US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $2.12 billion in inflows over nine days, signaling growing conviction among investors.

A Hyperliquid whale holds large short positions against Bitcoin and several altcoins. Does the position provide any signal on the markets’ future outcomes?

Trump's Beijing visit amid Iran tensions highlights geopolitical complexities, impacting market confidence and diplomatic relations.

The post Trump to visit Beijing May 14 amid Iran war, market odds drop 17.5 points appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Iran's move may temporarily ease geopolitical tensions, but traders should remain cautious as the situation could quickly change.

The post Iran allows oil tankers to cross Strait of Hormuz, easing tensions appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets a total of eight times a year, where members of the committee review economic and financial conditions in the US, and this usually has serious implications for the crypto market. With the end of each meeting comes an announcement where the Fed chair reveals what the interest rates will be before the next meeting.

Depending on how the Fed is viewing the data, either dovish or hawkish, it could lead to either a rise in interest rates or a decline in interest rates. Sometimes, the interest rates are kept the same, and this does not usually move the financial markets much.

In the case where the Fed is hawkish, the result of the FOMC meetings usually comes with an increase in interest rates. Such conditions are usually not ideal for investors, leading to a more cautious stance. In such a case, the financial markets usually see a crash, and the crypto market often follows the same trajectory as a result.

A dovish stance, otherwise known as a bullish stance, is usually when the Fed drops interest rates. Depending on how much of a drop in basis points this is, it can be very bullish for the crypto market, as they often respond with a rally. In times like these, the crypto market also follows and is usually green as the euphoria fills the market.

This is because lower interest rates encourage crypto investments as investors are more likely to take on risk due to the low rates. Then, on the other side of this is the neutral state, where the Fed leaves interest rates the same, and the markets often maintain whatever trajectory they were on before the announcement.

When Is The Next FOMC Meeting, And Could It Affect Crypto Negatively?

According to the CME Group website, the next FOMC meeting is scheduled in a week, on April 29, 2026. As always, the meeting will last two days, followed by a press conference. These meetings are already scheduled months in advance, so they come as no surprise to the market.

One interesting thing, though, is the speculation leading up to the day of the meeting. As the FedWatch Tool shows, the expectations are that there will actually be no change in the current interest rates. For context, the current interest rate is sitting at 3.5-3.75%.

The tool shows a 99.5% chance that the Fed will not change rates, which follows the current sentiment in the market. It shows a 0% chance that interest rates will reduce, and only a 0.5% chance that there will be a hike in the interest rates. If this plays out, then it is likely that the crypto market will not see any significant change as a result of the FOMC meeting being concluded.

South Africa has released new draft regulatory proposals that, if implemented, could significantly change how residents interact with certain wealth holdings—including crypto. 

The document, published as part of the country’s latest attempt to tighten rules around the crypto industry, would require people to declare qualifying assets above future thresholds. In some situations, those assets could be compelled to be sold to the government with payment made in South African rand.

South Africa’s Crypto Draft

Under the proposal, residents who come into possession of qualifying assets that exceed the specified limits would have 30 days to notify the authorities and submit them for sale. The sale would be to the National Treasury or through an authorised dealer.

The draft includes certain foreign bank balances or credits where the holder has the right to receive payment in foreign currency or in crypto assets, bringing additional attention to cross-border and offshore-linked holdings.

Cryptocurrency, however, has drawn the most intense reaction from industry supporters. The proposal indicates that crypto assets above the future threshold could face stricter restrictions related to buying, selling, lending, or transferring, particularly if those actions occur outside authorised service providers. 

The drafts suggest that written permission could be required in order to move forward with those activities—potentially adding layers of approval for everyday crypto behavior.

The framework also touches on the use of crypto for offshore payments and the movement of assets out of the country. In practice, that could mean restrictions on transferring crypto overseas without approval.

New Regulation Could Treat Personal BTC Transfers

Carel van Wyk, founder of crypto payments firm MoneyBadger and co-founder of Luno, said the consultation timeline is too short for reforms of this scale. 

He argued that the window provided for public input does not give industry, civil society, and the broader public enough time to meaningfully engage with changes that could affect both personal holding behavior and compliance obligations. 

BitcoinZAR, a crypto advocacy group, also objected to what it describes as an overly broad framework. The group said the proposal could blur the boundary between personal self-custody of Bitcoin (BTC) and large-scale, high-risk financial flows. 

According to their criticism, the draft risks treating routine individual transfers the same way that institutional activity associated with higher risk might be treated.

Some critics have also raised concerns about enforcement powers contained in the proposal. They point to provisions that would allow authorities, in suspected breach cases, to freeze, attach, or forfeit assets. 

That, they argue, could invite legal challenges, including arguments tied to constitutional protections around property rights and due process.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Ethereum traders are rebuilding bullish exposure to the second-largest cryptocurrency, with derivatives markets showing renewed demand for upside bets.

According to CryptoSlate's data, ETH has gained about 11% this month on the back of a four-week stretch of gains, its longest in nearly a year.

This uptrend pushed ETH to around $2330, its highest price level since February, and puts it on course for its first back-to-back monthly advance since July and August 2025.

As a result, ETH's price performance has shifted the market attention back to the $3,000 level after months of weaker relative performance against Bitcoin.

Ethereum options trader position for $3,200

Deribit, the largest crypto options venue, has become the clearest expression of the renewed upside trade.

Data from the trading platform show that open interest in ETH call options has built up around the $3,200 strike, with more than $322 million in outstanding contracts. The $2,500 strike option follows closely with roughly $320 million in open interest.

Call options give traders the right to buy an asset at a set price. They typically gain value as the underlying token moves closer to the strike.

In ETH's case, the concentration around $2,500 and $3,200 shows that traders are again positioning for a move beyond the current recovery range.

Meanwhile, the large open interest does not mean every position is a direct bullish bet. Options activity can include hedging, spread trades, volatility strategies, and market-maker exposure.

ETH ETF flows register longest inflow streak this year

US spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recently delivered one of the strongest demand signals ahead of the rally, which then paused.

Data from SoSo Value showed that the 10 funds drew more than $633 million during a 10-day inflow streak that began on April 9 and ended on April 22. This is their longest inflow streak of this year and the longest since June 2025.

However, the current inflow streak ended on April 23, when the funds recorded $75.94 million in net outflows, marking their first negative session since early April.

Still, the inflow streak helps support the view that regulated investors were returning to Ethereum exposure after months in which Bitcoin attracted the larger institutional bid. ETF flows are closely watched because they show demand through spot products rather than leveraged positions on derivatives venues.

Alphractal data corroborated the trend and pointed out that its Ethereum Smart Money Flow Index, a proprietary measure of institutional activity in ETH, has also shown positive divergence from price for several weeks.

That suggests fund demand had been improving before the recovery became more visible in spot prices.

However, the latest outflow tempers that reading as it shows that Ethereum has not yet shown the same ETF-led consistency that has supported Bitcoin during stronger rallies.

For ETH, the fund-flow picture is improving, but it has not yet become strong enough to carry the market on its own.

Buyers are gradually returning to the market

Apart from the sustained inflows from the ETFs, Binance order-flow data also points to a gradual improvement in demand rather than aggressive accumulation.

CryptoQuant's data show that the exchange’s Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) recently registered a positive reading of about 48,400. CVD tracks the net difference between buying and selling volume. A positive reading means buy orders are outweighing sell orders.

This suggests ETH is not rising solely due to the increased speculative leverage but because buyers have returned to the market, which has helped the token stabilize after earlier declines.

Meanwhile, the relationship between ETH's price and order flow has also strengthened. The correlation coefficient was 0.66, indicating a moderately strong relationship between buying activity and price movement.

However, the signal remains measured because ETH is still trading below prior highs, and the CVD reading does not show the type of forceful spot accumulation usually associated with a confirmed breakout. Instead, it points to a rebalancing phase after a weaker stretch.

That leaves a sustained ETH uptrend dependent on whether the improvement in order flow continues.

A stronger CVD reading would support the case that spot buyers are validating the move shown in options and ETFs. A stall would leave the rally more exposed to speculative positioning.

ETH's leverage is rising

Despite these bullish metrics, CryptoQuant data from Binance shows the main source of risk behind the ETH rally.

The exchange’s leverage ratio has climbed above the price for the first time in months. When leverage expands faster than spot price gains, it indicates traders are adding borrowed exposure more quickly than investors are buying the token outright.

That pattern can appear during early recoveries, when traders try to position ahead of a breakout before spot flows fully confirm the move.

Notably, this can support fast gains while market conditions remain favorable. It can also increase the risk of forced selling if the price reverses.

However, leveraged positions are more sensitive to moves against them. If ETH fails to hold recent gains, long positions can be liquidated, adding sell pressure to the decline.

This leverage signal sits against a more constructive set of indicators. Ethereum has posted four straight weekly gains, Deribit traders are targeting higher strikes, ETFs recently recorded a 10-day inflow streak, and CVD shows buy orders outweighing sell orders.

The risk, however, is that those signals are not moving at the same speed.

This is because ETH's move toward $3,200 would need those gaps to narrow. Spot buyers would need to keep absorbing supply, ETF flows would need to stabilize, and leverage would need to stop rising faster than price.

Without that confirmation, the same derivatives exposure supporting the rebound could amplify losses during a failed breakout.

The post Ethereum’s 4 consecutive weeks of price rallies fuel bullish bets of $3200 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin held near $78,000 on Friday as oil prices climbed past $100 a barrel, testing whether the largest digital asset can sustain its April rebound while the US-Iran conflict keeps energy markets on edge.

The move came after President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric over the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US Navy controlled the waterway and that no ship could enter or leave without American approval.

The comments reinforced fears that the conflict, now centered on maritime leverage rather than direct strikes, could keep one of the world’s most important energy routes shut for longer.

Brent crude rose to about $107 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate traded near $97. WTI was on pace for a weekly gain of more than 17% as stalled peace talks, tanker seizures, and the continuing blockade of Hormuz deepened concerns over supply.

Bitcoin’s response was more measured. The flagship digital asset rose to $78,300 after briefly trading above $79,000 and extended its April recovery by roughly 15%.

The advance came even as US stocks slipped, the dollar strengthened, and traders repriced the risk that higher oil could keep inflation elevated into the Federal Reserve’s next policy meeting.

That combination has turned Bitcoin into a cleaner test of the market’s inflation trade. Traders are weighing whether the token can benefit from renewed demand for scarce assets while avoiding the pressure that a stronger dollar and higher real yields usually place on speculative markets.

Oil returns to the center of the Bitcoin trade

The Strait of Hormuz has become the main channel through which the US-Iran conflict is reaching global markets.

Before the war, about 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products moved through the waterway each day.

However, shipping has since slowed sharply, with Iran demanding authority over vessel passage and the US blocking Iranian maritime trade. The result is a physical disruption that has carried more weight for traders than the formal ceasefire.

Trump sharpened that pressure Thursday, saying on Truth Social that the US had “total control” over the strait and that it would remain “sealed up tight” until Iran reached a deal. He also ordered the Navy to destroy Iranian boats laying mines in the waterway.

Oil traders quickly priced the risk of a longer disruption. Brent’s move above $100 revived memories of earlier energy shocks that fed headline inflation and forced central banks to keep policy tighter for longer.

For Bitcoin, that creates a complicated backdrop.

Higher oil supports the argument that investors should own assets outside the fiat system, especially if inflation rises while central banks avoid additional tightening. At the same time, an oil-driven inflation shock can lift the dollar, pressure equity valuations, and reduce liquidity across risk assets.

The first version of that trade helped Bitcoin hold its ground on Friday. The second remains the main risk for traders looking for a clean break above $80,000.

Futures traders drive the move

The strongest part of Bitcoin’s rally in this market resilience came from derivatives.

CryptoQuant data showed that Bitcoin’s Thursday surge from $76,351 to $79,447 was driven mainly by futures activity.

According to the firm, open interest climbed from about $24.88 billion to nearly $28 billion as the price moved higher, a pattern that points to leveraged positioning rather than a broad spot-market bid.

The rally forced a large exit from bearish positions. Bitcoin short liquidations reached about $607.9 million, while Ethereum short liquidations totaled about $581 million. Across the two assets, short liquidations totaled nearly $1.19 billion.

Long liquidations were much smaller. Bitcoin long liquidations totaled about $12.8 million, while Ether long liquidations reached about $98.5 million. Combined long liquidations totaled nearly $111.4 million.

That imbalance explains the speed of the move. Traders who had built short exposure into the March and April weakness were forced to buy back positions as Bitcoin broke higher. The buying added fuel to the rally, pushing the price quickly toward $79,000.

Alphractal data had flagged the same pressure before the move. Bitcoin perpetual futures funding had stayed negative on a 30-day average basis for 46 straight days, while open interest rose about 12% over that period.

This negative funding means bearish traders were paying to keep positions open, a crowded setup that can unravel quickly when the price turns.

The squeeze gave Bitcoin momentum, though it also raised the bar for follow-through. A derivatives-led rally can extend if spot buyers step in after the breakout. Without that confirmation, the move can fade once forced buying slows.

Options market stays cautious

Meanwhile, options traders are giving Bitcoin room to rise without showing the kind of aggressive upside chasing that often marks overheated conditions.

Greeks.live data showed that 109,000 Bitcoin options expired Friday with a put-call ratio of 0.93, a max pain level of $72,000, and a notional value of $8.55 billion.

The firm said 25% of open options were set to expire in the monthly settlement, with 12% of open interest maturing at the end of May and 24% at the end of June.

Bitcoin’s implied volatility has continued to fall across major maturities, with several tenors slipping by 1 to 2 percentage points and moving below 40%. Skew metrics have also pulled back, signaling that the rebound has not been dominated by panic buying of upside exposure.

That leaves Bitcoin in a steadier position than the size of the short squeeze might suggest. Traders are not ignoring the rally, but they are not aggressively paying for calls.

Essentially, the options market is leaving space for a continuation while still pricing the risk that oil, the dollar and Fed expectations can interrupt the move.

However, Andre Dragosch, Bitwise Europe’s head of research, noted that several macro forces still favor Bitcoin. He pointed to fading recession risks, declining real interest rates if the Fed stays on hold while inflation rises, and a large gap between Bitcoin and global money supply trends.

In that framework, financial repression remains one of the strongest environments for the asset.

That view has gained traction as oil’s rally places the Fed in a narrower lane. If policymakers cut rates while energy prices remain elevated, real yields could fall, strengthening Bitcoin’s appeal.

On the other hand, if policymakers stay restrictive to contain inflation expectations, Bitcoin’s April rebound could face the same pressure that weighed on the asset earlier this year.

For now, traders are treating $78,000 as the first line of evidence. Holding that level through an oil spike, a firmer dollar, and weaker equities suggests demand has improved. However, a failed push through $80,000 would leave the move vulnerable to the same macro forces that drove previous pullbacks.

The post Bitcoin ends week resilient around $78,000 as Trump’s new rhetoric sent oil price back above $100 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

A researcher has made a small but notable step toward breaking the cryptography that secures Bitcoin, but the claim has already sparked pushback over how meaningful the result really is.

Project Eleven said it awarded a 1 BTC “Q-Day Prize” to Giancarlo Lelli for deriving a private key from a public key using a quantum computer. 

A Tiny Quantum Break, a Big Debate Over What It Proves

The test used a 15-bit elliptic curve, far smaller than the 256-bit standard used by Bitcoin and most blockchains.

The firm described the result as the largest public demonstration yet of a quantum attack on elliptic curve cryptography. It said the work shows the threat is moving from theory into early execution.

However, the scale gap remains large. A 15-bit key has a search space of just over 32,000 possibilities. Bitcoin’s security relies on numbers so large they cannot be brute-forced with current machines.

Critics quickly challenged the claim. A community note on the announcement argued the method relied heavily on classical verification, not purely quantum computation. 

In simple terms, the quantum system may not have done the hardest part of the attack on its own.

That distinction matters. True quantum attacks would use Shor’s algorithm to efficiently solve problems that secure digital signatures. Partial or hybrid approaches do not yet prove that capability at scale.

Still, the result adds to a pattern. Earlier demonstrations broke even smaller keys. At the same time, research suggests the hardware required to attack real-world cryptography may be lower than previously thought.

For Bitcoin, there is no immediate risk. Yet the debate highlights a longer-term issue. Upgrading cryptography across decentralized networks is slow and complex, even if safer alternatives already exist.

For now, the takeaway is narrow. Quantum progress is real, but its practical impact remains distant—and contested.

The post New Quantum Break Claim Sparks Bitcoin Security Debate appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Agentic finance is gaining serious traction. AI agents are no longer just drafting reports or surfacing ideas. They are placing trades, settling payments, and transacting on behalf of users and enterprises. The pace has accelerated sharply in 2026.

As adoption scales, Jody Mettler, COO of BitGo, says that from an institutional standpoint, four controls must be in place for agentic transactions.

Agentic Finance Arrives From Every Direction

Recent weeks have seen a wave of agentic AI launches pushing autonomous systems closer to live financial activity. Most recently, Coinbase’s x402 launched Agentic.market.

It is a marketplace and discovery layer for the x402 agentic commerce ecosystem, letting humans browse services via a web UI and AI agents autonomously find and integrate them through an MCP interface, with semantic search, live metrics, and no accounts required.

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Furthermore, enterprise software firm Aptean previewed AppCentral. This brings 10 AI agents to Microsoft Dynamics 365 customers across finance, supply chain, procurement, and production.

Basware has launched AI agents within its Invoice Lifecycle Management Platform, harnessing Agentic AI to transform invoice processing and bring fully autonomous accounts payable within reach.

“The future involves Agentic Finance, where AI entities transact on behalf of the enterprise to drive faster, smarter decisions and real business outcomes. This is the future we are creating at Basware and preparing our customers for today,” Basware’s CEO Jason Kurtz said.

Last month, Bybit rolled out the Bybit AI Trading Skill Hub, featuring 253 APIs. It delivers an all-in-one AI trading experience spanning market data, spot and derivatives trading, and account and asset management.

BitGo itself shipped the Model Context Protocol (“MCP”) server on March 23, giving AI development tools direct access to its documentation and APIs.

These launches collectively highlight a clear shift: agentic AI is moving from experimentation into real financial and commercial infrastructure, with autonomous agents now being positioned to transact, trade, and operate on behalf of businesses.

Meanwhile, a recent survey adds crucial demand-side evidence to the wave of agentic AI launches. NVIDIA’s sixth annual State of AI in Financial Services 2026 report, based on 800+ industry professionals, found that 65% of firms are actively using AI (up from 45% a year earlier).

In addition, 42% are using or assessing agentic AI, and 21% have already deployed AI agents. 

“Agentic AI systems can now autonomously route transactions to the most optimized payment networks, dynamically adjust retry logic based on real-time issuer signals, and make routing decisions under 200-millisecond routing that traditional rule-based systems simply can’t match. What makes this compelling is that every basis point improvement in authorization rates translates directly to revenue — there’s no ambiguity in measurement,” Dwayne Gefferie, payments strategist at Gefferie Group, said.

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Key Pillars for Institutional Agentic Finance

In an interview with BeInCrypto, Mettler welcomed the innovation but drew a sharp line on risk. From an institutional standpoint, she argued, agentic transactions demand specific controls to avoid becoming a “wild west.”

“While we’re looking at this and we are absolutely excited about what the future can hold here… we don’t want a financial crisis to happen because it’s just the wild west. So, there needs to be controls around it,” she said.

The first is identity. Institutions need to know who or what stands behind each agent acting on their systems. The second is permissions. Every agent needs limits on what it can access, authorize, or execute.

The third is policy and approval logic. Rules must govern which actions run autonomously and which require human sign-off. The fourth is auditability. A traceable record of every agent decision lets institutions and regulators reconstruct what happened if something goes wrong.

“Everybody’s entering into this era with some measured optimism, right? We need to look into it with where it can take us from a financial infrastructure standpoint, but also about the controls that you still need to have behind it,” she added.

As agentic finance scales, these four controls are likely to become the benchmark against which new systems are evaluated.

The post BitGo Outlines Four Controls as AI Agents Move Into Institutional Finance appeared first on BeInCrypto.

The Hedera crypto has been stuck in a tight range lately, showing little signs of recovery. Although the HBAR price action may seem stable at first glance, there are growing signs that pressure is building beneath the surface. Several underlying risks are beginning to stack up, hinting that this quiet phase may not last for long.

One of the biggest concerns is the upcoming token unlock event. A large number of Hedera tokens is set to be released into circulation. At the same time, investor interest appears to be cooling, with ETF inflows slowing and overall network activity losing steam. Together, these factors are raising doubts about HBAR’s ability to hold its current range. It points towards a possible downside move if conditions don’t improve.

HBAR Price Faces Major Token Unlock Pressure

Notably, Hedera crypto is entering a crucial phase as a large number of HBAR tokens are set to be unlocked. With nearly 4 billion tokens expected to be released this quarter, the increase in supply is raising concerns among traders. Even though these tokens are part of the ecosystem’s long-term growth plans, such a sharp rise in circulating supply often puts pressure on the token prices.

Right now, the HBAR price HBAR0.73% is holding steady just above $0.091 after recovering from its recent lows. As of press time, the token is valued at $0.09100, with marginal hikes of 0.7% in a day and 1.12% in a week. The trading volume is also positive, with 13% surge in the last 24 hours.

But this stability could be tested as the unlock progresses. When more tokens become available, it can lead to increased selling pressure. Especially, early holders or participants who intend to take profits may largely sell their tokens. This may lead to potential declines in the HBAR price.

Another major challenge is the significant fall in investor demand. Over the past few months, the inflow into HBAR ETFs has slowed noticeably, signalling reduced interest from institutional players.

HBAR’s Past Unlock Sparks Bullish Hopes

At the same time, there is a sense of cautious optimism. A similar token unlock in the past was followed by a strong HBAR price rally. This gives investors some hope that history could repeat itself. Analyst ALLINCRYPTO shared an X post, citing,

“$HBAR holders are worried over the 8% unlock coming this quarter which is one of the biggest it has faced. However, the last time there was an 8% token release (Q4 2024). $HBAR had ONE OF IT’S BIGGEST EVER PRICE SPIKES OF ALMOST 700%!!!!!”

Technical Patterns Signal More Downward Risk

It is worth noting that the HBAR price has been on a steady decline over the past few months, falling from around $0.40 in January last year to $0.09 now. This consistent drop shows that the overall trend has remained weak, with sellers continuing to dominate the market. Even though there have been brief periods of stability, the bigger picture still points to a bearish trend.

From a technical perspective, things don’t look very strong. HBAR is currently trading below all its key moving averages. This usually signals that downward momentum is still in play. The chart also hints at a double-top pattern, a setup that often appears before further declines.

The Sui price is facing significant downward pressure this week, even as the network delivers one of the most active periods of growth and innovation. From expanding real-world payments to pushing deeper into AI and decentralized finance, the ecosystem is moving quickly. But the Sui price response has remained silent so far.

Despite the Sui price dip, the momentum around the network hasn’t slowed. A series of major integrations, including its upcoming Miami showcase, is keeping attention firmly. Now, traders and analysts believe that these developments will eventually lead to a price recovery.

Sui Price Under Pressure Today

Currently, the SUI price is experiencing a negative trend despite major developments within the ecosystem. As of press time, SUI is valued at $0.9508, up by a marginal 0.65% in a day. Over the past week, the cryptocurrency has fallen by nearly 5%, showing a notable downward trend.

This decline aligns with the broader crypto market trend, where major coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP are losing their momentum. This is mainly due to the ongoing global conditions, defined by escalating US-Iran tensions and rising oil prices.

Amid these issues, investors are taking a cautious stance, moving their funds from risky assets like Sui to safe-haven assets. This is evident in the lack of sufficient activity in the market. Over the past 24-hours, the trading volume of Sui has plummeted by about 21%, reaching $232.21 million. This indicates that the traders remain inactive, waiting for strong catalysts for the Sui price’s potential journey.

Sui Ecosystem Growth Accelerates Despite Price Dip

The Sui network is expanding at a rapid pace despite the negative sentiment surrounding the token. Over the past week, the network has rolled out a series of major updates across payments, AI, DeFi, and trading. Revealing these major developments, the Sui network took to X earlier today. This signals strong underlying growth and increasing real-world utility.

Integration with RedotPay

One of the biggest developments came through Sui’s integration with RedotPay. This move allows users to spend SUI crypto at over 130 million merchants worldwide. It marks a major milestone towards everyday adoption, positioning Sui as more than just a speculative asset.

AI-Powered Prediction Market Tools by Beep

A new advancement includes the use of AI-based prediction market tools developed by Beep. This provides a much better approach for users to engage in the prediction markets. It is one of the trends being witnessed, where there is an intersection between artificial intelligence and decentralised finance. 

AI-Based Trading Engine Launched by WaterX

Continuing with the trend of AI and DeFi meeting in one application, WaterX is gearing up for the launch of an AI-native trading engine on Sui. The platform aims to automate and enhance trading decisions using AI. This potentially improves efficiency and attracts a new wave of users interested in intelligent trading systems. 

Astros Perpetual Markets

In derivatives trading, Astros has introduced perpetual markets tied to major private companies like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic. This gives users indirect exposure to high-value firms that are typically inaccessible without traditional financial intermediaries.

Turbos Finance Soars Past $10B

Another major milestone is the massive growth of Turbos Finance. Turbos surpassed $10 billion in cumulative trading volume. This highlights its significance as a liquidity hub within the Sui ecosystem. This milestone reflects increased user activity and trust in the platform’s DeFi infrastructure.

Major Global Events

The Sui network has also strengthened its global presence through major events in Hong Kong. This includes Web3 Festival and Sui Connect. Building on this momentum, the platform is preparing for its upcoming Sui Live event in Miami on May 7. This event is expected to further highlight its ecosystem growth.

Following the drawdown from 2025, the XRP price has dropped by more than 50% from its cycle peak to struggle below $1.5. With the recent recovery, there has been some improvement in the price action, but the sustainability of the rally remains to be seen. As the sideways action continues, the question now remains if the XRP price will be able to hit $3 again in 2026, which would be an over 100% increase from its current levels.

XRP Price Will Not Go Above $2.3

The Crypto Predictions website shows the possible trajectories for digital assets, and the predictions for the XRP price are not especially bullish. While there is expected to be some increase in the XRP price, there is no major surge coming for the cryptocurrency.

Instead of a sustained increase, the prediction shows fluctuating price performances for the coin. For example, the prediction shows that the maximum price that XRP will reach in the month of April is $2.277, and interestingly, this is the highest level predicted for the year 2026.

While there is the expectation that the price will reach above $2, the average price prediction comes down to the fact that XRP will continue to trend below $2. Double-digit increases is likely as the price is expected to sit higher than where it currently is. However, there is no indication that there will be a rally above $3.

CoinCodex Prediction Shows Similar Trajectory

Just like the Crypto Predictions website, the CoinCodex website forecasts that it is unlikely that the XRP price will hit $3 in the year 2026. The next few months are expected to be slightly bullish, showing possible double-digit predictions that will send it higher. But the majority of the predictions still remain below $2.

However, as the year moves toward an end, the CoinCodex website shows that the XRP price will eventually reach above $2, to possibly top out at a max price of $2.25. This would be a 57.28% increase compared to where the cryptocurrency is currently trading.

As for when the XRP price might reach $3, the website says it might be a long wait, showing a two-year stretch until 2028. Then, at the start of 2028, in January, the XRP price is expected to possibly cross $3 to a max price of $3.39. But the rest of the year is expected to play out below $3.

XRP is trading near the top of its month-long consolidation band, with the price stuck between roughly $1.35 and $1.45. With April nearing its end—just six days left until the month closes—will the XRP price break upward before the deadline, or will it slip lower and trigger a faster downside move?

Monthly Breakout Or Breakdown?

In a fresh technical update shared on social media, analyst Bull Winkle says the next major confirmation for the XRP price will come from how it behaves on the monthly time frame. According to Winkle, bulls need a monthly close above $1.90. 

He frames that level as more than just a random resistance area, describing it as a demand-zone “hold” signal and also a reclaim of the 2021 resistance level, now acting as support. 

If the XRP price can clear $1.90 on a monthly close, Winkle argues it would set the stage for retests higher up the chart—specifically opening the door to $2.90 revisits.

That bullish scenario includes a significant recovery math. If the XRP price climbs toward $1.90 ahead of April’s close from current trading levels of $1.43, it would represent about a 32% recovery. Additionally, a potential rally of 102% up to the $2.90 area.

On the other side, Winkle lays out what would count as a clear breakdown for bears. He says the most decisive bearish signal would be a monthly close below $1.27. 

In his view, that would open the path for a faster move toward $1, with the potential for an Elliott Wave C-style correction that could land the XRP price in the broader $0.60 to $0.75 range. That bearish estimate would be severe: it could equate to around a 58% decline from the current trading zone.

What The XRP Price Needs Next

While those price levels are the headline, Winkle also emphasized momentum context using the relative strength index (RSI) indicator. 

He notes that at 47, the monthly RSI is not showing divergence in either direction yet. For him, that means the market has not reached a point where the next move is fully “high conviction” on the monthly setup. 

Instead, the RSI needs to do something more decisive—either bouncing strongly above 55 to confirm a bullish phase, or pressing below 40 with a trajectory toward the 30 area, which he describes as a capitulation-type bottom.

That brings the focus to the immediate battleground. Winkle’s summary of where the XRP price stands is straightforward: the $1.27 to $1.43 range is where the outcome is likely being decided.

Beyond the chart levels and RSI, Winkle pointed to a separate signal he believes is already strengthening the case for a potential upside leg—something supply-side, rather than purely technical. 

In another post, he highlighted that “seven billion XRP just vanished from exchanges,” claiming this exchange outflow matters because when the altcoin sits on exchanges, it represents liquid, sell-side supply that can be sold at any moment. 

Once that supply leaves—whether to cold wallets, institutional custody, or longer-term holding structures—he argues the immediate downward pressure for the XRP price can ease.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com