The House is considering a proposal that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to examine how distributed ledger technology, such as blockchain, can enhance the agency’s claims systems. 

The “Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act of 2025” (H.R. 3455), introduced May 15 by Rep. Nancy Mace, passed its first checkpoint with a June 11 hearing before the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. 

The measure now waits for a vote by the full chamber.

The bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a comprehensive study on whether distributed ledgers can enhance the transparency, traceability, and resistance to fraud, waste, and abuse of benefits adjudication. 

Lawmakers frame the effort as a response to persistent complaints about slow, opaque processing and data errors that can delay or misdirect payments owed to veterans.

Immutable records

Under the text, the VA must explore how a distributed ledger could securely log each step in a claim, verify information to weed out false filings, and flag irregularities in benefit delivery.

The department would need to consult technologists, veterans’ service organizations, and other federal agencies that are already experimenting with distributed ledgers. 

Within a year of enactment, the Secretary would report back to Congress with findings on the feasibility, benefits, and risks, along with recommendations for pilot programs and any statutory or administrative changes necessary to deploy the technology.

The bill also spells out what it means by a distributed ledger. By codifying the definition, lawmakers aim to avoid confusion over whether the VA could satisfy the mandate with a conventional database dressed up in new terminology.

If the House approves the measure, it would move to the Senate for consideration. 

Notably, the veteran-related proposal now sits alongside other bills, such as the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, authored by Rep. Tom Emmer, and the Deploying American Blockchains Act, introduced by Rep. Bernie Moreno.

Mentioned in this article

Welcome to Slate Sundays, CryptoSlate’s new weekly feature showcasing in-depth interviews, expert analysis, and thought-provoking op-eds that go beyond the headlines to explore the ideas and voices shaping the future of crypto.

It’s not often that you meet someone with as much integrity as Jameson Lopp. Being in his presence for any length of time, whether online or in meatspace (where you would know him under a pseudonym), it starts to rub off on you and make you want to be a better Bitcoiner; a better human, for that matter.

Few people have done more to advance the area of Bitcoin and crypto security than Jameson. Despite peddling a message no one wants to hear (until they’ve lost access to their private keys), he remains undeterred, making it his life’s work to educate people of the potential dangers surrounding their crypto security setups and the Bitcoin network in general.

His particular brand of product isn’t sexy. It doesn’t lure with the promise of Lambos or NGU. Bitcoin security is such an uncompelling topic, in fact, that Jameson’s found himself bumped from the main stage at large events. The rise in wrench attacks is such a “Debbie Downer” that he’s been relegated to the developer’s stage.

“The large non-technical conferences generally don’t even want the technical people on stage talking about the problems inherent to the system,” he says. “Having rational, practical discussions about the problems in the space conflicts with a lot of the narratives that people want to push out there to pump it up and increase adoption.”

As co-founder and Chief Security Officer of Bitcoin security provider Casa, creator of Bitcoin real-time node monitoring platform statoshi, a slew of additional side projects aimed at raising awareness, and over half a million followers on X, Jameson confesses he’s “inundated,” and somewhat “overwhelmed” trying to stay on top of it all.

I caught up with the living legend and industry OG to discuss his extraordinary life, invaluable work, the rise in physical Bitcoin attacks, and everything in between.

Jameson Lopp and mastering the art of disappearance

Tell me what you know about Jameson Lopp, and I’ll tell you how many years you’ve been in Bitcoin. On second thought, keep that information to yourself. As Jameson’s posted and reposted on X:

“The first rule of the 21 million club is that you do not talk about joining the 21 million club.”

Subject to a grueling SWATting attack in 2017, he’s lived firsthand through the trauma inflicted on Bitcoiners when his house was raided after the police received fraudulent calls from an attacker claiming to be him.

The caller told the police that he had shot someone 15 times with an assault rifle, was holding others hostage, and had rigged the front door with explosives, before demanding a ransom of $50,000 in Bitcoin and threatening to shoot any approaching police officers.

It was the stuff of movies and the type of ordeal that would have triggered most people to raise a white flag and retire from the industry altogether.

But Jameson Lopp isn’t most people.

Not only did he hold his head high and continue to remain defiant, but he set about making himself impossible to find—while educating others to erase their own data trails. From using ad-blockers and VPNs online to establishing a second home as a decoy address, Jameson’s footprints are in invisible ink.

Not even his family knows where he lives.

“The easier and safer thing for me to have done would be to completely disappear,” he acknowledges, “but I felt like that would be giving in to the pressure from bad actors. I wanted to continue to leverage the reputation that I had built and be able to reach people and talk about Bitcoin.”

I recall inventing a pseudonym one night at a party and making up a whole new life. It was amusing at first until I couldn’t sustain a plausible Spanish accent, and kept contradicting myself until the jig was up. I can’t even imagine the mental and physical logistics involved in living this way long-term. It’s pretty extreme:

“The hardest part is that it’s a lifestyle change. When I started off, I was creating a bunch of different pseudonyms that I was using with different people in meatspace, and it quickly became too difficult to keep track of, so I settled on just one pseudonym and one identity.

Then, of course, I have my real identity that I only use to interact with people remotely, as myself, my original government identity… It gets more complicated if you’re pulling more people into your situation, like family, and children.”

I bet. But Jameson has a signature look. Instantly recognizable, his unmistakable beard is streaked with silver like the mystical bristles of a seasoned wizard. Has his cover ever been blown?

“It’s extremely rare,” he replies, “but that’s one of my tricky things and a sort of balancing act that I’m trying to navigate. I don’t go on mainstream media shows for that reason. I don’t want my face to be broadcast to millions and millions of people. I do smaller podcasts and stuff, which are only going to be seen by the people who are already deep into this space.”

200 known wrench attacks on Bitcoiners so far

When I saw one of Jameson’s latest posts on X, warning about the rising number of wrench attacks and pointing to a well-maintained log of known physical Bitcoin attacks, I knew I had to reach out. But given his ability to vanish in plain sight, I didn’t expect him to answer. I was pleasantly surprised. He may be impossible to physically find, but he’s available at the click of a mouse to anyone who wants to talk Bitcoin.

According to Jameson’s records, there are over 200 documented physical attacks on Bitcoiners, more than 30 of those in the first half of 2025. Why is the number going up so alarmingly?

“It’s going up because the total value and size of the ecosystem are going up, and the overall awareness of the ecosystem is growing. So, you know, this is just a natural phenomenon… There’s always going to be some tiny percentage of sociopaths who are willing to hurt other people for their own personal gain.”

What’s more interesting, he points out, is the general trend of incidents carried out by organized crime groups specializing in this type of attack.

“There was a slew of them up and down the east coast of America a few years ago, and then recently there’s been a slew of them in France, and in both cases, law enforcement eventually arrested the people behind it.”

I mention hearing him say previously that, oftentimes, wrench attacks are orchestrated by people who don’t reside in that country but specifically travel there to carry out the attack. He nods:

“My reach and understanding of all of this is limited by what’s being reported, but I’m seeing a pattern in Southeast Asia of expats who are being targeted by what seems to be organized crime from their country of origin.

I’ve seen a number of attacks, for example, where Russian citizens who are either vacationing or living in Southeast Asia are getting hit by Russian organized crime. They’re coming into the country, wrench attacking them, and then trying to get out as quickly as possible, and presumably trying to leverage jurisdictional arbitrage.”

I ask whether wrench attacks mostly happen to high-profile people, and he shrugs.

“It’s hard to say because I never know who these people are. I know “high-profile” people who are on X. But if they’re high-profile on Instagram, I have no idea, and I don’t use TikTok. So, high profile is very relative and fragmented.”

He says he does know of several victims who were Instagram influencers who were “basically flaunting their wealth,” and bragging about their expensive cars, wristwatches, and luxury lifestyles. He shakes his head:

“If you are on any sort of public network and you are flaunting your wealth, that’s one of the more risky things that you could be doing.”

Best advice to protect yourself? Never KYC

With most jurisdictions hellbent on combating money laundering and counter-terrorism finance, it’s almost impossible to be active in this space without handing over mounds of private data. Unfortunately for many of us, however, this often ends up being doxxed online, like in the Ledger breach of 2020, or Coinbase just a few weeks ago.

What can we do to protect ourselves in the era of KYC without going to the extreme measures of buying a proxy house or being untraceable by even the most highly skilled of private investigators?

“The safest thing to do is to never KYC and only use non-KYC services. Those are always going to be less convenient. They’re not as user-friendly, and there are not as many of them out there. If you’re using KYC services, I would say preferably you’re not giving them your home address.”

He acknowledges this can be tricky since most providers require your place of domicile, but you can reduce the risk by considering which document you upload.

“Personally, when I’m doing KYC, I prefer to use my passport as my document because there’s no address on there. Then I will always initially try giving them a private mailbox address that I have. Sometimes that works. But if they have stricter and higher levels of KYC, then I often find that getting rejected.”

When this happens, Jameson reluctantly hands over the address of his now legal residency, which he rents but doesn’t spend time in.

“Of course, that is going to be out of reach for most people to just have another address that they’re not actually using,” he concedes.

And what about providing a utility bill? There’s no workaround for that:

“That’s really tough for me because I have no utility bills in my name by design.”

A proud Libertarian and fully fledged Bitcoiner

As a self-proclaimed Libertarian, I ask Jameson whether he’s ever voted, or if that’s even possible now. He smooths down his beard and ponders my words, saying he stopped voting when he realized “no Libertarian was ever going to become president” or win any high-level office.

“The bi-party system is too entrenched for that. But no, I definitely have no intention of ever registering to vote again because of the public records that that creates. You know, the ROI of voting, like the actual impact of my votes versus the amount of time I would have to spend evaluating all the politicians, their platforms, and whether or not I even trust them, it’s just easier for me to ignore politics as much as possible.”

And with so much hoop-jumping and painstaking planning behind every move he makes, whether online or in the physical realm, is all this really worth it? Did he ever consider quitting completely? He pauses for a while and reflects:

“There’s this cybersecurity saying. Something like the safest way to use a computer is to never turn it on, never touch it, never use it… The computer, and especially with the advent of the internet, is a massively powerful tool, but it’s a two-way device, right? On one hand, you have access to essentially the entire sum of human knowledge. On the other hand, you’re exposing yourself to billions of potential attackers. You’re essentially opening up a door to the rest of the world for them to start knocking on.”

I say that reminds me of a similar refrain: A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are for. He smiles and agrees. Let’s face it, there’s no world in which Jameson leaves the computer untouched.

“The most important thing that you can do for Bitcoin is to talk about it. That was one of the more important aspects of my life. I didn’t want to give up on that.”

Bitcoin corporate treasuries and Saylor’s outsized advantage

Jameson’s conviction is indisputable, and the lengths he’s gone to advocate for Bitcoin deserve a Nobel prize. Did he always expect the industry to evolve this way, with $100K price units, Bitcoin corporate treasuries, and an AI and crypto czar in the White House?

“I’ve always been surprised by the level of volatility,” he admits. “When I initially got into Bitcoin, I was viewing it as sort of a 30-year generation-level savings account. I wasn’t seeing it as a speculative investment that was going to go up many orders of magnitude just over the next decade.”

That’s not to say he’s pleased with everything, though. Bitcoin at the Oval Office is a far cry from the peer-to-peer electronic cash system originally presented to the world.

“I certainly have a lot of concerns with the current state of the ecosystem, mainly that a lot of the adoption that seems to be happening right now is happening through TradFi vehicles that don’t even give people an option to take self-custody. So, that worries me both from a cultural perspective and a systemic risk perspective of where the system is headed.”

With Michael Saylor pledging to buy Bitcoin until Strategy scoops up 10% of the supply and Bitcoin treasury companies popping up like weeds, I imagine this is quite a concern…

“If too much Bitcoin gets concentrated in too few hands, we run the risk of essentially recreating a highly centralized system,” he replies.

He confesses to being “conflicted” over the rising phenomenon of Bitcoin treasury companies because, on the one hand, Bitcoin is for everyone, yet, on the other, Strategy is “so far ahead and they keep pulling out further ahead.” He would like to see a more level playing field, which is why he decided to invest in David Bailey’s Nakamoto.

“It’s not because I think that corporate Bitcoin treasury adoption is the best thing since sliced bread. It’s because I felt like we needed to have a broader and more diverse group of corporate treasuries to compete with Saylor, to try to slow down how much he can continue accumulating. He has hundreds of thousands of coins. What if he got to the point of having like five or 10% of the total supply? That’s reaching systemic risk levels.”

Jameson on quantum computing (or, we’re all ‘screwed’)

I ask what the greatest threat to the Bitcoin network is: centralization or quantum computing? Jameson’s been tweeting about the latter a lot recently:

“There’s multiple long-term existential issues that I worry about. Quantum is an issue that I worry about in conjunction with things like ossification and scaling.”

He continues:

“With quantum computing, there’s like half a dozen problems that are going on in parallel, and in order to “solve the quantum computing problem,” we’ll have to come to consensus on these half a dozen things simultaneously, which is pretty much unprecedented. Given the slowing and the increasing difficulty and consensus changes to the Bitcoin protocol, this is why I started talking about it a year ago.”

He compares the quantum computing problem to climate change, in that it’s an ever-present threat, yet seems distant when there are more pressing issues to face.

“I think it’s a similar type of problem within Bitcoin, but it’s exacerbated by the fact that, first, it takes years to get consensus on a change. Then it takes multiple years after the consensus change is activated for the rest of the ecosystem to implement it, and, in this case, there’s an
additional delay of multiple years because people will have to migrate their funds. We’ve never been in that situation before.”

And how far away is quantum computing?

There are a number of predictions on this, he explains, from those who say it’s already here to others who believe it will never arrive because of “some quantum physics level attribute that will prevent us from ever achieving that level of computation.” What we know for certain, he says, is that several government and standards agencies are advising people to prepare for it within at least five years.

“Assuming that’s conservative and that we have at least five years, then, you know, maybe we actually have 10 or 15 years… I certainly hope that we have 10 years. If we only have five years, I think we’re screwed because it will take several years to get the consensus change, and then several years for it to matriculate and everyone to migrate. I’m hoping we have at least 10 years, that would be a good buffer.”

Sleeping soundly in a world of uncertainty

Of all the shifting narratives and cultural clashes over the past few years, the one that bothers Jameson the most is the pervasive dogma that Bitcoin is “inevitable” and “perfect” as it is. This is a dangerous view, in his opinion—and one often purveyed by proponents of ossification. He says:

“That leads to what I consider to be the greatest threat to Bitcoin over the long term, which is apathy. If people are apathetic about continuing to talk about improving Bitcoin, that’s when it becomes weak and more vulnerable to new threats that can emerge.”

Between perilous narratives, God-like AI, centralization of the network, and quantum computing looming ahead, the future feels pretty bleak. There’s so much to worry about, I exclaim.

As a security pioneer and defender of the soundest money the world has ever seen, does Jameson manage to get any sleep at all? He frowns for a moment before replying:

“I try not to let all of these things that are outside of my control keep me up at night. Like I said before, continuing to talk about Bitcoin and discuss its problems is one of the best ways that people can contribute to the space…

It’s about keeping people interested and engaged and thinking about what we can do to address problems before they happen.”

Mentioned in this article

Good Morning, Asia. Here’s what’s making news in the markets:

Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk’s Crypto Daybook Americas.

As Asia begins its trading day,

is trading above $2500 as the U.S. Senate passes the GENIUS Act with bipartisan support.

While the Senate was busy passing the GENIUS Act, Vivek Raman, founder of Ethereum advocacy firm Etherealize, was even busier, making the rounds on Wall Street to explain why ETH is suddenly at the center of institutional finance.

Of course, Ethereum is nothing new. It’s almost a decade old. But finally, in its almost 10 years of existence, Wall Street is starting to pay attention, and they really want to talk about it.

“It’s an amazing job… running around from bank to bank, buy side to buy side, telling them what Ethereum tokenization means, how L2s work, and why it all flows through ether,” he told CoinDesk during an interview in between meetings from the lobby of Wall Street’s Brookfield Place.

As founder of Etherealize, Raman leads the firm’s efforts to educate Wall Street on ETH as neutral collateral and to help institutions tokenize assets and build on Ethereum.

Raman says that Ethereum’s core value proposition, its role as the settlement and collateral layer behind stablecoins and tokenized assets, is finally resonating with institutional investors.

“Every action is powered by ether,” he said. “Eventually, it’s going to be viewed as just as pristine as bitcoin. It’ll be the neutral asset for the whole ecosystem.”

The turning point, Raman says, was regulatory clarity.

“Ethereum’s potential hasn’t been allowed until now,” he said, pointing to the GENIUS Act and broader U.S. policy momentum. “For years we didn’t know if it was a security or a commodity.”

That’s why, despite the headlines around the ETH ETF, Raman says the real unlock for Ethereum came from regulatory clarity, not a ticker symbol.

“The ETH ETF cleared the way by signaling that ether is a commodity, but it still wasn’t explicit,” Raman said. “With clear market structure, the utility of Ethereum gets completely unleashed. Now ETH permeates everything: every tokenized asset transfer, every stablecoin transfer, every Layer 2, they all flow through ETH.”

And while Circle’s IPO and the rise of tokenized treasuries have brought new visibility to the sector, Raman says savvy investors will want more than equity exposure to stablecoin brands.

Circle may get the IPO, but Ethereum gets the flows,” he said. “ETH is what secures this whole ecosystem, and it’s the only neutral, non-censorable collateral that can route value between all these tokenized assets.”

VanEck’s Solana ETF Comes Closer to Listing with DTCC Entry

VanEck’s proposed Solana Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) has been listed on the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) website under the ticker symbol VSOL, a procedural step that typically signals readiness for electronic clearing and settlement.

VanEck’s DTCC listing comes amid growing institutional interest in Solana, following the blockbuster success of spot bitcoin and ether ETFs.

However, just like with those ETFs, Canada has beaten the U.S. in the race to get listed.

Four Canadian issuers, Purpose, Evolve, CI, and 3iQ, launched their Solana ETFs in April, following approval from the Ontario Securities Commission.

OKX Continues European Expansion with Regulated Launch in Germany and Poland

OKX has officially launched regulated crypto exchanges in Germany and Poland, marking a strategic expansion into two of Europe’s most active digital asset markets.

The company now offers spot trading, staking, automated trading bots, and over 60 crypto-Euro pairs to users in both countries, supported by localized platforms with Euro onramps.

“Germany and Poland are key growth markets in the EU, and our license allows us to tailor our products and services to meet the specific needs of users in each country, delivering greater value, enhanced security, and more efficient access to customers,” Erald Ghoos, CEO of OKX Europe, said in a release.

In the release, OKX emphasized its regulatory positioning, highlighting its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) compliance and ongoing transparency efforts, including 31 consecutive months of Proof of Reserves reports.

Market Movements:

• BTC: Bitcoin briefly dipped to $103,396 amid Israel-Iran tensions before rebounding on continued institutional ETF buying, with low exchange reserves amplifying volatility in a tight trading channel between $103,405 and $107,780.
• ETH: Ethereum traded within a wide range over 24 hours amid Middle East tensions, showing resilience by rebounding from a $2,460 support zone with strong volume, though it continues to face stiff resistance near $2,800.
• Gold: Gold remains rangebound below $3,400 as traders await Fed guidance, with geopolitical tensions, U.S. deficit concerns, and currency debasement risks supporting its long-term uptrend.
• Nikkei 225: Asia-Pacific markets slipped Wednesday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 0.15%, as escalating Israel-Iran tensions and reports of Donald Trump weighing a military strike on Iran weighed on investor sentiment.
• S&P 500: Stocks fell Tuesday as the Israel-Iran conflict entered its fifth day, with the S&P 500 closing down 0.84% at 5,982.72.

Elsewhere in Crypto:

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Arslan Butt

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Arslan Butt is an experienced webinar speaker, market analyst, and content writer specializing in crypto, forex, and commodities. He provides expert insights, trading strategies, and in-depth analysis…

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Last updated: 

June 12, 2025

Bitcoin has dropped to $107,177, below the $108,000 support as selling pressure mounts. Veteran trader Peter Brandt is warning of a 75% correction to $27,290 from recent highs of $112,000.

He notes that the breakdown below the ascending channel and series of lower highs is similar to the 2022 bear market when Bitcoin dropped from $69,000 in late 2021.

Brandt’s warning isn’t just technical. He points to deteriorating market structure and sentiment as key supports fail. This has amplified investor anxiety, especially with the broader macro and geopolitical backdrop.

Geopolitical Tensions Intensify Market Risks; Bitcoin Under Pressure

Global conflicts are fueling the fire. Reports of Israel preparing to strike Iran have caused risk-off sentiment. The Russia-Ukraine war has escalated with drone strikes on Kharkiv, deepening investor caution.

While uncertainty usually boosts safe-haven assets, Bitcoin is not capturing traditional safe-haven flows. It’s weakening along with broader risk assets.

Despite the risk-off tone, US Bitcoin ETFs saw $164.57 million in net inflows on Wednesday. GameStop added 4,700 BTC since May, and Mercurity Fintech plans to raise $800 million for a BTC treasury reserve. But institutional demand hasn’t yet offset broader market pressure.

Bitcoin Technical Breakdown Weighs on Bears

Technically, the Bitcoin price prediction appears bearish amid BTC’s breakdown below the trendline and the 50-period EMA ($107,985), which is clear. MACD confirms with a bearish crossover and widening gap, indicating downward momentum.

Rejection candles from $110,376 and lower highs have formed a near-term bearish pattern.

BTC is testing immediate support at $106,401. If that fails, further declines to $105,180 or $104,026 are more likely.

The market is at a crossroads, either a breakdown to Brandt’s $27,000 target or a short-lived bounce on institutional accumulation.

Trade Setup for Short Sellers:

• Entry: Short on rejection near $108,000
• Stop-loss: Above $108,800 (above EMA)
• Target 1: $106,400
• Target 2: $105,180
• Risk Level: 6/10

Summary

Bitcoin’s price action is weakening its technical structure and poses high bear risk. With macro headwinds, geopolitical tensions, and a veteran trader’s warning, BTC may be starting a bigger correction.

Watch levels closely and be prepared for more volatility. The market is fragile; a break below $106,000 could be the start of a bigger move.

BTC Bull Token Nears $8.1M Cap as 58% APY Staking Attracts Last-Minute Buyers

With Bitcoin trading near $107K, investor focus is shifting toward altcoins, especially BTC Bull Token ($BTCBULL). The project has now raised $7,103,849.89 out of its $8,153,354 cap, leaving less than $1 million before the next token price hike. The current price of $0.00256 is expected to increase once the cap is hit.

BTC Bull Token links its value directly to Bitcoin through two core mechanisms:

• BTC Airdrops reward holders, with presale participants receiving priority.
• Supply Burns occur automatically every time BTC increases by $50,000, reducing $BTCBULL’s circulating supply.

The token also features a 58% APY staking pool holding over 1.81 billion tokens, offering:

The token also features a 61% APY staking pool holding over 1.73 billion tokens, offering:

• No lockups or fees
• Full liquidity
• Stable passive yields, even in volatile markets

This staking model appeals to both DeFi veterans and newcomers seeking hands-off income.

With just hours left and the hard cap nearly reached, momentum is building fast. BTCBULL’s blend of Bitcoin-linked value, scarcity mechanics, and flexible staking is fueling strong demand. Early buyers have a limited time to enter before the next pricing tier activates.

Crypto veteran Raoul Pal has shared his thoughts on the XRP price, predicting it still has more room to rally to the upside. The altcoin is expected to hit a new all-time high (ATH) as it rallies higher. 

XRP Price Primed For Another Leg Higher

In a YouTube video, Pal remarked that XRP’s chart is one to behold and that its price will likely get another leg higher at some point. His accompanying chart showed a bull flag that had formed for the altcoin since last year, after its parabolic rally to the $2 range. Its price is currently in the consolidation phase, with a breakout usually occurring after this phase. 

Related Reading

Based on the chart, the price could rally to as high as $5, which would mark a new all-time high (ATH) for the altcoin. Interestingly, before its surge late last year, the crypto veteran had advised investors to sell their dino coins like XRP and ADA. However, following the pump, he admitted he was wrong and became bullish on the altcoin.  

This prediction comes amid the launch of the CME XRP and Micro XRP futures, which are bullish for its price. These products will provide institutional investors with exposure to the altcoin and are also integral to the approval of a Spot XRP ETF. An XRP ETF is one of the factors that crypto analyst BarriC believes could quickly drive prices to $10.  

In the short term, crypto analyst Ali Martinez has suggested that the XRP price could retrace before it rallies higher. In an X post, he stated that the asset could return to $2 if it loses the critical $2.30 support. Crypto analyst CasiTrades had also warned that the altcoin could witness a correction following its failure to hold above $2.6 successfully. 

The Altcoin Could Hit ATH After This Correction

Crypto analyst Dark Defender has suggested that the XRP price could hit its ATH after this market correction, stating that the rally to ATH is closer than anyone else can think of. This came as he revealed that the token has completed the A Wave and is now on the B Wave of Wave 2, meaning that this corrective wave is in its midway. 

Related Reading

The crypto analyst predicts that the XRP price could reach $3.333 after the B and C Waves in this Wave 2 corrective move. Meanwhile, the support levels to watch out for are $2.3502 and $2.2222, while the resistance levels to keep an eye for are $2.58 and $3.3333. 

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.38, up over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

A popular market analyst known for his timely crypto calls says that the astronomical altcoin gains of the last cycle are probably never going to happen again.

Pseudonymous trader Pentoshi tells his 858,600 followers on the social media platform X that altcoins now have less potential to print the same level of gains seen in 2017-2021 because the market has significantly expanded and the total market cap started at a much higher level this cycle.

“Well some updated thoughts. I think for alts, we will never see a run like 2017-2021 again. But I also said that previous to this run. The space is just way too big now, with hundreds of millions of people, whereas there, we really did start at 0 for DeFi (decentralized finance) and in 2017 all alts combined were $13 billion. We just started at such a high floor.”

He also says that the robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) sector may start dominating investor interest at the expense of alts.

“I also believe the next bubble won’t even be in crypto. It’s likely going to be in robotics/AI. 50% of the global GDP is labor, a $50 trillion annual market… These fields are moving at lightning speed and likely to have the most allocations. Of course, there will be big opportunities here, a lot of that will end up back in utility too. Memecoins I think are too extractive, and while people call utility a meme, they have stood the test of time.”

However, the veteran trader says there still remains the potential this cycle for the total crypto market cap to surge to around $4.4 trillion. The total crypto market cap is $2.97 trillion at time of writing, down 8.9% in the last 24 hours.

“It’s just a maturing market, and for most of us. We got in pretty damn early and got to capture immense upside. It just isn’t realistic to expect the cycles of the past because eventually returns would be smoothed out. It couldn’t last forever. It takes far more now to move the capital than before.

I never expected anything wild this cycle, my expectations for alts were maybe 2x the previous highs and for total [crypto market cap] to reach $4.4 trillion or so, which was a pretty conservative estimate. We may still even get there yet. But I think we need to set realistic expectations for alts in general and the market.”

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A seasoned trader and analyst is warning that the future appears perilous for altcoins as the US stock market flashes worrying signs.

The trader pseudonymously known as The Flow Horse tells his 9,120 Telegram subscribers that with the exception of Bitcoin (BTC), crypto assets could be at the “beginning of a depressing bear market.”

According to the analyst, the pump-and dump-schemes linked to memecoins witnessed over the past few weeks are “massively overdone” and could mark the “jump the shark” moment for grifting in the crypto space.

According to the trader, another reason that has made him bearish is the trend shift for some US tech stocks.

“Palantir, Microstrategy, Walmart, Microsoft, Coinbase, Meta, Tesla, NVIDIA – some with trend shifts and some with reminiscences of parabolic blow-offs. The worrying thing is that Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO) kind of called bullsh*t on artificial general intelligence (AGI) and this whole trend with artificial intelligence (AI) capital expenditures.

This is not normally my area to dig into, but it’s worth remembering that a lot of the returns we are seeing in the market are in some way related to tech and AI arriving ‘better and faster’ than later. They have been a tailwind for everything, so I am concerned when those winds seem to shift at large and potentially all at once.”

The Flow Horse also says that the efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce the federal workforce could impact the US unemployment rate negatively and this could have a ripple effect on the market.

“The actions of Elon [Musk] and [US President Donald] Trump are also kind of sketchy, so I am wondering how that impacts job reports moving forward and how the market responds to that.

All in all, there is a lot of weirdness in the air, and I think this kind of feeling usually precipitates a larger drop in stocks.”

According to the pseudonymously named analyst, traders will be at an advantage going forward compared to the long-term holders of altcoins.

“I see a ton of opportunities for traders, but a lot of pain for people that can not let go of this idea they had of up-only altcoin season ‘just getting started.’”

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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Blockstream CEO Adam Back says that Bitcoin (BTC) is still in the early stages of the current bull market as the adoption of the flagship crypto asset mounts.

In a new interview with CNBC, Back says that Bitcoin’s buying demand remains high across various investing segments, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and that the bull market is far from over.

“I think we’re certainly in the early stages of the bull market at this point. You know, typically the bull market cycle lasts for a certain period after the halving, and so we’re still in the early innings. I think there are very stiff inflows from ETFs buying about two times the Bitcoin mined per day, MicroStrategy and the other Bitcoin treasury companies buying another two times, and the retail buyers and dollar-cost-average investors. So really, that’s a lot of inflow.”

Back predicts Bitcoin will soon start printing a series of rallies and may see an explosive breakout if governments start adopting Bitcoin strategic reserves.

“I think temporarily there’s some consolidation, because some earlier investors, sort of mid-term investors’ profit taking. But that overlay would set us up for a price where you start to see Bitcoin competing with gold, perhaps pulling money out of gold ETFs, into Bitcoin, ETFs. And then, of course, if the treasuries come in, like the sovereign treasuries, the Bitcoin reserves, that would be something where you’d see sovereign competition, as soon as one of the bigger countries jumps in, I think the others will feel forced to follow suit, so all bets will be off if that happens…

I think there’s a lot more capital in the institutional space of pension funds and mutual funds. So there’s a lot of room for capital to come in in this cycle.”

Bitcoin is trading for $98,247 at time of writing, up 1.4% in the last 24 hours.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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The CEO of Bitcoin-focused tech firm JAN3, Samson Mow, is predicting that BTC will soon hit astronomical price targets, making it unaffordable for most people.

In a new interview with Anna Tutova, Samson says that governments around the world will likely start establishing Bitcoin reserves, driving its value much higher.

He notes how more countries are now seriously considering a Bitcoin reserve, including the Czech National Bank.

“So I think we’ll see more urgent adoption of Bitcoin and very quick movements like from this Czech central bank. I mean they’re putting it to a vote. It’s not ‘we’re exploring it, we’re researching it,’ but putting it to a vote. So I think things will move very quickly this year in 2025.”

He also warns that governments slow to act to adopt a Bitcoin reserve may find themselves priced out of buying the flagship crypto asset.

“[Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim] wants to add Bitcoin to Vancouver’s reserves, and his motivation is that it will set the city up for prosperity for the next 100 years. The challenge really is that he has to get the rest of the council on board and they have to run through some process to explore and research. But I think the challenge for them is the timeline: will they be able to execute a Bitcoin strategy within the next six months to a year? Because I see Bitcoin getting out of reach of most buyers in a year’s time.”

He says that Bitcoin hitting $1 million in 2025 is “definitely a possibility.”

Bitcoin is trading for $97,435 at time of writing, up 2% in the last 24 hours.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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