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Ripple’s USD-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, closed Q1 2025 with a combined market capitalization of $244.2 million across the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ethereum. On XRPL alone, RLUSD reached a market cap of $44.2 million, making it the largest stablecoin on the network, according to the latest report by Messari. Due this growth, the total market cap of fungible tokens, known as Issued Currencies, surged by 6.5% QoQ to $281.5 million. Despite this milestone, stablecoin adoption on XRPL remains limited compared to dominant stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC), which ended Q1 with total market caps of $144.0 billion and $60.1 billion, respectively, across all supported networks. Historically, the introduction of a trusted stablecoin in a new execution environment has triggered major liquidity events, as seen with Cardano’s iUSD in 2023, often serving as a key pairing asset in automated market makers (AMMs). Until recently, regulatorily compliant tokens like RLUSD, which feature Clawback – a mechanism on XRPL that lets issuers retrieve distributed tokens – were not compatible with the network’s automated market maker (AMM) due to the lack of Clawback support. This changed in January when the AMM Clawback amendment was implemented, allowing such tokens to be traded on the AMM. The update is expected to boost AMM activity as more compliant assets launch on XRPL. Potential applications include enabling on-chain trading of previously illiquid real-world assets (RWAs), earning yields through AMM participation, and cross-chain price arbitrage. RLUSD launched publicly on December 17, 2024, on both XRPL and Ethereum. It is fully backed by US dollar deposits, short-term US Treasuries, and other cash equivalents, with monthly attestations provided by third-party firms. In January, Ripple announced the integration of Chainlink Price Feeds on Ethereum to provide RLUSD pricing data. In April, RLUSD was added to Ripple’s cross-border payment platform, Ripple Payments, while Kraken launched trading support. Additional Q1 listings came from LMAX Group, Zero Hash, and Bitstamp, joining Uphold, Bitso, MoonPay, Archax, CoinMENA, Independent Reserve, and Bullish. Further boosting infrastructure around RLUSD, Korean custody provider BDACS signed a strategic partnership with Ripple in February to offer custody services for XRP, RLUSD, and other digital assets.

The US-based prediction market Kalshi has made SOL deposits possible. Customers can add funds to their Solana accounts in this way. This follows the addition of support for Bitcoin deposits. Kalshi and Zero Hash have decided to collaborate in order to make the Solana deposits possible. In addition to managing the transaction process and changing the contributions into US dollars, the company is also in charge of guaranteeing security and regulatory compliance. This move to allow SOL deposits is designed to boost activity on the platform, which has been proven to have many crypto users. It is also meant to increase trading volume on crypto-related event contracts. The exchange and prediction market, which is regulated by the CFTC and lets investors trade on how real-life events will turn out, originally only accepted USD Coin (USDC) as a form of crypto deposit. Kalshi Circle’s USDC for bets received up to $25M in deposits during the US election season. In early 2025, Kalshi achieved monthly volumes of around $13M, with a peak of $26M in October 2024. In early April, it added Bitcoin payments made through the Bitcoin network to the list of crypto deposits it accepts. Kalshi has over 50 crypto-specific markets where users can trade contracts based on Bitcoin price thresholds, legislative events, and adoption milestones. For instance, markets for betting on coins’ 2025 highs and lows, as well as on headlines such as US President Donald Trump’s proposed National Bitcoin Reserve. The platform has over 300 markets in 12 main categories. Several strategic relationships have led to the new integration. Kalshi and World App just released a mini app that lets users access regulated prediction markets from the World App interface. Users can also use Worldcoin (WLD) to pay their Kalshi account. This week, Kalshi announced its integration with Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI to offer AI-generated information for betting on events that happen in the real world. Although it was called off , this still shows that the company has plans to expand. Prediction markets, in particular, are starting to disrupt the sector. They’re growing fast in the US, and they’re not regulated the same way as traditional sports betting or online gambling. With both Kalshi and Polymarket, they are currently legal in all 50 states. Polymarket has been doing quite well because it doesn’t charge any fees to trade. Therefore, users can easily buy and sell shares, like betting on and against outcomes. If a user wants to cash out USDC, it costs 1.5%. However, the network fees are very low because it’s based on Polygon. Polymarket announced on March 25 that users can deposit SOL into their wallets. This to some extent has influenced Kalshi, its biggest competitor. In a now-deleted podcast segment, Kalshi CEO admits enlisting influencers to dis Polymarket. On the other hand, Kalshi charges 2% for each account withdrawal. They also charge a 1% trading fee that can’t be more than 10% of net profits and a 10% settlement fee on net wins. The fees differ for each payment method when you deposit or take money. In addition, Polymarket works in a bit of a legal gray area. Its website doesn’t list any official rules. This has made it blocked in several countries. There are some risks when it comes to clear laws and market trickery. For instance, it was accused of fraud after a $7 million market was allegedly manipulated by UMA whales. However, many users are interested in trends like Polymarket’s decentralized, blockchain-based website. This is what Kalshi has become interested in. With Kalshi, users can also use regular money, and the CFTC fully regulates it. This makes it easy to use, especially for more traditional people. Your crypto news deserves attention - KEY Difference Wire puts you on 250+ top sites

European investors didn’t blink when Trump declared he was “recommending” a 50% tariff on every single import coming from the European Union, a threat he dropped Friday on Truth Social, right before US and EU officials were set to meet. The Stoxx Europe 600 index closed down just 1%, shaking off the news like a mild cold. That’s a soft reaction compared to the sharp losses—between 2.5% and 5%—markets suffered back in April when Trump posted similar threats during what he called “Liberation Day.” According to CNBC, most analysts think this latest escalation isn’t a policy ready to launch, but a negotiating bomb designed to scare Brussels into giving Washington more ground in upcoming talks. The language Trump used and the timing of his post both fueled that theory. He didn’t say the US would impose the tariff. He said he was recommending it. There’s a difference, and Ajay Rajadhyaksha, global chair of research at Barclays, pointed it out. “We believe that this morning’s social media posts about a 50% tariff on the EU are primarily a negotiating tactic,” Ajay wrote to clients. He also said “we are guessing here—as is everyone else—but we remain of the belief that the 50% tariff on all EU goods on June 1 won’t actually go ahead.” Even so, Ajay admitted the final number could still surprise markets. He had earlier forecasted 14% to 17% average tariffs. Now, he says that was probably too low. “The EU will not end up with 50%, we think, but it now seems the continent could end up with (say) 20%,” he said. Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics, said something similar. He called the 50% tariff “very unlikely to be where tariffs settle over the long run,” and made it clear the risk wasn’t zero. Andrew warned that if the full tariff ever happened, Germany’s GDP could shrink by 1.7% in just three years. And if the tax hit the pharmaceutical sector, Ireland might be worse off. He still expects tariffs to land around 10%, but said the road to a final deal “could be rocky.” The math on the US side is just as bad. The United States brought in $606 billion in European goods last year. If Trump hit all of it with a 50% tax, the direct cost would land at $300 billion. Ajay ran the numbers and said that about 60% of the cost would fall on US buyers. That’s $180 billion that American consumers, not European firms, would pay. Ajay pointed to the 2018 trade war with China. “The US arguably saw this coming in the case of China and decided that it was too high a price to pay,” he said. “We think it unlikely that the US will be willing to risk a repeat, and this time with its largest trading partner.” Europe isn’t just standing around. Inga Fechner, senior economist at ING, said the EU has already drafted retaliatory tariffs , and they’re scheduled to hit on July 14 if the White House pushes forward. Inga called Trump’s play “a prelude to negotiation,” similar to how he acted before announcing a short-lived deal with China earlier in May. But if talks collapse, Brussels has more than just tariffs ready. Inga warned the EU might tighten regulations on US tech, stall new licenses, block public procurement, and limit investment and IP access using the Anti-Coercion Instrument. And she said if Trump follows through, it could drag the eurozone’s GDP down by 0.6 percentage points, enough to push the bloc close to recession. Salomon Fiedler, an economist with Berenberg, said both sides would take heavy hits if the 50% tariff becomes real. He also said the added cost pressure could extend high interest rates in the US, because the Federal Reserve might delay any cuts. “Given the damage the US would do to itself with this tariff, he will probably not follow through,” Salomon added. But he said the threat itself was enough to lock in Trump’s 10% baseline tariff, which he’d already slapped on almost every trade partner. Your crypto news deserves attention - KEY Difference Wire puts you on 250+ top sites

Kalshi, a prediction marketplace based in the United States, has expanded its crypto support with the addition of Solana deposits. The marketplace announced it had enabled Solana ( SOL ) as a new account funding option on Friday, May 23, with this shared an update the Kalshi team posted on X. SOL coming to the regulated prediction marketplace sees the altcoin join USDC ( USDC ) and Bitcoin ( BTC ) as deposit methods. Users can also fund accounts with Worldcoin ( WLD ). Initially, Kalshi only accepted the Circle-issued stablecoin as its crypto deposit option. Kalshi will now look to tap into Solana’s traction to attract more crypto users to its platform, increasing its competition with Polymarket. While Kalshi’s other deposit methods include bank transfer, debit card and wire deposits, crypto has quickly caught on. Benefits such as fast transactions when funding accounts and higher deposit limits are attractive to crypto-natives. On Kalshi, users can trade on any prediction , from politics, sports, weather and crypto. The platform’s service is available across all 50 U.S. states. On both Polymarket and Kalshi, crypto price forecasts are among many popular markets. “Kalshi offers a variety of cryptocurrency price markets that allow users to trade contracts based on the price movements of a cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum,” the platform states on its website . For instance, traders on Kalshi see the price of Bitcoin surging to highs of $150,000 or higher in 2025, giving this prediction a 39% chance of happening. In November last year, predictions on who would win the U.S. presidential election swung between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, before finally swinging fully in favor of Trump. Recently, Kalshi announced a major partnership with World App, with the collaboration aimed at bringing regulated crypto-enabled predictions to World App users via a mini app. The projects plan to allow holders of Worldcoin to fund their Kalshi accounts with the WLD token. The platform has also partnered with Robinhood and Zero Hash .

Mihailo Bjelic, co-founder of Polygon, has announced his decision to step down from the board of Polygon Foundation. The Polygon ( POL ) co-founder revealed the move via a post on X on Friday, May 23, 2025, noting that he will also “wind down” his day-to-day involvement with Polygon Labs. “Polygon was born in 2019, and we’ve come a long way since then,” Bjelic wrote. “From significant breakthroughs in zero-knowledge tech, to onboarding some of the world’s biggest brands, we’ve made meaningful strides toward that grand vision. I’m proud of this, and grateful for the privilege to work with so many talented people.” Bjelic notes that he first entered the crypto space in 2013, with his foray into the ecosystem seeing “deep down the rabbit hole” by 2017. He co-founded Polygon , a layer-2 scaling solution on Ethereum ( ETH ) alongside Jaynti Kanani, Sandeep Nailwal and Anurag Arjun. The project, among the most searched proof-of-stake blockchain in the U.S. in 2023, rebranded from its initial name Matic Network. Explaining his decision further, Bjelic said: “As projects evolve and mature, it is natural for visions to evolve, and sometimes diverge. With this in mind, I can no longer contribute to Polygon to the best of my abilities.” While he will no longer be actively involved, he said he is confident Polygon will continue to succeed. Bjelic plans to offer his support “from the sidelines”. Bjelic’s exit from the Polygon Foundation board sees him join co-founders Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun in stepping down from active roles at the blockchain project. Kanani left Polygon in October 2023.Meanwhile, Arjun left in March 2023 to focus on his modular blockchain project Avail . Nailwal said via X that words cannot describe what Bjelic means to him personally and to Polygon. “More than a co-founder, you’re a brother. From the earliest days — whiteboards full of ideas, endless whitepapers, governance frameworks, strategy calls deep into the night — you have been a force behind so much of what makes Polygon what it is today,” he added.