The post Fed Rate Cut Buzz Ignites Crypto Markets as Bitcoin Reclaims Momentum appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The conversation around the Federal Reserve is heating up across crypto communities, and the mood is overwhelmingly bullish. According to social analytics platform LunarCrush, online sentiment toward the Fed has climbed to 91% positive, the highest level in the past year.

At the same time, engagement around the topic has exploded. LunarCrush recorded 181.2 million social interactions in just 24 hours, roughly 384% higher week-over-week, with more than 7,100 creators discussing the Fed. Nearly 95% of the activity came from the social platform X.

The reason for the optimism is simple: many investors believe interest-rate cuts could be approaching. Lower rates typically inject liquidity into markets and historically support risk assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

But financial markets are not fully convinced.

Futures Market Says the Fed Will Likely Pause

Despite the bullish social sentiment, expectations from professional traders remain cautious. Data from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange FedWatch Tool shows that most strategists expect the Federal Reserve to pause interest rates at the March 17 meeting.

Instead of an immediate pivot, the first potential rate cut may not arrive until June, depending on economic conditions.

One key obstacle is inflation. The core Personal Consumption Expenditures index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, remains around 2.8%, still above the central bank’s 2% target. Recent Fed meeting minutes also warned that policy easing “may not be warranted” until disinflation clearly resumes.

There are additional uncertainties as well. The term of Fed Chair Jerome Powell expires on May 15, meaning leadership changes could alter policy direction. Economists are also watching potential tariff passthrough effects, which could push consumer prices higher later this year.

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How Crypto Could Still Rally Without a March Cut

Even if the Fed holds rates steady in March, the crypto market could still see upside momentum.

Crypto often rallies before the actual policy shift, as investors price in future liquidity conditions. If traders remain confident that rate cuts are coming later in the year, speculative capital could continue flowing into digital assets. Meanwhile, Bitcoin recently climbed close to the $72,000 level, rebounding roughly 20% from its February lows near $60,000, as institutional demand and improved risk appetite returned to the market.

This macro stability itself can support crypto. A Fed pause signals that tightening may be nearing its end, which historically improves risk appetite across markets.

Two Economic Reports That Could Trigger the Next Move

The next major catalysts for crypto markets will be two key economic reports.

The February jobs report on March 7 will reveal whether the labor market is cooling, while the February CPI inflation report on March 12 will show if price pressures are finally easing.

If both reports come in softer than expected, expectations for rate cuts could strengthen rapidly. In that scenario, crypto markets may begin pricing in a full liquidity cycle, setting the stage for the next major rally.

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The post Ripple’s Prime Brokerage Now Offers XRP Futures Through Coinbase Platform appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Ripple Prime Opens the Door to Coinbase Derivatives

Ripple is pushing deeper into institutional markets by integrating derivatives trading from Coinbase directly into its Ripple Prime platform, as per reports. The move allows institutional clients to access Coinbase’s full range of crypto derivatives contracts while keeping clearing, financing, and risk management within Ripple’s brokerage framework.

Through this integration, Ripple Prime users can trade nano Bitcoin and nano Ethereum futures, along with contracts tied to XRP and Solana. These smaller-sized contracts are designed to give institutions greater flexibility when managing exposure, allowing traders to enter positions with more precise risk controls.

Moreover, the derivatives operate in a regulated environment overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, ensuring compliance while still enabling round-the-clock trading, a key feature for global crypto markets.

A New Seat at the Clearing Table

A major development behind the partnership is Ripple’s new position inside the clearing ecosystem. The company has officially become a clearing member of Nodal Clear, enabling its institutional clients to access Coinbase derivatives through the clearinghouse’s settlement and risk management infrastructure.

Paul Cusenza, Chairman and CEO of Nodal Clear, welcomed the collaboration, saying:

“We are pleased to welcome Ripple as a new clearing member of Nodal Clear. Through this relationship, Ripple’s clients can now efficiently access the full suite of Coinbase Derivatives contracts.”

From Coinbase’s perspective, the partnership reflects growing institutional demand for regulated crypto futures products. Boris Ilyevsky, Head of U.S. Futures Exchange at Coinbase, noted that the collaboration helps broaden market access while maintaining strong liquidity and regulatory safeguards.

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Hidden Road Powers the Engine

The expansion is powered by Ripple’s earlier acquisition of Hidden Road Partners, which now operates under the Ripple Prime brand. Acting as a Futures Commission Merchant, the platform offers institutions services such as clearing, financing, and prime brokerage execution.

Ripple Prime has already become a major institutional trading hub, reportedly clearing more than $3 trillion in transactions last year.

Noel Kimmel, President of Ripple Prime, said the Coinbase integration strengthens Ripple’s ability to serve global institutions.

“Offering the full suite of Coinbase Derivatives contracts within Ripple Prime’s robust clearing framework underscores our commitment to delivering increased market access and efficiency to institutions globally,” he said.

So, What’s Cooking?

The Coinbase partnership is just one piece of Ripple’s broader push to build institutional crypto infrastructure.

Recently, Ripple Prime added on-chain derivatives access through Hyperliquid, marking its first connection to a decentralized trading venue. On the investment front, Ripple has also been expanding aggressively, participating in Crossover Markets’ $31 million Series B funding round and backing AI infrastructure startup t54 Labs in a $5 million seed round.

Meanwhile, Ripple is upgrading its payments ecosystem by combining custody, liquidity, and collections into a single unified platform while simplifying global fiat and stablecoin transfers.

Taken together, these developments signal Ripple’s growing ambition to become a key infrastructure provider for institutions entering the rapidly evolving crypto economy.

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The post Only 0.03% of the World Owns XRP: Analysts Say Triple-Digit Prices Could Be Possible appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The total supply of XRP is capped at 100 billion tokens, a factor shaping its long-term outlook. Unlike mined cryptocurrencies, XRP was pre-mined by Ripple Labs, with a large share still held in escrow and released gradually, giving the market a predictable supply schedule.

Crypto analyst Levi argues that this fixed supply could make even small XRP holdings meaningful if global adoption grows. He notes that only a tiny fraction of the world currently owns XRP, meaning scarcity could become a powerful driver of future price growth.

“Less Than 1% of the World Owns XRP.”

Levi summarized the situation with a simple observation:

“Less than 1%, far less than 1%, of the world right now has any amount of XRP. If just 1% of the global population held XRP, the price could easily reach triple digits.”

He points to data from the XRP Ledger showing that the number of wallets holding XRP is extremely small compared to the world’s population. While there are millions of accounts on the network, many of them are inactive or controlled by the same users.

After adjusting for dormant wallets and duplicate addresses, Levi estimates that only around 2 to 3 million people globally actually hold XRP, representing roughly 0.02% to 0.03% of the world’s population.

XRP Supply and Wallet Distribution

Another key factor in Levi’s analysis is how XRP is distributed across wallets.

He explains that the vast majority of XRP holders own fewer than 500 tokens, while the number of wallets holding more than 25,000 XRP drops sharply. The average wallet holds around 8,648 XRP, but large holdings are relatively rare.

At the same time, a significant portion of XRP’s supply is locked away. Roughly 33 billion XRP sits in escrow, meaning it cannot currently enter circulation. This effectively reduces the available supply that markets can trade.

For analysts, this combination of limited supply and a small holder base creates a powerful supply-demand dynamic if adoption increases.

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The Catalysts That Could Drive Adoption

Levi believes three major developments could dramatically expand XRP usage.

First is institutional adoption. He notes that Ripple designed XRP as a bridge asset for cross-border payments, allowing banks and financial institutions to settle international transfers instantly without maintaining pre-funded accounts.

If major banks, payment processors, and remittance companies begin using the technology at scale, millions of users could indirectly interact with the XRP Ledger.

Second is the growth of stablecoins and tokenization. If financial assets like funds, treasuries, or securities are tokenized on the XRP Ledger, everyday financial activity could flow through the network.

Third is global expansion, particularly across Asia-Pacific markets, where Ripple is building partnerships and developer programs.

Why Early Holders Could Benefit

Based on these adoption scenarios, Levi estimates that if the number of XRP holders increased 100-fold, the token’s price could theoretically climb toward $140 per coin, pushing its market capitalization into the trillions.

While such projections remain speculative, his core message is simple: with such a small percentage of the world currently holding XRP, today’s investors may still be early in the adoption cycle.

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The post Google Warns of “Coruna” iPhone Exploit That Could Drain Crypto Wallets appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

A newly discovered iPhone vulnerability is raising alarms across the crypto community. Security researchers say a sophisticated exploit kit called Coruna is targeting older iPhones and could potentially steal sensitive crypto wallet data, including recovery phrases.

The warning comes from the Google Threat Intelligence Group, which revealed that the exploit aggressively scans devices running outdated versions of Apple’s mobile software.

How the Coruna Attack Works

Coruna is not a simple malware attack. Researchers say it combines five full exploit chains and at least 23 vulnerabilities to break into devices running versions between iOS 13 and iOS 17.2.1.

The attack usually begins when a user visits a compromised or malicious website. Hidden JavaScript on the site silently scans the visitor’s device to identify the model, operating system version, and security settings.

Once a vulnerable device is detected, Coruna launches a multi-stage exploit chain that bypasses Apple’s built-in security protections. The malware then escalates system privileges, allowing attackers to install spyware and extract sensitive information from the device.

Why Crypto Wallets Are the Main Target

According to researchers, the malware is designed to hunt for encrypted wallet files, login credentials, and mnemonic recovery phrases used to restore crypto wallets.

If attackers gain access to those recovery phrases, they can instantly restore the wallet on another device and transfer the funds. This means victims could lose their entire holdings of assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum without realizing it until the transactions are complete.

Investigators say Coruna spreads through “watering hole” attacks, where hackers compromise websites frequently visited by crypto users, including fake trading platforms and phishing sites.

Possible Nation-State Links

Security firm iVerify found that parts of Coruna’s code resemble tools believed to have originated from U.S. government cyber programs.

However, researchers believe the toolkit may have leaked and is now being used by cybercriminal groups and intelligence actors from countries like Russia and China.

This could mark the first large-scale mobile exploit campaign using tools derived from nation-state cyber capabilities.

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How to Protect Your Crypto

The good news is that the attack has clear limitations. Coruna fails to operate on devices running the latest iOS versions. It also stops if Apple’s Lockdown Mode is enabled and does not work in private browsing mode.

Security experts say users should take a few critical precautions:

• Keep your iPhone updated to the latest iOS version.
• Avoid visiting unknown crypto platforms or suspicious websites.
• Enable Lockdown Mode if you manage large crypto holdings.
• Store recovery phrases offline rather than in phone notes or screenshots.

For crypto investors, experts say updating your device may now be more important than timing the market, as one successful exploit could wipe out an entire wallet in seconds.

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The post Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and the Quantum Future: Which Network Can Adapt? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The quantum computing threat to Crypto assets has been a topic for discussion lately. As research accelerates, analysts are evaluating whether blockchain encryption could eventually be broken by powerful quantum machines. The real question may not be which network is secure today, but which one can adapt fast enough if quantum computers break modern encryption.

Now the question is who will lead the race?

According to information shared by Versan Aljarrah, no blockchain today is fully protected from this threat. Major networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP all rely on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) to secure digital assets.

In simple terms, this system hides private keys while allowing public keys to be visible on the blockchain. But quantum computers running advanced algorithms could theoretically reverse-engineer those keys.

If that happens, the consequences could stretch beyond crypto. Global banking networks, military encryption, SWIFT systems, and large portions of the internet also rely on similar cryptographic foundations.

6.89 Million BTC Potentially at Risk

The concern gained further attention after Ki Young Ju warned that around 6.89 million BTC may eventually be exposed to quantum threats.

His analysis suggests 1.91 million BTC are stored in early P2PK addresses where public keys are permanently visible. Another 4.98 million BTC may have exposed keys due to previous transactions.

Ju also noted that roughly 3.4 million BTC have remained dormant for more than a decade, including about 1 million BTC linked to Satoshi Nakamoto.

“Coins that appear perfectly safe today could become spendable by an attacker tomorrow,” he warned.

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Bitcoin and Ethereum: Strong but Slow to Upgrade

Both Bitcoin and Ethereum remain among the most secure networks in crypto. However, their decentralized governance makes upgrades slower and politically complex.

Switching to quantum-resistant cryptography would likely require major protocol changes and broad community agreement. Past debates, like Bitcoin’s block size war, show how difficult reaching consensus can be.

As Ju explained, the biggest bottleneck may not be technology but social consensus.

XRP’s Adaptability Argument

According to Aljarrah, the XRP Ledger was designed with greater protocol-level flexibility.

Unlike more rigid systems, its validator-based governance could allow cryptographic upgrades through consensus without halting the network.

That does not make XRP quantum-proof today. But proponents argue its architecture may allow faster adaptation if quantum computing ever threatens existing encryption.

As the technology evolves, the future of blockchain security may ultimately depend on which networks can evolve quickly enough to meet the challenge.

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The post Why Has Kraken’s Fed Master Account Fueled New Hopes for Ripple and XRP? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The cryptocurrency industry has reached an important moment after crypto exchange Kraken secured access to a Federal Reserve master account, marking the first time a digital asset company has achieved such integration with the U.S. central banking system.

According to Jonathan Jachym, Kraken’s Global Head of Policy and Market Structure, the approval represents more than a win for the exchange. He described it as a breakthrough moment for the broader digital asset ecosystem, following years of regulatory discussions and compliance efforts.

With the approval, Kraken’s banking division, Kraken Financial, can now connect directly to the Federal Reserve’s payment infrastructure, improving how the company manages U.S. dollar settlements and financial operations.

“This is a major milestone for our company and for the digital asset ecosystem,” Jachym said in an interview. “These things have to go through rigorous review processes. It’s not just about having a rulebook — it’s about the people, processes, and examinations behind it.”

What Direct Fed Access Means for Crypto

Most cryptocurrency exchanges rely on traditional banking partners to process U.S. dollar transactions. By securing a Federal Reserve master account, Kraken can now interact directly with the dollar settlement system through Fedwire.

This direct connection removes several intermediaries from the process.

The change could improve treasury management, strengthen risk controls, and increase operational efficiency for the exchange. It may also enable faster deposits and withdrawals for customers while creating deeper integration between crypto custody services and traditional banking systems.

According to Jachym, this long-term approach helped demonstrate the operational maturity required for central banking integration.

Regulators often look for evidence that companies can meet strict compliance and operational standards before granting access to the Federal Reserve’s payment systems.

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The “Skinny Master Account” Structure

Kraken’s approval reportedly comes through what is commonly referred to as a “skinny master account.”

This type of account provides basic connectivity to the U.S. settlement system but limits certain capabilities in the early stages.

Over time, additional functions may be added as regulators continue evaluating how crypto-focused financial institutions should interact with the traditional banking system.

Jachym also opened up about the proposed CLARITY Act, which aims to establish clearer federal rules for digital assets. Greater regulatory clarity, he said, could encourage more institutional players to participate in crypto markets.

Could Ripple Be Next?

Kraken’s breakthrough is already fueling speculation about whether other major crypto firms could follow the same path. Crypto analyst Paul Barron described the development as a major shift in the long-standing tension between banks and digital asset companies.

He said Ripple could be among the next candidates for deeper banking integration. Ripple’s National Trust Bank charter ambitions, along with its expanding stablecoin initiative RLUSD, could position the company for bank-level settlement capabilities in the future.

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The post Vitalik Buterin Admits Ethereum Hasn’t Meaningfully Improved People’s Lives appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

In the recent downtrend, as crypto assets struggle amid war tensions, Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum Co-Founder, has sparked a fresh debate about the future direction of Ethereum after sharing two major concerns that have dominated discussions within the crypto community over the past year.

In a detailed social media post, Buterin explained that many developers, researchers, and Ethereum supporters he speaks with are increasingly worried about both the direction of the world and Ethereum’s role in addressing those challenges. His comments quickly became one of the most talked-about discussions across the crypto ecosystem. 

Concern #1: The World Is Becoming More Controlled and Chaotic

The first concern Buterin highlighted revolves around broader global trends that many in the tech and crypto communities find troubling.

He pointed to rising government surveillance, growing corporate control, geopolitical conflicts, and the increasing influence of artificial intelligence as key forces reshaping society. At the same time, he believes the internet itself is changing in worrying ways.

According to Buterin, social media platforms are increasingly turning into “memetic warzones,” where misinformation, manipulation, and algorithm-driven narratives dominate public conversations. Meanwhile, many users feel that large technology platforms are declining in quality and becoming overly controlled by corporate interests.

While it is easy for communities to gather and complain about these issues, Buterin noted that the real challenge is building technologies that actually help people navigate and resist these pressures.

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Concern #2: Ethereum Isn’t Improving Lives Enough

The second issue Buterin raised is more personal to the crypto industry.

Despite Ethereum’s growth into one of the largest blockchain ecosystems in the world, many people feel it has not yet made a meaningful impact on improving people’s lives in areas that matter most, such as freedom, privacy, digital security, and community coordination.

Buterin said this concern weighs heavily on him and other developers who originally joined the Ethereum ecosystem to build technologies that empower individuals.

Interestingly, he noted that trends like speculative memecoins or gambling-style crypto applications on other blockchains never worried him. What concerns him more is whether Ethereum is truly delivering tools that help people deal with the real-world pressures shaping the digital age.

His Solution: Building “Sanctuary Technologies”

To address both concerns, Buterin proposed a new framework where Ethereum becomes part of a larger ecosystem of “sanctuary technologies.”

He described these as free and open-source tools that allow people to live, communicate, collaborate, and manage wealth in ways that remain resilient to outside pressures.

The goal, according to Buterin, is to create “digital islands of stability in a chaotic era.”

In this vision, Ethereum would act as a shared digital space with no owner, enabling systems such as decentralized finance, governance structures, and coordination tools that individuals and institutions can rely on without centralized control.

Rather than trying to completely reshape the world through blockchain technology, Buterin argues the real objective should be “de-totalization”, reducing the chances that any single power gains total control while ensuring people still have independent systems they can rely on.