CME Group set to debut Solana futures after early leak hints at XRP, SOL futures products
CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, announced today it will debut Solana (SOL) futures on March 17, subject to regulatory review. The move confirms in part information from an earlier leak on the exchange’s staging website, which suggested XRP and Solana futures would launch on Feb. 10.
At the time, CME clarified that the leaked information was an error and no decisions had been made regarding XRP or SOL futures.
“With the launch of our new SOL futures contracts, we are responding to increasing client demand for a broader set of regulated products to manage cryptocurrency price risk,” said Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group.
The contracts will be cash-settled based on the CME CF Solana-Dollar Reference Rate, calculated daily at 4:00 p.m. London time. The new offering joins CME’s existing crypto product suite, which includes Bitcoin and Ether futures and options futures.
The company’s crypto trading metrics show year-to-date average daily volume of 202,000 contracts, up 73% year-over-year, with average open interest of 243,600 contracts, up 55% year-over-year. More than 11,300 unique accounts are currently trading.
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The price of XRP, the third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has collapsed by roughly 14% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data.
The Ripple-linked cryptocurrency plunged to $2.58 earlier today, reaching its lowest level since Jan. 14. Analyst Timothy Sykes says that crypto markets are down since they are open during the weekend due to the ongoing current trade tensions. He expects the leading US stock market indexes to "get wrecked" as well on Monday.
Trump Solana Meme Coin Trading Volume Has Collapsed Since Inauguration Day
President Donald Trump’s meme coin drop on Solana was the biggest thing in crypto just under two weeks ago, but both the price and daily trading volume tallies have fallen substantially in recent days. And among remaining Official Trump (TRUMP) holders, it appears some may have grown tired of “winning.” Despite listings from popular trading venues like Robinhood, Binance, and Coinbase, TRUMP’s trading volume has been on the decline. The meme coin saw $36 billion worth of trading volume alongside Trump’s inauguration on January 20, but that daily mark fell by 90% to $3.5 billion on Wednesday. The price has similarly been depressed, with the coin sitting at a current mark of $26.80. That's down 64% from the peak, and remains close to the lowest price registered since Trump's inauguration. Because centralized exchanges don’t often keep user funds siloed across wallets, it’s difficult to get an accurate picture of how TRUMP’s distribution has shifted during its two-week history.
Trump names crypto-friendly SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda as acting chair as Gensler departs
President Donald Trump has picked Mark Uyeda, one of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's top officials, to lead the agency until a permanent chair is confirmed. Hours after his inauguration, Trump tapped the Republican SEC commissioner to chair the agency in the interim until a permanent chair is put in place. Mark T. Uyeda has has been critical of the SEC's crypto approach under former Chair Gary Gensler, calling its enforcement "poorly conceived crypto policy" and called for more clarity in how crypto is regulated. "The environment we have created for the crypto asset markets, especially as it relates to secondary trading, is untenable," Uyeda and fellow Republican SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said in a speech in March. The SEC is set to have a regulatory shift for crypto following Gensler's exit and as it forges on with a Republican majority. Both Peirce and Uyeda are weighing whether to start a process that could lead to more clarity on how the SEC views crypto and could decide to review pending enforcement cases, which could all begin very soon, Reuters reported last week.
Coinbase users complained of hours-long delays on Solana transactions as network congestion tied to US President Donald Trump’s Jan. 18 memecoin launch impacted the cryptocurrency exchange. The crypto exchange’s “team is working hard on scaling our Solana infra now,” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said in a Jan. 19 post on the X platform. “Lots of Solana activity last few days, we were not anticipating this level of surge,” Armstrong added. Solana users were experiencing network difficulties following the recent memecoin launches by Trump and his wife, Melania, ahead of the official presidential inauguration on Jan. 20.
The cryptocurrency market is witnessing a downturn as Bitcoin struggles to hold its ground after reaching near its all-time high. The overall crypto market capitalization has fallen by around 4%, now sitting at approximately $3.54 trillion. Let’s dive into the factors driving this decline. Trumps Accused of Pump and Dump Scheme One key event shaking the market involves accusations against Donald Trump and his team regarding a “pump and dump” scheme. Over the weekend, Trump-backed memecoins, including the Official Trump (TRUMP) token and Melania Trump’s self-branded memecoin, launched and soared in value. Together, these tokens reached a combined market cap of over $15 billion. However, critics have accused the Trump family of manipulating the market for personal gain, which has created uncertainty among investors. Profit-Taking Hits Bitcoin Bitcoin, currently trading at $102,484, has seen a minor drop of 2%. This comes after an impressive 10% surge since in the last weeks. However, short-term holders appear to be cashing in on profits, contributing to the current price dip. On-chain data from Santiment reveals that the 7-day Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio is nearing levels where investors typically book profits. Historically, when this indicator’s 7-day moving average (MA) reaches around 3%, a reversal tends to occur. Liquidations Add to the Pressure The market has also experienced heavy liquidations. According to CoinGlass, $1.18 billion worth of positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours as Bitcoin briefly dropped below $100,000. Long traders were hit the hardest, with $921 million in liquidations compared to $260 million in short positions. Binance recorded the largest single liquidation order, valued at $15.24 million. What Next For BTC? Despite the dip, Bitcoin’s breakout above $99,800 is seen as an important step forward. Experts believe the next key level to watch is $105,700. If Bitcoin moves past this, it could lead to higher prices.
Crypto Trader Predicts Massive Rallies for Chainlink (LINK) and Cardano (ADA)
A closely followed crypto analyst thinks that huge upside bursts are in the cards for Chainlink (LINK) and Cardano (ADA). Crypto strategist Ali Martinez tells his 115,00 followers on the social media platform X that the native asset of the decentralized oracle Chainlink appears to have broken out of a bull flag on the four-hour chart. A bull flag is often viewed as a bullish continuation pattern, suggesting that an asset is taking a break before moving higher. Says Martinez, “Chainlink LINK is breaking out of a bullish flag, targeting $50!”
Metropolis Aims To Make It Cheap And Easy To Build Small Blockchains For AI Agents to Flourish
Are blockchains and AI agents a match made in heaven? A new protocol called Metropolis hopes to perfect that hybrid by using AI agents to cheaply and easily create small, purpose-built, interconnected blockchains called “chainlets” that, in turn, provide ideal environments for AI agents to interact and create a profusion of new services. The project, which launches in the spring, was put together by layer-one blockchain developer Saga in collaboration with AI-powered DAO ai16z, AI agent developers Virtuals, and AI-focused omni-chain developer Wayfinder. “Metropolis is specifically designed for AI agents,” Saga CEO Rebecca Liao told Decrypt, adding that it “is a specialized protocol that allows AI agents from multiple agent protocols like ai16z, Wayfinder and Virtuals to speak to one another on the same chain and to establish and operate their own blockchain networks within Saga's infrastructure.” For instance, Ai16z’s ElizaOS will power advanced AI functionalities for cross-chain interactions. Virtuals’ “Butler Agent” will offer hosted wallets and pre-coded functions for deploying applications like memecoins or prediction markets. And Wayfinder’s multi-chain AI agent framework will provide tools for deploying smart contracts and navigating ecosystems.
Biggest Bitcoin (BTC) Price Test Incoming, XRP Remains Dominant: Eyes For $3.5, 45% Solana (SOL) Pump Might Be Only Beginning :
With a recent break above a crucial resistance level close to $102,000 Bitcoin is still gaining ground. Although this move suggests that the asset is once again strong a significant test is still ahead as Bitcoin gets closer to a crucial psychological and technical barrier at $105,000. A favorable macro environment and rising trading volumes have helped Bitcoin maintain its upward trend over the past week. BTC is reclaiming the 50, 100 and 200 EMA's on the daily chart indicating that the bullish trend is still in place. With an RSI of 63 the market is showing moderate strength but still has room to rise before reaching overbought territory. The $105,000 mark is a formidable obstacle.
Donald Trump takes credit for surging stock market and bitcoin all-time highs: 'The Trump effect' :
President-elect Donald Trump has taken credit for the surging stock market and bitcoin's recent all-time highs in his final speech ahead of his inauguration. "You are already seeing results that nobody expected to see," Donald Trump said at the rally before reluctantly calling it the 'Trump effect'. "Since the election, the stock market has surged and small business optimism has soared a record 41 points to a 39-year high. Bitcoin has shattered one record high after another." The stock market continued to rally over the last year, reaching highs in early December shortly after the election. The S&P500 saw a peak valuation of 6,090 on Dec. 11, while the Nasdaq reached its high of 20,204 on Dec. 16. As for bitcoin, it similarly peaked in early December, setting an all-time high of $107,000 on Dec. 17. Over the next few weeks it fell as low as $90,000 before rebounding above $100,000. However, over the last few hours — in the wake of MELANIA's launch — the price of bitcoin has dropped to $101,000.
Donald Trump And JD Vance's Official Portraits: Mugshot Meme Vs Smiling Boy Scout?
President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming VP JD Vance debuted their new presidential and vice presidential portraits last week and, well, they could not have been more different. Daniel Torok, the President-elect's chief photographer, revealed the portraits on X. "We are entering the GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA," Torok wrote. His feed quickly filled up with hilarious commentary comparing and contrasting Trump and Vance as mafia don to blue-eyed Boy Scout.
Ross Ulbricht’s odds of Trump pardon hit 82% as Bitcoiners rally behind Silk Road founder
The Bitcoin community believes that Donald Trump will likely pardon Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht once he assumes office. Bitcoiners on the Kalshi prediction market are trading binary options that rate Ross Ulbricht’s chance of receiving a commutation from incoming President Donald Trump at 82%. Trump promised to free Ross Ulbricht during his campaign days Speaking at the Libertarian Party’s National Convention on May 25, 2024, Donald Trump promised to commute the sentence of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht on his first day in office. He made the same promise at the 2024 Bitcoin Conference in July 2024. Bitcoin enthusiasts still believe that Trump will keep his word and release Ross within his first 100 days in office. Bets on Kalshi even put Ross at an 81% chance of a presidential pardon, while on Polymarket’s prediction market, Ross’s odds of a Trump pardon are at 79%. Not to mention, his wife has hinted that Ross is preparing to leave jail soon. She posted on his behalf on his X account, saying:
"For my last monthly resolution of 2024, I intend to study every day and to get up to speed as much as I can as I prepare for freedom." " Ross ".
Ulbricht wrote a letter to Biden asking for a presidential pardon In 2013, Ulbricht was arrested, with officials having to close his Silk Road and seize over 174000 Bitcoin. Ulbricht was then charged with operating a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to money laundering and computer hacking, and identity fraud. In May 2015, he received a life sentence despite pleading for leniency. Years later, Ross wrote to President Joe Biden asking for pardon. He claimed he started the Silk Road with good intentions and simply pushed for his libertarian beliefs. He also promised to remain law-abiding when released. However, President Biden never acted on the letter. Perhaps with Trump, Ross could have a better chance of earning freedom.
Trump’s Memecoin Crashes as His Wife Launches Her Own Coin
Over the weekend, the $TRUMP memecoin, which had captivated the crypto world with its meteoric rise, faced a sharp 40% dip in value on Sunday. The drop followed a social media post of a new memecoin dedicated to his wife, Melania, called $MELANIA. The post was first published on Melania’s profile and the retweeted by the President-elect himself. The token’s value skyrocketed, reaching a fully diluted valuation of $5.69 billion, as per DEXscreener, though its price remains highly volatile. Of the total supply, 45% was allocated to the community for public distribution and liquidity provision on decentralized exchanges. The remaining supply is split between the project treasury, which holds 20%, and the team, receiving 35%.
Google search volumes for the terms "buy crypto" and "buy Solana" SOL$251.30 have surged amid the Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin frenzy, as the buzz generated from the President-elect's Solana-based meme token pulls in non-crypto natives.
According to Google Trends, which ranks search volume on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the highest search volume, both terms have surged to 100. Additionally, search volumes for the terms "Coinbase" and "crypto app" also surged to 100 amid the speculative hype. The launch of the TRUMP memecoin by the incoming President of the United States and the ensuing meteoric price rally sent shockwaves through the crypto world, which garnered a range of reactions from market participants. Google search volumes for “buy crypto” and “buy Solana.” Source: Google Trends (Buy Solana), Google Trends (buy crypto) Related: What the release of Trump's memecoin signals for crypto regulations President Trump's memecoin skyrockets and captures headlines Official Trump launched to initial skepticism from traders, who questioned the authenticity of the memecoin due to the presence of several knock-off Trump-themed tokens. “My NEW Official Trump Meme is HERE! It is time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING! Join my very special Trump Community. GET YOUR TRUMP NOW,” the President-elect wrote on X. Traders questioned whether the message was the result of a social media hack. However, members of the Trump team later confirmed the authenticity of the memecoin — sending the token's price soaring.
Leaders in tech, AI and cryptocurrency make big donations to Trump inauguration
President-elect Trump’s inaugural committee has smashed fundraising records, racking up more than $200 million in pledges. Donations have come from some of the world’s biggest companies, and top tech CEOs will be front and center at the festivities.
XRP whale transfers US$95m ahead of Trump inauguration, rally to US$4 imminent
19th January 2025 – (New York) XRP has experienced a remarkable surge of over 560% since November 2024, recently breaking the $3 threshold for the first time in seven years. As of 19th January, 2025, the cryptocurrency’s market capitalisation has exceeded $180 billion, further solidifying its place in the crypto landscape. On that day, a major transfer of 30 million XRP, valued at approximately $95.5 million, was executed from the South Korean exchange Upbit to an unknown wallet. This transaction has sparked speculation about potential market movements as the approval of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for XRP looms on the horizon. Analysts are closely monitoring XRP’s price action, noting a bullish flag pattern that suggests further upward momentum may be on the cards. According to market expert Ali Martinez, the breakout from this pattern could signal a rise to $4. After briefly peaking at $3.40, XRP retreated to around $3.16. Analysts believe that sustaining a price above $3.40 could indicate the onset of a new rally, while a decline below $2.91 might lead to testing lower support levels. In a broader context, XRP is also trading out of a long-standing symmetrical triangle pattern that began after reaching its all-time high of $3.80 in December 2017. Martinez has set a long-term price target of $15, suggesting that XRP’s recent performance supports the notion of continued growth. However, this optimistic outlook has drawn some scepticism. Critics like crypto commentator Tribal Trader have raised concerns about the feasibility of reaching a $15 target, pointing to the implications for market capitalisation. At that price point, XRP’s market cap would exceed $860 billion, significantly surpassing that of Ethereum. Martinez countered this by highlighting that XRP’s current market cap of $180 billion already surpasses that of financial giant BlackRock.