The post CLARITY Act Update: Senate Flooded With 100 Amendments as Thursday Markup Arrives appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The deadline for Senate Banking Committee members to file amendments to the CLARITY Act has passed. The final count is not confirmed but context suggests the number could match or exceed the 137 amendments filed ahead of January’s planned markup, which was ultimately scrapped. According to crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, the total submitted this time around is already over 100.

Thursday’s markup just got considerably more complicated.

Warren Goes to War

Senator Elizabeth Warren submitted more than 40 amendments on her own, the single largest individual contribution to the amendment pile. Her proposals cover a wide range of restrictions on the crypto industry but one stands out above the rest. 

Warren filed an amendment that would prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing master accounts to crypto companies, a move that would effectively block crypto firms from accessing the primary plumbing of the US banking system regardless of what the CLARITY Act permits them to do.

Reed Forces a Binary Choice

Senators Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Tina Smith of Minnesota filed what may be the most politically dangerous amendment of all. The Reed-Smith amendment would incorporate the banking industry’s requested changes to stablecoin yield restrictions, specifically targeting rewards that are “substantially similar” to deposit interest.

According to Punchbowl News, the filing is designed to force every senator on the committee to make a binary public choice between the crypto industry and the banking industry. For bank-friendly Republicans, that vote lands in particularly uncomfortable territory.

Reed also filed a separate amendment explicitly prohibiting cryptocurrencies from being used as legal tender, including banning tax payments made in crypto assets. The amendment directly counters a bill introduced last year by Representative Warren Davidson that would have permitted Bitcoin to be used for exactly that purpose.

The Banking Lobby’s Ground Campaign

The amendment offensive does not exist in isolation. Since last Friday, American Bankers Association members have sent more than 8,000 letters to Senate offices urging lawmakers to tighten the stablecoin yield compromise, according to a source familiar with the effort. The letter campaign does not include a separate coordinated phone call effort, but the volume of direct constituent contact in under a week is significant by any measure.

What Thursday Actually Looks Like Now

The CLARITY Act markup begins Thursday at 10:30 AM EST with over 100 amendments on the table, a coordinated Democratic amendment strategy targeting the bill’s most sensitive provisions, 8,000 banking lobby letters sitting in Senate inboxes, and a Reed-Smith amendment designed specifically to fracture Republican unity.

The bill can still advance on a party-line vote. But a party-line vote weakens its chances of clearing the 60-vote threshold needed for full Senate passage.

The post Crypto News: Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath Backs Gold-Backed Stablecoin Over Dollar Crypto for India appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Indian brokerage firm Zerodha, has publicly warned that dollar-backed stablecoins pose a long-term risk to India’s financial sovereignty, while floating the idea of a gold-backed stablecoin as a potentially more suitable alternative for the country.

Posting on X, Kamath explained that the world still runs on the dollar but pointed to a quiet shift happening underneath. Countries are buying gold, trading in non-dollar currency pairs, and building payment infrastructure outside SWIFT. India’s own UPI system, he said, has been an exceptional example of building independent financial rails.

The Warning on Dollar Stablecoins

Kamath directed his concern specifically at those advocating for dollar-backed stablecoins in India. His position was direct. Championing dollar-linked crypto is a bad idea for India in the long run because it would deepen dependence on US monetary infrastructure at a time when the world is actively trying to reduce that dependence.

BREAKING: Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath backs gold-backed stablecoin for India, warns dollar-linked crypto could strengthen US dominance. pic.twitter.com/YNsUnypQZ6

— Crypto India (@CryptooIndia) May 12, 2026

He gave credit to the Modi government and Indian regulators for resisting pressure on this front, saying they got the call right despite significant external pressure to move in a different direction.

The Gold Stablecoin Idea

Rather than dismissing stablecoins entirely, Kamath raised a different possibility. India holds one of the largest reserves of household gold in the world, much of it sitting idle in homes without generating any return. A gold-backed stablecoin, he suggested, could potentially monetise that untapped asset and return yield to holders while avoiding dollar dependency entirely.

Kamath was careful to present the idea as a question rather than a firm proposal, saying he does not know enough about the mechanics to make a strong case but wanted to open the conversation.

The post Bitcoin Price Today: Hot CPI Data at 3.8% Threatens Rally as Fed Rate Cut Hopes Fade appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Fresh US inflation data released Tuesday delivered an upside surprise that markets were not fully prepared for. Headline CPI rose 3.8% year over year in November, above the 3.7% forecast and significantly higher than the previous 3.3% reading. 

Core CPI climbed to 2.8%, also beating expectations. On a monthly basis core inflation accelerated 0.4%, signalling that price pressures across the broader economy remain persistent rather than fading.

Bitcoin at a Critical Juncture

The timing matters directly for Bitcoin’s technical setup. The market had been consolidating just below the $82,000 to $84,000 resistance cluster after a corrective rally. Analysts had identified two scenarios heading into the CPI release: a soft reading that could push Bitcoin toward $86,000 to $90,000, and a hot reading that would increase pressure toward the $76,527 support level.

Tuesday’s data points firmly toward the second scenario. Tighter liquidity expectations, a stronger dollar, and rising Treasury yields are all headwinds for risk assets. Bitcoin’s 21-week exponential moving average, which the market had only recently broken above, now becomes the critical support level to watch.

Key Levels Following the CPI Print

• Immediate resistance: $82,000 to $84,000 cluster remains intact
• First support to hold: 21-week EMA and May 8 low
• Next support: $76,527
• Scenario for deeper correction: break below $76,527 opens path toward $68,700 to $75,700 Fibonacci box

What Confirms More Upside

For the short-term bullish case to strengthen, Bitcoin needs two specific things. A break above the upper boundary line of the trend channel and a clean move above the swing highs from May 6 and May 10 in the $82,900 area. That combination would confirm the market is in a third of a third wave, the most powerful and accelerating phase of an Elliott Wave advance.

The post XRP News: Ripple’s Brad Garlinghouse Reveals His Role in the XRP Community appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Speaking at the fourth annual XRP Las Vegas event, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse addressed a question that surfaces repeatedly in the XRP community: how committed is Ripple to XRP itself, given the company’s growing focus on institutional and enterprise clients?

His answer was direct and left little room for interpretation.

“Ripple is still the largest holder of XRP on the planet,” Garlinghouse said. “We are the most interested party in seeing XRP be successful. We will continue to be the most interested party in seeing XRP be successful.”

Why the Question Frustrates Him

Garlinghouse said he has always found the skepticism around Ripple’s XRP commitment puzzling, describing it as illogical given the company’s position as the single largest XRP holder in existence.

“Whenever I read people questioning that, I just think it doesn’t make sense logically,” he said. “It’s obviously not what I’ve said publicly.”

A company holding more XRP than any other entity on the planet has a direct financial incentive to maximise that asset’s value, utility, and adoption. Ripple’s institutional business is not separate from its XRP commitment. It is the mechanism through which that commitment is expressed.

The Three Goals Driving Ripple’s XRP Strategy

Garlinghouse outlined three specific objectives that guide how Ripple approaches everything it does in relation to XRP. The company wants XRP to become the most useful digital asset, the most liquid digital asset, and the most trusted digital asset simultaneously.

Those goals are pursued through selling products and services to financial institutions and capital markets, with Ripple Prime and Ripple Treasury identified as the primary vehicles. Garlinghouse noted that Ripple Treasury has been performing strongly, adding that the company recently ran billboard and bus wrap advertising on the Las Vegas Strip specifically targeting attendees of a competing treasury conference.

“The main competitor to Ripple Treasury is called Kyibba and they were doing their customer conference here the last few days,” Garlinghouse said with a laugh. “We had some wrapped buses that said Ripple Treasury picking people up from the Kyibba conference.”

The Community Is Growing

The XRP Las Vegas event itself served as a backdrop for Garlinghouse’s comments, with organisers noting the community gathering is now in its fourth year and larger than ever. The turnout reflected a community that has maintained cohesion through years of legal uncertainty and market volatility, something Garlinghouse acknowledged directly.

The post Is XRP the Most Ignored Major Crypto Right Now? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

XRP has traded within a narrow band between $1.28 and $1.45 for several months, underperforming broader crypto market moves while retail trading volumes on major exchanges have declined. Coinbase XRP trading volume fell 18% year over year, reflecting diminishing retail engagement during the extended consolidation.

The technical constraint is specific. A 1.16 billion token supply overhang sits directly above current prices, representing holders who bought at higher levels and are selling to recover their cost. The wall has absorbed repeated attempts to break higher, creating a mechanical ceiling that has neutralised upward momentum regardless of positive news flow.

The Level That Changes Everything

Technical analysis points to $1.50 as the defining price level. Research reports describe XRP as completing the final stages of a multi-month cup and handle pattern with $1.50 acting as the bull and bear pivot point. 

A confirmed break above that level would invalidate the supply overhang and project a measured move toward $1.65 to $1.80, with $1.77 cited as the primary target.

Institutions Are Locking Supply Away

Institutional activity tells a different story to the retail data. Spot ETFs recorded nearly $84 million in inflows during April 2026 alone. Institutional ETFs have collectively locked over 769 million XRP tokens in regulated custody vaults, removing them from liquid circulating supply entirely. Onchain metrics show a 14% year over year increase in transactions involving over one million XRP.

More than 1.2 billion XRP is locked in decentralised liquidity pools on the XRP Ledger. As liquid exchange supply shrinks while institutional demand stays steady, analysts describe a developing squeeze effect that could accelerate price movement sharply once the $1.50 barrier breaks.

The Risk Analysts Are Flagging

The supply wall remains intact until $1.50 breaks with volume confirmation. Without that, the range continues. And the pattern most analysts warn about is already visible. Retail participants tend to wait for large green candles on the news before buying, which is precisely when institutional sellers begin reducing exposure. The positioning window and the public awareness window rarely overlap.

The post Circle CEO Reveals CLARITY Act’s Impact on Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Bitcoin climbed close to $82,000 on Tuesday as news broke that the Senate Banking Committee had officially scheduled Thursday as the date for its long-delayed markup of the CLARITY Act. The move gave crypto markets an immediate boost as investors priced in the growing possibility that comprehensive digital asset regulation in the United States is finally within reach.

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire appeared on Fox Business shortly after the announcement to share his assessment of where the bill stands and what it means for the industry.

What Allaire Said

Allaire described the CLARITY Act as a critical piece of legislation for both the digital asset industry and the broader financial system, saying it creates a regulatory pathway for digital token issuance, market structure, and supervision that the industry has needed for years.

On the stablecoin yield compromise that has dominated the final stages of negotiations, Allaire said Circle views the outcome positively. Under the current text, platforms cannot simply offer passive yield on stablecoin balances the way a bank pays interest on deposits. Instead, rewards must be tied to actual utility, usage, transactions, payments, and other activities.

“That is really where we see the benefits of this technology, in its utility, not just as a passive way to hold value,” Allaire said. “We think it is a great compromise.”

He acknowledged the compromise has not made everyone happy, pointing out that neither the digital asset platforms nor the banks got everything they wanted. His interpretation of that outcome was telling.

“When not everyone is happy with every dimension, that may be a sign of ultimately finding a good compromise,” he said.

On the bill’s prospects, Allaire said, “It is very clear this is a top agenda item for the President and for Congress. For those reasons I think the CLARITY Act is well on its way to becoming law.”

The Banking Lobby’s Objection

Fox Business obtained a letter from major banking trade groups outlining their core concern with the current legislation. Banks argued the bill would allow crypto platforms to offer interest-like rewards on payment stablecoins, potentially encouraging deposit flight from traditional banks into crypto platforms.

Allaire pushed back on the framing. He said that the GENIUS Act, which governs Circle and USDC directly, already prohibits paying interest directly to stablecoin holders. The CLARITY Act builds on that framework rather than creating a loophole around it.

What Thursday Means

The Senate Banking Committee markup on Thursday at 10:30 AM EST is the most significant checkpoint the bill has faced. If it clears the committee the full Senate must still vote before the bill reaches President Trump’s desk. The White House is targeting July 4 for the final signature. Thursday is where that timeline either stays on track or faces its most serious test yet.

The post CLARITY Act Draft Released: What the 309-Page Draft Says About Bitcoin, Staking and Stablecoins appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The Senate Banking Committee released the full 309-page draft of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act on Tuesday morning, giving committee members until close of business Wednesday to file amendments ahead of Thursday’s 10:30 AM EST markup vote.

The release follows months of negotiations that nearly collapsed multiple times over stablecoin yield provisions, ethics rules, and DeFi regulations. The draft represents the most complete picture yet of what US crypto regulation will actually look like if the bill passes.

Here are some parts of the text:

Bitcoin and Ethereum Are Permanently Non-Securities

One of the most significant provisions locks in the regulatory status of major cryptocurrencies immediately. Any token that served as the principal asset of a spot Exchange Traded Product as of January 1, 2026 is permanently treated as a non-security under the bill.

In practical terms that means Bitcoin, Ethereum, and any other asset that received spot ETP approval by year-end 2025 can never be reclassified as a security regardless of future SEC or CFTC leadership changes. The legal certainty that the industry has fought for years to establish is written directly into the legislation.

Staking Is Fully Protected

The draft carves out staking activity entirely from securities treatment. Four specific staking structures are explicitly classified as administrative or ministerial rather than investment activity:

• Self-staking by token holders
• Self-custodial staking with a third-party node operator
• Liquid staking through receipt tokens
• Custodial staking services provided by exchanges

Critically, the bill also states that governance rights attached to a token do not disqualify it from non-security treatment. This directly addresses one of the longest-running regulatory grey areas in the industry.

Banks Get Direct Access to Crypto Without Prior Approval

Section 401 of the draft opens the door for traditional banking institutions to enter the digital asset space without needing regulatory permission first. National banks, state banks, and credit unions are all permitted to offer the following services as incidental to normal banking business:

• Custody of digital assets
• Staking services
• Lending against digital assets
• Payment processing
• Market making
• Underwriting

No prior approval from regulators is required. For an industry that has spent years watching banks turn away crypto clients due to regulatory uncertainty, this provision alone represents a structural shift in how digital assets integrate with the traditional financial system.

The Stablecoin Yield Question Is Settled

Section 404 draws the clearest line yet on stablecoin rewards. Exchanges and platforms are prohibited from paying interest or yield simply for holding stablecoin balances. Any return that is economically equivalent to interest on a bank deposit is banned outright.

However, activity-based rewards remain fully permitted. Staking rewards, governance participation incentives, loyalty programmes, and rewards tied to actual platform usage are all allowed to continue. Existing exchange rewards programmes that pay passive yield on stablecoin balances will need to restructure their models to comply.

The compromise gives banks what they lobbied for, a ban on stablecoins functioning as interest-bearing deposits, while preserving the activity-based reward structures that crypto platforms argued were fundamentally different from deposit interest.

What Happens Next

Committee members have until Wednesday close of business to submit amendments. Thursday’s markup at 10:30 AM EST will determine whether the bill advances out of committee. If it clears that hurdle the full Senate must still vote, and the Senate version must be reconciled with the House version before reaching President Trump’s desk.

The White House is targeting July 4 for the final signature. Thursday is the next critical checkpoint.

The post Ripple News: Brad Garlinghouse Finally Reveals if XRP Holders Benefit by Ripple’s Success appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

It is one of the most debated topics in the XRP community. Does holding XRP actually translate into direct financial benefit from Ripple’s commercial success as a company? Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse finally addressed it directly.

His answer was nuanced, personal, and stopped short of making any firm commitments while leaving a door deliberately open.

What Garlinghouse Actually Said

Garlinghouse said he hopes XRP holders feel they are benefiting from Ripple’s existence through the work the company does to catalyse activity within the XRP ecosystem. Every acquisition, every investment, every partnership Ripple pursues is evaluated in part through the lens of how it drives XRP adoption and utility.

On the question of whether Ripple would do something specific for XRP holders if and when the company goes public, Garlinghouse said it was possible but not something being planned in the immediate term.

“Is there a scenario if and when Ripple goes public, would we do something special for people who hold XRP? Maybe,” he said. “But that’s not in the immediate term.”

He was more direct on where his personal motivations lie. “I freaking love the XRP family,” he said. “I want to do things that are good for the XRP community. It is a driving mission.”

How Ripple Thinks About XRP When Making Decisions

Garlinghouse outlined how XRP sits at the centre of Ripple’s strategic decision-making. When Ripple considers an acquisition, the question being asked internally is how that acquisition catalyses activity within the XRP ecosystem. When Ripple makes investments outside the company, the question is how those investments drive broader XRP adoption.

He pointed to Evernorth, a digital asset treasury company Ripple has been supporting, as an example of the approach. Ripple views a high-quality XRP-focused treasury company as good for the XRP community, good for Ripple shareholders, and good for the broader ecosystem simultaneously.

What It Means for XRP Holders

Garlinghouse stopped short of promising any direct financial mechanism linking Ripple’s corporate success to XRP holders. There is no dividend structure, no buyback programme, and no confirmed IPO benefit for token holders on the table right now.

What he described instead is an alignment of incentives. Ripple’s commercial success, in his framing, is designed to create conditions where XRP becomes more useful, more adopted, and more liquid. The benefit to holders is indirect but intentional.

Whether the community accepts that framing or continues pushing for something more concrete is a debate that Garlinghouse’s comments will almost certainly intensify rather than resolve.

The post XRP News: Ripple Prime Raises $200 Million From Neuberger to Scale Institutional Crypto Lending appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Ripple has closed a $200 million debt facility from Neuberger Specialty Finance, the asset-based lending arm of global investment manager Neuberger. The capital will expand the lending and margin financing capacity of Ripple Prime, Ripple’s institutional prime brokerage platform.

The deal was announced Monday May 11, making it one of the largest debt facilities raised by a crypto-native prime brokerage platform in 2026.

Why Ripple Prime Needed This

Ripple acquired the prime brokerage platform in 2025. Since the acquisition, Ripple Prime has tripled its revenue year over year as institutional demand for margin financing across both traditional and digital markets accelerated faster than the platform’s existing balance sheet could support.

Dependable access to financing is critical to institutional participants in today’s dynamic markets, and Ripple Prime’s ability to meet this need just got that much stronger.

We're proud to partner with Neuberger on a $200M debt facility to meet rising client demand for our…

— Ripple (@Ripple) May 11, 2026

The $200 million facility solves that constraint directly. Ripple Prime can now draw up to the full amount as client demand requires, extending financing to institutions operating across crypto and traditional markets from a single counterparty.

What Makes This Deal Different

Most crypto lending facilities in 2026 have been structured around purely digital asset collateral. This deal is different. Neuberger Specialty Finance, which manages asset-based lending strategies across traditional markets, backed Ripple Prime specifically because the platform bridges both worlds simultaneously.

That positioning, serving institutional clients who need prime services across crypto and traditional finance rather than one or the other, is what attracted a firm of Neuberger’s size and profile to the deal. Neuberger Private Markets manages over $155 billion in investor commitments globally across 17 offices.

The Revenue Story Behind the Raise

Ripple Prime tripling revenue year over year since its 2025 acquisition is the data point that makes this facility credible rather than speculative. The growth came from institutional clients increasing activity across both traditional and digital markets and seeking reliable counterparties with consistent access to capital at scale.

The $200 million raise is not a bet on future growth. It is a response to demand the platform is already experiencing.

What Comes Next

The facility expands Ripple Prime’s ability to onboard new institutional relationships and deepen financing capacity for existing clients. It positions the platform to compete directly with established prime brokers for mandates that require cross-market capability, something most traditional prime brokers and most crypto-native platforms cannot yet offer from a single desk.

For Ripple broadly, the deal adds another institutional infrastructure layer alongside its payments, custody, and stablecoin businesses, reinforcing its positioning as a full-service operator across the financial system rather than a single-product company.

The post Clarity Act News Today: Thursday Markup Set but Democrat Votes Could Determine the Bill’s Fate appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The Senate Banking Committee has officially scheduled the CLARITY Act markup for Thursday May 14 at 10:30 AM EST. Senate Banking Chairman Tim Scott announced the date on Friday evening. According to a committee memo, the final legislative text is expected to be released Monday with senators required to submit amendments before close of business Tuesday.

The vote comes nearly four months after the first Senate Banking markup was scrapped in January over last-minute objections from industry leaders including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, who argued the bill deferred too much to banks and could effectively eliminate stablecoin rewards programs for consumers. 

The Banking Lobby’s Last Stand

Not everyone is satisfied. Banking trade groups sent a letter to Senate Banking leadership on Friday arguing the current stablecoin yield compromise still leaves room for rewards programs that could replicate interest. The groups want further revisions to prevent stablecoins from functioning like interest-bearing bank accounts.

Over the weekend, American Bankers Association president Rob Nichols sent a direct email to member bank CEOs urging immediate action. He encouraged them to call Senate offices, mobilise employees, and submit letters through an online advocacy portal ahead of Thursday’s vote.

A Senate aide who reviewed the letter described the effort to Crypto In America as “pretty milquetoast,” noting lawmakers on both sides have largely moved on to resolving ethics provisions rather than revisiting the yield debate.

The Democrat Question

The bigger unknown heading into Thursday is whether any Democrats on the committee will vote yes.

Senators Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego have been leading the charge on ethics provisions targeting conflicts of interest related to President Trump and his family’s crypto dealings. Schiff is described as particularly firm on the issue. Gallego has been a broader advocate for advancing the bill but his final vote remains unclear.

Senator Mark Warner, another key DeFi negotiator, will also be one to watch closely on Thursday.

Why It Matters

The bill can advance out of committee on a purely partisan vote. But that path carries risk. Galaxy Digital’s head of firmwide research Alex Thorn told Crypto In America that a strictly Republican committee vote would likely make it harder to secure the 60 votes needed for full Senate passage.

“While it’s possible the bill could still succeed if it advances through Senate Banking on a partisan basis, the odds of ultimate Senate passage are certainly diminished if no Democrats vote in favour during committee markup on Thursday,” Thorn said.

Others remain less concerned, pointing to the bipartisan momentum that has kept the bill alive through multiple near-collapses.

The post Top Analyst Reveals What’s Next For Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP Prices appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Bitcoin is trading within a well-defined resistance zone that analyst Gareth Soloway has been tracking since the market’s October 2025 lows. The zone runs from $80,000 at the low end to approximately $85,000 to $86,000 at the high end, with multiple historical pivot points creating a solid resistance footprint across that range.

Soloway said Bitcoin could push toward $86,000 within the current structure, but stopped short of calling it a breakout. “All it takes is a catalyst,” he said. “The NASDAQ starts to fall for a few days in a row and before you know it Bitcoin is under $80,000, then under $75,000, and momentum takes over.”

For a bullish shift, Soloway said he needs to see Bitcoin clear $98,000. That level, if broken, would open a path back toward the trend line that marked the 2025 bull market top and signal a potential new all-time high attempt. Until then, he described the current move as digestion rather than a confirmed reversal.

One concern he flagged is that Bitcoin is still not trading as a risk-off asset. With the NASDAQ and S&P 500 at all-time highs, Bitcoin remains roughly 40% below its own peak. 

Ethereum: Holding $2,100 Is Everything

Ethereum has lagged while other altcoins have posted larger moves, which Soloway described as disconcerting. His near-term target remains $2,700, but the more important level is $2,100 on the downside.

A series of pivot lows have formed a clear support line at that level. As long as Ethereum holds $2,100, Soloway said he maintains a neutral to bullish stance. A break below it would signal the current choppy range is resolving to the downside, removing the near-term recovery case entirely.

XRP: Two Levels Define the Next Move

XRP is pressing against resistance at $1.47 to $1.48. A clean break above that zone opens upside toward $1.70 to $1.80, a move from current levels that Soloway said is worth monitoring actively.

The downside level to watch is $1.38. A break below that support removes the immediate bullish setup and could trigger a move lower. As with Bitcoin and Ethereum, the chart is giving clear levels to follow in both directions.