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Bitcoin Slips Ahead of Packed Economic Week With FOMC and ECB Rates Decision

Okoya David
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Bitcoin Slips Ahead of Packed Economic Week With FOMC and ECB Rates Decision

Bitcoin is in the red ahead of the new week.

Despite several crypto positives in the past week, from the SEC’s shifting regulatory stance to President Donald Trump’s establishment of a crypto working group, Bitcoin is in the red ahead of the new week. 

At the time of writing on Monday, January 27, Bitcoin is trading around $98,600, representing a 7% decline from Sunday’s high of about $105,500.

The market jitters come amid several significant global economic developments expected this week.

Bitcoin Decline Comes Amid Macroeconomic Uncertainty

These developments include the U.S. interest rate decision following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Meeting, the ECB interest rate decision, and the U.S. Personal Consumption Expenditure index, slated for release on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, respectively.

Bitcoin’s price reaction suggests that traders are taking profits and erring on the side of caution ahead of these releases, as economists do not see these major central banks turning dovish just yet.

Per TRADING ECONOMICS forecasts, both the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank could maintain current interest rates as they continue to target 2% inflation. This could keep investors cautious and averse to risk assets like Bitcoin in the short term.

Further complicating the outlook is the month-on-month core PCE index, which economists predict will see a 0.1% uptick to 0.2%. This could bolster the Fed’s confidence in keeping rates steady or even considering a hike, as some have recently alluded to.

Possible Federal Reserve Rate Hike?

Speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday, January 24, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink contended that there was a possibility of a rate hike in the coming year. 

Fink argued for such an outcome, citing the continued resilience of the U.S. economy and the bond market.

The BlackRock chief is not the first to express this view. Following higher-than-expected jobs numbers released earlier in the month, Bank of America argued that the Fed was now more likely to raise rates than continue cutting.

Beyond interest rate concerns, recent speculation that the U.S. AI sector is overvalued may also be driving risk-off sentiment, which may be spilling over into the Bitcoin market.

Eric Trump Confirms Zero Capital Gains Tax for XRP: Report

Albert Brown
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Eric Trump Confirms Zero Capital Gains Tax for XRP: Report

Recent developments suggest that U.S.-based crypto projects like XRP could see significant tax benefits, while international counterparts might face higher taxation.

Specifically, Eric Trump has reportedly confirmed upcoming tax policies exempting U.S.-based cryptocurrencies such as XRP and HBAR from capital gains tax. Meanwhile, non-U.S. projects could be subjected to a tax rate of approximately 30%.

This shift, if implemented, could dramatically alter the competitive landscape for crypto ventures operating in the United States.

Notably, this development comes amid ongoing discussions about the Trump administration favoring American projects over international ones.

Specifically, there have been ongoing suggestions that the proposed national crypto asset reserve of the U.S. could include American crypto assets like XRP and Cardano alongside Bitcoin.

Incoming Congressional Efforts on Crypto Tax 

In addition to ghd potential tax exemptions, legislative efforts are underway to challenge existing crypto regulations. Senator Ted Cruz has announced his intent to leverage the Congressional Review Act to overturn a newly established IRS rule.

This rule mandates that DeFi brokers report user information, including names and addresses, and file Form 1099s. Critics argue that the regulation imposes an excessive compliance burden, particularly on decentralized platforms that lack centralized control.

The IRS has broadened its definition of “brokers” to include non-custodial entities with access to user data, a move that has raised concerns within the industry.

Supporters of Cruz’s resolution claim that such measures could stifle innovation and infringe on financial privacy. Given the current Republican-controlled Congress, the resolution is expected to gain traction in upcoming sessions.

Major U.S. Banks Eye Crypto Expansion

Alongside regulatory debates, major U.S. banks have expressed renewed interest in cryptocurrency as a financial asset.

Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs have indicated plans to expand their crypto-related operations. Morgan Stanley’s CEO, Ted Pick, stated at the World Economic Forum that the bank intends to work closely with federal regulators to determine how it can safely offer crypto services.

Goldman Sachs has also signaled interest in direct crypto ownership. CEO David Solomon has noted that current regulations prevent banks from holding “physical” Bitcoin.

However, he suggested that the institution would explore potential changes if regulatory conditions allow. Bank of America’s CEO, Brian Moynihan, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that clear regulations could pave the way for banks to integrate crypto as a legitimate payment method.

Top Exchange Launches ‘Shiba Inu To The Moon’ Campaign

Lele Jima
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Top Exchange Launches ‘Shiba Inu To The Moon’ Campaign

Leading crypto exchange CoinW has launched a new promotional campaign for Shiba Inu ecosystem tokens. 

The top exchange announced the promotional event for Shiba Inu yesterday via an X post. The promotional event, dubbed ‘SHIB to the Moon,’ is a zero-fee spot trading offer for Shiba Inu ecosystem tokens. 

CoinW Shiba Inu campaing
CoinW Shiba Inu Campaign

Promotion Details 

According to an announcement, CoinW users can trade Shiba Inu ecosystem tokens, such as SHIB, Bone ShibaSwap (BONE), Doge Killer (LEASH), and Shiba Inu Treat (TREAT) without incurring any spot trading fees. Notably, CoinW also extended the offer to Dogecoin (DOGE). 

Per an announcement, the promotion will run for one week, starting on February 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (UTC) to February 10, 2025, at 10:00 (UTC). During this period, CoinW users can trade SHIB/USDT, TREAT/USDT, BONE/USDT, LEASH/USDT, and DOGE/USDT with zero maker and taker order fees. 

The fee waiver only applies to the eligible tokens’ spot trading pairs. Notably, the offer does not apply to the assets’ grid trading. 

CoinW emphasized that all transactions executed under this promotion will count in the assets’ respective trading volumes and other promotional benefits. 

SHIB to The Moon 

This event seeks to allow CoinW users to maximize profits on DOGE and Shiba Inu ecosystem tokens by avoiding standard trading costs. Notably, the promotion is expected to drive the adoption of the eligible tokens and potentially boost their prices. This aligns with the promotion’s title, ‘Shib To The Moon.’

The phrase ‘to the moon’ is common among crypto enthusiasts when expressing optimism about an asset’s potential for a significant price surge. It also serves as a community rallying cry to boost enthusiasm among asset holders and attract more investors. 

However, the promotion comes at a time when the broader crypto market has plunged drastically, impacting the prices of TREAT, SHIB, BONE, LEASH, and DOGE. These tokens are down 27.87%, 12.86%, 12.24%, 9.45%, and 12.86%, respectively. 

According to Forbes, the drop, which aligns with a sell-off in the stock market, is driven by the rising popularity of China-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek.

In other words, the surge in DeepSeek’s popularity has led to a sell-off in the stock and crypto markets, with investors redirecting their funds to AI-related stocks. 

Top Business Leader Explains Why 2025 Could Be XRP Defining Moment

Abdulkarim Abdulwahab
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Top Business Leader Explains Why 2025 Could Be XRP Defining Moment

Jake Claver, a prominent business leader and financial expert, shares why he believes 2025 could mark a pivotal year for XRP. 

In a detailed breakdown on X, Claver highlighted several key factors driving his optimism for XRP’s future. He focused on institutional interest, tokenization, and the growing prominence of stablecoins.

Institutional Interest in XRP Paves the Way for Mass Adoption

Claver points to the increasing involvement of institutions in the XRP space as a sign of its imminent rise. He noted that Grayscale’s XRP Trust product mirrors the firm’s early moves with Bitcoin and Ethereum. 

Specifically, this signals Grayscale’s growing confidence in the asset, with a filing for an XRP ETF likely to follow. Meanwhile, multiple filings for XRP-based ETFs from other asset managers have added to the excitement. As of today, applications for XRP ETFs have reached seven.

“When big institutions show interest, wider adoption often follows,” Claver noted. 

Moreover, he stressed that XRP’s ability to facilitate fast and scalable cross-border payments makes it an attractive option for large financial transactions, giving it a potential edge in the global financial scene.

XRP Network Well-suited for Tokenization Market

Tokenization, the process of converting real-world assets into digital tokens, is rapidly gaining traction in the crypto scene. Claver believes XRP is perfectly in a position to capitalize on this trend. 

Specifically, he suggested that regulation will play a crucial role in driving the digital asset market into the trillions of dollars, with XRP’s efficient and scalable system positioning it as a go-to platform for such initiatives.

Notably, the XRP Ledger stands out for its ability to handle high transaction volumes with low costs and fast speeds. With the growing interest in tokenized assets like real estate and stocks, Claver believes this utility makes XRPL ideal for supporting a tokenized financial ecosystem.

Moreover, Ripple’s partnership and integration through platforms like Axelar Network strengthens XRP’s position.

Stablecoins and Ripple’s Strategic Moves

Another key factor Claver highlighted was the growing role of stablecoins in the financial ecosystem. According to him, Ripple’s recent launch of RLUSD is a major milestone for the project. 

Claver cited that RLUSD is a stablecoin approved by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) and compliant with the European Union’s MiCA regulations.

He sees this as a strategic move that could make XRP a dominant player in the stablecoin market. Notably, Ripple expects the stablecoin market to attain trillion-dollar valuations in the coming years.

As Claver notes, XRP is uniquely positioned at the crossroads of three major markets—tokenization, cross-border payments, and stablecoins—making it a strong contender for a key role in the future of digital finance.

The Future of Financial Systems with XRP

Claver concludes by pointing out that the future of finance will likely involve a world where assets like stocks, real estate, and digital currencies can be traded instantly and without middlemen. 

XRP’s fast, scalable platform could play a pivotal role in this future, offering enterprise-level solutions for businesses and institutions.

Clavers XRP commentary
Clavers XRP commentary

Kusama to Step Down as Shiba Inu Lead Visionary, Finalize DAO

Sam Wisdom Raphael
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Kusama to Step Down as Shiba Inu Lead Visionary, Finalize DAO

Shytoshi Kusama, the prominent figurehead behind the Shiba Inu ecosystem project, has announced a major transition in his role. 

After years of spearheading the Shiba Inu ecosystem, Kusama confirmed in a recent disclosure on X that he is stepping down as the lead visionary to take on a new position as the lead ambassador for the ecosystem.

Notably, this transition in role comes at an important point on the journey of the project, which has transformed from its humble beginnings as just another meme coin into a massive and relevant Web3 ecosystem.

During his speech, Kusama discussed his journey with Shiba Inu, which began with a modest investment and a vision inspired by the project’s founder, Ryoshi. 

Shiba Inu Transformation into a Network State

Over the years, he facilitated the building of key elements of the ecosystem, including tokens like BONE, LEASH, and most recently, TREAT, as well as platforms like ShibaSwap and Shibarium. 

Kusama acknowledged that some projects, such as the stablecoin Shib and Shibacon, are still in progress, but expressed pride in the community’s achievements.

The developer stressed that under his role as lead visionary, Shiba Inu has grown into more than just a crypto asset. It now functions as a “Network State,” presenting a framework for governments, businesses, and individuals to transition from Web2 to Web3. Notably, projects like Shibarium power this ecosystem.

Kusama pointed out that Shibarium has already facilitated 800 million transactions without issues since its launch in August 2023. In addition, the ecosystem’s governance is transitioning to a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), which would place control in the community’s hands.

Kusama’s New Role as Lead Ambassador

Notably, in his new role, Kusama revealed that he will focus on driving global adoption of Shiba Inu’s technologies. He is now looking to promote the recently rebranded ShibOS, an expanded suite of tools formerly known as the 36 Chambers of Tech. 

For context, the platform presents advanced solutions for Web3 integration, making it attractive for businesses, governments, and individuals looking to adopt decentralized technology.

Specifically, Kusama plans to work with partners to bolster the offerings of ShibOS by integrating new technologies, such as AstraNova, and improve collaboration across industries. His goal is to strengthen Shiba Inu’s position as a leader in Web3 while tying up loose ends within the ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Kusama noted his efforts over the past six months, which included meetings with global leaders, celebrities, business owners, and NGOs to raise awareness about Shiba Inu’s potential. He intends to build on this momentum by forming partnerships and guiding projects that utilize Shibarium and ShibOS.

The new role will also allow Kusama to pursue personal projects, such as the development of the “44 Tenets to Triumph in Crypto.” He noted that his commitment to Shiba Inu remains unwavering, as he will only collaborate with projects that leverage the ecosystem’s technologies.

Ethereum Price Under Pressure: Will the $3,000 Level Hold?

Albert Brown
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0
Ethereum Price Under Pressure: Will the $3,000 Level Hold?

Amid the ongoing crypto market downturn, Ethereum is at risk of dropping to $3,000. Will sellers push the price lower and break the previous low at $2,913?

With liquidations across the crypto market reaching $850 million—$789 million of which are from long positions—altcoins are facing significant selling pressure. Ethereum has dropped 6.80% over the past 24 hours.

Having fallen below the $3,200 level, Ethereum is now under increased pressure at the psychological support level of $3,000. Will the current bearish market conditions push Ethereum to lower levels in 2025? Let’s take a closer look.

Ethereum Price Analysis

In the 4-hour chart, the Ethereum price trend reveals a massive pullback after failing to cross above the local resistance trendline. After a minor consolidation near the $3,300 level, the broader market pullback crashes Ethereum.

Ethereum Price Chart
Ethereum Price Chart

With three intense bearish candles, Ethereum is down to $3,050, recording an intraday drop of 8%. Furthermore, the surge in selling pressure has broken under the previous swing low at $3,140.

Ethereum Derivatives Warns Massive Crash

As the broader market sentiment worsens, bearish speculation is growing. Ethereum’s derivatives data shows a 1.29% drop in open interest, now standing at $31.23 billion.

The long-to-short ratio has fallen to 0.8727, and the funding rate is down to 0.0048%. These signs suggest a decline in bullish positions and a lack of interest from traders to pay premiums on long positions.

ETH Price Targets

With a strong bearish setup indicated by both price action and derivative data, key Fibonacci levels show crucial support at $3,023. A strong close below this level on the 4-hour chart would likely test previous lows at $2,913.

On the other hand, while the chances of a bullish reversal appear slim, if Ethereum manages to reverse from $3,023, a significant bullish divergence in the RSI could signal a rebound. This may lead to a retest of the local resistance trendline near $3,300.

Bitcoin Falls Below $100K: Is a Deeper Correction Looming?

Albert Brown
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Bitcoin Falls Below $100K: Is a Deeper Correction Looming?

Amid the slump in the Nasdaq, Bitcoin has dropped below $100,000. As buyers face critical resistance, rising supply signals a potential decline to $96K.

The U.S. market is experiencing a downturn in tech stocks, partly due to the recent launch of Chinese AI, DeepSeek, which has outpaced ChatGPT.

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market is also facing bearish momentum. Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin has dropped 4.15%, now hovering near the critical $100,000 mark.

With its market cap falling below $2 trillion, Bitcoin starts the week on a bearish note. Could this downward trend lead to an extended correction?

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Chart

In the 4-hour chart, the BTC price trend reveals a bullish failure to cross above the $107,123 critical resistance. This led to a minor consolidation at the 20 EMA line before extending the correction phase.

Bitcoin Price Chart
Bitcoin Price Chart

With the downfall in the U.S. market, BTC’s price creates three consecutive high-intensity bearish candles to test the 200 EMA line. Currently, Bitcoin trades at $100,080 as it seeps under the 61.80% Fibonacci level at $100,557. Furthermore, the cryptocurrency has registered a 24-hour low at $99,981.

With the sudden surge in selling pressure, the 4-hour RSI line has dropped to the oversold boundary level. Furthermore, as the declining trend threatens a downfall in the 200 EMA line, the 20 and 50 EMA lines are on the verge of a negative crossover.

Thus, the technical indicators have quickly turned bearish, increasing the chances of a downtrend continuation.

BTC Price Targets

As the liquidation in the crypto market nears $600 million, the selling sentiment is significantly dominant. Hence, the crucial support levels for Bitcoin at the 50% Fibonacci level at $98,611 could witness a massive hit.

In case the support level fractures, Bitcoin’s price could hit the $96,703 or 38.20% Fibonacci level.

On the flip side, if the 200 EMA line at $99,867 manages to absorb the incoming supply, BTC will likely undergo a minor consolidation above the 61.80% Fibonacci level at $100,557.

Bitcoin Set to Drop to as Low as $70K in the Short Term: BitMEX’s Arthur Hayes

Okoya David
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0
Bitcoin Set to Drop to as Low as $70K in the Short Term: BitMEX’s Arthur Hayes

Bitcoin is set for a steep correction, according to BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes.

After Bitcoin‘s impressive run in Q4 2024, many had expected more of the same at the beginning of 2025, especially as the crypto industry’s newly found champion, Donald Trump, was set to take office as President of the United States again.

However, fast forward to the end of January 2025, and the asset’s price action has been choppy at best, save for a brief spark in the run-up to Trump’s inauguration. Now, one industry leader has added to the growing market uncertainty with a significantly bearish short-term outlook.

Bitcoin to $70K?

Bitcoin is set for a steep correction to the $70,000 and $75,000 price range. This is according to BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes.

Hayes shared this view in an X post on Monday, January 27, noting that an analysis outlining the reason for this downturn will come in a Tuesday blog post.

Meanwhile, the analyst remains bullish overall for the year as he predicted that a “mini financial crisis” would trigger a resumption of quantitative easing, which would send Bitcoin to new highs of $250,000 by year-end.

Unsurprisingly, Hayes’ prediction has sparked a flurry of reactions, with most choosing to deride him for not always being accurate.

“I love his writing style and read all his essays but they have been far from accurate,” Apollo Crypto Head of Research Pratik Kala commented, surmising the prevailing sentiment.

Despite these views, Hayes has had some success in the past year, first with his prediction of Bitcoin’s run-up to all-time highs in March 2024 and second with his call of a September 2024 rebound after a slow grind to the $50,000 price point.

Equities Trouble?

While Hayes has yet to elaborate on the reasoning behind his recent call, it comes as some are predicting possible trouble in the U.S. equities market, especially tech stocks, with which Bitcoin has historically been strongly correlated. 

These predictions come as DeepSeek, a Chinese large language model, showing up, rivaling OpenAI’s ChatGPT while using only about 5% of the cost. This essentially suggests a possible overvaluation of the U.S.’s much-ballyhooed AI sector.

Indeed, The Kobeissi Letter argued early on Monday that the U.S. stock market was on track to erase $1 trillion in market value as stocks of firms like Nvidia and AMD show steep pre-market losses.

Perhaps foreshadowing this move, Bitcoin has started the week with a sharp 5% correction from a high of $105,000 to trade just slightly above the $100,000 price point at the time of writing.

The asset’s price also appears to be forming a bearish double-top chart pattern on its daily candle chart with a potential neckline just below $92,000. Still, this formation could also morph into a months-long range.

BTCUSD 2025 01 27 07 32 04
BTCUSD daily candle chart showing possible double top or range formation. Source: TradingView

A key factor that could impact Bitcoin’s short-term outlook is the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting slated for Wednesday, January 29.

Ripple CEO Teases: “Slow Weekend, Anything Exciting Happen?”

Lele Jima
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0
Ripple CEO Teases: “Slow Weekend, Anything Exciting Happen?”

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse posted a sarcastic post about recent developments in the crypto market, particularly regarding XRP. 

Garlinghouse took to X to emphasize that this past weekend was ‘slow,’ suggesting that there was significantly less crypto activity. Consequently, he asked his more than 1 million X followers to comment on whether any exciting event occurred over the weekend.

 

Interestingly, the post gained significant attention within hours. Specifically, the post has garnered over 2.3 million views, 15,200 likes, 1,972 reposts, and 322 quotes from crypto enthusiasts.

It also attracted over 3,000 comments. Many of his followers referred to the post as sarcasm, given some exciting XRP-related developments from last week. 

Most users highlighted some of these developments, including the XRP ETF, the SEC v. Ripple lawsuit, and the possible creation of a reserve tied to XRP. 

Ripple CEO comment
Ripple CEO comment

XRP ETF

Last Friday, leading digital asset manager CoinShares joined the XRP ETF race by submitting an S-1 application to offer the product to authorized investors. The filing indicated CSC Delaware Trust Company as the trustee of the product. However, the prospective issuer has not revealed the custodian, administrator, and transfer agents of the ETF. 

If approved, accredited investors can trade the CoinShares’ XRP ETF on Nasdaq in blocks of 50,000 shares. CoinShares’ filing brings the number of XRP-specific ETF applications to seven. Other prospective issuers include WisdomTree, Bitwise, ProShares, Canary Capital, 21Shares, and Rex Osprey. 

Strategic XRP Reserve 

Meanwhile, discussions regarding the possible creation of a Strategic XRP Reserve in the United States soared over the weekend. This discussion gained momentum after Donald Trump created a Presidential Working Group for Digital Assets via an executive order last week. 

Chaired by White House AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks, the group is tasked with establishing a regulatory framework for the U.S. crypto industry and also analyzing the potential creation of a national digital asset reserve. According to reports, the move could favor assets developed in the United States, including XRP. 

If this happens, market observers speculate that other countries will likely follow the United States to hold XRP as a reserve asset, potentially driving its demand and market value. 

SEC v. Ripple Lawsuit 

Furthermore, speculations about a potential settlement in the SEC v. Ripple lawsuit gained momentum after the crypto payments company asked the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to set a deadline of April 16, 2025, for filing its cross-appeal brief. 

Following the request, speculations suggest that Ripple hopes the pro-crypto SEC leadership will agree to settle the multi-year dispute before the filing date. 

Meanwhile, legal experts like Attorney Jeremy Hogan indicated that the request is a standard procedure, as the court of appeals also granted a similar request from the SEC. 

Despite these positive developments, XRP crashed below the $3 price mark in the early hours of today. The third-biggest crypto has been down 6% over the past 24 hours and 5.17% over the past seven days. This drop reflects the broader market’s performance, which has plunged by 5.37% to $3.42 trillion. 

If MicroStrategy Would Have Bought XRP Rather than Bitcoin, Here’s How Much Profit It Would Have Made

Sam Wisdom Raphael
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0
If MicroStrategy Would Have Bought XRP Rather than Bitcoin, Here’s How Much Profit It Would Have Made

Software development firm MicroStrategy would have witnessed a nearly 3-fold increase in profit if it invested in XRP rather than Bitcoin.

The ongoing hostilities between the Bitcoin and XRP communities have grown more intense following speculation that XRP might secure inclusion in the U.S. strategic reserve. Notably, these speculations came on the back of the recent crypto executive order from President Donald Trump.

Amid the growing FUD campaign XRP has faced over the past few days, former Ripple and current Arbitrum developer advocate Matt Hamilton called attention to what he believes could be contributing to the hostility from Bitcoin maximalists.

Particularly, Hamilton compared XRP price performance with Bitcoin’s price action during MicroStrategy’s aggressive Bitcoin acquisition strategy and found that if the software development firm had opted for XRP, its profits could have been significantly higher. 

MicroStrategy Makes $17B+ Profit from Bitcoin

For context, between August 2020 and January 13, 2025, MicroStrategy purchased around 450,000 Bitcoin, spending $28.2 billion. As of Jan. 13, 2025, this investment was worth $45.3 billion, resulting in a profit of $17.1 billion. 

Notably, their first Bitcoin purchase occurred on Aug. 11, 2020, when they acquired 21,454 BTC for $250 million at an average price of $11,652 per coin. 

Meanwhile, their two largest acquisitions were on Dec. 9, 2024, when they bought 21,550 BTC for $2.1 billion at $97,405 per coin, and Dec. 16, 2024, when they added 15,350 BTC for $1.5 billion at $97,735 per coin.

Further, the most recent purchase on the chart occurred on Jan. 13, 2025, with 2,530 BTC bought for $243 million at an average price of $96,057 per token. It bears mentioning that this evaluation omitted MicroStrategy’s latest Bitcoin buy, which involved 11,000 BTC for a total price of $1.1 billion on Jan. 21, the largest for this year.

XRP Would Have Yielded $50B+ Profit

The image shared by Hamilton suggested that if MicroStrategy had invested the same $28.2 billion in XRP, the firm could have seen much greater returns. Using historical XRP prices, the chart estimated they could have acquired 31.4 billion XRP, now worth $79 billion. 

The first hypothetical XRP purchase on Aug. 11, 2020, would have secured 869.6 million XRP for $250 million at $0.2875 per token. 

Meanwhile, the two largest hypothetical purchases would have occurred on Dec. 9, 2024, with $2.1 billion procuring 612.9 million XRP at $2.1994 per token, and Dec. 16, 2024, with $1.5 billion securing 646.3 million XRP at $2.3207 per token. 

On Jan. 13, 2025, the firm could have obtained 96.9 million XRP for $243 million at $2.5064 per coin. According to the assessment, this alternate approach would have resulted in $50.4 billion in profit, over $33 billion more than Bitcoin.  

Hamilton’s disclosure triggered reactions from the crypto community. Arniel Sia, a Bitcoiner and founder of Siacfo, responded by noting that XRP’s price has never recovered from its 2017 high of $3.84, unlike Bitcoin, which has since surpassed its previous peak. 

Sia stressed that Bitcoin presents a means to escape fiat’s inflationary system rather than just increasing dollar wealth. Hamilton agreed with his argument but also highlighted XRP’s fixed supply and resilience to debasement, which he believes make it a valuable asset.

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