XRP Price Supercycle: Why Analysts See $20 to $30 Ahead

Messaging app Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov says he invested in Bitcoin when the cryptocurrency was in its infancy and has since used his holdings to fund his lifestyle.

“I was a big believer in Bitcoin since more or less the start of it. I got to buy my first few thousand Bitcoin in 2013, and I didn’t care much,” the Russian tech entrepreneur said on Lex Fridman’s podcast on Tuesday.

He added that he bought at the “local maximum,” which was around $700 per BTC, and “I just threw a couple of million there.”

A few people ridiculed him when the price went down after Bitcoin (BTC) tanked below $200 in the bear market that followed, but he told them, “I don’t care.”

The US Securities and Exchange Commission staff has opened up to allowing investment advisers to use state trust companies to custody cryptocurrency assets.

In a rare no-action letter, the SEC’s Division of Investment Management said on Tuesday that it wouldn’t recommend that the SEC take enforcement action if advisers used state trust companies as a crypto custodian.

Law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett had sent a letter to the Division on Tuesday, wanting assurances that registered financial institutions, such as venture capital firms, wouldn’t be subject to enforcement action by the regulator if they custody crypto assets.

It’s the second no-action letter from the SEC this week, a sign of the agency’s hands-off approach to crypto enforcement under the Trump administration, which has promised to ease regulatory oversight of the sector to attract companies and projects to the US.

Interim step to broader changes

SEC staff said in the letter that state trust companies can be used as custodians, provided it has procedures designed to safeguard crypto, and the adviser and fund managers follow specific criteria, such as performing due diligence and determining it is in the best interest of their clients.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz Tuesday he will step down at the end of the year after more than a decade at the company.

Schwartz, who helped code the XRP ledger, said in a post on X that he wanted to spend more time with his family and return to hobbies he had long set aside.

“But be warned, I’m not going away from the XRP community. You haven’t seen the last of me (now, or ever),” he wrote.

Although leaving his executive role, Schwartz will remain involved with Ripple. He will take a seat on the company’s board of directors and serve as CTO Emeritus, a position that will allow him to stay connected while pursuing personal projects.

As happens in one’s life, I’ve been taking stock of my last 40 years. It’s been a wild ride. I’ve gone from consulting for the NSA to watching the early stages of Bitcoin. Then, I met Arthur, Jed, and Chris and worked on coding the XRP Ledger. Now, I’ve spent more than 13 years…— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) Ripple CEO Welcomes Schwartz’s Continued Role On Board

He explained that in recent months, he has been running his own XRPL node, publishing data and exploring new use cases for XRP outside Ripple’s core business. He added he looked forward to spending more time coding, talking to developers and experimenting with applications that go beyond payments.

“I’ll still be in and out of the Ripple office as CTO Emeritus, and as my last task at Ripple, Chris asked me to join Ripple’s Board of Directors to continue supporting the company’s mission and long-term vision…and I accept,” he said.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse praised Schwartz in his own , calling him a “true OG in crypto with the conviction and vision to see what others couldn’t.” He added that their regular check-ins would continue and showed relief that Schwartz would remain close as part of the board.Court Settlement Ends Shadow Of SEC’s $1.3B Lawsuit

Schwartz’s departure marks the end of a chapter at Ripple. He worked closely with CEO Brad Garlinghouse during the company’s long legal battle with US regulators. The SEC had sued Ripple in 2020, claiming it raised US$1.3 billion by selling XRP as an unregistered security.

That lawsuit weighed heavily on Ripple. It also shaped debate across the digital asset market about how cryptocurrencies should be regulated. After years of hearings and appeals, the case finally ended in Aug. 2025. A court approved a settlement between Ripple and the SEC, which many viewed as a milestone for the industry.

Now, as Schwartz prepares to scale back, Ripple is looking ahead. The company is positioning itself for a post-litigation era with more regulatory clarity. At the same time, his continued role on the board signals that Ripple still values his technical expertise, even as he steps away from daily operations.

XRP traded 1.5% lower on Tuesday at $2.84, bringing its losses over the past week to 6.5%.

Cardano (ADA) is trading around $0.78–$0.80, struggling beneath a strong resistance at $0.83–$0.85, where the 50/100/200-day EMAs converge. Prediction markets currently assign a 91%–95% chance of U.S. Cardano spot ETF approval, with dates tentatively set for late October 2025.

This narrative has helped stabilize sentiment after September’s decline. Bulls believe institutional access could mirror BTC/ETH’s ETF strategy by increasing liquidity and expanding demand.

However, options activity remains subdued, and recent long liquidations suggest traders are cautious about chasing gains before a clear breakout. If ADA closes above $0.85, potential upward targets are $0.87 (Fib 0.382) and $0.90 (Fib 0.5).

Cardano (ADA) Key Levels: $0.78 Support, Then $0.75 and $0.71

The Cardano (ADA) near-term structure is a range between $0.78 and $0.83 after a pullback from highs near $0.95. Momentum has improved from oversold levels, but Parabolic SAR remains above the price, and the trend hasn’t fully flipped.

Immediate support is at $0.78, with deeper liquidity pockets at $0.75 and $0.71; a failure there exposes $0.68 as the last major defense. Analysts also point out a developing death-cross risk on lower timeframes, implying rallies could fade without new catalysts.

Macro factors remain influential: tighter financial conditions or a Bitcoin retrace can reduce altcoin bids, capping ADA under resistance even if ETF headlines stay strong.

Ethereum price started a recovery wave above $4,175. ETH is now consolidating and might aim for more gains if it clears the $4,240 resistance.

• Ethereum remained stable above $4,100 and started a recovery wave.
• The price is trading above $4,160 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average.
• There is a connecting bullish trend line forming with support at $4,120 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken).
• The pair could continue to move up if it settles above $4,220 and $4,240.

Ethereum Price Eyes Upside Break

Ethereum price remained supported above the $4,050 level and started a recovery wave, like Bitcoin. ETH price was able to recover above the $4,150 and $4,200 resistance levels.

The price even spiked toward $4,240 before there was a minor pullback. The price is again rising from $4,095 and trading near the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $4,237 swing high to the $4,093 low. Besides, there is a connecting bullish trend line forming with support at $4,120 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD.

Ethereum price is now trading above $4,160 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. On the upside, the price could face resistance near the $4,200 level and the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $4,237 swing high to the $4,093 low.

The next key resistance is near the $4,240 level. The first major resistance is near the $4,280 level. A clear move above the $4,280 resistance might send the price toward the $4,320 resistance. An upside break above the $4,320 region might call for more gains in the coming sessions. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $4,450 resistance zone or even $4,500 in the near term.

Another Decline In ETH?

If Ethereum fails to clear the $4,200 resistance, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $4,120 level and the trend line. The first major support sits near the $4,095 zone.

A clear move below the $4,095 support might push the price toward the $4,020 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $3,920 region in the near term. The next key support sits at $3,840.

Technical Indicators

Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is gaining momentum in the bullish zone.

Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now above the 50 zone.

Major Support Level – $4,120

Major Resistance Level – $4,240

Europe’s stablecoin crackdown pits dollar-backed tokens against euro sovereignty, as private crypto collides with central bank money.

Crypto media outlets with the info, in summary.

The European Central Bank is pushing for a ban on so-called multi-issuance stablecoins in the EU, a move that could hit issuers like Circle and Paxos. These models allow tokens to be jointly issued inside and outside the bloc, but regulators fear EU reserves could be drained in a crisis while liabilities spill over from abroad.

The European Systemic Risk Board, chaired by ECB President Christine Lagarde, backed the ban last week. Although not binding, the endorsement pressures EU lawmakers to tighten MiCA rules or justify alternative safeguards. Lagarde has warned the current framework leaves the bloc vulnerable, likening the risks to past cross-border banking crises.

The push reflects concern that dollar-denominated stablecoins, which make up 99% of the $230bn market, could undermine European financial sovereignty. Euro-backed stablecoins account for just 0.15%. Officials argue this heightens the urgency of a digital euro, with a 2029 launch being targeted.

Meanwhile, a consortium of nine banks including ING, UniCredit and CaixaBank plan to launch a euro-backed stablecoin in 2026 under MiCA rules. The ECB has also pledged to safeguard physical cash as part of a “dual payment” system, even as digital options expand.

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Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to assets such as the U.S. dollar or euro, designed to keep a steady value. The biggest — Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC, issued by Circle) — are dollar-backed and dominate 99% of the $230bn global stablecoin market.

Why does Europe care?

• Financial stability: Regulators fear runs on stablecoins during market stress could drain reserves and destabilize financial systems.

• Sovereignty: Heavy use of dollar-backed tokens could undermine the euro’s role in payments and monetary policy.

• Cross-border risk: “Multi-issuance” stablecoins (issued in both the EU and abroad but treated as identical) could leave EU reserves exposed to liabilities outside the bloc.

What is MiCA?

The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) is the EU’s flagship crypto law, passed in 2023. It requires stablecoin issuers to hold reserves in Europe, meet disclosure rules, and cap transactions for certain tokens. Critics say loopholes remain, especially on joint issuance with non-EU partners.

What is the ECB proposing?

• Ban multi-issuance models: ECB President Christine Lagarde argues they pose systemic risks similar to cross-border bank crises.

• Push for euro alternatives: Euro-backed stablecoins currently account for only 0.15% of the market.

• Digital euro project: ECB is targeting a 2029 rollout, aiming to provide a public, euro-denominated digital payment option.

What else is happening?

• Bank-backed euro stablecoin: A group of nine European banks plans to launch a regulated euro token in 2026.

• Cash stays: Despite digital efforts, the ECB has pledged to safeguard euro banknotes, keeping a “dual payment future” of cash and digital money.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.