Coin Market

CME Group to pilot tokenization technology for capital market efficiency

Published

5 days ago

March 25, 2025

US derivatives exchange operator CME Group is piloting solutions for tokenized assets using Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL), a new distributed ledger that was designed for traditional financial institutions.

According to a March 25 announcement, CME has already begun integrating GCUL to improve capital market efficiency and wholesale payments.

CME Group chairman and CEO Terry Duffy said GCUL could “deliver significant efficiencies for collateral, margin, settlement and fee payments as the world moves toward 24/7 trading.”

The announcement did not provide specific details about which assets would be tokenized. CME Group and Google Cloud will begin testing the technology with market participants in 2026.

Source: CME Group

Before the March 25 announcement, there were no details about GCUL. However, Google Cloud has been expanding into blockchain technology for several years, beginning in 2018 by adding Bitcoin blockchain data to its data warehouse.

In 2023, Google Cloud added 11 blockchains to its data warehouse. They included Ethereum, Arbitrum, Avalanche and Optimism.

Tokenization goes mainstream

Tokenization — or the process of converting real-world and financial assets into digital tokens — has generated significant interest from major institutions.

A March 24 article that was published by the World Economic Forum said the integration of traditional finance with blockchain is “now becoming a reality” and that tokenization was taking center stage.

“With only $25 trillion of securities currently eligible for collateral use — out of a $230 trillion potential — tokenization could significantly expand liquidity and capital efficiency,” wrote Yuval Rooz, the co-founder of the New York-based company Digital Asset.

The tokenization industry is expected to take off in the United States under President Donald Trump, who has promised to make America the blockchain and crypto capital of the world.

Tokenized securities platform Tokeny said the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) repeal of SAB 121 would be a boon for the industry by “enabling institutions to provide custody solutions for tokenized securities without unnecessary financial risk.

Excluding stablecoins, the RWA tokenization market is approaching $20 billion. Source: RWA.xyz

Meanwhile, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has also become a cheerleader for the tokenized securities market. In a January CNBC interview, Fink urged the SEC to “rapidly approve” the tokenization of stocks and bonds.

Coin Market

Crypto trader turns $2K PEPE into $43M, sells for $10M profit

Published

18 minutes ago

March 30, 2025

A savvy cryptocurrency trader reportedly turned $2,000 into more than $43 million by investing in the memecoin Pepe at its peak valuation, despite the token’s extreme volatility and lack of underlying technical value.

The trader made an over 4,700-fold return on investment on the popular frog-themed Pepe (PEPE) cryptocurrency, according to blockchain intelligence platform Lookonchain.

“This OG spent only $2,184 to buy 1.5T $PEPE($43M at the peak) in the early stage. He sold 1.02T $PEPE for $6.66M, leaving 493B $PEPE($3.64M), with a total profit of $10.3M(4,718x), Lookonchain wrote in a March 29 X post.

Source: Lookonchain

The trader realized over $10 million in profit despite Pepe’s price falling over 74% from its all-time high of $0.00002825, which it reached on Dec. 9, 2024, Cointelegraph Markets Pro data shows.

PEPE/USD, all-time chart. Source: Cointelegraph Markets Pro

Memecoins are considered some of the most speculative and volatile digital assets, with price action driven largely by online enthusiasm and social sentiment rather than fundamental utility or innovation.

Still, they’ve proven capable of generating life-changing returns. In May 2024, another early Pepe investor turned $27 into $52 million — a 1.9 million-fold return — according to onchain data.

Memecoins are stealing the spotlight from altcoins

Despite their intrinsic lack of utility, memecoins continued to steal the spotlight from more established cryptocurrencies, Stella Zlatareva, dispatch editor at digital asset investment platform Nexo, told Cointelegraph:

“High-beta, i.e., volatile tokens, are stealing the spotlight. Case in point, memecoins surged 5.6% on average, with DOGE, PEPE, and FLOKI responding to rate cut optimism and broader crypto strength.”

Top 100 cryptocurrencies, weekly performance. Source: Cryptobubbles

While investor demand for memecoins has surged, it may also be siphoning capital from more established assets. For example, Solana (SOL) has fallen more than 51% since the launch of the Official Trump (TRUMP) token in January, according to Cointelegraph data.

Memecoins “don’t tend to draw in much external capital flow; instead existing eco-system capital ‘round-robins’ from one meme to the next,” Dan Hughes, founder of the decentralized finance platform Radix, told Cointelegraph, adding:

“Even in the case of TRUMP, most of the inbound liquidity was outflow from other crypto assets, people selling their crypto portfolio to buy TRUMP in extreme FOMO [fear of missing out].”

SOL/USDT, 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Insider scams and fraudulent activity have plagued the memecoin industry, and US regulators are taking note. On March 5, New York lawmakers introduced a bill aimed at protecting crypto investors from rug pulls and similar insider scams shortly after the scandal around the Libra (LIBRA) token, which was endorsed by Argentine President Javier Milei.

Magazine: Memecoins are ded — But Solana ‘100x better’ despite revenue plunge

Coin Market

Is XRP price around $2 an opportunity or the bull market's end? Analysts weigh in

Published

1 hour ago

March 30, 2025

XRP (XRP) has dropped nearly 40% to around $2.19, two months after hitting a multi-year high of $3.40. The cryptocurrency is tracking a broader market sell-off driven by President Donald Trump’s trade war despite bullish news like the SEC dropping its case against Ripple.

XRP/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

However, XRP is still up 350% from its November 2024 low of $0.50, suggesting a consolidation phase after a strong rally. This sideways action has sparked discussions over whether it’s the end of the bull run or a prime buying opportunity.

No buying opportunity until XRP falls further

XRP has been consolidating between $1.77 (support) and $3.21 (resistance) since January, with repeated rejections near the top of the range and fading bullish momentum.

According to analyst CrediBULL Crypto, XRP’s recent bounce attempt stalled below $2.20, reinforcing bearish control. He now expects the price to revisit the range lows around $1.77 for a potential long entry.

XRP/USD four-hour price chart. Source: TradingView

The rectangle-shaped green support area on the chart extends as low as $1.50, signaling a high-demand zone where bulls could step in.

A short-term marketwide bounce—led primarily by Bitcoin (BTC)—could trigger a temporary recovery, argues CrediBULL, emphasizing that only a clean breakout above $3.21 would confirm a bullish trend reversal.

Until then, XRP remains in a sideways structure, with CrediBULL’s strategy focused on watching for reactions at the $1.77 support level before committing to a long position.

Source: X

XRP bull flag may lead to 450% price rally

CrediBULL highlighted XRP’s sideways range between $1.77 and $3.21 as a consolidation zone, waiting for a clear breakout to confirm the next trend. Interestingly, that very range may be forming a bull flag, according to analyst Stellar Babe.

XRP/USD weekly price chart. Source: TradingView/Stellar Babe

A bull flag forms when the price consolidates inside a parallel channel after undergoing a strong uptrend. It resolves when the price breaks above the upper trendline and rises by as much as the previous uptrend’s height.

Stellar Babe’s analysis notes that If XRP breaks above the flag’s upper boundary range at $3.21. Its projected target, based on the height of the flagpole, is around $12, up around 450% from current prices.

XRP’s five-year channel hints at rally to $6.50

XRP is currently consolidating within a long-term bullish structure, according to a recent analysis by InvestingScoope.

The chart shows XRP trading inside a five-year ascending channel, with the current move resembling the March 2020 to April 2021 rally based on price behavior and momentum indicators.

XRP/USD weekly price chart. Source: TradingView/InvestingScoope

Despite the pullback, the broader bullish cycle stays intact as long as XRP holds above the 50-week moving average (1W MA50).

InvestingScoope notes that this phase mirrors March 2021, which preceded a strong breakout. If the pattern continues, XRP price could be preparing for its next leg up with a potential target of $6.50 in the months ahead.

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.

Coin Market

Stablecoin rules needed in US before crypto tax reform, experts say

Published

2 hours ago

March 30, 2025

United States cryptocurrency regulations need more clarity on stablecoins and banking relationships before lawmakers prioritize tax reform, according to industry leaders and legal experts.

“In my view, tax isn’t necessarily the priority for upgrading US crypto regulation,” according to Mattan Erder, general counsel at layer-3 decentralized blockchain network Orbs.

A “tailored regulatory approach” for areas including securities laws and removing “obstacles in banking” is a priority for US lawmakers with “more upside” for the industry, Erder told Cointelegraph.

“The new Trump administration is clearly all in on crypto and is taking steps that we could have only dreamed about a few years ago (including during his first term),” he said. “It seems likely that crypto regulation will be able to have it all and get much more clear and rational regulation in all areas, including tax.”

Still, Erder noted there are limits to what President Donald Trump can accomplish through executive orders and regulatory agency action alone. “At some point, the laws themselves will need to change, and for that, he will need Congress,” he said.

Trump’s March 7 executive order, which directed the government to establish a national Bitcoin reserve using crypto assets seized in criminal cases, was seen as a signal of growing federal support for digital assets.

Debanking concerns remain

Despite the administration’s recent pro-crypto moves, industry experts say crypto firms may continue to face difficulties with banking access until at least January 2026.

“It’s premature to say that debanking is over,” as “Trump won’t have the ability to appoint a new Fed governor until January,” Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, said during Cointelegraph’s Chainreaction daily X show.

The Crypto Debanking Crisis: #CHAINREACTION https://t.co/nD4qkkzKnB

— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) March 21, 2025

Industry outrage over alleged debanking reached a crescendo when a June 2024 lawsuit spearheaded by Coinbase resulted in the release of letters showing US banking regulators asked certain financial institutions to “pause” crypto banking activities.

Stablecoin legislation could unlock new growth

David Pakman, managing partner at crypto investment firm CoinFund, said a stablecoin regulatory framework could encourage more traditional finance institutions to adopt blockchain-based payments.

“Some of the potentially soon-to-pass legislation in the US, like the stablecoin bill, will unlock many of the traditional banks, financial services and payment companies onto crypto rails,” Pakman said during Cointelegraph’s Chainreaction live X show on March 27.

“We hear this firsthand when we talk to them; they want to use crypto rails as a lower-cost, transparent, 24/7, and no middleman-dependent network for transferring money.”

The comments come as the industry awaits progress on US stablecoin legislation, which may come as soon as in the next two months, according to Bo Hines, the executive director of the president’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets.

The GENIUS Act, an acronym for Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, would establish collateralization guidelines for stablecoin issuers while requiring full compliance with Anti-Money Laundering laws.

Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered