Western Union has outlined a plan to launch a dollar-pegged stablecoin called U.S. Dollar Payment Token, issued by Anchorage Digital Bank on Solana with availability targeted for the first half of 2026. The company will pair the token with a Digital Asset Network that links crypto wallets to Western Union’s global cash rails, which is the practical bridge most pilots miss.

The company set the tone with a clear message from the top.

“We are committed to leveraging emerging technologies to empower our customers and communities,”

said President and CEO Devin McGranahan, adding that USDPT lets the firm “own the economics linked to stablecoins” while its Digital Asset Network focuses on last-mile cash off-ramps.

Can Solana carry remittance-scale traffic

For crypto natives, the big question is not branding. It is throughput, cost, and reliability when millions begin to push value at once. Solana’s effective user-driven throughput typically sits in the low thousands of transactions per second, with sub-cent fees in normal conditions. Peak stress tests have printed much higher marks, but those numbers are best treated as an upper bound, not a daily reality.

The network has worked to reduce the kind of whole-chain incidents that once drew criticism, and a second validator client is positioned as a resilience milestone rather than a vanity upgrade.

Western Union’s choice of Anchorage matters for trust. Anchorage Digital Bank is a federally chartered crypto bank that handles regulated custody and stablecoin issuance, and it has been expanding institutional roles across the industry this year. That pedigree gives Western Union a compliance backbone as it navigates stablecoin rules across multiple jurisdictions.

How this could change the experience

If the launch holds its timeline, the first real signal will be corridor selection. Expect flows that match Western Union’s strongest send and pickup markets, where even modest fee cuts and instant settlement can move share quickly. The company says users will access USDPT through partner exchanges, which suggests a distribution strategy that meets consumers where they already hold balances.

Solana’s official channels have already amplified the partnership, which hints at close coordination on performance, fee policy, and wallet UX before any mass-market switch flips. The proof, as always, will be in stable uptime during real paydays and weekend rushes.

Conclusion: This is less a press-release moment than a live experiment in moving remittances to crypto rails without asking the user to become a degen. If Western Union ships on time, and if Solana holds steady under real-world traffic, cross-border payments may start to feel instant, cheap, and boring in the best possible way.

FAQ

What exactly is launching and when?
Western Union plans a Solana-based stablecoin, USDPT, issued and custodied by Anchorage Digital Bank, with availability targeted for H1 2026.

Why choose Solana for remittances?
Solana offers low per-transaction fees and high practical throughput, which are important for small payments that need fast settlement.

How will users cash out?
Western Union will link partner wallets to its cash pickup network through a new Digital Asset Network for last-mile conversion.

What are the key crypto indicators to watch?
Track network uptime and fees on Solana, USDPT reserve disclosures and audits, corridor pricing versus legacy rails, and user growth in active wallets.

Glossary of key terms

U.S. Dollar Payment Token (USDPT)
A dollar-pegged stablecoin Western Union plans to issue on Solana with Anchorage Digital Bank as issuer and custodian.

Digital Asset Network
Western Union’s framework that connects crypto wallets to its global cash agent network for compliant off-ramps and on-ramps.

Effective user-driven throughput
A real-world measure of how many transactions per second a blockchain processes under normal usage rather than lab peaks.

Second validator client
An independent software implementation that increases network resilience by reducing single-client risk during incidents.

Read More: Is Solana Built for 100M Western Union Remittance Wallets?">Is Solana Built for 100M Western Union Remittance Wallets?

Open interest tied to XRP and Solana futures on the Chicago derivatives giant set fresh records this week, reaching roughly 3 billion dollars in notional value. The surge shows that the rotation into regulated altcoin exposure is not a passing fad. It is building depth. It is also changing where professional traders set risk.

What drove the jump

According to the exchange data summarized in the report, active positions rose to about 9,900 contracts across standard and micro XRP futures, and roughly 15,600 contracts across the Solana complex.

That stack translated into the 3 billion dollar open interest milestone, a level last approached only briefly in prior bursts of activity. Price context helps. At the time of publication, XRP hovered near 2.63 dollars and SOL traded around 196 dollars, suggesting the interest formed while both assets held firm ranges rather than blow-off spikes. That pattern usually points to stickier positioning.

A fast adoption curve for alt futures

The Solana standard contract, sized at 500 SOL, went live in March 2025. It crossed 1 billion dollars in open interest by August. XRP futures launched in May and cleared the same mark within three months. Few listed crypto products have scaled that quickly outside the two market leaders. The move reflects a broader institutional comfort with listed alternatives to offshore perpetuals and an appetite to hedge or express views without wallet plumbing.

Executives and liquidity providers see structural demand

Product leaders and market makers have been clear about why this corner is growing.

“The launch of these options contracts builds on the significant growth and increasing liquidity we have seen across our suite of Solana and XRP futures,”

said Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at the exchange, when unveiling options on the two futures in September. He added that contracts in two sizes give both institutions and active individual traders more flexibility to manage exposure.

The liquidity side is singing a similar tune.

“The launch of options on Solana and XRP futures is the latest example of the move beyond the staples of bitcoin and ether and demonstrates continued demand from the market to have exposure to a broader set of products,”

said Roman Makarov of DRW’s Cumberland unit. FalconX’s Joshua Lim pointed to the rise of digital-asset treasuries and access vehicles that need better hedging tools on these names.

Why the record matters for traders

Rising open interest on a regulated venue usually improves price discovery and narrows spreads. It also makes cash-and-carry and calendar strategies cleaner because funding and margin are standardized.

With options listed on both XRP and SOL futures, dealers can structure overlays instead of reaching for less transparent instruments. If the exchange’s plan to enable continuous crypto trading next year proceeds as outlined, the ease of managing weekend risk could improve further, which has been a longstanding pain point for traditional funds exploring digital assets.

The road ahead

The important tell is that these milestones arrived outside of a single news shock. The contracts scaled within months of launch, then broke records again as the market settled. That is usually what durable adoption looks like.

More participants are choosing listed instruments for exposure and hedging, and not only in the headline names. If flows remain steady, volatility episodes may start to resolve with less slippage as depth firms up across the curve. For altcoins, that is a quiet vote of confidence that goes beyond social buzz and into the realm of risk management.

Conclusion

The latest open interest highs in XRP and Solana futures show a maturing market where regulated rails are pulling in both liquidity and longer-horizon capital. With options support and potential improvements to trading hours, the toolbox is getting better. Traders who once avoided alt derivatives for operational reasons now have fewer excuses. The infrastructure is catching up to the interest.

FAQ

What is open interest and why does it matter here?
Open interest is the number of outstanding futures or options contracts that have not been closed. Higher open interest on a regulated venue often signals deeper liquidity and cleaner price discovery for strategies like basis trades and hedges.

When did these futures launch?
Solana futures launched in March 2025. XRP futures launched in May 2025. Both reached the 1 billion dollar open interest level within months.

Are options available on these futures?
Yes. Options on Solana and XRP futures were announced for mid-October 2025, expanding the available hedging and trading structures.

Glossary of key terms

Notional open interest: The dollar value of all open contracts, calculated by multiplying contract size by the underlying price and the number of open positions. It lets traders compare depth across products with different sizes.

Cash-and-carry trade: A market-neutral strategy that involves buying the spot asset and selling the corresponding futures to capture the basis. It relies on reliable funding, margin terms, and liquid futures markets.

Calendar spread: A trade that goes long one futures expiry and short another to express a view on term structure or to manage funding risk through time, often used by dealers when options are active.

Continuous trading model: A venue structure that aims to offer round-the-clock trading with minimal maintenance windows, which can reduce gap risk during weekends and holidays.

Read More: CME’s XRP and Solana Futures Hit Record Open Interest as Altcoin Demand Shifts to Regulated Venues">CME’s XRP and Solana Futures Hit Record Open Interest as Altcoin Demand Shifts to Regulated Venues

XRP closed October with a mixed tape, yet the setup for November looks constructive. A repeatable price pattern, a genuine supply squeeze on exchanges, and a new institutional treasury building a billion dollar position all point to one thing: higher probability of topside tests.

A recent analysis mapped a close above 2.77 as the trigger that can open Fibonacci targets in the 2.75 to 3.00 area, with stretch room if momentum accelerates.

XRP price November outlook: upside paths, downside traps

For search clarity and reader intent, the XRP price November discussion starts with levels. The first inflection is 2.77 on a daily close. Hold above that pivot and the classic 0.5 to 0.618 retracement zone lines up around 2.75 to 3.00, where sellers usually test the bid.

If liquidity thins and momentum runs hot, prior impulses have reached into the low 3s, which keeps 3.20 to 3.40 alive as a secondary path. The baseline case is more modest, but still positive, because the structure respects higher lows and a tightening range into that 2.77 gate.

The XRP price November story is not only technical. On chain flows set the tone. Data aggregators tracked one of the largest two day exchange outflow events on record around Oct. 19 to Oct. 20, with more than 2.6 billion XRP leaving centralized venues. Heavy withdrawals reduce near term sell supply and often precede relief rallies when bids reappear. The signal is not perfect, but combined with price holding support, it tilts odds toward upside follow-through.

A billion-dollar buyer changes the conversation

New corporate demand shapes the XRP price November narrative as well. A Ripple-affiliated venture called Evernorth plans to become the largest publicly traded XRP treasury via a listing that aims to raise more than 1 billion dollars for accumulation.

The rationale is simple to understand and hard to ignore. A permanent buyer with a mandate to add on weakness can smooth drawdowns and intensify rallies. Reuters reported that the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, with strategic backers across crypto finance.

The team has been vocal in public.

“I am proud to share that we have launched Evernorth, a first of its kind institutional vehicle built to accelerate XRP adoption,” said CEO Asheesh Birla in a post on X, linking to the treasury’s introduction video. In a later update he added, “We are combining institutional discipline with on chain innovation to grow XRP per share and redefine what a digital asset treasury can be.”

Both messages underline a long horizon and an intent to keep accumulating.

Crypto market strategists have weighed in on flows across assets. “Inflows into altcoins seem to be confined to SOL and XRP at present,” wrote a leading European research head in a public thread, echoing a broader rotation into higher liquidity names while smaller tokens lag. Stronger breadth in these flows would further support the XRP price November case, but concentration in the leaders often comes first.

What the indicators actually say

Good price calls do not rely on one data point. The XRP price November framework tracks several inputs. Exchange reserves trended lower into late October, consistent with those outflows. If reserves keep falling while open interest rises at a measured pace, price can pop on relatively small buy programs. If open interest spikes too quickly, unwinds can wash out gains.

Funding remains the real-time compass. Modest positive funding with rising spot volume is healthy. Aggressive positive funding without spot confirmation often precedes a shakeout. For short-term traders, derivative heat maps show a pocket of resting short-side liquidity just below the first resistance cluster, which can create a fast move if price rips through overhead levels.

Macro still matters. Digital asset products drew hefty weekly inflows in late October, a sign that investors continue to add exposure even after sharp swings. A sustained bid across the complex would support the XRP price November roadmap, especially if the pace of inflows persists as policy clarity improves. If flows stall, risk assets can slip back into chop.

Scenario planning for editors and investors

Map three paths. In the base case, the XRP price November move respects the 2.77 trigger, grinds into 2.90 to 3.00, and consolidates while funding stays contained. In the bullish case, spot demand from treasuries and advisors aligns with falling exchange supply, extending the push toward 3.20 and possibly 3.40 if breadth improves.

In the risk case, a failed breakout below 2.77 meets a burst of positive funding and crowded longs, knocking price back toward the mid 2s. None of these paths require perfection. They require discipline about levels and respect for the data in front of the market.

Public voices will continue to influence tone. One high-profile trader on X said, “New all-time highs in November,” summarizing the current optimism in a single line. Whether that proves prescient or just enthusiastic color matters less than the sequence of daily closes and the behavior of flows. Long term holders look at the broader adoption arc and the entry of corporate treasuries. Short-term traders watch the gate at 2.77. Either way, the XRP price November discussion is now in the driver’s seat.

Conclusion

The market likes simple stories. The XRP price November story blends a familiar breakout pattern with tangible supply dynamics and a new corporate accumulator. It will not be a straight climb. It rarely is. But if price clears 2.77 and the outflows persist while institutional demand scales, higher prints are reasonable. If those conditions fade, the trade becomes range bound again. Clarity lives in the data. The next daily closes will tell the tale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the key level to confirm momentum in November?
Analysts watch a daily close above 2.77 to validate upside targets in the 2.75 to 3.00 band derived from the 0.5 to 0.618 retracement.

Why do exchange outflows matter for price?
Large withdrawals reduce immediate sell supply. The Oct. 19 to Oct. 20 window saw more than 2.6 billion XRP leave exchanges, which historically improves the odds of relief rallies.

How does Evernorth influence market structure?
A dedicated treasury with a mandate to accumulate creates steady bid support. The initiative targets more than 1 billion dollars for XRP purchases as it prepares a public listing.

Are fund flows supportive into November?
Yes, late October showed sizeable inflows into digital asset products, which helps overall risk appetite if sustained.

Glossary of key terms

Exchange reserve depletion
A trend where coins move from exchanges to self custody or treasuries, shrinking near term sell pressure and often tightening available liquidity for spot buyers.

Fibonacci retracement zone
A technical range, commonly the 0.5 to 0.618 band of a prior move, used to estimate probable resistance and profit taking zones after a rebound. In this case it aligns with 2.75 to 3.00.

Institutional crypto treasury
A publicly traded or regulated vehicle that accumulates a specific digital asset as a balance sheet holding, potentially buying on weakness and influencing market microstructure over time.

Derivative liquidation pocket
A cluster on heat maps where forced buy or sell orders may trigger if price touches certain levels, often accelerating moves and creating slippage in thin conditions.

Read More: XRP Price November Outlook: How High Can It Run">XRP Price November Outlook: How High Can It Run

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly 446 million dollars in net inflows for the week, reversing the prior soft patch and hinting that institutions still buy the dips. Over the same stretch, spot Ether products saw about 244 million dollars in outflows, a notable contrast that kept the market honest after a frantic first half of October.

Daily prints show how quickly sentiment can turn. After four straight sessions of redemptions, Bitcoin funds swung to a single-day net inflow near 477 million dollars as prices steadied, a flip that broke the losing streak and re-anchored flows.

What the divergence actually signals

The split is not just about winners and laggards. Bitcoin’s rebound suggests allocators continue to treat it as the cleanest expression of crypto beta, especially when macro is noisy and liquidity is patchy. Ether’s outflows, meanwhile, reflect a different set of questions that investors still need answered, from staking mechanics inside fund structures to the timing and scope of future product features. The weekly etf total underscores that rotation within crypto is active rather than passive right now.

Context helps. Earlier in October, a monster print north of one billion dollars flowed into Bitcoin ETFs in a single session as price tagged fresh highs, a reminder that headline inflows often cluster near emotionally charged levels. That history makes last week’s steadier, mid-range rebound feel more durable, not less.

Price drivers to watch next

Flows do not move in a straight line. The week’s split sits against a backdrop of macro cross-currents, including intermittent risk-off wobbles and questions about policy data timeliness. Short squeezes and funding resets can add noise. Even so, the path of least resistance remains tied to whether Bitcoin ETFs keep printing green on more days than not, especially if breadth widens beyond a handful of big issuers. Recent records around 125,000 were pinned on ETF demand, so subsequent rallies will likely need the same sponsorship.

Ether’s challenge is more nuanced. Capital wants clarity on product design and the roadmap for yield features. Until those mechanics are settled, Ether funds may trade more like satellite positions in multi-asset portfolios, making them sensitive to weekly rebalancing. That does not preclude sharp risk-on weeks. It simply means the hurdle for sticky inflows is higher.

The bottom line

The week delivered a clean message. Bitcoin ETFs attracted fresh capital while Ether funds leaked. The daily swing back to inflows suggests the buyer is still there, even if conviction arrives in bursts. If the next few prints confirm breadth across issuers and steadier intake, price can follow. If not, expect more chop around well-watched levels while investors wait for the next catalyst.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly changed last week in ETF flows?
Bitcoin ETFs added about 446 million dollars for the week that ended 24 October, while Ether funds lost about 244 million dollars, marking a clear divergence between the two largest crypto assets.

Did one big day drive the Bitcoin number?
A single day near 21 October saw roughly 477 million dollars in net inflows, which helped flip the weekly tally back to positive after a red streak.

Are large daily inflows reliable signals for price?
Huge prints can coincide with local peaks, as seen earlier in October, so traders often look for persistence across multiple sessions rather than one-off spikes.

What are analysts saying publicly?
Nate Geraci highlighted multi-billion weekly intake for spot Bitcoin ETFs. Other analysts pointed to advisors dominating known Ether ETF holders, which can magnify tactical shifts.

Glossary of long key terms

Exchange-traded fund (ETF)
A regulated fund that tracks an asset and trades on stock exchanges, allowing investors to gain exposure without holding the underlying coins.

Net inflows and outflows
The difference between new money entering a fund and money leaving it over a set period. Positive net inflows imply demand, while outflows imply the opposite.

Advisor-dominated holder base
A fund ownership profile where registered investment advisors represent a large share of known holders, which can increase sensitivity to model-driven rebalancing.

Product breadth across issuers
A sign of healthier demand where multiple funds, not just one or two, attract consistent inflows, reducing reliance on a single vehicle for price support.

Read More: Weekly ETF Split: Bitcoin Pulls In Cash While Ether Bleeds">Weekly ETF Split: Bitcoin Pulls In Cash While Ether Bleeds