Blockchain will transform football’s broken transfer system

Coinbase's XRP has fallen almost 90% in just three months, according to new information from XRPWallets. At the beginning of the summer, the leading U.S. crypto exchange held around 970 million XRP in 52 cold wallets. Ten of these held 26.8 million coins each, and the rest held another 16.8 million combined. This made Coinbase one of the largest visible holders of XRP in the market.

But then something switched, and now, by the middle of September, only six cold wallets are still active, each with about 16.5 million XRP, leaving the total close to 99 million, a level not seen in years.

This is an 89.79% drop from June, which happened against the background of consistent transfers between Coinbase and unknown wallets all summer.

One of those, like the 16.5 million XRP worth $51.4 million that moved into Coinbase, happened just this weekend, sparking further debate among traders.

Where XRP going?

Some may think that big companies and institutions like BlackRock might be buying XRP through Coinbase for their own customers, but nothing is known for sure.

The on-chain data only shows balances leaving the exchange, not where the coins go after they leave cold storage or how they might be used later.

Amid all this, XRP remains the third largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin and Ethereum, with a market value of around $183 billion.

This makes it even more surprising that Coinbase's role in storing XRP becomes much smaller, as it raises questions about whether coins are being moved into new custody solutions, private vaults, or alternative trading routes.

Dogecoin is back on the radar, with a new price prediction by Ali Martinez suggesting the biggest meme coin is heading as high "up north" as $0.45, which would mean a nearly 50% jump from the price of DOGE right now.

DOGE is at around $0.292, which is already more than 6% up from yesterday. But what really matters is that the meme cryptocurrency finally broke above the $0.27 level that was stopping rallies all summer.

DOGE is consolidating above the breakout zone before climbing toward $0.39, $0.43-$0.45. Given that Dogecoin tends to surge quickly once key resistances turn into support, and with retail demand picking up again amid brand new Dogecoin ETF launch, it seems likely that the chart is set for another boost.

Should Dogecoin ascend to $0.45, it will be back to where it was at the end of 2021. But this time, it will be coming off a longer base at around $0.20-$0.25, not a sudden spike, which makes the price behavior look more mature.

Bottom line

The thing that gives bulls confidence is holding the current floor, because past rallies often collapsed when DOGE failed to keep freshly conquered territory intact.

The idea is that the DOGE price will stay above $0.27, but if it dips back down, it will lose steam and probably return to previous years' range. For now, the bias is higher, and traders are keeping a close eye on September as the month that could set up the biggest meme coin's next big move.

The steady appreciation in the Ethereum price continues to mirror how resilient the cryptocurrency has become in the market. Despite the waves of skepticism experienced in the past, there seems to have been a recent major shift in investor behavior, which shows a level of optimism in the potential growth of the Ether token.

Ethereum Netflow Across Exchanges Consistently Negative

In a September 13 post on social media platform X, on-chain analyst Darkfost revealed how Ethereum’s investors have been acting behind the scenes over the past few months.

According to Darkfost, there has been a major shift in investor behavior since Ethereum’s last price drop from $4,000 to $1,500. At the time, the prevailing investor mood was fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) — emotions which did not play so much of a role in affecting the long-term activity of investors.

Darkfost reported that the netflow across all exchanges has been “consistently negative” since the major Ethereum price drop; this means that more ETH is leaving exchanges than they are being deposited.

According to the on-chain analyst, around 56,000 ETH is being withdrawn daily over an average of 30 days. Interestingly, this figure has not been seen since the depths of the last bear market.

Recently, there have been days when more than 400,000 ETH were withdrawn. What is more interesting is that the exchange netflows have not turned positive since July.

As earlier inferred, this trend of token movement represents a shift in the holding behavior of Ethereum investors, as they move their assets off trading platforms to non-custodial wallets for long-term storage. Ultimately, this suggests that holders are becoming increasingly confident in the ETH’s long-term promise.

As of this writing, the Ether token is valued at around $4,660, reflecting no significant price change in the past 24 hours. According to data from CoinGecko, the price of Ethereum has increased by almost 10% in the past seven days.

BTC And ETH Reserves Drop 23% And 20% Respectively

In a separate post, Darkfost analyzed the Bitcoin and Ethereum Exchange Reserve metrics across all exchanges and estimated how much of these cryptocurrencies have left exchanges in 2025.

According to the online pundit, Bitcoin reserves across all exchanges have dropped by almost a quarter of their total holdings since the year’s beginning. The BTC exchange reserves have dipped by 23% to about 2.47 million BTC from 3.05 million BTC as of January 1, 2025.

Ethereum exchange reserves, on the other hand, did not immediately start to decline until the month of May. As mentioned in the earlier post, ETH supply on exchanges began to fall following a reversal triggered by its fall to below $1,500. Over the last four months, Ethereum reserves have fallen to 17.1 million from 20.6 million, representing a 20% decline.

A significant decline in exchange reserves is often interpreted as a sign of accumulation among investors. This trend could be a bullish catalyst for the two largest cryptocurrencies, especially Ethereum, considering that the coin movement started more recently.

US President Donald Trump’s escalating attacks on the independence of the Federal Reserve are worrying investors. From pressuring Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates to firing Governor Lisa Cook, these measures have shaken investor confidence in American institutions and the US dollar.

According to Bitget‬, Jelly Labs, WeFi, and ZIGChain representatives, Trump’s moves represent historically uncharted territory in US monetary policy. They also believe that, while gold has always been around to soften the blow during times of uncertainty, investors may also begin to turn toward Bitcoin to safeguard their portfolios from government-controlled currencies.

Escalating Political Pressure on the Federal Reserve

Since assuming office, President Trump has carried out a series of attacks against the Federal Reserve over what he views as inadequate monetary policy.

Even before his inauguration, Trump had made a series of public comments urging Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates and stimulate economic growth. In different social media posts, the President referred to Powell as “Mr. Too Late” and a “total and complete moron.”

These pressures on the central bank’s political independence have reached new heights recently. Last month, Trump announced the firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations.

Cook later filed a lawsuit against Trump, citing an illegal attempt to undermine the Fed’s independence. Two days ago, a US District Judge sided with Cook, temporarily blocking the administration from removing her. Trump has since appealed the decision.

Why This Time Is Different

History has shown that this isn’t the first time the US government has pressured the Federal Reserve over differences between the former’s political agenda and the latter’s monetary policy.

Former President Richard Nixon, for example, was determined to avoid the economic downturn in his 1972 re-election campaign that he believed cost him the 1960 election. Nixon’s conversations, later revealed in the Nixon tapes, show him urging then-Chairman Arthur Burns to lower interest rates and increase the money supply to stimulate the economy.

More famously, former President Lyndon B. Johnson physically shoved then-Chairman William McChesney Martin Jr. against a wall over the Fed’s decision to raise interest rates in the midst of the Vietnam War.

However, experts agree that the current level of intervention is unprecedented.

If the Trump administration wins its appeal, it would undermine the legal foundation of Fed independence, potentially causing the central bank to be perceived as a political tool.

Witnessing these developments, investors are asking a crucial question: What is the best investment strategy now?

How Is the Market Reacting to Attacks on Fed Independence?

Maksym Sakharov, CEO of WeFI, finds the recent attacks on the central bank particularly alarming because, instead of discreetly expressing dissatisfaction, the President is openly attacking the institution on social media for the world to see.

Investors have already taken note of this.

Meanwhile, diminishing investor confidence in the US government will inevitably cause the dollar to suffer. If this contentious environment continues, the American economy will experience significant instability.

In fact, data is already showing that investors are reevaluating their trust in the US dollar.

The Global Shift Away from the US Dollar

Different market indicators have begun to show a growing trend among investors to reallocate their assets and diversify away from those tied to the United States.

Earlier this week, gold prices surged past $3,600 an ounce, setting a new record. As a traditional “safe haven” asset, this price increase demonstrates growing investor anxiety over economic and geopolitical instability.

Meanwhile, the bond market has also intensified this feeling of anxiety.

Central banks worldwide are on a significant gold-buying spree. A mid-2025 World Gold Council survey indicated that most central banks plan to increase their reserves.

In fact, for the first time since 1996, global central bank gold holdings have surpassed their US Treasury holdings. A key factor driving this trend is a strategic effort to reduce their dependence on the US dollar as the world’s primary reserve currency.

On a more personal level, investors have also begun to diversify their portfolios.

A New Monetary Era?

According to Sakharov, these recent developments could finally end the world’s “addiction” to the US dollar.

Gold’s 5,000-year history as a vital hedge against risk is unparalleled. But now, a new and powerful alternative has emerged: Bitcoin.

Bitcoin and Gold: A Modern-Day Portfolio Diversifier

Experts are divided on whether Bitcoin will eventually replace or coexist with gold. However, they generally agree that Bitcoin possesses unique and valuable characteristics that no other asset can fully replicate.

He believes investors will undoubtedly consider these inherent benefits over the long term.

According to Sakharov, stablecoins will be the crucial link between traditional finance and digital assets.

These parallel trends suggest the rise of a new investor mindset.

Will the World Move Beyond the Dollar?

While economic crises and market instability are nothing new, the unprecedented speed of technological advancement is. These changes inevitably offer new ways to reimagine long-standing monetary systems.

Slowly but surely, Bitcoin’s properties have risen to the occasion, providing people an alternative way to manage their money—especially in contexts where instability reigns.

The growing political and economic uncertainty in the United States could encourage a new approach to global finance that doesn’t depend on a single reserve currency. Although it’s still early, things seem to be moving in that direction.

In terms of revenue, Tron has surpassed almost all other blockchains, generating an incredible $1.142 million in a single day. To put this in perspective, Ethereum made $174,677, while Solana, which came in second, only made $175,708. Tron's revenue over the past 30 days has been $49.2 million more than three times Ethereum's $14.78 million and 10 times Solana's $4.61 million. Dominance is not a coincidence.

Tron's market dominance

A significant amount of stablecoin supply is hosted on Tron, which has emerged as the foundation of the USDT (Tether) ecosystem. Large volumes of transactions are driven by this one factor throughout the Tron network, which directly results in high fees and steady income. Because stablecoin transfers keep Tron's transaction throughput consistently high, it differs from most other chains in that activity only spikes during speculative rallies.DefiLIama">

Tron is not only surviving the current crypto cycle but flourishing, as evidenced by its on-chain traction. While Solana's speed draws developers and Ethereum remains the leader in smart contract innovation, Tron has established a distinct market niche by controlling stablecoin settlements. This dominance builds a strong moat against rivals and guarantees steady inflows. In terms of price, TRX has fared better than the larger altcoin market.

Massive revenue stream

The asset exhibits consistent strength while trading close to local highs, avoiding the sharp volatility observed in other tokens. Tron's valuation is supported by a favorable environment created by network adoption, consistent USDT inflows and high on-chain revenue. Ultimately, Tron has shown that usefulness and steady income are more important than marketing.

Tron is in a strong position to continue being one of the most lucrative and significant networks in the market as USDT solidifies its position as the most popular stablecoin in the world.

In early 2021, global remittance giant MoneyGram ended its high-profile partnership with Ripple Labs, citing challenges tied to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) lawsuit against Ripple. The lawsuit, filed in December 2020, alleged that Ripple had conducted unregistered securities offerings through its sale of XRP.

At the time, MoneyGram had been one of Ripple’s most prominent partners, using RippleNet and XRP-based solutions for cross-border settlements. However, regulatory uncertainty made it impossible to continue.

“We had a great experience with Ripple,” said MoneyGram CEO Alexander Holmes in an interview with CoinDesk. “But with the changes and the challenge that the SEC put forward, it was very difficult for us to continue in that relationship. We both agreed to move on.”

Why Stellar Was the Next Choice

MoneyGram later turned to Stellar , a blockchain co-founded by Jed McCaleb, who was also one of Ripple’s original founders. According to Holmes, Stellar’s offering was fundamentally different from Ripple’s, with a focus on consumer-facing solutions and stablecoin integration.

“Ripple product was very different,” Holmes explained. “Ripple tends to focus on the back-end, cross-border funds flow through RippleNet. Stellar approached us with a front-end consumer model — the ability to operate between fiat and stablecoins. It was a great idea, and we wanted to be proactive and progressive in blockchain innovation.”

This shift allowed MoneyGram to pilot on/off-ramp services for USDC stablecoin, making it easier for consumers to convert between digital assets and fiat currencies across multiple countries.

“Stellar and Ripple can complement each other in unique ways,” Holmes said. “They both have strengths in bridging the gap between traditional finance and blockchain.”

XRP Growth Drivers Post-Lawsuit

After years of courtroom battles, the long-running Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit officially ended in August 2025. The resolution marked a turning point for the crypto industry and immediately lifted market sentiment.

With legal uncertainty finally behind it, Ripple is focusing on real-world adoption. Current growth is being fueled by:

• Expansion of new payment corridors
• Rising stablecoin adoption
• More tokenized assets launched on the XRP Ledger (XRPL)

The end of the lawsuit also removed a major source of selling pressure and chart manipulation, giving XRP more room to trade based on market demand and utility.

Price Performance

XRP has shown strength since the ruling. The token broke out from its previous range near $2.80 and climbed above $3.20. Meanwhile, Ripple continues to build momentum on the business front. The company recently extended its digital asset custody partnership with BBVA, adding a new retail service in Spain.