While we are wrapping up the 2025 year, I do think that it's a good time to take a step back and just look at everything that has happened in 2025. Um, regardless of price action, I feel as if this has been one of the most successful years for Ripple and for the entire crypto environment itself um, in history. And I think that going into 2026, it's going to be even crazier because I feel as if the engagement from institutional players, from even the government sector, I mean, just in general, I feel as if a ...

The US Federal Reserve just did something absolutely insane and we are seeing clear confirmation across the board that marching into 2026, we are leaving the old world behind around crypto and marching into a completely new world. That world is going to be dominated by the biggest players entering the space at scale and tapping into specific networks. Now, before we get to that point, we still need to go over a few things. And the biggest thing that we need to go over is, of course, market structure.Now, we ...

Crypto and US Dollar Strategy - The Trump administration's crypto strategy may aim to strengthen the US dollar by expanding its reach in the digital economy through dollar-backed stablecoins [1] - World Liberty Financial (WLFI), co-founded by Trump's sons, is driving this initiative with its USD1 stablecoin, which is backed one-to-one by US treasuries, dollar deposits, and cash equivalents [1] - USD1 offers regulatory certainty as a US-compliant stablecoin, potentially attracting institutions and individual investors [1] - Stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC) already significantly support the US dollar by holding large amounts of treasury bills [1] - 80% of all stablecoin transactions occur outside the US, effectively increasing the demand for dollars globally [1] - The Genius Act, signed into law in July 2025, sets strict rules for stablecoin issuers, requiring them to be backed by US dollars, cash equivalents, or short-term US treasuries, further supporting the US dollar [22][23] Controversies and Conflicts of Interest - MGX, a UAE-based investment fund, invested $2 billion in Binance using USD1, significantly boosting USD1's market cap [4] - A Trump-controlled entity owns about 38% of World Liberty Financial, raising conflict of interest concerns due to the potential profits generated from USD1's yield [6][7] - Critics argue that the deal invites foreign influence, as foreign parties could potentially buy favor with Trump through investments in World Liberty Financial [15] - Allegations arose that Binance helped write USD1's smart contract code and that CZ sought a presidential pardon from Trump, although both parties denied any quid pro quo [12][13][14]

Crypto Regulation & Institutional Adoption - Crypto industry views regulatory clarity and lawmaker engagement with banks as a positive development [1] - The industry emphasizes that crypto is not about eliminating regulation, but adapting existing regulations to the current phase of innovation [3] - Institutions are compelled to develop digital asset strategies, driving the need for appropriate regulatory frameworks [3] Solana's Role & Use Cases - Solana is positioned as the infrastructure layer for blockchain technology, contrasting with Bitcoin's role as a digital asset [4][5][7] - Solana aims to be the fastest, cheapest, and most liquid financial infrastructure [6] - Solana's infrastructure enables the issuance of stablecoins and tokenized assets like commercial paper [8][9] Solana's Market Position & Future Outlook - Solana is reportedly the most used blockchain, exceeding the usage of the rest of the industry combined by a factor of 2 to 3 in 2025 [11] - Value creation for infrastructure blockchains like Solana is driven by usage, resulting in fee revenue that benefits token holders [12] Tokenization & Financial Innovation - Blockchain is viewed as financial infrastructure supporting various financial activities, including payments, savings, and investments [14] - Prediction markets are considered a new type of financial product enabled by blockchain [14] - Tokenization allows for the creation of "money legos" in DeFi, where positions can be used as collateral in other markets [15]

Stablecoins and Payments - Payments, particularly stablecoin payments, are identified as crypto's killer app for mass adoption [2][3] - Major institutions like Standard Chartered are bullish on stablecoins for enhancing cross-border FX payments with real-time settlements [4] - Traditional finance players, including PayPal with PYUSD and Visa, are integrating stablecoins into their payment systems [4] - Stablecoins processed $46 trillion in annual transfers, nearly triple the volume processed by Visa [7][8] - Ripple employees highlight stablecoins and payments, drawing parallels between crypto payments and WhatsApp's disruption of SMS [9][10] Institutional Adoption and Trust - Institutional adoption of stablecoins indicates trust and utility, with users staying in stablecoins during risk-off periods [13] - Ripple's stablecoin, ROUSD, has surpassed a $1 billion market cap and gained regulatory approval in Abu Dhabi and Dubai [14] - Trust is crucial for institutional players to bring their customers on-chain for stablecoin initiatives [17] - JP Morgan is working on stablecoins and exploring tokenization, highlighting blockchain's effectiveness and efficiency [22][23] - Western Union is launching a crypto card preloaded with USD stablecoins, potentially onboarding a massive user base into crypto [26][27] Scalability and Network Considerations - Scalability issues on Ethereum may lead to a shift to other networks that can handle high demand and settle transactions at a fraction of a penny [19][20] - A neutral bridge currency will be needed as public blockchains become populated with big banks and large amounts of money [29]

Market Trends & Investment Opportunities - Crypto market shows signs of recovery after last week's sell-off, with Bitcoin surpassing $87,000 and Ether rising to $2,863 [2] - Stable coins now constitute 9% of crypto's total market cap, marking a two-year high, driven by factors like clearer regulations and rising institutional interest [2][3] - Investors are increasingly turning to stable coins as a hedge against market volatility, signaling a risk-off approach in the crypto space [3][4] - NASDAQ filed with the SEC to allow for the trading of tokenized stocks and ETPs, aiming to bridge the digital asset world with traditional finance [8][9][11] Regulatory Landscape & Tax Implications - The Genius Act stable coin bill was signed into law, representing the first major crypto regulation in the US [4] - New IRS recordkeeping rules require brokerages to send a 1099-DA form, reporting gross proceeds from crypto sales, with stricter reporting requirements coming in 2026 [5] NASDAQ's Digital Asset Initiatives - NASDAQ aims to integrate tokenized assets into current market structures, arguing that existing securities laws will apply [15] - NASDAQ emphasizes that trading tokenized assets will initially maintain the same order book and investor protections as traditional assets [17][19] - NASDAQ highlights the potential for improved efficiency, enhanced audit trails, and eventually 24/7 trading with tokenized assets [21] - NASDAQ offers spot Bitcoin ETFs, spot Ether ETFs, and altcoin ETFs like Litecoin and Hideera, adhering to its listing rules [27][28] Tokenization Benefits - Tokenization offers near-term process efficiencies on the post-trade side, potentially leading to faster settlement [22] - Tokenization enhances collateral mobility, allowing for more efficient capital use and reducing the need for overcollateralization [23][24] - Tokenization can bring enhanced utility to assets beyond trading, including better access for proxy and improvements in corporate actions [25][26]

Stablecoins and Tokenization - Stablecoins and tokenization are major narratives, with Stellar focusing on payments [1] - Stablecoins are enabling mass adoption of crypto tech [29] - The stablecoin market was reaching $250 billion, now over $300 billion, with over 1 trillion in monthly transaction volume [33] Blockchain Payments Consortium (BPC) - The Blockchain Payments Consortium (BPC) aims to enable frictionless, compliant transactions across networks and borders [6][7] - BPC's mission is to define safe, common standards for better payment experiences [10] - BPC will act as a bridge between blockchain ecosystems, regulators, and traditional financial institutions [12] Stellar's Role and Partnerships - Stellar facilitates billions in payments, proving blockchain's ability to move value efficiently [8] - Stellar is enabling mass adoption through partnerships with Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal [17][24][25][26][27] - Yrex is settling Visa payments in USDC and Euro on Stellar, serving over 7 million users [23] Mass Adoption and Future of Payments - The future involves front-facing applications tapping into new infrastructure, changing the settlement layer [21][22] - Stablecoins are becoming the next generation of money [34] - Stellar's architecture is optimized for moving value securely and at scale [35]

Market Analysis and Price Targets - Telcoin experienced a significant weekly price surge, breaking a downtrend that started in July [1] - A weekly candle close above $0.0075 (3/4 of a penny) is needed to confirm bullish momentum, with targets set at $0.01 (highs from February) and potentially $0.07 (prior all-time highs), representing a potential 10x increase from the current price [1] - The current fully diluted value of Telcoin is approximately $30 million, with the project ranked 210th, suggesting it is still undervalued [1] Company Updates and Developments - Uphold, a major exchange with over 220,000 followers, listed Telcoin, increasing its exposure [11][12] - Telcoin received final approval in Nebraska for its digital asset bank charter, enabling the connection of US bank accounts to regulated digital cash stablecoins [13][16] - Telcoin launched its digital cash platform, including the digital asset bank and EUSD, the world's first regulated bank-issued digital dollar [13] - Telcoin has secured funding to capitalize the Telcoin Digital Asset Bank and launch EUSD [17] Strategic Vision and Future Outlook - Telcoin aims to transform global finance by combining blockchain with digital banking and telecommunications, providing affordable DeFi services for mobile users worldwide [11] - Telcoin's EUSD is fully backed by US dollar deposits and short-term treasuries held in regulated reserves, aiming to drive consumer and institutional adoption of blockchain-powered finance [21] - Telcoin Digital Asset Bank intends to help community banks adapt to evolving technology, aligning digital assets with a regulated banking framework [24][25] - The company believes it is currently undervalued and anticipates significant growth in market capitalization in the future [27][28] Risk Management and Custody - The report highlights the risks of holding crypto on unregulated exchanges, citing instances of frozen funds [1] - ITR Capital offers a premium custody account with institutional-grade security and 24/7 trading [1]

Market Trends & Government Regulations - Bitcoin price increased over 1% to $15,000 level following Senate's progress towards ending the US government shutdown [2] - The US government shutdown drove consumer sentiment to its lowest level in over three years [4] - The Trump administration is exploring incorporating digital assets into the home lending process [5] Crypto-backed Mortgages - The median sales price for a house in the United States is hovering near all-time highs above $400,000 [6] - The median age for first-time home buyers reached 40 years old, a new record [7] - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy upwards of 70% of US mortgages [8] - Five senators expressed concerns about the volatility of crypto assets in the mortgage market [12] - Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lumis introduced the 21st Century Mortgage Act to codify the initiative into law [14] Bitcoin Market Analysis - The Federal Reserve's liquidity policies and multi-trillion dollar deficits are beneficial for Bitcoin's value proposition [19][20] - Bitcoin's long-term value proposition is as a hedge against currency debasement [21] - Bitcoin treasury companies improve access to Bitcoin for large institutional investors who cannot access spot Bitcoin [23][24] - Bitcoin is increasingly seen as the institutional-grade crypto asset due to its technology, security, and liquidity [26][27][28] - 85% of central banks around the world are cutting rates, making Bitcoin a global asset [30] - Kathy Wood lowered her end-of-decade price target for Bitcoin from 150% million to 120% million because stable coins are taking over some of the payments market [35]

Closing bell market zone. Mackenzie Sagallos is breaking down some big moves in the crypto space. K.Rogers looking at restaurant stocks. They are feeling the heat big time this week and 314's Warren Pies is helping us close down the countdown into the close. Mac, we start with you.>> Scott, crypto markets are rebounding to close out what has been a choppy week of trade that saw Bitcoin slip below that key $100,000 threshold midweek as macro uncertainty weighed on risk assets. Now on the institutional side, ...