decryptology

Web3 is evolving — and identity is becoming the next major battleground.

When Binance launched BABT (Binance Account Bound Token), it introduced a new concept: a non-transferable NFT that proves you’ve completed KYC. Built on BNB Smart Chain, BABT acts as a digital verification badge tied permanently to your wallet.

But BABT is just one piece of a much bigger movement.

Back in 2022, Vitalik Buterin introduced the idea of Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) — non-transferable tokens designed to represent identity, credentials, and reputation on-chain. The vision? A decentralized society where your wallet becomes your resume.

Other projects are also pushing identity innovation:
• Gitcoin Passport focuses on proof-of-human scoring to prevent Sybil attacks.
• Polygon Labs ID uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify identity while preserving privacy.
So what’s the difference?
BABT represents regulated, exchange-backed identity.
#Gitcoin Passport represents community-based verification.
#Polygon ID represents privacy-first identity infrastructure.
And SBTs represent the broader decentralized vision.
The real question is:
Will Web3 identity be centralized for compliance — or decentralized for freedom?
The race is just getting started. 🚀
$BNB

A new discussion has emerged in the XRP community about whether Ripple Payments is quietly becoming a faster alternative to the global banking messaging giant SWIFT.
In a recent interview, Paul Barron and crypto executive Jake Boyle discussed how Ripple Payments is transforming backend operations for a major brokerage—and what that could mean for XRP holders.
Key Points
Ripple Payments is emerging as a faster alternative to legacy bank rails like SWIFT.Caleb & Brown’s CCO Jake Boyle says the firm now processes hundreds of USD withdrawals in minutes, not hours.High wire fees and slow transfers created friction, but Ripple’s system streamlines backend settlement.Growing adoption of Ripple Payments strengthens XRP’s utility narrative in global finance.
Ripple Payments Provides SWIFT-Like Technology
Jake Boyle, Chief Commercial Officer at Caleb & Brown, confirmed that the firm has integrated Ripple Payments into its operations.

He explained that since launching in 2016, Caleb & Brown has relied on innovative crypto infrastructure for trading and custody. However, like many crypto businesses, it still depended on traditional banking rails for fiat transfers.
That meant wire transfers, $35 fees to send $1,000, and long processing times, all while trying to scale a modern crypto platform. According to Boyle, this disconnect between crypto speed and legacy banking created operational friction.
With Ripple Payments, that friction is shrinking. Boyle described it as “better SWIFT technology.” In his words:
“With Ripple Payments, we’ve been able to capitalize on better SWIFT technology such that our accounting team can just click through and process hundreds and hundreds of U.S. dollar withdrawals in a matter of minutes instead of hours.”
Bridging Crypto Speed and Traditional Banking
Boyle described Ripple Payments as a bridge between the speed of blockchain systems and the reality that U.S. dollars still move through traditional banking networks.
Instead of manually processing withdrawals for hours, the brokerage’s accounting team can now execute hundreds of U.S. dollar withdrawals in minutes.
For customers, whether they hold XRP, Bitcoin, or other assets, the change is simple: funds arrive significantly faster.
During volatile market periods, speed matters. Traders want to move dollars with the same efficiency as crypto. Boyle noted that a $20,000 withdrawal can now arrive much faster than a typical bank wire, improving both customer satisfaction and internal efficiency.
Is Ripple Payments Becoming the “New SWIFT”?
Barron suggested that this infrastructure shift could represent the alternative to SWIFT’s legacy rails that many in the crypto industry have long anticipated.
While SWIFT has been upgrading its own systems, Ripple Payments is offering crypto-native firms a practical solution today.
Rather than replacing banks outright, Ripple’s system works alongside them, enhancing settlement speed and reducing operational bottlenecks.
What This Means for XRP
Although Boyle did not frame the integration as directly impacting XRP’s price, the development strengthens the utility narrative surrounding Ripple’s ecosystem.
Faster fiat settlements, streamlined accounting, and scalable withdrawal systems all contribute to a more efficient cross-border and brokerage infrastructure.
If more financial platforms follow Caleb & Brown’s path, Ripple Payments could become a serious competitor to traditional banking rails, quietly evolving into a modern alternative to SWIFT.
What is your take on this?
#Xrp🔥🔥 $XRP

$XRP
$XRP is showing signs of a major bullish trend according to the latest chart shared by crypto analyst XRP Captain (@UniverseTwenty). The chart projects a $840 price target before the end of the year, highlighting a fractal pattern reminiscent of XRP’s 2017 performance.
Weekly XRP Chart Analysis
- The chart uses weekly candlesticks to display XRP’s price history from 2021 through 2026.
- After a prolonged period of consolidation between 2021 and 2024, XRP experienced a sharp breakout at the end of the year.
- It rose by 500% shortly after the 2024 U.S. election, hitting levels not seen since 2018. The pattern then formed a series of higher highs and higher lows, signaling sustained upward momentum. The most recent data suggests another surge is coming.
- The logarithmic scale emphasizes the magnitude of the potential move. XRP’s current price sits around $1.36, with the chart suggesting that if the trajectory continues, a climb to $840 could occur within the year. The fractal similarity to 2017 implies that past patterns may be repeating, creating strong technical alignment for traders.
Bullish Momentum Indicators
- The weekly chart highlights a compressed price range in the early part of the current cycle.
- XRP Captain notes the fractal resemblance to 2017, implying a structured pattern that favors sharp upward movement.
- The combination of consolidation followed by expansion aligns with a textbook bullish continuation scenario.
- The projected $840 level represents a significant increase from current prices, reflecting a potential rally of more than 60,000% if the pattern completes. Traders watching these signals may interpret the chart as an opportunity to enter or increase positions ahead of the expected move.
Market Context for XRP
- XRP’s performance over the past year has shown periods of both consolidation and rapid price expansion.
- The 2024 breakout created a clear support structure that could serve as a foundation for the next wave.
- The fractal comparison to 2017 emphasizes similar market dynamics at play, including increased liquidity and heightened trading volume.
- Investor sentiment appears aligned with this potential trajectory. The chart’s vertical rise indicates a sharp acceleration phase, which historically accompanies significant adoption or market catalysts.
- XRP Captain’s post highlights the high probability of the scenario, suggesting that momentum could sustain the move toward the $840 target.
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Bitcoin miners are operating under increasing financial strain as network hash rate declines and prices fall, but available data indicate they are not the primary source of recent selling pressure in the market.
Onchain flows suggest that most large-scale miner liquidation occurred several months earlier, with selling activity dropping sharply after October, even as mining conditions continued to deteriorate into early 2026.
This is based on Sandmark analysis of transfers from miner-associated wallets to centralized exchanges, used as a proxy for asset sales, alongside changes in aggregate miner holdings.
The findings indicate that recent price declines are being driven by other sources of supply, rather than large-scale miner capitulation.
Hash rate contraction and operational pressure
The Bitcoin network’s mean hash rate has fallen by more than 20% over the past 90 days, marking the largest absolute hash rate drawdown on record. The decline reflects a significant reduction in active mining capacity, as operators shut down machines or exited the network.
Miners face largely fiat-denominated cost structures, including electricity, hosting and debt servicing. In previous downturns, sustained price weakness and rising costs have often forced miners to sell bitcoin holdings to meet obligations.
Despite these pressures, recent network data shows a disconnect between the declining hash rate and current selling activity, suggesting that forced liquidation has already occurred.
Miner selling peaked in October
Monthly transfers from miner wallets to centralized exchanges show elevated selling volumes in September and October 2025, when flows reached approximately $16.36bn and $17.32bn, respectively.
From November onward, these flows declined sharply. Selling volumes fell to $7.94bn in November, $3.67bn in December and $3.38bn in January. In February 2026, transfers dropped further to around $800mn.
December and January exchange flows were roughly 80%lower than the September to October period, indicating a substantial reduction in miner-driven selling after the autumn.
This timing suggests that many miners liquidated holdings earlier in the cycle, rather than during the most recent phase of market weakness.
Holdings stabilize after crash
Changes in aggregate miner holdings reinforce this pattern. September 2025 shows a net reduction of approximately 11,728 bitcoin across miner wallets, marking the only month with a meaningful decline.
From October onward, holdings were net positive in most months. October saw an increase of more than 31,000 bitcoin, followed by smaller net increases in November and January. February recorded a net increase of around 23,541 #BTC
December was the only exception, with a net reduction of approximately 32,923 bitcoin, though this did not coincide with elevated exchange transfers seen earlier in the year.

Taken together, the data suggests that miners largely cleared inventory during the September to October period and have not been consistent net sellers since, despite worsening operational conditions.