hodler

5 May 2026, 00:00

Top XRP Analyst Says Bears Will Be Proven Wrong In May 2026, But Why

Persistent skepticism around XRP’s price trajectory is misreading the asset’s moment, according to a prominent crypto researcher — and a recently surfaced panel video makes the case for why doubters are likely to come up short. Related Reading: Dogecoin (DOGE) Lifts Further, Momentum Points To More Gains SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG), a well-followed crypto researcher on X, recently shared footage from a Crypto Valley panel in Zurich in which Ripple’s Sales Director outlined the company’s growing infrastructure footprint. The post reignited a broader debate about whether XRP bears are underestimating what is quietly being built beneath the price chart. XRP enthusiast Tony (@_Sab3r_6) amplified the call, posting that critics “will be proven wrong” as the utility case becomes harder to dismiss. The Infrastructure Argument Bears Are Missing The Zurich panel provided the substance behind that conviction. Tania Griffith, Sales Director at Ripple, explained during the discussion that banks and financial institutions are becoming increasingly comfortable using crypto and blockchain rails for payments — a shift that would have seemed remote just a few years ago. Griffith noted that Ripple has moved from relying on a handful of exchanges with limited volume to building a global network of liquidity providers, stablecoins, and major financial infrastructure players. The result, she said, is straightforward: larger payments and better foreign exchange rates. The system now supports true 24/7, 365-day settlement — a capability traditional cross-border payment rails were never designed to deliver. Ripple’s approach, as described at the panel, treats blockchain and crypto as complementary to existing financial infrastructure rather than a replacement. XRP sits in the liquidity layer of that architecture, facilitating the movement of value between currencies and jurisdictions at speed. A Structural Case, Not A Sentiment Call This development marks a pivotal distinction for XRP in the current market cycle. The bear case has largely rested on price action and regulatory uncertainty. The bull case increasingly rests on adoption metrics and infrastructure depth — two things, as the panel made clear, that continue to expand regardless of short-term chart noise. Related Reading: Satoshi’s 22,000 Wallets Could Make Quantum Attacks On Bitcoin Far More Difficult: Expert As of this writing, XRP trades at around $2.11, holding steady after a week of consolidation. XRP's price trends sideways on the daily chart. Source: XRPUSD on Tradingview Cover image from Grok, XRPUSD chart from Tradingview

4 May 2026, 23:40

Shirtum crypto fraud case could top €24M as footballers face complaint

According to a new criminal complaint filed in Barcelona, a Spanish court is investigating six former Sevilla FC football players for their alleged role in a crypto scheme. The scheme allegedly sold fake NFTs and a manipulated token to investors, costing them over €24 million or $28 million. Papu Gómez, Lucas Ocampos, Ivan Rakitić, Nico Pareja, Alberto Moreno, and Javier Saviola are the players named in the complaint. According to El Correo de Andalucía, two more football players, Diego Perotti and Marcelo Guedes, were also involved in promoting the project. Thirteen investors from Spain filed a complaint with Barcelona’s Court of Instruction No. 5, saying they lost all of their money. Shirtum never delivered filmic NFTs Shirtum Europa, S.L.U., and other companies in Andorra ran the project, which advertised itself as a place to buy and sell digital football collectibles. It sold “filmic NFTs” with pictures and voice recordings of the accused players for about €450 each. The people who filed the complaint say that these NFTs were never actually created on any blockchain. The complaint said that the assets could not be sold or transferred, so they were an absolute simulation of the product sold. “These supposed NFTs technically never existed, were not transferable or resellable, and amounted to a complete simulation of the object sold to the detriment of the buyers,” based on one of the complaints. Investigators could not find any proof that the tokens were on-chain. Before the NFT sales, Shirtum’s promoters received ~€3 million in BNB tokens from investors to make a mobile app on iOS and Android. The complaint says that the app was never made, and the money was never returned or accounted for. The company’s annual accounts also didn’t show the money it made from NFT sales, which was about €1 million. The $SHI token and the pump-and-dump allegation There is another layer to the alleged fraud that involves Shirtum’s own crypto, $SHI. The expanded complaint says that out of the one billion tokens created, the four business promoters and the accused footballers got 78% or 780 million tokens for free. They then sold those tokens to retail investors on PancakeSwap for prices that were too high. The people who are complaining say that the accused used false advertising and worked with the football players to create FOMO (fear of missing out) to get people to buy. The complaint says that in July 2025, while a criminal investigation was already going on, the accused permanently removed $SHI’s liquidity from PancakeSwap. The price of the token fell. It doesn’t trade on any exchange anymore. According to CoinGecko, $SHI is trading at $0.00003329 and is basically worthless. Source: CoinGecko . Investors say that the $SHI token followed a pump and dump pattern. They think that the losses from the token manipulation alone will be at least €20 million, and the final number could be much higher. Barcelona’s Court of Instruction No. 5 is still looking into the case. The Spanish police had already started their own investigation into Shirtum. The new complaint adds the claims of token manipulation to the original NFT fraud claims. This means that more charges could be brought. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

4 May 2026, 23:30

Analyst Shares ‘Realistic Stance’ For XRP, But Is It The End Of The Road?

XRP has returned above $1.40, giving bulls a reason to think that the cryptocurrency is now finding a footing after weeks of weak price action. However, crypto analyst ChartNerd believes the current setup needs to be viewed with realistic caution. In a recent analysis and outlook he posted on X, he argued that XRP’s weekly chart is beginning to show bullish signals, but the larger timeframe has not yet confirmed that the correction is over. XRP Weekly Chart Shows Signs Of Recovery ChartNerd’s bullish case starts with the weekly chart, where he pointed to several technical signals that usually appear near important turning points. According to him, XRP’s weekly RSI has fallen into historical cycle-low territory, the weekly MACD has formed a bullish golden cross, and the price is still holding around the 200-week EMA. He also noted that the monthly 50 EMA is still acting as support. These are all bullish signals that are positive on the weekly timeframe. For instance, a golden cross on the MACD usually suggests that downside momentum is weakening and that buyers are beginning to regain control. The signals are important because the token has spent much of the past several months trying to build a base after a deep correction. The base seems to now be forming around $1.4, and this gives XRP bulls something to work with. The Larger Timeframe Is Still Not Fully Bullish The realistic stance for XRP is on the 3-month timeframe, which filters out short-term noise and reveals the main cycle structure. An example is its 3-month RSI, which is currently around 54. This reading is notable because it is still above the cycle-low region around 47 seen in previous bearish structures before stronger rotations. In realistic historical terms, this means the broader reset may not yet be complete. The analyst also pointed to the 3-month MACD, which he said is showing signs of exhaustion despite still being elevated. This raises the possibility of a death cross forming on the higher timeframe. Finally, the 3-month MACD is currently acting as overhead resistance, unlike its weekly counterpart, which has already formed a bullish golden cross. This is where the realistic stance comes in. ChartNerd was careful to note that he is not saying XRP cannot rise in May or June. In fact, the analyst is open to bullish continuation in the near term. The major concern now is that the move may be a counter-trend rally that forms a lower high before XRP records another low later in the year. That means the bullish case now depends on the altcoin doing more than rebounding on the weekly chart. It needs to push through higher-timeframe resistance and confirm a stronger breakout on the 3-month chart.

4 May 2026, 23:25

XRP Near $1.40—What Could Spark A Move To $1.70, And How The CLARITY Act Fits In

XRP is trying to build stability after a strong April that pushed prices to the upside. The latest momentum, however, is running into a familiar challenge: the token is consolidating around the $1.39 area and is now dealing with key hurdles before it can meaningfully extend the recovery. Two Catalysts Through May 21 In a recent report, market expert Sam Daodu pointed to two catalysts scheduled between now and May 21. His view is that XRP may need more than one of those events to come through to clear $1.45. One of the near-term drivers Daodu referenced is linked to the “Project Freedom” announced by President Trump in the Middle East. If ships are able to move through the Strait of Hormuz as planned, oil prices could drop, in Daodu’s view. That kind of easing often supports risk assets, and XRP could benefit if crypto follows the same bullish tone as the wider market. In this scenario, the relief in energy costs would help maintain the current recovery rather than allowing gains to quickly fade. Related Reading: DTCC Tokenized Securities Roadmap: Pilot In July, Scale Up In October—With Big Names Like Ripple That said, the report frames the CLARITY Act as the main catalyst most likely to decisively change XRP’s chart behavior—particularly the ability to break and hold above $1.45. The reasoning is straightforward: greater clarity around the bill could unlock meaningful buying demand. Daodu cites Standard Chartered’s estimate that if the bill clears the committee, it could trigger an additional $4 billion to $8 billion in extra XRP ETF inflows. In his explanation, that influx would likely be more than enough to absorb an “overhead” estimate of 1.16 billion XRP tied to the $1.44–$1.45 cost basis. If that absorption happens, it could provide the fuel to push XRP through $1.50 and beyond. XRP Three-Way Breakdown Looking ahead, Daodu lays out three possible scenarios for XRP over the near term. In the bullish case, XRP could move from roughly $1.50 to $1.70. This outcome would depend on Project Freedom proceeding without a strong pushback from Iran. The bullish scenario also depends on timing around the CLARITY Act. Daodu suggests that a scheduled markup before mid-May could bring institutional buyers back at a critical moment. If institutional demand returns in time to absorb the $1.45 cost-basis wall, XRP could be set up for a clean break above $1.45. Once that level is conquered, the report argues that $1.50 would come into play and XRP could then target roughly $1.65 to $1.70. Related Reading: Market Analyst Predicts Bitcoin And Ethereum Prices For The Next 3 Quarters In the base case, the expected path is more cautious. XRP would trade in a range of about $1.38 to $1.45, with the most likely outcome being a retest of $1.45 again. However, Daodu warns that this retest may not be enough to break the pattern of resistance. This scenario assumes that the CLARITY Act’s markup is delayed again. The bearish case is tied most directly to geopolitical disruption. If Iran retaliates against Project Freedom, Daodu says the current rally could unwind quickly. With risk sentiment deteriorating, the report expects support around $1.40 to come under pressure, potentially giving way to $1.30 as the next major floor. If a direct US–Iran conflict escalates again, the bearish scenario becomes more severe, and XRP could even drift toward $1.20. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

4 May 2026, 23:24

Bitcoin turns risk on as stocks hit new highs and miner profits rise: Is $85K BTC next?

Bitcoin’s recent rally to $80,000 amid improving BTC miner and options markets metrics could create a clear path to $85,000.

4 May 2026, 22:30

Long-Dormant Bitcoin Whale Transfers 11,300 BTC, Sparking Market Speculation

The Bitcoin weekly chart is sitting at a crossroads. The price is pushing against a resistance zone between $78,000 and $80,000 — a level that analysts say could determine whether the market shifts direction or slides further down. Related Reading: XRP Bulls Eye Breakout As Ripple Unveils 13,000 Bank Connections Worldwide Old Wallets Break Their Silence Two Bitcoin wallets, each dormant for more than 14 years, moved large amounts of BTC on May 3, according to data shared by on-chain analytics firm Alphractal. One wallet sold 11,300 BTC, valued at roughly $750 million. The other went the opposite direction, buying about 7,000 BTC for close to $470 million. The moves drew attention precisely because of how rare they are. Wallets that old — often called Satoshi-era holdings — almost never see activity. The split between selling and buying complicates any single reading of what these early holders are signaling. Some are cashing out after years of sitting on gains. Others appear to see value at current prices and are adding to their positions. Neither move, on its own, tells the full story. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗶-𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝟭𝟭,𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗕𝗧𝗖. 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟳,𝟬𝟬𝟬. Two 14+ year dormant wallets activated within weeks of each other. One sold $750M. One accumulated $470M. OG HODLer Lifespan flows are split. CDD variants show no… pic.twitter.com/Wr8q0rcYVH — Alphractal (@Alphractal) May 3, 2026 Data shows no signs of panic behind the transactions. Metrics tracking coin lifespan and Coin Days Destroyed — a measure used to gauge how long coins were held before moving — suggest the activity reflects capital movement rather than a rush to exit the market. Price Tests A Key Level Bitcoin was trading near $78,845 as of the time of the report. That puts it right up against a cluster of resistance markers: a descending trend line that previously acted as support, and several key moving averages that flipped bearish during last year’s downturn. Analysts said Bitcoin recently broke above a multi-month trend line that had been holding prices back. The asset is now retesting that level from above. A sustained close above the $78,000–$80,000 range could mark a broader shift in trend. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Path To $100K May Happen Before Anyone Understands Why: Analyst Context Behind The Current Range Bitcoin spent much of early 2026 finding its footing between $65,000 and $70,000 after a prolonged decline from its late-2025 peak. The rally that followed brought it back into the resistance zone it now faces. The broader picture shows a market that went from record highs to a series of lower peaks and troughs — a pattern that flipped bearish sentiment for months. The current move could still prove to be either a genuine recovery or just a temporary bounce as the weekly candle approaches its close. Featured image from MetaAI, chart from TradingView