Cryptocurrency
Pro-XRP Lawyer Claims the SEC ‘Played Dirty’ in the Lawsuit Against Ripple: Details
TL;DR
- Ripple’s lawsuit with the SEC remains unresolved, with the agency accused of unethical tactics, including harassing the company’s CEO.
- Pro-crypto SEC leadership changes could favor Ripple, though the case’s complexity calls for cautious optimism.
The SEC Pushed ‘Ethical Limits’
The legal tussle between Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is among the most intriguing topics in the crypto space. It all started in December 2020 when the agency sued the company, its CEO Brad Garlinghouse, and co-founder Chris Larsen, accusing them of illegally raising more than $1.3 billion in an unregistered securities offering by selling XRP.
The two entities have been throwing punches at each other in the following years, and despite the numerous developments and court rulings, the case remains ongoing.
According to John Deaton (an American lawyer representing thousands of XRP investors in the aforementioned lawsuit), the SEC “played dirty” and pushed “ethical limits” in the process. He claimed that the Commission’s attorneys “engaged in abusive discovery tactics, threatening and harassing Ripple’s overseas customers, investors, and partners.”
“Despite having the records of every XRP transaction made by Garlinghouse, the SEC attempted to subpoena all of Brad’s, and his family’s, personal financial records, including credit card statements. It was an attempt to bully, threaten, and coerce Garlinghouse (and Ripple) into submitting to the all powerful SEC,” he added.
Deaton, though, maintained that the company’s CEO endured the pressure, fought back “every step of the way,” and eventually won.
“I love America because two years and one Presidential election later, the future couldn’t look more bright for an industry, company and CEO,” the lawyer concluded.
It is worth mentioning that Deaton’s post was accompanied by a photo of Garlinghouse, the newly elected president of the USA, Donald Trump, and Ripple’s CTO Stuart Alderoty, who recently had dinner together. The XRP army interpreted this gathering as good news for the firm’s potential growth in the near future and the performance of its native token.
Earlier this month, Garlinghouse credited the substantial resurgence of the cryptocurrency market to Donald Trump’s win in the presidential elections. He said Ripple signed more US deals in the final six weeks of the year than in the previous six months, while 75% of the firm’s open positions are now based in America.
Has Ripple Won the Case?
While the company notched several partial court wins, a final resolution of the lawsuit has yet to be seen. Last summer, Judge Analisa Torres ordered Ripple to pay a $125 million civil penalty for violating federal securities laws through its institutional sales of XRP.
It is important to note that in 2023, the same magistrate found that the firm’s programmatic sales of XRP to retail clients through centralized exchanges did not breach the rules.
Ripple respected the decision and was ready to pay the fine. After all, it represented just a fraction of the $2 billion the SEC initially requested.
However, the watchdog officially appealed in October, delaying the outcome indefinitely. The upcoming changes in the SEC’s leadership, such as replacing Chairman Gary Gensler with the pro-crypto Paul Atkins, may result in a favorable resolution for Ripple. The XRP army, though, should have somewhat realistic hopes, considering the complexity of the entire legal process.
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Cryptocurrency
US Entities’ Bitcoin Holdings Reach Massive Record: Details
The US entities’ share of global Bitcoin reserves has reached an all-time high amidst increasing confidence in the asset class. The figure is now 65% higher than non-US entities, according to CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju.
This milestone is based on an analysis of Bitcoin holdings by identifiable US entities – including miners, MicroStrategy (MSTR), ETFs, exchanges, and government accounts – compared to known offshore counterparts.
Institutional Demand Pushes US Bitcoin Reserve Ratio to ATH
As per the infographic shared by the exec, the ratio of US to non-US Bitcoin reserves has seen a sharp increase as it rose from 1.24 in September 2024 to 1.66 by December 16 and maintained a level of 1.65 as of January 6, 2025. This shift follows a period in 2023 when offshore holdings predominated while Bitcoin traded under $30,000.
U.S. entities’ #Bitcoin reserve share hit ATH, now 65% higher than non-U.S. entities. pic.twitter.com/SSgotY6RL8
— Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) January 9, 2025
The recent surge in US-based Bitcoin reserves aligns with key events. This includes pro-crypto Donald Trump’s re-election and his proposal to establish a national strategic Bitcoin reserve, which coincided with the leading crypto asset’s surge to an all-time high above $108,000.
Institutional interest has also surged, as evidenced by spot Bitcoin ETFs experiencing record inflows and trading volumes alongside MicroStrategy’s ongoing accumulation.
The latter currently holds 447,470 BTC after its latest purchase of 1,070 BTC. The company also announced plans to raise $42 billion over three years to expand its Bitcoin portfolio.
Several companies have followed MicroStrategy’s footsteps. Despite the minor slump in the market, small entities in the country remained committed to Bitcoin. For instance, this week, Thumzup Media Corporation, known for its expertise in social media branding and marketing, purchased 9.783 BTC for approximately $1 million.
The company entered the Bitcoin market for the first time in November 2024, shortly after Trump’s election win. During the same period, Solidion Technology, specializing in battery materials, revealed its intention to invest a portion of its cash reserves in Bitcoin. Genius Group quickly followed, rolling out a Bitcoin-focused initiative and committing $120 million to the digital asset.
Global Governments and Corporations Ramp Up Interest
These developments have sparked interest among non-US entities and governments in building their own strategic Bitcoin reserves. The most prominent example of this is the Japanese venture capital fund Metaplanet, which has set a target of 10,000 BTC as part of its 2025 vision.
Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich recently even predicted a global rush for BTC reserves if Trump establishes a US strategic Bitcoin reserve. The exec said that Japan and other Asian countries would likely follow the US lead, viewing Bitcoin as a strategic national asset.
He highlighted growing corporate and governmental interest in BTC and added that such trends with principles in “The Bitcoin Standard.” Gerovich also noted that Trump’s reserve strategy could also inspire third-world countries to adopt Bitcoin to stabilize their currencies.
Governments around the world are already considering Bitcoin as a reserve asset. Czech National Bank Governor Aleš Michl, for one, proposed acquiring Bitcoin for diversification in a bid to join the likes of Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong in exploring crypto reserves.
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Cryptocurrency
These Altcoins Bleed Out as Bitcoin (BTC) Slips Below $93K (Market Watch)
Bitcoin just doesn’t seem to be able to catch a break, as the asset slipped below $93,000 on a couple of occasions in the past 12 hours or so.
Many altcoins are also in dire situations, with notable price losses from the likes of DOGE, ADA, AVAX, LINK, and others.
BTC’s Troubles Keep Mounting
It was just about 48 hours ago when the primary cryptocurrency was charting new yearly peaks. Recall that the asset had climbed above $102,000 after a relatively quiet weekend amid growing ETF inflows, but then the landscape changed after the US announced the latest jobs report.
In a matter of minutes, the cryptocurrency plunged from six-digit territory to under $97,000 on Tuesday afternoon. The situation worsened on Wednesday as the bears kept pushing BTC south, which culminated in a price drop to $92,500 (on Bitstamp). After that weekly low, bitcoin bounced off and touched $95,000, but that was short-lived as the ETF flows turned negative, with nearly $600 million in the red.
As the Thursday Asian trading session progressed, BTC dropped once again to under $93,000. Although it sits just above that line now, the asset has lost nearly ten grand since Tuesday morning.
Its market cap has plummeted below $1.850 trillion but its dominance over the alts stands tall above 54% on CG.
ADA Down 8.5%
The altcoins are in no better shape, especially Cardano’s native token. ADA has plunged by more than 8% in the past 24 hours and has lost the $1 mark. DOGE, AVAX, LINK, and XLM are the other massive losers within the same time frame, with declines of up to 7%.
Nevertheless, the biggest and most painful decreases are evident from AI16Z and WIF. Both assets have tumbled by double digits (19% and $14%, respectively) to $1.47 and $1.62.
The cumulative market cap of all crypto assets has lost over $350 billion in two days and is down to $3.4 trillion on CG.
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Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
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Cryptocurrency
Top Cardano (ADA) Price Forecasts: Further Decline or a Rise to a New ATH?
TL;DR
- Analysts highlight a potential breakout for ADA, supported by bullish chart patterns and upcoming developments for Cardano.
- However, recent whale sales of millions of tokens could negatively affect the price.
The Bullish Scenario
Despite the solid start to the year, the past few days have not been kind to the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has plummeted by around 9% on a 48-hour scale, while numerous altcoins have suffered even more substantial declines.
Cardano’s ADA is one of those, with its valuation dumping by 20% since January 7. Currently, it trades at around $0.91 (per CoinGecko’s data), while its market capitalization fell well below $35 billion.
The popular X user Dan Gambardello, though, remains an optimist. Recently, he claimed that ADA has “one of the most bullish weekly pattern setups in crypto,” which represents an “inverse head and shoulders with upward sloping neckline.” Gambradello assumed that a breakout to the upside could result in a price rally to as high as $7.
Altcoin Daily chipped in, too. At the start of the year, they outlined bullish predictions about multiple cryptocurrencies, envisioning ADA’s valuation to hit $6.45 sometime in 2025. It is worth mentioning that the analyst said this target should not be taken for granted, suggesting that “any altcoin can theoretically go to zero at any time.“ They also warned people to invest only as much as they are ready to lose.
Meanwhile, Cardano is set to undergo some essential developments in the next 12 months that could trigger upward pressure on the price of the native token. Those willing to check what’s on the agenda can take a look at our dedicated video below:
How About a Further Pullback?
Contrary to the aforementioned bullish predictions, some factors signal that ADA could continue plunging in the near future. Earlier this week, the X user Ali Martinez revealed that whales have sold over 70 million tokens in the span of 48 hours.
Such actions from large investors increase the circulating supply of ADA and could be followed by a price decline (assuming demand doesn’t catch up with the pace). Additionally, the move may discourage smaller players and trigger a more substantial selling spree.
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