Ripple CEO Sends Strong XRP Signal From Las Vegas

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse publicly reaffirmed the companys strong commitment to XRP at the Bitcoin 2026 conference, directly confronting narratives suggesting the company has moved away from its native token.  The announcement came alongside news that Ripple is aggressively expanding into the Middle East and Africa.  CEO Confronts Skepticism  Speaking at the Vegas conference, Garlinghouse delivered a pointed message to critics. He stated that Ripple remains the largest holder of XRP worldwide and will continue supporting the tokens success.  “Ripple is extremely committed to make XRP the most useful digital asset, the most liquid digital asset, and the most trusted digital asset,” Garlinghouse said.  The statement directly addressed persistent criticism that Ripple abandoned XRP. Some observers argued that the company shifted its focus toward institutional payment solutions such as RippleNet and xCurrent, which do not require tokens.  Garlinghouses declaration signals that institutional payments and XRP adoption are complementary, not competing, strategies.  Middle East Expansion Accelerates  Beyond XRP commitments, Ripple announced the opening of a new regional headquarters in Dubais Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).  The move positions Ripple to expand operations across the Middle East and Africa. This region offers significant opportunities for the development of payment infrastructure and the adoption of blockchain technology.  Ripples treasury platform processes $12.5 trillion

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ECB’s Makhlouf: Will pay attention to indirect effects of higher energy prices

Finance  ECBs Makhlouf: Will pay attention to indirect effects of higher energy prices  European Central Bank (ECB) governing council member and Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, Gabriel Makhlouf, said in his blog ⁠on the Irish central banks website on Friday that he will be vigilant to the indirect effects of higher energy prices on production, transportation, and services, Reuters report.  Remarks  I will be paying close attention to indirect effects, that is how higher energy prices are contributing to cost-push inflation in production, transportation, and services.  Potential second-round effects via wages will take longer to show up, given the ⁠staggered nature of wage-setting in Europe. In the meantime, inflation ⁠expectations need to be closely monitored for signs of de-anchoring.  Market reaction  There seems to be no impact of ECB Makhloufs comments on the Euro (EUR). As of writing, EUR/USD trades 0.2% higher to near 1.1755 due to weakness in the US Dollar (USD).

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Strategy CEO Phong Le frames STRC as income despite payout risks

Strategys CEO has promoted its high-yield STRC stock as a way to cover personal expenses, drawing attention to the risks tied to its dividend structure.Phong Le has promoted STRC as an income source for everyday expenses, citing its 11.5% variable dividend while acknowledging he invested $250,000 personally.Company disclosures from Strategy state dividends are not guaranteed and can be suspended, with no assurance of principal repayment.Le said about 80% of STRC holders are retail investors, identifying them as individuals managing mortgages, utility bills, and other financial obligations.  According to comments made by Phong Le on Natalie Brunell‘s show, the executive described STRC as an income-generating asset that could help investors manage recurring costs such as mortgages, utility bills, and car payments. He said the stock’s variable dividends “almost looks like a paycheck,” while noting that payments arrive regularly.  Le disclosed that he had personally purchased $250,000 worth of STRC, explaining the decision through his own financial setup. He said he holds a 1.75% 30-year mortgage and viewed STRCs current 11.5% annualized dividend as a way to earn a higher return instead of paying down that debt. He described the approach as earning income from the spread between the dividend yield and his borrowing

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NuScale Power (SMR) Stock Soars 10% as Amazon Commits $500M to Small Modular Reactors

NuScale Power Corporation, SMR  Amazon‘s announcement didn’t include NuScale among its chosen partners. Yet the stock rallied regardless.  This reaction reveals much about investor sentiment within the SMR market. When a technology giant commits hundreds of millions toward clean energy infrastructure, every company in that ecosystem benefits. Market participants rushed into nuclear-related equities en masse.  A short squeeze magnified the gains. NuScale has attracted significant short interest, and as share prices rose, pessimistic traders scrambled to exit their bearish bets. This forced buying created additional upward momentum.  NuScales Current Position  Trading at approximately $3.88 billion in market capitalization, NuScale occupies a compelling position. Competitor Oklo — another dedicated SMR developer — commands a valuation nearly triple that size. Before Wednesdays surge, NuScale shares had declined more than 20% since the year began.  What distinguishes NuScale from competitors: it stands alone as the only American enterprise possessing Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification for its SMR technology. Securing this regulatory approval required years of effort and cannot be quickly duplicated. In an industry still establishing credibility, this achievement carries significant weight.  However, Bank of America research suggests substantial SMR deployment wont materialize until 2030 or later, potentially extending to 2035. While the underlying technology exists, commercial markets remain undeveloped.  Long-Term Outlook

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XRP Leverage Drops to Zero: 6x Rally Signal?

Tech  XRP Leverage Drops to Zero: 6x Rally Signal?  XRP Flashpoint: Zero Binance Leverage and Whale Outflows Fuel $8.28 Rally Speculation  Market analyst Xaif Crypto notes that XRP is beginning to show sentiment patterns similar to those seen ahead of its earlier breakout this year. A key signal is for XRP, which has dropped to 0, levels last observed in early 2024 just before the asset surged by around 6x.  In the previous cycle, extremely low leverage conditions were followed by a sharp price expansion as liquidity returned and positioning flipped quickly. If history repeats in a similar pattern, XRP could be entering a comparable setup, with a speculative upside target around $8.28 from of $1.38.  Source: CoinCodex  Well, the resemblance to past market structure has renewed attention among market participants closely watching derivatives positioning and liquidity trends.  Beyond leverage metrics, attention is shifting to Binance flow data. Xaif Crypto points to unusual XRP outflows, with whales now accounting for of daily withdrawals. Even more striking, this surge has printed twice in succession, suggesting a clear uptick in large-holder accumulation.  In market terms, rising exchange outflows typically indicate tokens being moved into private wallets, tightening available sell-side liquidity. This steady quiet rotation of big holdings, as some analysts

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Bitcoin Closes April Up 12% as Strategys MSTR Posts First Positive Month Since July

In briefBitcoins April gains hovered just under 12%, marking its second positive monthly close since September 2025.Michael Saylors Strategy made four BTC purchases in April totaling $4.13 billion, with MSTR stock closing the month up 33%.CryptoQuant warns that “price gains are speculative rather than structural” as the demand metric remains negative, highlighting a divergence.  Bitcoin ended April with double-digit gains despite an uncertain geopolitical outlook and conflicting signals on investor demand.  The leading crypto rallied just under 12% last month, marking only its second positive monthly close since September 2025. Bitcoin‘s gains came amid tumultuous geopolitical conditions, including the extended conflict between Israel, the U.S., and Iran, as well as the UAE’s exit from OPEC, ending its 59-year membership.  Oil surged to $120 per barrel, with U.S. WTI crude hitting $110, as the Middle East war exacerbated geopolitical tensions.  President Trump received a high-level briefing Thursday from Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine on new military options against Iran, according to the Independent.  Plans under discussion include a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iranian infrastructure, a possible operation to take control of parts of the Strait of Hormuz, and even a special forces

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Fed dissenters explain no votes, saying they disagreed with hinting next move would be a cut

Finance  Fed dissenters explain ‘no’ votes, saying they disagreed with hinting next move would be a cut  Construction work continues at the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC, on Dec. 30, 2025.  Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images  Federal Reserve officials who voted this week against the post-meeting statement said they didnt think it was appropriate to signal that the next interest rate move would be lower.  Regional presidents Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis and Beth Hammack of Cleveland released statements explaining their votes, offering similar rationale regarding the verbiage in the statement — but not over the decision to keep a hold on rates form their current position.  Kashkari said the statement contained “a form of forward guidance about the likely direction for monetary policy. Given recent economic and geopolitical developments and the higher level of uncertainty about the outlook, I do not believe such forward guidance is appropriate at this time.”  Instead, he said the Federal Open Market Committee statement Wednesday should have indicated the next move could be a cut or a hike. This was the the third consecutive pause for the committee after it cut three times in the latter part of 2025.  Similarly, Hammack said she didnt agree with the

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Best 5 Crypto Presales 2026: Based Eggman Shines As Top Crypto to Buy Now vs Ionix Chain, Pepeto and IPO Genie

Crypto  Best 5 Crypto Presales 2026: Based Eggman Shines As Top Crypto to Buy Now vs Ionix Chain, Pepeto and IPO Genie  The 2026 presale class has produced wide variation in structure, utility, and post-listing thesis. Based Eggman ($GGs), Ionix Chain, Pepeto, and IPO Genie cover four different angles on the same trade, and Based Eggman is the one drawing the most attention right now.  The best crypto presale on Base has crossed $315K raised in Stage 3, with working features that separate it from pure speculation plays.  Crypto presales this cycle break into four loose categories. Memecoin-utility hybrids on Base, AI-DeFi infrastructure plays, PEPE-derivative meme tokens, and launchpad access tokens for IDO allocations.  Each category attracts a different buyer profile. The top crypto presale conversation rewards picking the right fit, not chasing every campaign.  Pepeto and IPO Genie at a Glance  Pepeto runs PEPE tokenomics with a 420T supply. The project is building PepetoSwap DEX, a cross-chain bridge, and AI tools. The presale exceeded $6.93M before ending around March 2026, with demo staking already live at 222% APY. Post-presale listings on five-plus exchanges create meaningful exit liquidity.  IPO Genie is a Solana-based launchpad token giving stakers allocations to vetted IDO projects. Targets sit at 50x ROI on

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OP Technical Analysis 1 May 2026: Market Structure

Tech  OP Technical Analysis 1 May 2026: Market Structure  The OP token is currently stuck in a horizontal market structure; breaking critical BOS levels is required before a clear uptrend (HH/HL) or downtrend (LH/LL) forms. Although short-term bearish signals dominate, sideways consolidation can continue if the $0.1189 support holds.  Market Structure Overview  OP‘s current market structure is moving in a horizontal consolidation phase without showing a clear trend direction recently. While the price has stabilized at $0.12, the 24-hour change is +1.34% mildly positive, but the overall range is narrow ($0.12-$0.12). This structure is awaiting the clarification of higher highs/higher lows (HH/HL) bullish trend or lower highs/lower lows (LH/LL) bearish trend patterns. Trading below the short-term EMA20 ($0.12) and the Supertrend’s bearish signal indicate weak upward momentum. RSI at 50.12 is in the neutral zone, and MACD shows a bearish trend with a negative histogram. In multi-timeframe (MTF) analysis, the 1D chart highlights 4 support/4 resistance levels; higher timeframes (3D/1W) lack strong structures yet. This shows OP exhibiting sideways movement parallel to the uncertainty in the overall crypto market. Understanding the market structure critically involves examining swing points: Theres consolidation between the latest swing high $0.1227 (76/100 score) and swing low $0.1189 (75/100 score).

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SBI Holdings eyes stake in crypto exchange Bitbank to build digital asset powerhouse

Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings plans to acquire a stake in Bitbank, one of the countrys largest crypto exchanges.  The Tokyo-based broker submitted a letter of intent to Bitbank Co., Ltd. regarding the purchase of the exchanges shares with the goal of turning it into a consolidated subsidiary, according to an announcement on Friday.  SBI frames the Bitbank move as part of its broader strategy to expand its crypto footprint and strengthen its position ahead of potential regulatory changes in Japan.  Japans cabinet approved a draft amendment last month that would classify cryptocurrencies as financial products, bringing crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, which is used for stocks and other securities. If passed during the current parliament session, the law could take effect as early as fiscal 2027.  SBI already absorbed Bitpoint, a regulated Japanese crypto exchange that offers spot trading and has offered an onchain bond from which investors can receive rewards in XRP.  The move is also part of SBIs broader regional expansion push, having disclosed plans to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-based Coinhako, a MAS-regulated digital asset platform in February.  SBI has also commenced a Visa partnership to launch credit cards that automatically convert spending rewards into crypto (BTC,

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