SEC’s XRP reversal marks crypto industry victory ahead of SOL futures ETF launch: Finance Redefined
Crypto investors rejoiced this week after the US Securities and Exchange Commission dismissed one of the crypto industry’s most controversial lawsuits — one that resulted in an over four-year legal battle with Ripple Labs.
In another significant regulatory development, Solana-based futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have debuted in the US, a move that may signal the approval of spot Solana SOLUSD
ETFs as the “next logical step” for lawmakers.
SEC’s XRP reversal a “victory for the industry”: Ripple CEO
The SEC’s dismissal of its years-long lawsuit against Ripple Labs, the developer of the XRP Ledger blockchain network, is a “victory for the industry,” Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said at Blockworks’ 2025 Digital Asset Summit in New York.
On March 19, Garlinghouse revealed that the SEC would dismiss its legal action against Ripple, ending four years of litigation against the blockchain developer for an alleged $1.3-billion unregistered securities offering in 2020.
“It feels like a victory for the industry and the beginning of a new chapter,” Garlinghouse said on March 19 at the Summit, which Cointelegraph attended.
Solana futures ETF to grow institutional adoption, despite limited inflows
The crypto industry is set to debut the first SOL futures ETF, a significant development that may pave the way for the first spot SOL ETF as the “next logical step” for crypto-based trading products, according to industry watchers.
Volatility Shares is launching two SOL futures ETFs, the Volatility Shares Solana ETF (SOLZ) and the Volatility Shares 2X Solana ETF (SOLT), on March 20.
The debut of the first SOL futures ETF may bring significant new institutional adoption for the SOL token, according to Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget Research.
The analyst told Cointelegraph:
“The launch of the first Solana ETFs in the US could significantly boost Solana’s market position by increasing demand and liquidity for SOL, potentially narrowing the gap with Ethereum’s market cap.”
The Solana ETF will grow institutional adoption by “offering a regulated investment vehicle, attracting billions in capital and reinforcing Solana’s competitiveness against Ethereum,” said Lee, adding that “Ethereum’s entrenched ecosystem remains a formidable barrier.”
Pump.fun launches own DEX, drops Raydium
Pump.fun has launched its own decentralized exchange (DEX) called PumpSwap, potentially displacing Raydium as the primary trading venue for Solana-based memecoins.
Starting on March 20, memecoins that successfully bootstrap liquidity, or “bond,” on Pump.fun will migrate directly to PumpSwap, Pump.fun said in an X post.
Previously, bonded Pump.fun tokens migrated to Raydium, which emerged as Solana’s most popular DEX, largely thanks to memecoin trading activity.
According to Pump.fun, PumpSwap “functions similarly to Raydium V4 and Uniswap V2” and is designed “to create the most frictionless environment for trading coins.”
“Migrations were a major point of friction - they slow a coin’s momentum and introduce needless complexity for new users,” Pump.fun said.
“Now, migrations happen instantly and for free.”
Bybit: 89% of stolen $1.4B crypto still traceable post-hack
The lion’s share of the hacked Bybit funds is still traceable after the historic cybertheft, with blockchain investigators continuing their efforts to freeze and recover the funds.
The crypto industry was rocked by the largest hack in history on Feb. 21 when Bybit lost over $1.4 billion in liquid-staked Ether (stETH), Mantle Staked ETH (mETH) and other digital assets.
Blockchain security firms, including Arkham Intelligence, have identified North Korea’s Lazarus Group as the likely culprit behind the Bybit exploit as the attackers continue swapping the funds in an effort to make them untraceable.
Despite the Lazarus Group’s efforts, over 88% of the stolen $1.4 billion remains traceable, according to Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of crypto exchange Bybit.
The CEO wrote in a March 20 X post:
“Total hacked funds of USD 1.4bn around 500k ETH. 88.87% remain traceable, 7.59% have gone dark, 3.54% have been frozen.”
“86.29% (440,091 ETH, ~$1.23B) have been converted into 12,836 BTC across 9,117 wallets (Average 1.41 BTC each),” said the CEO, adding that the funds were mainly funneled through Bitcoin (BTC) mixers, including Wasbi, CryptoMixer, Railgun and Tornado Cash.
The CEO’s update comes nearly a month after the exchange was hacked. It took the Lazarus Group 10 days to move 100% of the stolen funds through the decentralized crosschain protocol THORChain, Cointelegraph reported on March 4.
Libra, Melania creator’s “Wolf of Wall Street” memecoin crashes 99%
The creator of the Libra token has launched another memecoin with some of the same concerning onchain patterns that pointed to significant insider trading activity ahead of the coin’s 99% collapse.
Hayden Davis, co-creator of the Official Melania Meme (MELANIA) and Libra tokens, has launched a new Solana-based memecoin with an over 80% insider supply.
Davis launched the Wolf (WOLF) memecoin on March 8, banking on rumors of Jordan Belfort, known as the Wolf of Wall Street, launching his own token.
The token reached a peak $42 million market cap. However, 82% of WOLF’s supply was bundled under the same entity, according to a March 15 X post by Bubblemaps, which wrote:
“The bubble map revealed something strange — $WOLF had the same pattern as $HOOD, a token launched by Hayden Davis. Was he behind this one too?”
The blockchain analytics platform revealed transfers across 17 different addresses, stemming back to the address “OxcEAe,” owned by Davis.
“He funded these wallets months before $LIBRA and $WOLF launched, moving money through 17 addresses and 2 chains,” Bubblemaps added.
The Wolf memecoin lost over 99% of its value within two days, from the peak $42.9 million market capitalization on March 8 to just $570,000 by March 16, Dexscreener data shows.
DeFi market overview
According to Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView data, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the green.
Of the top 100, the BNB Chain-native Four (FORM) token rose over 110% as the week’s biggest gainer, followed by PancakeSwap’s CAKE (CAKE) token, up over 48% on the weekly chart.
Thanks for reading our summary of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education regarding this dynamically advancing space.
$XRP
Solana (SOL) Market Analysis
Solana ($SOL ) surged past $130 on Wednesday as markets rallied. However, it failed to build on this momentum, declining almost 6% on Thursday. $SOL had plunged to a low of $112 last Tuesday. However, it rebounded from this level to register an increase of almost 6% and settle at $125. The price continued to push higher on Wednesday, rising over 1% and settling at $126. SOL lost momentum on Thursday, dropping 2.53% and settling at $123. Bullish sentiment returned on Friday as markets rallied. As a result, $SOL rallied over 8%, surging past $130 and settling at $133. Bullish sentiment persisted on Saturday as the price rose almost 2% and settled at $135. Despite the positive momentum, $SOL could not go past the 20-day SMA, losing momentum on Sunday to drop over 7% and settle at $126.
$SOL started the week positively, rising 1.58% and settling at $128. However, selling pressure returned Tuesday as $SOL fell over 2% and settled at $125. The price rebounded on Wednesday as markets rallied following the FOMC meeting. As a result, SOL rose over 8% to reclaim $130 and settle at $135. Despite Wednesday’s strong rally, SOL lost momentum on Thursday, dropping almost 6% to $127. The current session sees $SOL marginally up as buyers and sellers struggle to establish control. Buyers will look to retain control and push $SOL towards the 20-day SMA. A break above the moving average could see the price move toward $150. On the other hand, if sellers regain control, SOL could dip to $120 or lower.
Solana Is Up 8%, Is The Storm Over Or Is The Worst Yet To Come?
From red to green, suddenly, the crypto market regained strength. Thanks to Jerome Powell and the cheerful FOMC team who, with their announcements, evidently gave a boost to investors. Bitcoin and altcoins followed suit, taking advantage of a bullish momentum. Among them, Solana stood out with an 8% increase in a single day, igniting traders’ interest. But is this upward trend sustainable?
The FED chose to maintain its rates , that is a fact. But the crypto market followed the movements of U.S. stock indices, notably the Russell 2000, which jumped to its highest level in twelve days. Interestingly, this push of Solana is not due to specific announcements about its ecosystem but is part of a broader context of renewed risk appetite among investors.
Despite a global slowdown in DApps activity, Solana continues to attract incoming flows and strengthens its position.
While its on-chain volumes have dropped by 47% over two weeks, a similar phenomenon is affecting Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Avalanche. However, Solana shows impressive resilience: its Total Value Locked (TVL) rose to 53.2 million SOL, marking a 10% increase over a month.
This growth outpaces that of BNB Chain (+6%), while Tron, on the other hand, sees its deposits decline by 8%.
Other signals confirm this resilience:
With a TVL of $6.8 billion, Solana establishes itself as the second-largest blockchain in locked value, far surpassing BNB Chain. Despite a decline in DApps activity, some Solana platforms like Jupiter, Pump.fun, and Jito generate higher fees than giants like Uniswap.
Last noteworthy fact: Solana’s weekly fees recently surpassed those of Ethereum, a strong sign of its growing adoption.
Despite a 27% drop in the price of SOL over the past 30 days, leveraged traders did not massively bet on its decline. A sign that selling pressure is not enough to shake Solana crypto. This is evidenced by the futures funding rate, which has remained balanced between buyers and sellers.
Crypto analyst AgentXBT points out that SOL seems to be in an accumulation phase:
Solana continues to consolidate in an increasingly narrow range. Its current action suggests an accumulation phase, foreshadowing a more pronounced movement.
Several technical indicators confirm this: an RSI of 41.66 indicating bullish potential and low volatility (BB Width at 12.34%), suggesting an imminent price explosion.
Investors are also monitoring the dynamics of token unlocks. In April, 2.72 million SOL will be released, but only 0.79 million in May and June. A decreasing supply, combined with potentially increasing demand, could well propel SOL beyond $170.
To see Solana reach $180 , several conditions must be met: the interest of leveraged traders, stable demand, and an increase in trading volume. Will the market wait for the right moment to move forward?
EOS Rebrands to Vaulta, Pioneering ‘Web3 Banking’ Revolution
According to a recent update from PR Newswire, in a strategic move signaling its commitment to revolutionizing digital finance, the EOS Network has announced its rebranding to Vaulta. This transition marks the culmination of extensive development and market analysis, positioning Vaulta at the forefront of the emerging Web3 banking sector .
Vaulta aims to integrate Web3 technology with traditional financial systems, creating a secure, scalable, and inclusive financial ecosystem. This integration seeks to unlock the potential of decentralized assets like Bitcoin, paving the way for a more decentralized financial landscape.
Yves La Rose, Founder and CEO of the Vaulta Foundation, emphasized that this transformation represents more than just a name change—it’s a decisive step toward delivering open, accessible financial services for all:
This transformation represents more than just a name change; it’s a decisive step forward in our mission to deliver open, accessible financial access for everyone. Vaulta is the product of years of planning, strategic development, and thoughtful design, culminating in a holistic Web3 banking approach. Web3 has the potential to reshape global finance, and Vaulta is at the forefront of this evolution.
To bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralized infrastructure, Vaulta is establishing the Vaulta Banking Advisory Council. This council comprises experts from both banking and Web3 sectors, including notable figures such as Lawrence Truong, CEO of Systemic Trust, and Alexander Nelson, Senior Director of Digital Finance at ATB Financial.
Vaulta plans to leverage strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Ceffu, Spirit Blockchain, and Blockchain Insurance Inc. to expand its Web3 banking ecosystem.
The announcement of the rebranding has garnered significant attention within the cryptocurrency community. As of March 19, 2025, EOS (now transitioning to Vaulta) is trading at approximately $0.63, with a 24-hour trading volume of around $412.26 million, positioning it as the 66th largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.
In a related update by CNF, Shiba Inu (SHIB) and the UAE Ministry of Energy have signed a historic Web3 partnership. In the context of the evolving digital finance landscape, SHIB has experienced notable market activity.
As of now, SHIB is trading at approximately $0.00001259, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.79% in the past day and increase of 2.82% in the past week. See SHIB price chart below.
Fed keeps interest rates unchanged in March
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged today, maintaining the federal funds rate between 4.25% and 4.50% for the second consecutive meeting amid growing recession concerns fueled by the Trump administration’s economic policies.
The central bank has adjusted its 2025 economic forecasts, lowering GDP growth projections to 1.7% from the previous 2.1% in December, while simultaneously raising forecasts for unemployment to 4.4% from 4.3%, PCE inflation to 2.7% from 2.5%, and core PCE inflation to 2.8% from 2.5%.
The Fed projects two 50-basis-point interest rate cuts in 2025, consistent with both market expectations and its December forecast.
The decision matched widespread market expectations. The CME Group’s FedWatch Tool indicated a 99% probability of the Fed maintaining its current target interest rates, reflecting near-unanimous market confidence in that outcome.
In its FOMC statement, the central bank highlighted a resilient labor market but voiced concerns about persistent inflation and global economic challenges. The Fed indicated it would carefully monitor inflation and labor market data before adjusting policy.
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell echoed this cautious approach last month, noting a strong economy that doesn’t yet warrant changes.
With his press conference minutes away, markets await clarity on what conditions might prompt future rate moves—and how the Fed views mounting economic risks.
This Wednesday’s meeting was the first since the enactment of Trump’s trade policies targeting China, Mexico, and Canada.
The Fed had already flagged these tariffs as a source of uncertainty at its January meeting, where rates also held steady .
Economists warn that Trump’s tariffs could reverse recent inflation progress by driving up consumer prices and inviting retaliation, potentially straining the economy.
US inflation data supports a cooling trend—the consumer price index rose 0.2% in February, lowering the annual rate to 2.8% from 3%, with core CPI also up 0.2%—yet tariff fears persist.
In an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, Trump did not rule out the possibility of a recession. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added to recession concerns on March 10, stating he could not guarantee the US would dodge one.
Powell’s upcoming remarks are poised to address these tensions—tariffs, inflation, and recession risks.
Since the rate decision met expectations, his words will carry extra weight, potentially shaping market sentiment on whether Trump’s policies could tip the economy into downturn territory.
As concerns over tariffs and recession mount, talk about Bitcoin heats up.
BlackRock’s Global Head of Digital Assets, Robbie Mitchnick, sees a recession as a potential catalyst for Bitcoin, noting that increased liquidity and monetary stimulus could fuel its rise.
“Bitcoin is long liquidity in the system. It’s catalyzed by more fiscal spending and debt and deficit accumulation. That happens in a recession,” he said during Yahoo Finance’s Market Domination Overtime on Tuesday. “It’s catalyzed by lower interest rates and monetary stimulus.”
Comparing Bitcoin to gold, Mitchnick explained that while Bitcoin is fundamentally an uncorrelated asset, market sentiment sometimes creates short-term price correlations.
He argued that Bitcoin should act as a global, decentralized, and non-sovereign asset akin to digital gold but acknowledged that short-term interest rate expectations and investor sentiment could influence its price.
Despite recent market pullbacks, Bitcoin is still up approximately 15% since the beginning of November.
Oasis البيانات الاجتماعية
في آخر 24 ساعة، درجة المعنويات على منصات التواصل الاجتماعي لعملة Oasis بلغت 1، وكانت المعنويات على منصات التواصل الاجتماعي تجاه توجه سعر عملة Oasis هبوطية. كانت النتيجة الإجمالية لعملة Oasis على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي 153، وجاءت في المرتبة 224 بين جميع العملات المشفرة.
وفقًا لموقع LunarCrush، في آخر 24 ساعة، بلغ إجمالي إشارات العملات المشفرة على منصات التواصل الاجتماعي 1,058,120 مرة (مرات)، مع ذكر Oasis بنسبة تكرار %0.02 ، فجاءت في المرتبة 125 بين جميع العملات المشفرة.
في آخر 24 ساعة، إجمالي عدد المستخدمين الفريدين الذين ناقشوا عملة Oasis بلغ 1,226، وبلغ إجمالي عدد إشارات عملة Oasis 199. ومع ذلك، وبالمقارنة مع الـ 24 ساعة السابقة، بلغ عدد المستخدمين الفريدين زيادة بنسبة %15 ، والعدد الإجمالي للإشارات تقليل بنسبة %18 .
وعلى تويتر، بلغ إجمالي التغريدات 1 التي تشير إلى عملة Oasis خلال آخر 24 ساعة. من بينها، %0 صعودية لعملة Oasis، و هبوطية لعملة Oasis، و%0 محايدة لعملة Oasis.
إنّ عدد المنشورات على موقع Reddit بلغ 29 والتي تُشير إلى Oasis خلال الـ 24 ساعة الماضية. وبالمقارنة مع الـ 24 ساعة الماضية، فإن عدد الإشارات تغيّر زيادة بنسبة %12 .
نظرة عامة على جميع مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي
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