Cryptocurrency
Ripple v. SEC Lawsuit: Here’s What Happened in January

TL;DR
- The SEC doubled down on its appeal against the 2023 ruling favoring Ripple, while the non-profit organization Better Markets sided with the regulator, arguing that XRP is a security.
- With pro-crypto Mark Uyeda replacing Gary Gensler at the SEC, analysts speculate on potential outcomes that could favor Ripple.
The Tussle Goes on
While the lawsuit between Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) started in 2020, its final resolution remains to be seen. The past few years were quite eventful, with numerous developments and partial court wins that seemingly tipped the scales in favor of the company.
The first month of the new year also offered some key updates. In mid-January, the securities regulator officially filed its first opening brief as part of its appeal against a court decision concerning the XRP sold on exchanges years ago. It also insisted (once again) that Ripple’s native token should be classified as a security. A week later, Ripple requested a due date of April 16, 2025, for its brief.
The SEC’s appeal concerns Judge Torres’ ruling from August 2023 when she found that the firm’s programmatic sales of XRP to retail clients through centralized exchanges did not breach the rules.
And while the crypto industry has largely sided with Ripple in the lawsuit, some financial entities have voiced support for the Commission. On January 22, the non-profit organization Better Markets categorized XRP as a security.
“The XRP tokens sold by Ripple Labs, Inc. (“Ripple”) are investment contract securities regardless of whether investors acquired them directly from Ripple or indirectly on secondary trading platforms.
And they are investment contracts regardless of the purchasers’ level of sophistication. In all cases, investors were led to expect profits from the efforts of others, thus satisfying the third prong of the Howey test for investment contracts,” the brief reads.
Gensler’s Departure
An important event that may impact the Ripple v. SEC case is Gary Gensler’s resignation as a Chairman of the watchdog. He stepped down on January 20 (the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration) and was replaced by the pro-crypto Mark Uyeda.
Gensler was considered a huge enemy of the crypto sector, and the XRP army interpreted the shifts in the SEC’s leadership as something that could lead to a potentially favorable resolution for Ripple.
One person who presented three possible outcome scenarios following the changes is the American attorney John Deaton. First, he assumed that the SEC might stand by its appeal, thus prolonging the battle indefinitely.
Second, he suggested that the regulator could dismiss the plea and insist that Ripple pay the previously ruled penalty of $125 million. Last summer, Judge Torres ordered the company to settle the amount due to violating certain rules. Some of the company’s execs were more than happy to abide by the rules, considering that the fine represented just a fraction of the $2 billion the SEC initially asked for.
Deaton concluded that the third (most unlikely) scenario includes dismissing the appeal and scrapping the multi-million penalty.
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Cryptocurrency
Analyst: Skip Bitcoin FOMO, Altcoins Offer Better Gains Now

Bitcoin (BTC) has sent the crypto community into delirium, hitting a new all-time high (ATH) of almost $119,000 after brief stops around $113,000 and $116,000.
However, despite the excitement, prominent analyst CrediBULL Crypto has cautioned traders not to chase the rally blindly, suggesting that the real opportunity lies in altcoins, not Bitcoin.
Why BTC FOMO Could Be Costly
With BTC currently over 650% above its ideal accumulation zone, CrediBULL posted a stark warning on X:
“The big opportunity for gains is on ALTS even if Bitcoin is the one that is ‘leading’ this move.”
He added that anyone buying the asset at this particular point should only do so for an active trade with a clear setup.
“If you can’t identify a trade setup then there is no reason to buy Bitcoin at these levels as there are much better opportunities in alts from a R/R perspective at current levels.”
His comments echoed a broader sentiment emerging from key market voices, including former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes and YouTuber Crypto Rover, who likened the current market cycle to November 2024, when a major altcoin rally followed Bitcoin’s price surge.
In a recent tweet, Hayes said he had reversed his previously bearish stance, citing Bitcoin’s strong breakout and the rising dominance of Ethereum (ETH).
“Get ready for a monster alt szn,” he wrote, signaling increased institutional confidence. The crypto entrepreneur also reported that his Maelstrom Fund is ramping up altcoin exposure amid expectations of favorable political and macroeconomic shifts.
Observers have described the flagship cryptocurrency’s latest move as structurally different from past bull cycles. According to CryptoQuant, it isn’t driven by speculative angst, but rather by strategic accumulation and restrained selling activity.
Additionally, metrics like the MVRV ratio, currently 2.2 vs. over 2.7 in previous tops, SOPR, and MPI all hint at a sustainable rally with long-term potential. The drop in exchange balances, down over 21% in four months, also suggests that holders are in no rush to exit their positions.
Altcoins on the Mend
However, even with BTC in price discovery mode, Ethereum and several other altcoins are beginning to outshine it in percentage gains. ETH, for instance, is up by more than 18% in the last seven days, beating Bitcoin’s 8.9% rise in the same period. It has also reclaimed the $3,000 level and is setting its sights on $3,350–$3,500.
Meanwhile, Cardano (ADA) has pumped 23.7% across the week, reclaiming critical support at $0.64 and eyeing a return to $1. Hyperliquid (HYPE) is up nearly 19%, having set a new all-time high at $46.25, and is now targeting the $50 psychological threshold.
Even Solana (SOL) is catching a bid, with prices climbing above $164 and showing potential for a rally beyond $180.
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Cryptocurrency
XRP Breaks Free With Double-Digit Gains — Flips USDT in Market Shake-Up

TL;DR
- The consolidation phase for many altcoins, including XRP, seems to be over, and Ripple’s native token is on the run again toward $3.
- On its way up, it managed to surpass USDT in terms of market cap and is now back in the third spot after months of hiatus.
The graph above clearly demonstrates the price stagnation XRP had to endure for the past month or so. Its upper boundary was at around $2.6, while it also tested the lower one at $1.9 during the darkest hours of the war between Israel and Iran.
Nevertheless, each attempt met immediate rejections, and the cryptocurrency was pushed south to a tight range between $2.2 and $2.3. However, there were multiple signs that the consolidation could be coming to an end, and one analyst even warned that most traders will miss the breakout.
Such a price surge indeed started to materialize in the past few days, and especially today. XRP has been among the top performers on a daily scale, having surged by 20% at one point and coming close to $3 on most exchanges.
Although it was stopped there and now sits just under $2.8, it’s still up by over 12% since yesterday. Its market cap has spiked above $160 billion for the first time in months, and XRP has now become the third-largest cryptocurrency, by overtaking Tether’s USDT.
The move north was quickly picked up by the XRP Army, many of whom praised the asset’s performance and provided some bullish (and outrageous) predictions.
$XRP at $2,500 isn’t just a dream.
-Because a pump like 2017 would easily clear $2,000 ✅
Fact: The yearly resistance is now free so expect vertical price discovery. pic.twitter.com/A4G3PasuVk
— Crypto Bitlord (@crypto_bitlord7) July 11, 2025
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Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Breaks ATH, Hayes Flips Bullish: ‘Maelstrom Is Backing Up the Truck’

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has decisively flipped bullish and even announced that Maelstrom Fund is “backing up the truck.” The exec’s comments came as Bitcoin (BTC) broke through its all-time high above $118K on strong volume.
He also revealed that Ethereum (ETH) began to follow with potential outperformance, and markets began pricing in a Trump administration’s readiness to ease trade tensions.
From Bearish to Bullish
This pivot follows Hayes’ prior cautious stance, which was rooted in concerns about a Treasury General Account (TGA) refill draining liquidity.
In his previous essay, Hayes explained that the US Treasury Secretary, whom he calls “The Big Bessent Cock (BBC),” faces an impossible task: funding ballooning deficits without causing a bond market revolt. To manage this, the government is turning to innovative liquidity engineering, including stablecoin adoption by “too big to fail” (TBTF) banks, which could unlock up to $6.8 trillion in T-bill buying power.
Hayes also noted that if the Fed stops paying interest on reserves, it could unleash another $3.3 trillion, bringing the total potential liquidity injection to $10.1 trillion.
He argued this approach was the modern replacement for QE, by maintaining equity markets and crypto afloat despite the Fed’s tightening posture. The exec warned that the TGA refill could briefly interrupt crypto’s bull momentum.
Despite this, Bitcoin’s resilience in busting through resistance while Ethereum appears to be positioning for a “monster alt season.”
“Frontloading Ahead of Trump Tariffs”
Adding to this backdrop, QCP Capital, in its latest analysis, also identified frontloading ahead of potential Trump tariffs as a key macro driver. Manufacturers are accelerating imports and production to preempt implementation, which has led to increased trade and manufacturing credit and improved liquidity conditions.
The firm views the current environment as supportive for continued crypto upside, with steady ETF inflows and strong structural demand boosting momentum.
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