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Jason Calacanis, a prominent angel investor and internet entrepreneur, has slammed Ripple’s XRP, labeling it a “centrally controlled security.” Calacanis suggested that the potential greenlighting of spot US-based XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will make securities laws worthless. Notably, some asset managers recently received the initial nod from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to list XRP ETFs on Wall Street. XRP Is The Opposite Of Bitcoin: Jason Calacanis According to a Feb. 17 X post by the angel investor behind ridesharing app Uber and crypto trading platform Robinhood, all cryptocurrency OGs he has talked to believe Ripple-promoted XRP is the opposite of Bitcoin (BTC). “XRP is a centrally controlled security — is that even a question for anyone here?” Jason Calacanis explained that the introduction of spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could lead to full-scale “chaos” that would jeopardize the United States’ “stable and controlled” markets. “There will be chaos in the markets as a million startups, funds, and grifters start dumping 50% of their coins on retail while slowly selling the 50% they own and control,” he opined. According to the veteran investor, XRP should only be available to sophisticated investors who understand how “dangerous” investing in such a project is. XRP Centralization Concerns Ripple’s XRP Ledger has long been the subject of controversy in the cryptoverse due to its perceived centralization, with critics arguing that a handful of individuals and the XRPL Foundation wield a lot of control thus undermining the decentralized tenets championed by blockchain purists. The XRP Ledger is undeniably more centralized with regard to the number of validators that secure its network. There are roughly 100 validators on the XRP — dramatically lower than on Bitcoin, which is powered by more than 1 million miners. In addition, only about 35 validators are on XRPL’s default Unique Node List (UNL), meaning less than three dozen entities are responsible for keeping the network alive and reliable. It’s worth mentioning that according to Ripple’s most recent financial disclosures, the blockchain payments firm holds some 4,485,366,320 XRP in liquid assets. It also controls approximately 38 billion XRP currently in escrow. Meanwhile, Ripple has enthusiastically thrown its support behind the new President Donald Trump administration, with CEO Bradley Garlinghouse advocating for a U.S. digital asset reserve that would prominently feature XRP. At press time, XRP changed hands at $2.64.

Analysis: Low $ETH gas fees signal positive mid-to-long-term outlook On-chain analytics platform Santiment reported on X that Ethereum's (ETH) average transaction fee is currently $0.41, significantly lower than the two-year peak of $15.21. Notably, low gas fees indicate reduced network congestion and are generally a positive signal for ETH’s mid-to-long-term price outlook. Santiment further explained that low fees often occur when traders perceive token prices as bearish, creating favorable conditions for new buyers to enter the market. In contrast, high fees typically reflect increased network activity, often during rapid price surges, but can also discourage traders and trigger short-term corrections. “Extremely low fees (like we're seeing now) will often incentivize users back and allow the network's utility to rise to a prosperous rate,” according to the post.

Pro-crypto Howard Lutnick confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, the former CEO and Chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, has been approved by the U.S. Senate to head the Department of Commerce, according to Cointelegraph via X. Lutnick, known for his pro-crypto stance, is recognized as a big backer of Bitcoin $BTC and Tether $USDT. Last July at the Bitcoin Conference 2024, Lutnick announced a $2 billion financing initiative to provide leverage for BTC holders.

Charles Schwab creates 'Head of Digital Assets' position Nate Geraci, CEO of wealth management firm The ETF Store, wrote in an X post that Charles Schwab, a U.S.-based financial services company, has set up a new position dubbed "Head of Digital Assets." As one of the largest…

Majority of new stablecoins issued on Tron and Solana this year Blockchain analytics firm Spot On Chain shared on X that since the beginning of 2025, Tether $USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, has issued three billion USDT on the Tron $TRX network, while Circle has…