

Ethereum traded around $2,675 at the time of writing, with the price about 45% off its all-time high of $4,891 reached in November 2021.

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Solana could lag Ethereum as meme coin activity dips, warns Standard Chartered

  • Solana’s current funding rate sits at -0.0002%, signalling short pressure.
  • Solana DEX volumes fell behind Ethereum earlier this year.
  • Accumulation of SOL suggests long-term investor confidence remains.

Standard Chartered has cautioned that Solana (SOL) could underperform Ethereum (ETH) due to fading meme coin activity, a key driver of Solana’s on-chain volume in recent quarters.

While Solana has proven its technical capabilities, particularly during the recent meme coin trading boom—the bank now sees a risk of underutilisation as seasonal trends shift.

According to the bank’s Head of Digital Assets Research, Geoff Kendrick, Ethereum’s broader adoption and institutional partnerships place it in a stronger position for sustained growth.

Ethereum gains from broader use cases

Solana has often been positioned as a faster and cheaper alternative to Ethereum, with the ability to handle high transaction volumes at low cost.

However, Standard Chartered points out that much of this activity has been driven by short-term trading of meme coins, a sector known for its volatility and limited utility.

With meme coin enthusiasm cooling off in 2025, Kendrick projects a possible usage gap for Solana before other applications, such as decentralised finance platforms, gaming projects, or social media integrations, gain critical mass.

The bank says Ethereum’s advantage lies in its diversified user base, which includes enterprise-level applications, financial products, and long-term smart contract development.

Blockchain analytics also supports this view. Earlier this year, Ethereum overtook Solana in decentralised exchange (DEX) trading volumes after a slump in trading on Raydium (RAY) and Pump.fun, two of Solana’s most active meme coin platforms.

That shift underlined Ethereum’s dominance across multiple sub-sectors of the blockchain space.

Market sentiment reflects short-term Solana risks

Investors appear to be reacting to these signals. In February, traders began trimming exposure to Solana-based assets due to uncertainty over the future of meme coin projects and delays in scaling up major Solana-native protocols.

Standard Chartered says these concerns are now being priced into market forecasts, particularly in terms of revenue from transaction fees and new user onboarding.

One key indicator is Solana’s funding rate. According to blockchain data firm Glassnode, Solana currently has a negative funding rate of -0.0002%, the only such figure among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation, excluding stablecoins.

A negative funding rate means short sellers are paying fees to hold bearish positions, which typically indicates mounting downward pressure on price.

However, a negative funding rate can sometimes be a contrarian indicator. Traders may be expecting a short squeeze, where sudden upward price moves force shorts to buy back their positions, potentially creating a sharp rally.

BeInCrypto reports that the accumulation of SOL by institutional players in May suggests that long-term investors may still see value in Solana, even if near-term performance lags Ethereum.

Analysts say Ethereum remains the dominant layer-1

While Solana has demonstrated rapid growth and robust technical infrastructure, analysts from IntoTheBlock believe the network still has significant ground to cover before challenging Ethereum’s dominance.

The research group said that although Solana may continue to grow and target niche applications, surpassing Ethereum remains a long-term goal rather than an imminent milestone.

Ethereum’s integration with traditional finance, widespread developer support, and upgrades like the shift to proof-of-stake have helped entrench its position as the go-to blockchain for decentralised applications.

Until Solana’s next wave of real-world use cases gains momentum, Standard Chartered believes the network’s price and on-chain activity may continue to trail Ethereum.

As the market matures, both blockchains may find space for growth—but in the short term, Ethereum’s ecosystem breadth and investor confidence give it the edge, according to the bank’s latest analysis.

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TradeStation adds CME’s XRP futures as regulated crypto derivatives demand surges

  • Contracts sized at 2,500 and 50,000 XRP offer flexibility for traders.
  • Based on CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate, published daily at 4:00 p.m.
  • Kraken acquired TradeStation Crypto, bolstering its US expansion.

TradeStation Securities has integrated CME Group’s new XRP futures contracts into its platform, marking a significant development in the expansion of regulated cryptocurrency derivatives.

The addition allows both institutional and retail clients to access micro and standard XRP futures in a cash-settled format.

This move comes amid rising demand for regulated exposure to digital assets and increasing scrutiny of the crypto market, particularly in the United States.

“As demand for regulated crypto derivatives continues to grow, TradeStation Securities is committed to providing traders with direct access to high-demand crypto derivative products through the regulated futures market,” said James Putra, SVP, Head of Product Management, TradeStation Group, Inc.

“TradeStation Securities is happy to expand its capabilities with CME Group’s XRP contracts. This provides another opportunity for traders to engage with one of the most actively traded digital assets in the market, while further diversifying their portfolios.”

CME’s XRP futures go live on TradeStation

TradeStation clients can now trade CME Group’s XRP futures based on the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate, which is published daily at 4:00 p.m. London time.

The contracts are available in two sizes—2,500 XRP and 50,000 XRP—designed to cater to different trading strategies and capital requirements.

These futures are cash-settled, meaning traders avoid dealing with direct custody of the underlying tokens.

This move is aligned with TradeStation’s efforts to enhance its futures offerings.

Earlier this year, the firm expanded into micro-sized contracts in traditional commodities such as grains, oilseeds, and Micro WTI Crude Oil.

By adding CME’s crypto derivatives, TradeStation is now providing traders with more flexible tools to participate in the digital assets market using regulated products.

Hedge and speculate in a regulated space

The integration of CME XRP futures enables more sophisticated trading strategies, including hedging against spot market volatility and speculative positioning.

These instruments offer an alternative to direct token ownership, which often comes with custodial, security, and regulatory complexities.

The launch also reflects broader institutional appetite for regulated crypto exposure. Since the debut of CME’s XRP contracts, institutional interest has been growing.

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Virtuals Protocol token targets $5 after breaking from a 5-month technical pattern

  • VIRTUAL breaks out of a 5-month pattern, eyes $5 target.
  • On-chain metrics show strong user activity and accumulation.
  • Gaming partnership boosts token utility beyond trading.

Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL), one of the standout performers in the artificial intelligence (AI) crypto space, has broken through a key technical level, setting its sights on a potential rally toward the $5 mark.

The token, which has surged over 10% in a single day, reclaimed the $2 psychological level after dipping briefly last week, a move that analysts see as the beginning of a larger breakout.

AI crypto market sentiment is rebounding

Importantly, VIRTUAL’s latest price action confirmed the end of a five-month consolidation phase, marked by a cup-like pattern that began forming after its January peak.

Following its April low of $0.41, Virtuals protocol’s token began carving a U-shaped recovery, which has now matured into a bullish breakout above the $2.22 resistance zone, often referred to as the neckline in technical charting.

VIRTUAL price chart

Notably, the breakout comes at a time when market sentiment around AI tokens is rebounding, buoyed by anticipation surrounding NVIDIA’s earnings report, which is expected to reflect strong AI-driven revenue growth.

With NVIDIA projected to post a 65% year-on-year revenue increase, investors are eyeing broader gains in AI-aligned cryptocurrencies, including VIRTUAL, which has strong ties to AI ecosystems.

Virtuals Protocol price outlook

VIRTUAL’s fundamentals appear to be strengthening as on-chain activity surges alongside renewed investor interest.

According to recent analytics, the price-to-daily active addresses (DAA) divergence metric has spiked nearly 400% in just one week, highlighting a dramatic rise in user engagement and network activity.

This metric, often a leading indicator for price movements, suggests that the current rally is being driven by organic growth rather than short-term speculation.

Simultaneously, the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) indicator, which tracks accumulation and distribution trends, remains above the zero line, signalling persistent buying pressure.

Moreover, the Bull Bear Power (BBP) histogram has flashed consistent green signals, reinforcing the narrative that buyers currently dominate market momentum.

While smart money investors have recently reduced their exposure, with holdings falling from 11.9 million to 7.1 million tokens, the technical strength appears to be countering these outflows.

In addition to strong chart patterns and on-chain signals, the Virtuals protocol is gaining traction through a newly announced partnership with a top-tier blockchain gaming studio.

This collaboration aims to embed VIRTUAL tokens into upcoming play-to-earn and metaverse titles, further expanding the token’s real-world utility beyond speculative trading.

Notably, such strategic moves could help sustain demand by introducing VIRTUAL to an entirely new segment of users in the gaming ecosystem.

As a result, analysts now view the $2.81 resistance level as the next key hurdle, which, if broken, could pave the way for a move toward the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement level at $3.0688.

Should bullish momentum persist, the token could revisit its all-time high of $5.13, which it last touched in January, thereby completing a full recovery and signaling a possible continuation of its long-term uptrend.

However, traders remain cautious about the $2.24 support zone, as failure to hold this level might invalidate the bullish outlook and trigger a drop toward $1.44.

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