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Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has provided an update on plans for account abstraction. Given the progress they have made so far on this feature, he stated that it could go live within a year under the Hegota upgrade. 

Vitalik Buterin Provides Update On Ethereum Account Abstraction

In an X post, Vitalik Buterin noted that they have made progress with the account abstraction proposal, which they have been working on since early 2016. There is now the EIP-8141 proposal, which the Ethereum co-founder said solves every remaining problem that account abstraction is intended to solve. 

Account abstraction enables smart contracts to initiate and validate transactions. This upgrade will enable users to automate payments from their wallets while still retaining control of their funds. Vitalik Buterin drew attention to “Frame Transactions,” which enables native account abstraction. One key component of this Ethereum feature is that users can now pay gas fees in tokens other than ETH via the paymaster contract. 

Vitalik Buterin gave an example of users wanting to pay gas in RAI, an Ethereum-backed asset. He stated that one can use a paymaster contract, which is a special-purpose DEX that provides ETH in real time. The Ethereum co-founder broke down the transaction frames, which include deployment, validation, paymaster validation, and then the user sends RAI to the payment, after which execution occurs. The paymaster then refunds unused RAI and converts it to ETH. 

The founder’s comments come amid the Ethereum Foundation’s release of the ‘Strawmap,’ which outlines the network’s plans through 2029 as developers work on aspects such as finality and transaction speed. The Strawmap also showed that native account abstraction could happen by the second half of this year. 

How This Aligns With The Cypherpunk ETH Vision

Vitalik Buterin said that account abstraction minimizes intermediaries, a core principle of “non-ugly cypherpunk Ethereum,” which maximizes what users can do even if all the world’s infrastructure except Ethereum goes down. This came as the Ethereum co-founder noted that the mechanism for account abstraction is the same as in existing sponsored transaction mechanisms, but with no intermediaries required. 

The Ethereum co-founder also touched on how account abstraction will work for privacy protocols, noting that there are two strategies in focus. The first is creating a paymaster contract that checks for a valid ZK-SNARK and pays gas if it finds one. The second strategy is to add 2D nonces, which would enable an individual account to function as a privacy protocol and to receive transactions in parallel for many users. 

Vitalik Buterin stated that for privacy protocol users, this strategy means that they can completely remove “public broadcasters” that are the source of “massive UX pain” and replace them with a general-purpose public mempool

At the time of writing, the ETH price is trading at around $2,000, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

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The debate over whether the XRP price could reach $10,000 has reignited in the crypto market. However, this time, one crypto analyst challenges the common argument that market capitalization could limit XRP’s growth. According to the analyst, this claim is flawed and does not take into context XRP’s liquidity and utility as a global settlement currency. 

Why Market Cap Does Not Limit Price Surge To $10,000

Some critics argue that XRP would never hit $10,000 because doing so would make its market capitalization exceed the global money supply. Market analyst Crypto_Luke has addressed this misconception in a recent X post, emphasizing that market cap does not limit the XRP price in any way. 

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The analyst explained that market cap is simply the last traded price multiplied by a cryptocurrency’s circulating supply, which is a snapshot of overall trading activity and not a reflection of how much money is required to achieve a certain price. He noted that the common criticism that market capitalization represents the amount of money invested in an asset is inaccurate. 

One reason Crypto_Luke believes the market cap argument is flawed is that it fails to account for how XRP operates. Unlike assets designed primarily for storing value, such as BTC, XRP is designed for rapid liquidity and settlement across global corridors. He stated that XRP can be used multiple times in a single day, facilitating transactions without requiring additional capital. As a result, he suggests that XRP’s price is determined by its “actively traded float,” rather than by the total supply that is idle.  

In his analysis, Crypto_Luke emphasized that liquidity and price adjustments go hand-in-hand in XRP’s design. He explained that assets that move quickly through settlements allow the blockchain network to satisfy demand without requiring equivalent dollar-for-dollar backing. As XRP’s transaction volume increases, its price naturally adjusts to reflect the value of its utility rather than a fixed market cap. 

The analyst noted that XRP’s supply was intentionally designed to be large, fixed, and non-reissuable. This structure supports a multi-trillion-dollar liquidity pool and enables the network to handle high-volume settlement throughput. 

XRP Market Cap Crashes Nearly 10%

More recently, XRP faces additional downward pressure, as CMC data shows that the cryptocurrency’s market capitalization has crashed by nearly 10%. As of writing, XRP’s market cap has fallen to approximately $79.25 billion following a massive decline in its price over the past 24 hours. 

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The downturn aligns with the broader market sell-off across major cryptocurrencies, as sentiment has become increasingly bearish. XRP has been among the worst affected, with its price slipping toward $1.3, marking its lowest levels since 2024. The cryptocurrency shows no clear signs of a rebound despite a recent surge in daily trading volume, which has increased by more than 148%.

Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

Ethereum’s bullish momentum has intensified throughout the weekend, with the price climbing above $4,100. This steady recovery follows a strong rebound from the $3,500 region after a crash earlier in the month. 

Investor sentiment, as shown by trading volume and flows on exchanges, has turned optimistic amidst the recovery. Now that Ethereum’s price action is starting to turn bullish again, a new technical analysis shared by crypto analyst Freedomby40 on the social media platform X suggests that the current rally could be far from over, projecting a possible long-term climb to $16,000.

Wave Count Structure Points To A Continuation Phase

Freedomby40’s analysis, which is based on the Elliott Wave structure, presents Ethereum as currently positioned in an extended bullish sequence that began forming in late 2022. Posting the technical analysis on X, the analyst noted that Ethereum’s price action looks great for a continuation. 

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His chart shows that the asset has just completed a corrective phase and is entering a renewed impulse wave, with support established between $3,225 and $3,563 at the 0.5 and 0.382 Fibonacci retracement zones, respectively. The analyst labels this zone as the ideal accumulation area for the next leg up, consistent with previous cycle structures seen in 2017 and 2021.

The Elliott Wave projection in his analysis presents a multi-layered confluence of impulse waves extending to the third degree. It illustrates that Ethereum is currently unfolding its fifth major impulse wave in a structure that traces back to mid-2022. 

The internal structure of this wave sequence also reveals a C wave in motion, which itself contains smaller sub-impulse waves. Within that C wave, Ethereum appears to be entering its own fifth sub-wave, which is known to be a decisively bullish wave.

Based on this setup, the analyst outlined two potential target zones on the chart: a green box representing the realistic price range for this wave cycle and a red box depicting the higher, more extended scenario that could push Ethereum’s market cap into the trillion-dollar level.

Fibonacci Extensions Predict Targets Of $9,000, $11,000, And $16,000

Freedomby40’s analysis identifies multiple price levels based on Fibonacci extensions from the current price action. The first price target is at $6,303, which is based on the 1.0 Fibonacci extension. This initial price target will see the Ethereum price break above its current all-time high, but this is the first of many.

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The next target, the 1.236 extension, is positioned around $9,013. These two price targets ($6,303 and $9,013) were described by the analyst as very realistic. Possible extensions are at the 1.382 and 1.618 Fibonacci extension levels, corresponding to $11,210 and $16,077, respectively.

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at $4,160, up by 5.2% in the past 24 hours. Freedomby40’s outlook joins a growing list of ultra-bullish Ethereum price forecasts from institutional research desks and top analysts. Standard Chartered Bank recently raised its 2025 price target for Ethereum to $7,500, while projecting a potential long-term path to $25,000 by 2028.

Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

Economist and former forex analyst Moonchaser is explaining why expectations of the XRP price reaching $100,000 are not realistic. According to Moonchaser, many XRP fans misunderstand how market value works by claiming that XRP has no market cap. The economist highlighted that XRP, like any other asset or cryptocurrency, is affected by supply, demand, and liquidity.

Economist Explains The Reality Behind Price Reaching $100,000

Moonchaser, who studied economics and previously worked as a forex analyst, says that some people in the XRP community believe the token can reach extreme prices because they think it has “no market cap.” This idea, Moonchaser explains, is built on a misunderstanding of how currencies are valued and traded in real-world markets. In their view, economic principles apply equally to all assets, whether they are fiat money, commodities, or digital tokens.

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Using the U.S. dollar as an example, Moonchaser notes that every currency has a measurable total value based on the amount in circulation and its global trade. The dollar’s value changes daily because of the balance between supply, demand, and liquidity. The same rule applies to the XRP price, which also trades across international markets and follows the same market laws. It means that XRP’s price is not free from limits and cannot simply rise endlessly based on belief or community hype.

Moonchaser stresses that ignoring these realities creates unrealistic expectations within the XRP community. According to them, calling XRP a “currency” does not make it limitless in value; instead, XRP functions within the same market framework that governs all other financial assets.

XRP Can’t Overtake Bitcoin Due To Market Structure

In their post, Moonchaser further explains that market capitalization, which is price multiplied by circulating supply, applies to every form of tradable asset. Whether it’s fiat money, gold, or a digital coin, traders can always calculate the total market value. XRP is no exception to this rule.

The economist points out that XRP has a measurable circulating supply and a price that moves through normal market discovery, where the balance between buyers and sellers directly determines its potential value, not wishful thinking. “Currency does not mean a capless asset,” Moonchaser says, reminding traders that every market has structure and limits.

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Moonchaser emphasizes that their comments do not spread fear or negativity toward XRP. Instead, they want XRP investors to understand the realistic economic structure behind its price movement. XRP’s market position depends on measurable data, not speculation about infinite growth. The economist concludes that this is not FUD—it is simply market reality based on economics.

Through this explanation, Moonchaser helps the XRP community see that price growth depends on genuine demand and market behavior, not dreams of capless value. While XRP continues to be an essential player in digital finance, the idea of it reaching $100,000 or surpassing Bitcoin remains far from economic reality.

Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

The arguments for the XRP being able to reach $10+ or not have ranged from how high the market cap would have to go, as well as there being too much supply of the token. However, crypto analyst XForceGlobal has debunked it and said that the market cap argument is not valid. In their view, the XRP price is definitely primed for the $10 mark and is only a matter of time before the digital asset reaches this level.

Don’t Be Fooled By The Market Cap Argument

In a post on the X (formerly Twitter) platform, the crypto analyst warned XRP investors not to be fooled by those who say that the price cannot rise to $10+. Most especially, the argument that the market cap would be too high at this price would be irrelevant.

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According to the post, the XRP price is expected to actually cross the double-digit mark in the next year. This is because with the triangle breakout that began back in 2024, the XRP price remains quite bullish. Hence, there is still a small window of opportunity where the altcoin could continue its run.

Going by the analyst’s chart, in the event of a breakout, the XRP price could quickly rally toward $4 to set a new all-time high. Then through the year 2026, the bullish wave is expected to persist, triggering an over 200% increase to break $10, and eventually rally toward $14.

XRP Price Still Bullish Despite Decline

Another crypto analyst, TradingShot, has also pointed out why the XRP price is still bullish, alluding to a technical setup on the 1-day chart. The analyst points to the fact that the price had bottomed back in April after months of onslaught due to Donald Trump’s tariff wars. Then, with the recent recovery, the price has been testing and holding the 1-Day MA50 as support above $2.7.

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The significance of this is that the XRP price is holding this support after bottoming from its bearish leg on the 1-Day MA100 chart. Thus, this means that is the 1-Day MA50 is confirmed, then it would be the push needed for the altcoin to continue to rally.

The target for the rally here is an over 60% increase in price to reach the $5 mark. “That Bullish Leg peaked on the 2.0 Fibonacci extension level. If this sequence is repeated, expect the next high to be around $5.00,” the crypto analyst explained.

Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com

Technical analyst Rupert, host of the Allincrypto podcast, highlighted a major bullish setup that could send the cryptocurrency on a long rally. According to his latest analysis shared on social media, XRP’s chart is forming a structure that points to an eventual price target of $19.27, with the move being supported by its late 2024 breakout and its current positioning below its previous all-time high.

Breakout From Long-Term Triangle Formation

XRP has mostly been trading around $2.80 over the past week, ranging between $2.77 and $3.02. However, the cryptocurrency has managed to break above the $3 barrier in the most recent 24-hour period with a gain of approximately 3.9%. 

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From a wider perspective, XRP’s latest price action is part of a much larger story that has been unfolding since late 2024. Leaving the shorter timeframes to higher timeframes shows that the cryptocurrency is currently consolidating just below its former 2018 all-time high.

Particularly, technical analysis of a longer timeframe on the two-week candlestick chart, which was posted by Rupert on X, shows that XRP is now consolidating after breaking out of a multi-year triangle formation that dates back to late 2024.

He noted that nearly two years ago, his team had already predicted a breakout from this formation, and since then, XRP has delivered more than 400% gains from that initial forecast. However, XRP is now back into the zone of its 2018 all-time high after reaching $3.65 in July, and this level is now acting as resistance.

In his video, Rupert noted that it is common for assets to stall or retrace slightly after testing such important levels. Therefore, the way XRP is consolidating is less a sign of weakness and more of a setup for continuation. Furthermore, he noted that the chart is shaping into a cup and handle formation, which is another bullish pattern that contributes to the possibility of another strong rally.

Path To $19.27 Still On Track

Looking at the bigger picture, Rupert noted that the triangle projection is still pointing to a target of $19.27. Not only does the price confirm that, in regard to direction, the way XRP is trading on the smaller time frames and how it is interacting with a key level of significance at its previous all-time high is telling, in fact, that it’s got further upside to come.

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Additionally, he indicated that confirming signals from the total altcoin market capitalization (Total 3) reinforce the bullish scenario. This is important, as the total altcoin market cap registered its highest monthly close ever in August. As long as XRP bulls maintain its price above $2.8 to $3, then it is still on track to reach the projected $19.27 price target.

At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $3.02, up by 3.9% in the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com