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XRP moved back into the fourth position among digital assets by market capitalization after climbing to $1.53 on Tuesday, according to the market data referenced in the report. The token posted an 11% weekly gain and lifted its market value to about $93.4 billion, allowing it to move ahead of Binance Coin.

The advance also pushed XRP above the $1.40 resistance zone, while trading volume rose 125% to $3.22 billion, showing a sharp increase in market activity during the latest rally.

The move has drawn attention from both spot and derivatives traders as XRP returned to a ranking it had not held for several weeks. Market figures cited in the report show that open interest in XRP futures on Binance increased 59% from late October to around 353 million XRP. That rise came even though the token has remained about 37% below its earlier level, a pattern that points to new leveraged positioning rather than a broad reduction in exposure.

Current open interest is still below the level recorded before the sharp market decline seen last October. Even so, the current build in positions around the $1.50 to $1.60 range suggests that traders are treating the latest breakout as an area worth defending. At the same time, the growing use of leverage leaves the market exposed to sharper moves if price fails to hold above recently reclaimed support zones.

XRPL Wallet Growth and On-Chain Activity Increase

Data from Santiment added another layer to the recent market story. The analytics platform reported that the XRP Ledger now has more than 7.7 million holders, measured by non-empty wallets, marking the first time the network has reached that level since its launch in 2012. The figure points to continued expansion in wallet participation across the XRPL ecosystem during a period when attention on XRP has also returned to price action.

Santiment also reported that active addresses climbed to 46,767 on Monday, the highest reading in five weeks. That rise in address activity came as XRP posted a 14% gain over 48 hours and briefly traded above $1.60. The increase in active wallets suggests a pickup in network participation at the same time trading interest accelerated across exchanges.

Source: X

The recent adoption data followed an update from Ripple tied to XRP Ledger version 3.1.2. The release focused on fixing critical security issues, including a flaw that could cause servers to crash or restart unexpectedly. Technical maintenance of that kind often draws less attention than price moves, but it remains part of the broader environment surrounding network usage and market confidence.

Price Structure Keeps Focus on Key Support and Resistance

Alongside the rally, some market commentators continue to watch XRP’s longer-term chart pattern. According to crypto analyst Egrag Crypto, the XRP price has formed a multi-month triple bottom structure that may still require one more corrective phase before a broader upward move can develop.

In that framework, the decline from $3.40 in January 2025 is treated as part of an ABC correction, with a possible final bottom near $0.91.

Source: X

That area has been identified as a key zone because it aligns with the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement, prior demand, and the projected final leg of the formation. On the upside, a weekly close above $1.65 has been described as the first major confirmation that the descending corrective structure has ended. Until then, reported support levels remain near $1.40, followed by $1.22 if selling pressure returns.

Phantom now cleared to offer regulated derivative markets
Phantom is planning to offer user access to regulated derivatives and event contracts directly on the wallet app, but through a registered partner.

The letter confirms Phantom is allowed to act as a wallet interface connecting users to derivatives markets, without taking on the regulatory obligations of an introducing broker, as long as the orders are submitted directly to a registered exchange, and it doesn’t custody customers’ funds.

“Rather than building first and seeking forgiveness later, we took a different approach to give our users safe and reliable ways to access traditional financial markets,” Phantom wrote in a blog post. “This letter is the result of that process.”

Why this matters?
CFTC’s position on Phantom sets the regulatory tone on how wallet providers and DeFi protocols alike can interact with regulated derivatives.

Any entity that solicits or accepts orders to trade derivatives, whether futures, options, or predictions, to earn commissions, is obligated to register with the CFTC. This definition has led to calls for clarity, especially from the DeFi sector, on whether interfaces and certain trading features cross into the licensing territory.

In August 2025, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) submitted comments to CFTC, urging the commission to issue no-action relief or interpretative guidance for decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and applications on certain areas, including tokenized and onchain derivative.

The greenlight today, meanwhile, applies specifically to a custodial model with a registered exchange partner. “It does not cover DeFi derivatives or tokenized prediction markets,” according to Phantom.

“The CFTC letter acknowledges their focus on developing rulemaking or guidance that may supersede the letter in the future, and we hope that our engagement can help shape a long-lasting framework that benefits the industry as a whole,” Phantom added.

In other news, the wallet provider already lets users trade predictions directly on the app. It partnered with Kalshi in December 2025, after Metamask added Polymarket for onchain prediction.

But There Is A Catch ⋆ ZyCrypto

Shiba Inu (SHIB) moved sideways on Tuesday, holding steady despite a broader market pullback.

Notably, over the past week, the world’s second-largest memecoin gained nearly 8%, shrugging off the widespread selling that impacted most major cryptocurrencies.

Meanwhile, amid the broader crypto market slowdown, some investors appear to be capitulating. Data from Arkham shows that one whale offloaded 1 million SHIB before executing a second, much larger sale of nearly 15 billion SHIB, ultimately reducing the wallet’s balance to just a single token after two years of hodling.

According to the data, the tokens were moved and subsequently sold for $84,640, representing an approximate loss of $422,190, an 83% decline relative to the original investment of $506,830.

This dramatic drop highlights the challenges of holding high-volatility assets across extended market cycles, even for those who have demonstrated patience.

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Notably, the whale’s decision to finally move the funds drew attention not only because of the sheer volume but also due to the unusual market context.

Interestingly, this whale’s exit contrasts sharply with the experiences of other SHIB holders who are positive about the token’s future. According to data from liquidations tracking platform Coinglass, whales triggered massive liquidations within the past 24 hours, wiping out approximately $50,120 in short positions, equivalent to nearly 7.94 billion SHIB tokens, as prices rebounded to $0.00000631.

These particular shorts made up roughly 85% of all liquidated Shiba Inu positions, totaling $59,170, while liquidated long positions accounted for just $9,050.

Shiba Inu has also shown strong resilience, on track for its seventh green daily candle in the past eight days.

So far this month, open interest has climbed from around $54.51 million to $60.90 million, while spot trading volume surged 112% in the last 24 hours to $22.23 million, and futures trading rose 109% to $148.3 million.

Additionally, analyst Javon Marks highlighted that SHIB appears poised to break out of a Falling Wedge-like structure, a pattern that historically preceded a 455% price surge during the coin’s last significant rally.

“SHIB looks to be nearing the breaking point… and could be getting ready to deliver a huge move,” Marks stated, emphasizing the speculative but promising nature of the current setup.

At press time, SHIB was trading at $0.000006097, reflecting a 1.14% decline in the past 24 hours.

Argentina blocks prediction market platform Polymarket

Today's top news highlights:

South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service, Customs Service, and credit card companies have joined forces to crack down on cryptocurrency "currency exchange" and illegal overseas cash withdrawals.

An Argentine court has ordered a complete shutdown of the prediction market platform Polymarket.

Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) plans to increase the maximum penalty for unlicensed cryptocurrency sales to 10 years.

Binance: Katana (KAT) tokens will begin circulating on March 18th at 19:00.

Binance lists EWJUSDT perpetual contracts related to Japanese stock indices.

YZi Labs announced that it led a $52 million funding round for Silicon Valley AI robotics company RoboForce.

Singapore-based stablecoin payment infrastructure company Dtcpay completes $10 million Series A funding round.

Cango's financial report: 4,451 bitcoins were sold in February this year, and total revenue for the entire year of 2025 will reach $688 million.

Regulation & Macro

South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service, Customs Service, and credit card companies have joined forces to crack down on cryptocurrency "currency exchange" and illegal overseas cash withdrawals.

On the same day, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), the Korea Customs Service, the Credit Finance Association, and nine credit card companies in South Korea signed a "Public-Private Partnership Agreement to Block Transnational Criminal Funds." This plan aims to cut off the funding chains for telephone scams and virtual asset crimes at their source by analyzing overseas credit card usage details and immigration records. Previously, due to information gaps between agencies, the Korea Customs Service, while possessing immigration data, could not monitor abnormal overseas spending in real time, while credit card companies, although having payment data, lacked information on cardholders' customs clearance activities. Under the new mechanism, the Korea Customs Service will provide credit card companies with information on high-risk transactions, while the FSS will develop guidelines authorizing credit card companies to take effective measures such as directly suspending transactions upon detecting anomalies.

Lee Chan-jin, head of the Financial Supervisory Service of South Korea, stated that this move signifies the establishment of a routine monitoring system in South Korea to prevent the outflow of criminal proceeds overseas at their source. The system will focus on precisely targeting "currency exchange" activities involving the use of overseas credit cards to withdraw cash from ATMs abroad and laundering money through cryptocurrencies.

The Central Bank of Russia plans to allow digital financial assets to circulate on open networks such as Ethereum in order to attract foreign investment.

According to Izvestia, the Central Bank of Russia has submitted a proposal to the government to allow digital financial assets to circulate on open blockchain networks such as Ethereum, aiming to attract foreign investment under sanctions. The central bank governor stated that this move is crucial for attracting overseas investment and facilitating cross-border settlements. If approved, the proposal would enable Russian companies to issue digital financial assets on foreign platforms, potentially allowing these assets to be listed on major cryptocurrency exchanges and DeFi protocols, thus restoring international liquidity for Russian companies. The central bank plans to submit a draft amendment in the summer of 2026.

The Israeli military assesses that it has successfully assassinated the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

Israeli media reported on the 17th that the Israeli military assesses it has successfully assassinated Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Iran has not yet commented on this.

An Argentine court has ordered a complete shutdown of the prediction market platform Polymarket.

Argentine judicial authorities have ordered an immediate and complete shutdown of the prediction market platform Polymarket, with the ban applying throughout Argentina. They have also instructed Google and Apple to remove the platform's mobile app from their Android and iOS app stores. The ruling stems from a complaint by the Buenos Aires lottery authorities, who accused Polymarket of operating an unauthorized online gambling system under the guise of a "prediction market."

Prosecutors pointed out that the platform operated without a license in Argentina, accepted cryptocurrency and credit card payments, did not require identity or age verification, and allowed accounts to be created in minutes, significantly increasing user risk, including minors participating in gambling. Argentina became the second Latin American country, after Colombia, to impose a comprehensive ban on the platform. Despite the ruling, Argentine users could still access the service as of 13:05 local time on Monday.

Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) plans to increase the maximum penalty for unlicensed cryptocurrency sales to 10 years.

According to the Nikkei, Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) plans to significantly increase penalties for unregistered cryptocurrency businesses. The maximum imprisonment sentence for unregistered sale of crypto assets will be increased from three years to up to ten years, and the maximum fine will be raised from 3 million yen to 10 million yen. The regulator also intends to transfer cryptocurrency regulation from the Payment Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act through revisions to strengthen oversight of cryptocurrency trading platforms and emphasize investor protection.

Polkadot has surged over 11% in 24 hours as trading volume jumped nearly 78%, signaling renewed market activity as buyers returned aggressively to the DOT market.

Rising participation has accompanied the move toward the $1.59 region, suggesting that traders have stepped back into the market after weeks of subdued activity.

Increased liquidity has strengthened short-term price dynamics while expanding volatility across spot markets.

As a result, Polkadot [DOT] traded closer to an important resistance barrier that could influence the next directional move.

Descending channel breakout reshapes DOT structure

Price action reflected a notable structural shift after DOT had broken above a prolonged descending channel.

The breakout has followed the sharp rally that pushed the price toward the $1.686 resistance zone, placing the asset near a technical inflection point.

Earlier price compression inside the channel had restricted recovery attempts for months.

However, the recent surge has lifted the price above that declining boundary, signaling that bearish control has weakened considerably.

Technical indicators now reflect strengthening buyer activity as the RSI has climbed to 57.51, clearly above the 50 neutral threshold.

This shift suggests that demand has strengthened steadily following earlier weakness during the prolonged downtrend.

As buyers regained control of short-term price swings, the indicator has gradually advanced into bullish territory.

Meanwhile, DOT continued trading near $1.591, which places it between the $1.400 support level and the $1.686 resistance barrier.

Buyers have defended the lower zone repeatedly during recent sessions.

As a result, the breakout structure now attracts attention because a sustained push above $1.686 could open the path toward the $2.000 resistance region.

Buy-dominant order flow strengthens DOT demand

Market activity across spot exchanges now reflects strong buyer aggression as Spot Taker CVD has shifted into buy-dominant territory.

This metric tracks the cumulative difference between aggressive buy orders and sell orders, providing insight into trader conviction.

Recent readings suggest that market participants have increasingly executed buy orders at market prices rather than waiting for passive liquidity.

Such behavior often reflects stronger directional conviction among traders. In DOT’s case, this buyer-led order flow has emerged alongside rising trading activity and the recent price breakout.

As aggressive demand continues driving transactions, traders increasingly interpret the data as a signal that accumulation pressure has strengthened across spot markets.

DeXe [DEXE] has rallied just over 7% in 24 hours. It saw a 40% spike in daily trading volume, though generally, weekends see reduced trading volume. Over the past week, DeXe was up 41.5%.

The crypto AI sector has performed exceptionally well over the past week. Led by Bittensor [TAO], the sector’s market cap was up 19.3%, according to Glassnode data. It is possible that the Bitcoin [BTC] rally above $70k helped capital flow into certain altcoins.

Early strength exhibited by some AI tokens likely helped draw even more capital into the sector in recent days.

DEXE rallies to 2026 highs

The altcoin had made a new local high at $5.51 on Sunday, the 15th of March. This was a level that DEXE had last traded at toward the end of November 2025.

The 1-day swing structure of DEXE was bullish. The downtrend’s swing low at $4.19 (orange) was convincingly breached. The trading volume during the move higher was sizeable, too.

The CMF has been above +0.05 over the past three weeks, signaling heavy demand. The A/D indicator agreed with the buying volume, and the RSI reflected sustained upward momentum.

Over the past month, the moving averages went from being dynamic resistance levels to forming a bullish crossover, once again agreeing with the other technical indicators.

Based on the 1-day timeframe’s price action, the $6.3-$7.3 area was the next long-term supply zone to watch out for. In October and November 2025, the sellers had defended this area from the buyers and triggered a bearish continuation from here.

Traders can expect some short-term volatility. The swift recent gains meant there was a lot of cumulative long liquidation leverage built up below the market price. A retracement toward $5 was a possibility that traders and investors should be prepared for.

The daily RSI has been above 70 thrice since the 25th of February. The liquidation map also warned of a possible pullback.

If such a drop occurs, it would present a buying opportunity targeting $6.3-$7.3. In the short-term, a price drop below $4.2 would be a warning of a deeper retracement.
Final Summary
DeXe exhibited intense bullish momentum over the past three weeks to rally to a 4-month high above $5.The bulk of the move was likely done, but a pullback to $5 could be followed by a move to the $6.3-$7.3 supply zone.