XRP News: Ripple and Validators Approve Critical XRP Ledger (XRPL) Upgrade

In todays big XRP news, Ripple has officially released a major upgrade to XRP Ledger (XRPL). The major upgrade introduces significant fixes to NFTs, permissioned domains, vaults, and the Lending protocol, boosting network stability and security.  Community Eyes Major XRPL Ledger (XRPL) 3.1.3 Upgrade  According to the XRPL blog, Ripple developers announced the rippled version 3.1.3 upgrade, introducing the fixCleanup3_1_3 amendment that contains fixes for NFTs, Permissioned Domains, Vaults, and the Lending Protocol.  Ripple emphasized the importance of the changes by setting the default vote to Yes in the new release. It requires all nodes to upgrade immediately for continued network participation.  Notably, it fixes an issue with expired ‘NFT token offer’ entries remaining on the XRP Ledger. The upgrade will ensure Permissioned Domains arent modified by failed transactions and fix a trust line token limit check when withdrawing vault assets.  It fixes loan accounting information, removes loan overpayments, and adds an additional check for cover matching assets held. Moreover, these changes protect data integrity, enforce transaction rules, and prevent potential ledger corruption in advanced DeFi and tokenized-asset use cases.  Ripple and XRP Validators Nod Progress to Go Live on Mainnet  The amendment in the XRP Ledger upgrade receives 97.14% approval from Ripple, Arrington XRP Capital, and

05-18

Bitcoin Slides Under $77K as Crypto Liquidations Top $672M Amid Bond Sell-Off

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hit 4.63%—a 16-month high—up 70 basis points since the Iran War began, as odds of a 2026 rate cut collapsed to 2%.Spot Bitcoin ETF outflows reached $1 billion for the week ending May 15, the largest weekly exit since late January, per SoSoValue.Analysts say $77,000 is the critical threshold—a break below with elevated open interest could put a $70,000 retest in play.  fell to a three-week low over the weekend as a surge in U.S. Treasury yields sent ETF outflows to their worst level since late January and drove more than $670 million in liquidations across crypto markets.  The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield reached 4.63% on Sunday night—its highest since February 2025—up 70 basis points since the Iran War began, according to The Kobeissi Letter post Monday. The move puts yields four basis points above the level that prompted President Trumps 90-day tariff pause in April 2025. With U.S. mortgage rates nearing 7% and odds of a rate cut this year collapsing to 2%, “the U.S. bond market is collapsing in real-time,” the post read.  The pressure is reaching crypto through an increasingly institutional transmission channel, according to Diego Martin, CEO of Yellow Capital. “Geopolitical shocks no longer

05-18

Verus Ethereum Bridge Exploit Drains Over $11 Million in Crypto

Investigators said the attacker drained assets including tBTC, ETH, and USDC before swapping the stolen funds into ETH. Security researchers also pointed out that the attackers wallet was initially funded through Tornado Cash shortly before the exploit took place.  Hackers Drain $11.5M From Verus  DeFi protocol Verus is reportedly dealing with a major exploit involving its Ethereum . Blockchain security firms estimate that attackers have already drained approximately $11.58 million in digital assets.  The incident was first pointed out late Sunday by on-chain security platform Blockaid, which identified suspicious activity tied to an attacker wallet beginning with “0x5aBb” and noted that the stolen funds were being stored in another address ending in “C25F9.”  Security researchers from PeckShield later more details about the attack, and claimed that the Verus-Ethereum bridge lost around 103.6 tBTC, 1,625 ETH, and 147,000 during the exploit. According to the firm, the attacker quickly swapped the stolen assets into approximately 5,402 ETH, valued at roughly $11.4 million at current market prices.  PeckShield also revealed that the attackers wallet was initially funded through Tornado Cash, the crypto mixing service often associated with anonymous transactions. The address received 1 ETH around 14 hours before the exploit occurred.  Another blockchain security company, GoPlus, that the exploit

05-18

Crypto Market News Today—Bitcoin Slashes While Ethereum & XRP Display Strength

The post Crypto Market News Today—Bitcoin Slashes While Ethereum otherwise, a drop below $76,000 could quickly come into play.  The BTC price broke down from a rising wedge pattern, triggering a 4.8% correction that could extend by another 2% to 3%, dragging the price toward the $74,000 lows. The RSI continues to trend lower, signaling sustained bearish momentum, while the price is now eyeing the lower Bollinger Band support near $75,800, which also aligns with a key demand zone. Bulls must defend this level and initiate a rebound; otherwise, a breakdown below $75,000 could become imminent.  Ethereum Bulls Fail to Defend $2,170  Rising selling pressure across the market continues to weigh heavily on the ETH price. After failing to hold above $2,300, Ethereum dropped toward $2,120, while trading volume climbed by nearly 4.5%. Although buyers stepped in to defend the $2,100 support zone, the rebound lacks conviction, raising the possibility of another near-term retest of the $2,000 level.  As seen in the chart above, the price has broken below the crucial support zone between $2,168 and $2,178, signaling growing bearish control. Selling pressure continues to intensify around the current range, while buying demand remains weak and largely absent. In addition, the RSI is hovering

05-18

Crypto Market Crash: $700M in Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, AI Coins Liquidated, Heres Why

Crypto market crash is becoming increasingly severe as the global market cap has tumbled to $2.56 trillion, erasing more than $180 billion since CoinGapes warning last week. Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and XRP plunge below key support levels amid macro, technical, and geopolitical jitters.  Moreover, the Crypto Market Fear & Greed Index recorded a sharp drop in the sentiment from 48 (neutral) to 28 (greed) today in just a few days. Bitcoin loses strength and crashes more than 2% to $76,678 lows today, while Ethereum fell 4% to $2,095 lows. ETH is witnessing liquidations far higher than BTCs in the last 24 hours.  Meanwhile, top altcoins XRP, BNB, Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) fell 2-7% further over the past 24 hours, despite the Senate advanced the CLARITY Act. Meme coins Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), and Pepe Coin (PEPE) fell more than 4%. AI coins are witnessing massive profit taking today.  Macro Risks Stemming from US-Iran War Triggering Crypto Market Crash  Oil prices gained 2% to above $107 per barrel on May 18 amid stalled US-Iran peace talks, with President Trumps visit to China doing less to pressure Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.  President Trump issued a stark warning to

05-18

Verus Ethereum bridge drained of $11.5M in forged transfer exploit

The Verus Protocol Ethereum bridge has suffered an exploit that has allowed an attacker to siphon off more than $11.5 million in crypto assets through what security researchers described as a forged cross-chain transfer message.Verus Protocols Ethereum bridge lost more than $11.5 million after attackers reportedly used a forged cross chain transfer message.Blockchain security firms Blockaid, PeckShield, and ExVul linked the exploit to missing validation checks inside the bridge verification process.  According to onchain security platform Blockaid, the exploit was detected late Sunday after its monitoring systems flagged suspicious activity tied to the Verus-Ethereum bridge. Blockaid identified the attacker wallet as “0x5aBb…D5777” and said the stolen funds were initially moved into another address labeled “0x65C…C25F9.”  Data shared by blockchain security firm PeckShield showed that the drained assets included 103.6 tBTC, 1,625 ETH, and nearly 147,000 USDC. PeckShield later reported that the attacker swapped the stolen tokens into 5,402 ETH, valued at roughly $11.4 million based on current prices.  Hours before the exploit took place, PeckShield said the attackers wallet had received 1 ETH through crypto mixer Tornado Cash, a detail that often appears in attacks involving attempts to obscure transaction origins.  Further analysis from GoPlus Security indicated that the attacker first sent a low-value

05-18

Ethereum Price Tumbles Hard, Bears Tighten Grip On Market Momentum

Aayush Jindal, a luminary in the world of financial markets, whose expertise spans over 15 illustrious years in the realms of Forex and cryptocurrency trading. Renowned for his unparalleled proficiency in providing technical analysis, Aayush is a trusted advisor and senior market expert to investors worldwide, guiding them through the intricate landscapes of modern finance with his keen insights and astute chart analysis.  From a young age, Aayush exhibited a natural aptitude for deciphering complex systems and unraveling patterns. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity for understanding market dynamics, he embarked on a journey that would lead him to become one of the foremost authorities in the fields of Forex and crypto trading. With a meticulous eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Aayush honed his craft over the years, mastering the art of technical analysis and chart interpretation.  As a software engineer, Aayush harnesses the power of technology to optimize trading strategies and develop innovative solutions for navigating the volatile waters of financial markets. His background in software engineering has equipped him with a unique skill set, enabling him to leverage cutting-edge tools and algorithms to gain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving landscape.  In addition to his roles in finance

05-18

Hacker Steals Over $11M From Verus-Ethereum Bridge

Despite the scale of the breach, Verus native token showed little immediate reaction following news of the exploit.  ;  }  function loadTrinityPlayer(targetWrapper, theme,extras=“”) {  cleanupPlayer(targetWrapper); // Always clean first ✅  targetWrapper.classList.add(‘played’);  // Create script  const scriptEl = document.createElement(“script”);  scriptEl.setAttribute(“fetchpriority”, “high”);  scriptEl.setAttribute(“charset”, “UTF-8”);  const scriptURL = new URL(`https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity/2900019254/?themeAppearance=${theme}${extras}`);  scriptURL.searchParams.set(“pageURL”, window.location.href1);  scriptEl.src = scriptURL.toString();  // Insert player  const placeholder = targetWrapper.querySelector(“.add-before-this”);  placeholder.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptEl, placeholder.nextSibling);  }  function getTheme() {  return document.body.classList.contains(“dark”) ? “dark” : “light”;  }  // Initial Load for Desktop  if (window.innerWidth 768) {  const desktopBtn = document.getElementById(“desktopPlayBtn”);  if (desktopBtn) {  desktopBtn.addEventListener(“click”, function () {  const desktopWrapper = document.querySelector(“.desktop-player-wrapper.trinity-player-iframe-wrapper”);  if (desktopWrapper) loadTrinityPlayer(desktopWrapper, getTheme(),  });  }  }  // Mobile Button Click  const mobileBtn = document.getElementById(“mobilePlayBtn”);  if (mobileBtn) {  mobileBtn.addEventListener(“click”, function () {  const mobileWrapper = document.querySelector(“.mobile-player-wrapper.trinity-player-iframe-wrapper”);  if (mobileWrapper) loadTrinityPlayer(mobileWrapper, getTheme(),  });  }  function reInitButton(container,html){  container.innerHTML = + html;  }  // Theme switcher  const destroyButton = document.getElementById(“checkbox”);  if (destroyButton) {  destroyButton.addEventListener(“click”, () = {  setTimeout(() = {  const theme = getTheme();  if (window.innerWidth 768) {  const desktopWrapper = document.querySelector(“.desktop-player-wrapper.trinity-player-iframe-wrapper”);  if(desktopWrapper.classList.contains(‘played’)){  loadTrinityPlayer(desktopWrapper, theme,  }else{  reInitButton(desktopWrapper,‘’)  const desktopBtn = document.getElementById(“desktopPlayBtn”);  if (desktopBtn) {  desktopBtn.addEventListener(“click”, function () {  const desktopWrapper = document.querySelector(“.desktop-player-wrapper.trinity-player-iframe-wrapper”);  if (desktopWrapper) loadTrinityPlayer(desktopWrapper,theme,‘  });  }  }  } else {  const mobileWrapper = document.querySelector(“.mobile-player-wrapper.trinity-player-iframe-wrapper”);  if(mobileWrapper.classList.contains(‘played’)){  loadTrinityPlayer(mobileWrapper, theme,  }else{  const mobileBtn = document.getElementById(“mobilePlayBtn”);  if (mobileBtn) {  mobileBtn.addEventListener(“click”, function () {  const mobileWrapper = document.querySelector(“.mobile-player-wrapper.trinity-player-iframe-wrapper”);  if (mobileWrapper) loadTrinityPlayer(mobileWrapper,theme,  });  }  }  }  }, 100);  });  }  })();  Hackers have reportedly drained $11.58 million from the Verus-Ethereum bridge.  According to alerts from various blockchain security platforms, the exploit hit one of Verus cross-chain bridge contracts and emptied reserves containing ETH, tBTC, and USDC.  How the Attack Worked  Two of the firms, CertiK and PeckShield, flagged suspicious activity from the bridge contract at

05-18

Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo Expands Crypto Portfolio to $235M with XRP and Ethereum Additions

ITALYS BIGGEST BANK DOUBLED ITS CRYPTO EXPOSURE TO $235M  Intesa Sanpaolo, managing over €1 TRILLION in client assets, has reportedly increased its crypto exposure from roughly $100M from Q4 2025 to around $235M in Q1 2026.  The substantial increase stemmed primarily from enlarged Bitcoin ETF allocations. The institution boosted its positions in both the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF and BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust. Additionally, it initiated its inaugural derivatives exposure within this sector by purchasing call options on the iShares Bitcoin Trust.  Ethereum and XRP Join Investment Mix  Intesa established its first Ethereum position by acquiring shares in BlackRock‘s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust. This strategic move represented the bank’s initial venture beyond Bitcoin-focused investment vehicles.  The institution simultaneously gained XRP exposure via the Grayscale XRP Trust. This holding carried an approximate valuation of $26 million. Intesa has not publicly clarified whether these assets serve exclusively for proprietary investment purposes or additionally support products marketed to institutional clients.  The integration of both Ether and XRP signals a broader diversification strategy for cryptocurrency holdings, while maintaining focus on regulated, exchange-traded instruments.  Dramatic Solana Position Reduction  Conversely, Intesa dramatically scaled back its Solana allocation. Holdings in the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF plummeted from 266,320 shares to a minimal 2,817 — representing

05-18

Versus-Ethereum Bridge Exploited: Analyzing Chain of Events

This week, there was a significant vulnerability in the Verus-Ethereum Bridge, with hackers stealing about $11.58 million in digital assets. As suspicious transactions transferred significant amounts of cryptocurrency from the bridge into wallets controlled by attackers, blockchain security companies promptly sounded the alarm.  Early exploit detection  The attack was discovered by Blockaids exploit detection system while it was still active, according to the security firm. The company claims that the hacker was able to take several assets out of the bridge and exchange them for Ethereum.  ETH/USDT Chart by TradingView  Later, PeckShield, a blockchain monitoring account, released a breakdown of the pilfered money. 103.6 tBTC, 1625 ETH, and approximately 147,000 USDC were reportedly taken from the bridge by the attacker. Following the theft, the assets were exchanged for roughly 5402.4 ETH, which, at the time of reporting, was worth roughly $11.4 million. The wallet with the address 0x65Cb…25F9 currently contains the pilfered ETH.  Bitcoin Crash Wipes Out $660 Million  XRP Volatility Ahead, Dogecoin (DOGE) Uptrend Continues, Is Toncoin (TON) Capable of Holding $2? Crypto Market Review  Not their first rodeo  Additionally, analysts found that about 14 hours prior to the exploit, the attackers address had been funded with 1 ETH via Tornado Cash. Transaction trails are frequently obscured

05-18
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