XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) is way off $2, yet recent industry discussions suggest the token and the XRP Ledger could play a central role in a digitized global financial system.

The XRP Ledger Has One Advantage

On the Paul Barron podcast, panelists addressed perceived competition between the Canton Network and the XRP Ledger.

The discussion argued that the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation using Canton for tokenization does not directly threaten XRP’s use case.

Canton is designed for real-world asset tokenization and privacy across subnets, rather than cross-border liquidity.

By contrast, the XRP Ledger is described as a bridge asset system built for instant cross-border and cross-asset…

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The 21Shares Sui ETF (NASDAQ:TSUI), a spot ETF offering direct exposure to the SUI token (CRYPTO: SUI), began trading this week, marking one of the first U.S.-listed products tied to the fast-growing Sui blockchain network.

The fund, issued by 21Shares, follows regulatory clearance from the U.S. SEC and gives investors access to SUI through traditional brokerage accounts rather than crypto exchanges. The structure tracks the underlying token on a spot basis, meaning performance is directly linked to SUI’s market price.

The listing broadens U.S. access to Sui, a Layer 1 blockchain positioned as infrastructure for payments and financial applications. While crypto-linked ETFs have…

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Bitcoin is maintaining support around the $65,000 level amid strong institutional interest heading into the weekend.

Notable Statistics:

Coinglass data shows 96,079 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $259.25 million.

SoSoValue data shows net inflows of $254.5 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Thursday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net inflows of $6.6 million.

In the past 24 hours, top losers include pippin, Kite and Zcash.

Notable Developments:

Trader Notes: Trader IncomeSharks noted that Bitcoin remains stuck in the so-called “Box of Despair,” with expectations for a slow, grinding move higher in March. However, a true breakout may not come until May or June.

Swing trader…

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Former Biden Council of Economic Advisors Chair Jared Bernstein called crypto an asset with “almost zero legal use cases” that’s “pretty good for scammers,” arguing even Donald Trump’s pro-crypto stance can’t stop Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) 40% decline.

The ‘Almost Zero Legal Use Cases’ Argument

Bernstein argued the “early stage excuse is probably past its sell-by date” for crypto’s volatility. 

He claimed the asset hid behind complaints about regulatory regimes that diminished its value until the Trump administration embraced the industry.

“The crypto bros pretty much purchased the best Congress and president they could ask for,” Bernstein said. “The sheen…

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MARA Holdings (NASDAQ:MARA) surged over 10% after announcing a joint venture with Starwood Digital Ventures to pivot mining sites toward AI infrastructure, despite reporting a $1.7 billion Q4 loss driven by Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) writedowns.

MARA Reports $1.7 Billion Q4 Loss

The company reported a Q4 net loss of $1.7 billion compared to net income of $528.3 million a year earlier. 

A $1.5 billion decline in the fair value of Bitcoin holdings wiped out operating gains as BTC dropped from $114,068 at the end of Q3 to $87,498 by December 31.

Revenue fell 6% to $202.3 million from $214.4 million in Q4 2024, driven by a 14% drop in the average price of Bitcoin mined during the quarter. 

Full-year…

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For most of its history, crypto has moved in cycles driven by speculation, liquidity, and macro sentiment. Each rally has exposed familiar weaknesses: fraud, unstable platforms, and weak risk controls. The next bull run may look different. This time, the quiet driver may not be a new token narrative but artificial intelligence reshaping how crypto manages trust, regulation, and market risk.

AI is increasingly being used as an infrastructure layer rather than a marketing label. Instead of promising higher returns, it is applied to monitoring activity, controlling automated decisions, and helping users move more safely between payments, savings, and trading. That shift could matter more for…

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