Key takeaways:

The SEC’s decision on a spot XRP ETF could ignite a significant rally.

The current $2.2 billion in XRP futures hints at growing institutional investor demand.

The two most bullish events ever imagined by XRP (XRP) advocates happened in 2025, but XRP continues to underperform the cryptocurrency market. On March 6, XRP was listed as a candidate for the United States’ “Digital Asset Reserve,” and Ripple Labs settled a multi-year-long complaint with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on May 8.

XRP/USD (blue) vs. crypto market capitalization. Source: TradingView / Cointelegraph

XRP fell 6% in the three months leading up to May 22, while overall crypto market capitalization rose 10%. Traders remain hopeful for a 45% rally to $3.50, with derivatives metrics signaling rising confidence.

Leverage use ramps up ahead of potential spot XRP ETF listing

The aggregate open interest on XRP futures on major exchanges jumped to 923 million XRP on May 22, up 31% from two weeks prior. The $2.2 billion position in futures markets signals growing interest from traders, but it is not necessarily bullish, as those instruments can also be used to speculate on the XRP price downside.

XRP futures open interest on major exchanges, XRP. Source: CoinGlass

Some traders argue that the increased demand for leveraged XRP positions indicates growing institutional interest, especially as multiple issuers filed for a spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) listing in the US. However, the final decision by the US SEC should be made in October.

Excessive demand for bullish leveraged XRP causes a positive funding rate, meaning longs (buyers) are the ones paying the carry cost. As cryptocurrency traders are generally optimistic, a 7% to 14% annualized funding rate is expected in neutral markets, while periods of FOMO can push the indicator above 50%.

XRP futures annualized funding rate. Source: Laevitas.ch

The annualized funding rate jumped to 19% on May 22, nearing the highest levels in six months. Still, the current optimism level is nowhere near the 100% annualized funding rate from Dec. 4, 2024, which followed an impressive 7-day rally to $2.90 from $1.33. Far from being bearish, the current level leaves room for bullish positioning on XRP futures markets.

Related: Which senators invest in crypto? 11 lawmakers have blockchain-related investments

Favorable regulation opens the door for new partnerships and acquisitions

Part of the limited XRP price upside can be explained by the multiple rejections of US Senator Cynthia Lummis, Chair of the US Congress Digital Assets Subcommittee, to meet Ripple representatives. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse asked on May 19 that the lawmaker “reconsider and be a leader for ALL of crypto,” and discuss “how to make the US the crypto capital of the world.”

There is nothing stopping XRP from hitting $3.50 or even higher, as Ripple Labs is no longer facing direct threats from regulators, which paves the way for partnerships and acquisitions. Historically, XRP has reacted very positively following those announcements, and the $2.2 billion futures open interest could help catapult XRP price above the current $3.25 all-time high.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Cetus, a decentralized crypto exchange (DEX) built atop the Sui blockchain network, said $162 million of over $220 million stolen in a May 22 hack has been frozen.

According to the Cetus team, the DEX is working with the Sui Foundation and other entities within the ecosystem to recover the remainder of the funds. The Sui Foundation also confirmed:

“A large number of validators identified the addresses with the stolen funds and are ignoring transactions on those addresses until further notice. The Cetus team is exploring paths to recover those funds and return them to the community.”

The Cetus hack is the latest in a string of such incidents impacting crypto and Web3 in the first half of 2025. Cybersecurity continues to be a major issue in crypto, with many industry executives calling for the sector to police itself and establish more robust defenses or risk increased regulatory scrutiny.

Source: Cetus

Related: Germany seizes $38M in crypto from Bybit hack-linked eXch exchange

The Cetus hack: the story so far

On May 22, the Cetus DEX was hacked in what is believed to be a smart contract code exploit that saw the DEX drained of approximately $223 million in user funds.

According to the team behind the Extractor Web3 security notification tool, $63 million of the stolen funds were bridged to the Ethereum network.

The Extractor team also identified a wallet address ending in “AF16” used by the threat actors to launder 20,000 Ether (ETH), valued at roughly $53 million.

The Cetus hackers transfer 20,000 Ether to a new wallet address. Source: Etherscan

The recovery efforts and the asset freeze coordinated by different projects, platforms, and validators in the Sui ecosystem drew mixed reactions from the crypto community.

“Good news for the victims, but if validators, 114 only in total, can freeze wallets when they want, it raises a major question about the network’s censorship resistance. Sui is anything but decentralized,” one user wrote in response.

Magazine: $55M DeFi Saver phish, copy2pwn hijacks your clipboard: Crypto Sec

Key takeaways:

Solana’s bull flag pattern projects a rally to $260, but low spot buy volumes have analysts advising caution.

After briefly dropping to $160 from $184, Solana (SOL) is attempting to reclaim a position above its key resistance at $180 for a second consecutive week. With Bitcoin (BTC) hitting an all-time high, market speculators are banking on eventual capital rotation, which could pump major altcoins like SOL toward new highs.

Solana shows promising signs on the daily chart, forming a textbook bull flag pattern after a strong uptrend. While SOL prices currently trade under $180, a breakout above this level could propel SOL toward its first target at $200, with further upside potential to $220 if momentum sustains.

Solana 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The trend remains bullish, supported by the relative strength index (RSI) at 64.30, indicating healthy momentum without overbought conditions. However, SOL needs a clear market structure break (MSB) or a decisive bullish breakout above $180 to trigger the next leg of the rally. 

Declining volumes during the consolidation phase suggest caution, as a lack of buying pressure could stall the breakout. 

If SOL fails to breach $180, the immediate key area of interest is between $140-150, and the bull flag pattern would be invalidated. The support range is a daily order block, which should provide higher time frame (HTF) support in case of a price correction. 

Related: Bitcoin could go much higher due to lack of FOMO and futures market euphoria — Analysts

Solana price fractal aims for $260

Crypto trader Robert Mercer shared a chart identifying a price fractal pattern similar to October 2024. Mercer emphasized two critical zones: one around late 2024, where SOL broke past $180 after consolidation, and a current zone mirroring that setup. He predicts a breakout above $180 could trigger a sharp upward rally, mirroring the late 2024 rally that saw $SOL peak near $260.

Solana price fractal analysis. Source: X.com

Likewise, technical analyst Javon Marks identified a hidden bullish divergence on Solana’s 3-day chart, a pattern that previously triggered a 1,332% surge in 2024. Marks suggested that if this pattern breaks out again in 2025, Solana could reach a price target of $450.

Popular crypto trader XO also remained on the lookout for a long opportunity, but suggested waiting to see if Solana could flip the $180 level into support.

Solana analysis by XO. Source: X.com

Related: BTC price eyes $112K as risk assets ‘ignore bad news’ on unemployment

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.