TL;DR

• Ripple’s cross-border token has recorded a mere 0.5% increase on a weekly scale.
• However, the tightening bands of an important technical tool signal potential turbulence ahead.

Buckle up for Potential Volatility

Ripple’s XRP has been range-bound between $2.04 and $2.18 over the past week, currently hovering at $2.13 (per CoinGecko’s data). One key metric, though, suggests that this more or less calm period could be coming to an end as a major price action may be just around the corner.

The indicator in question is the Bollinger Bands, which, according to popular analyst Ali Martinez, has squeezed on the 4-hour chart. 

The technical tool, developed by John Bollinger in the 1980s, helps traders spot when an asset might be overbought or oversold, thus signaling possible reversal points. When the bands start to tighten, it usually means the token’s price has experienced relatively low volatility for a certain period. But that silence sometimes comes before a storm – either a massive surge or a sharp drop could be next.

The bands squeezed substantially towards the end of December when XRP’s price stood at around $2.10. In the following weeks, the asset experienced a real bull run and almost matched its all-time high.

While the tightening bands might have played their role, it is important to note that the token’s rally coincided with the exponential pump of the entire cryptocurrency market, where bitcoin (BTC) reached a peak of almost $110,000.

The Next Targets?

Some of the well-known analysts who made recent bullish predictions include the X users Brett and Captain Faibik. The former thinks XRP “eyes $2.60 as next frontier,” while the latter set a midterm target of $5.

Captain Faibik also advised investors to increase their exposure, assuming that the next bullish leg “will be explosive.” 

Outside of the aforementioned technical aspects, XRP might need a news catalyst to begin a new bull run. The lawsuit between Ripple and the US SEC seems to be coming to an end, and its future developments are unlikely to cause any major price swings. 

The focus has shifted to the potential approval of a spot XRP ETF in the US, which might drag more investors into the ecosystem and positively impact the asset’s valuation. The prominent entities racing to introduce such a product include Grayscale, 21Shares, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, and others. The chances of a nod from the SEC before the end of 2025 currently stand at roughly 76% (according to Polymarket).

Partnerships, which Ripple might ink in the near future, can also play a positive role. Recall that earlier this month, the company spent over $1.2 billion to acquire prime brokerage giant Hidden Road, which many analysts believe could be a game-changer for XRP’s future price trajectory.

Bitcoin’s good streak as of late continued in the past 24 hours as the asset jumped past $87,500 for just the second time this month.

The altcoins are also with notable gains, led by LINK, AVAX, and XLM from the larger-cap cohort.

BTC Rises Past $87K

Ever since the multi-month low of under $75,000 charted two weeks ago, the primary cryptocurrency has been gradually reclaiming its lost value. It surged past $80,000 at the end of that week (April 11) and hasn’t looked back.

The past trading week went calmly but positively for BTC as it remained within a healthy consolidation range of between $84,000 and $86,000. The weekend was also going quietly until the early Monday Asian trading session changed the landscape.

After sitting at around $84,500 for the past day or so, bitcoin went on the offensive hard and skyrocketed to over $87,600, where it currently stands. This became its highest price tag since April 2, and just the second time this month, the asset has jumped so far ahead. Perhaps one of the reasons behind this is the weakening dollar, more of which you can find here.

For now, though, its market cap has surged to over $1.735 trillion on CG, while its dominance over the alts is back to 61%.

Alts Turn Green

Most altcoins were trading sideways during the weekend as well, but the situation is different now. Ethereum has jumped past the $1,600 resistance and now sits about $50 higher after a 3.3% daily increase. XRP is above $2.1 after a similar jump. DOGE and ADA have marked increases of around 3-4% as well.

Even more impressive daily gains come from the likes of LINK, AVAX, XLM, SUI, HBAR, PEPE, APT, LTC, and others.

The lower-cap alts are led by STX, which has surged by 14% since yesterday, and INJ, which is up by 8%.

The total crypto market cap has added over $80 billion in a day and has increased to $2.855 trillion on CG.

[PRESS RELEASE – Victoria, Seychelles, April 21st, 2025]

MEXC Ventures, has announced a $30 million allocation to support Web3 talent and accelerate innovation across the decentralized ecosystem. The investment initiative foresees a 5-year span and is part of the broader Corporate Social Responsibility effort by MEXC Ventures, “IgniteX,” in line with its global strategy of fostering sustainable blockchains through support and empowerment of young talents.

The purpose of the initiative undertaken by MEXC Ventures is to create a launchpad program that will serve as a hotbed for talent nurturing and idea development. MEXC will work closely with the institute on blockchain development, academic exchanges, and talent cultivation. MEXC Ventures encourages submissions from early-stage Web3 startups, research initiatives, developer communities, and academic institutions working on decentralized infrastructure, AI-integrated blockchain solutions, stablecoins, and fintech tools. MEXC Ventures aims to include mentorship, educational efforts, and funding as part of the program to create a future-ready blockchain ecosystem, thus ensuring a smooth transition for the next generation of users into Web3 and preparing a willing, enthusiastic, and well-trained pool of leaders to develop it further.

The impact-driven campaign will entail a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach that includes several key elements. The foundation will be the $30 million pledge, which will serve to fund education, project support, and development initiatives. The second part of the campaign will focus on organizing hackathons and developer engagement programs in the form of global events to identify and support emerging talents.

Education will form a major part of the campaign, with university scholarships and blockchain courses offered through partnerships with academic institutions. This step is crucial to making blockchain technologies and the underlying coding and programming languages more accessible to a greater number of potential developers and IT students. Mentorship programs will be launched in tandem to make sure talents have access to adequate training, event participation, and the experience of current Web3 leaders.

Lastly, strategic sector support will be implemented to ensure that funding is provided to promising projects. Special focus will be placed on initiatives developing stablecoins, AI-based solutions, and blockchain infrastructure elements.

As a CSR initiative, “IgniteX” adheres to achieving strategic objectives, which are based on building a pipeline of high-potential Web3 startups with early MEXC involvement for future cultivation and capitalization. This will have a positive impact on brand recognition for MEXC and position it as a strategic and valuable contributor to the development of Web3 space. The campaign will also help foster cross-border collaboration among all participants of the blockchain sector and promote diversity and inclusion based on shared blockchain values.

Through “IgniteX”, MEXC Ventures aims to create an impact on the global Web3 ecosystem by empowering potential future leaders and developers through education and responsible mentorship.

About MEXC Ventures

MEXC Ventures is a comprehensive fund dedicated to driving innovation in the cryptocurrency sector through investments in L1/L2 ecosystems, strategic investments, M&A, and incubation. Upholding the principle of “Empowering Growth Through Synergy,” MEXC Ventures is committed to supporting innovative ideas and active builders.

MEXC Ventures is an investor and supporter of TON and Aptos, and looks forward to staying at the forefront of TON and Aptos innovations while actively engaging with builders to drive ecosystem growth.

For more information, users can visit: MEXC Ventures Website