hodler

18 May 2026, 16:02

Bitcoin sell-off continues, KITE bucks bearish market with 10% gains

Bitcoin (BTC) price continued its weekend downward trend today, falling below key support levels as traders took a defensive stance ahead of key economic data released this week. The crypto market followed Bitcoin’s lead and fell roughly 2% in the past 24-hours to hit a two-week low below $2.65 trillion. Meanwhile, a wave of liquidations during late US hours on Sunday added further fuel to the sell-off. Market sentiment has deteriorated over the past 48 hours, with the crypto fear and greed index dropping 5 points since May 16. Most major altcoins remained muted throughout the day, with gains limited to only a handful of outliers. Why is Bitcoin price going down? Bitcoin and the broader crypto market have been affected by a number of macroeconomic factors today. First, traders were quick to react to rising interest rates as global bond yields jumped. In the US, Treasury yields ticked higher as sticky inflation data kept monetary policy restrictive. A similar scenario has also unfolded in Japan, where government bond yields hit multi-year highs. At the same time, global bond yields have exerted downward pressure on non-yielding assets. All of this hawkish sentiment has significantly lowered the odds of an upcoming rate cut in the near term. According to the CME FedWatch tool, the odds that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged stand at 99.2%. Against this backdrop, institutional demand across major ETFs for leading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum has slowed. Bitcoin ETFs specifically have seen net outflows of over $1 billion over the past week. Bitcoin has lost a key psychological level Traders are also reacting to Bitcoin losing the $80,000 level, which was seen as key to maintaining the upside momentum that was seen ahead of Thursday’s CLARITY Act markup vote. As Bitcoin price fell below $80,000, overleveraged long positions were forcefully closed, which led to a cascade of liquidations. According to CoinGlass data, over $670 million was wiped out and liquidated in the past 24 hours, with Bitcoin and Ethereum accounting for the majority of the losses. Crypto liquidations - 24 hour. Source: Coinglass. Bitcoin long positions accounted for roughly $200 million, while Ethereum long positions made up over $264 million of the total. Traders remain cautious ahead of a busy week for economic data The US economic calendar is packed this week from May 18 to May 22. Reports on existing and pending home sales, weekly ADP employment changes, jobless claims, manufacturing activity, and consumer sentiment are all due. Meanwhile, the FOMC minutes due on Wednesday will be closely watched for clues on future rate decisions. Another key market driver is Nvidia’s upcoming first-quarter fiscal earnings results, which have often served as a major catalyst for risk assets like Bitcoin. Will Bitcoin price recover? Despite the recent pullback, some factors are lining up in favor of Bitcoin and the broader crypto market. Firstly, a number of major institutional players like Strategy (previously known as Microstrategy) and Capital B have continued buying Bitcoin. Strategy, for instance, recently disclosed that it has acquired an additional 24,869 Bitcoin (BTC) for $2.01 billion between May 11 and 17. Meanwhile, Capital B also bought the dip, acquiring 192 BTC for 13 million euros at an average price of $78,948 per Bitcoin. Such large-scale institutional accumulation could help cushion the asset against any further downside in the short-term as macro conditions stabilise. Altcoin market remains muted The altcoin market remained relatively quiet today, with only six tokens managing to close with gains of over 1% at the time of publication. Leading altcoins like Ethereum (ETH), BNB (BNB), Solana (SOL), and XRP (XRP) all held losses between 1-5% in the past 24 hours. Top altcoin gainers in the past 24-hours. Source: CoinGecko. KITE leads altcoin with 10% rally Kite (KITE) was the only altcoin to secure double-digit gains on the day, primarily due to project-specific developments. Kite (KITE) is capitalising heavily on the growing market focus on the AI Agent narrative. Over the last few weeks, investors have actively rotated capital into infrastructure tokens that facilitate autonomous AI commerce, pushing assets like KITE, Humanity (H), and Injective (INJ) to the top of the gainers' list. The primary catalyst behind the sustained bullish structure is the transition from testnet to the live Kite Chain mainnet alongside the rollout of the Kite Agent Passport. Because KITE functions as the native utility layer for autonomous AI agent identity, cryptographic spending limits, and stablecoin micropayments, the launch marked a shift from speculative prototyping to real-world infrastructure usage. According to the 4-hour KITE/USD chart, the token remains in a strong short-term uptrend after breaking above all major EMAs. KITE/USD 4-h price chart. Source: TradingView. KITE was trading around $0.233 at the time of writing while holding above the 20 EMA at $0.217 and the 50 EMA near $0.204, showing that buyers still control momentum. The RSI has climbed above 73, entering overbought territory for the first time since March. Previous moves into this zone often led to short consolidation phases before continuation higher. If bullish momentum holds, KITE could retest the recent $0.25 high, with a breakout potentially opening the path toward the broader $0.28 to $0.30 resistance area. On the downside, the $0.217 and $0.20 levels remain the key support zones that traders will likely watch closely. The post Bitcoin sell-off continues, KITE bucks bearish market with 10% gains appeared first on Invezz

18 May 2026, 16:02

Analyst Says XRP Looks Ready for a Massive Breakout. Here’s the Signal

XRP may be approaching one of its biggest technical moments in years as crypto analyst XRP Celal Kucuker (@CelalKucuker) projected a move above $15 this cycle. He stated, “XRP looks ready for a massive breakout,” before adding that he still believes the asset will climb beyond $15. His chart outlines a long-term structure that stretches back to 2017 on the weekly timeframe. It shows XRP compressing inside converging trendlines for years before breaking into a higher range during late 2024. The setup now points toward another major expansion phase that could carry the asset into double-digit territory . XRP looks ready for a massive breakout. I still believe it’s going above $15 this cycle. And when that happens, $XRP will seriously challenge Ethereum ’s position. Bookmark this post. Time always reveals the truth. pic.twitter.com/pCaHMaUT0t — Celal Kucuker (@CelalKucuker) May 17, 2026 Long-Term Trendline Break Remains in Focus The chart highlights a descending black resistance trendline that capped XRP for several years after its 2018 peak. XRP finally pushed above that level during its explosive rally toward the $3 region in late 2024. After the breakout, XRP remained at high levels before a steady decline pushed it into a consolidation phase. The asset has pulled back toward the old resistance line, which now appears to act as support. Kucuker’s chart marks this area around $1.30. That retest plays a major role in the bullish structure. Traders often watch for successful retests after major breakouts because they can confirm a shift in market structure. XRP currently trades near that zone after months of cooling price action. Projection Targets Point Toward $17 Kucuker mapped a projected move that begins from the current consolidation area and rises sharply toward the upper resistance channel. His chart places a target near $17.53. That projected path follows a pattern XRP has shown several times in previous cycles . We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 The chart displays repeated consolidation phases followed by aggressive vertical rallies. Earlier structures in 2017 and 2021 produced similar breakout formations before strong price expansions. It also shows a long-term ascending channel . The upper boundary of this channel aligns with the projected target area. That adds another technical level that traders may monitor if momentum accelerates during the next upward move. Kucuker also connected XRP’s potential rally to the competition among major crypto assets. He wrote that when XRP moves above $15, it “will seriously challenge Ethereum’s position.” XRP is Gearing Up for a Breakout The current setup shows XRP trading in a narrowing range after months of retracement from its recent highs. Volatility has slowed compared to the late 2024 breakout period, though the asset continues to hold above key long-term support levels. If XRP can maintain support, retesting the trendline could provide enough momentum for a sharp rebound. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Analyst Says XRP Looks Ready for a Massive Breakout. Here’s the Signal appeared first on Times Tabloid .

18 May 2026, 15:36

Ethereum traders say bears ‘in control’ after ETH price drop to $2K

Ether price fell sharply below $2,100 as increasing sell pressure on Binance and persistent ETF outflows fueled bearish momentum.

18 May 2026, 15:30

Ripple’s Early Banking Ally Now Connected To X Money Expansion

Ripple’s early push into banking partnerships may be finding new relevance in an unexpected place. One of its long-time collaborators has resurfaced at the center of X Money, the payments initiative tied to X’s broader ambition to become a global financial super app. What once served as a bridge for Ripple’s cross-border settlement network is now part of infrastructure aimed at scaling digital payments to a massive user base. How A Ripple-Linked Bank Became Part Of Elon Musk’s Payment Push A Ripple-linked banking partner from the company’s earliest expansion days has now surfaced inside Elon Musk’s X Money ecosystem. RippleXity revealed on X that Cross River Bank, one of the first US banks to integrate Ripple’s Payment protocol back in 2014 for real-time cross-border transfers between the US and Europe, is now powering part of X Money’s beta rollout through its regulated banking services. Related Reading: Why Ripple’s XRP Is A Better Transaction Choice Compared To SWIFT The same Cross River Bank that reportedly issues the Visa Debit and Flex Cards appears in X Money’s beta program. With X building its payments layer through regulated banking and card infrastructure, this places a Ripple-linked financial institution inside Musk’s expanding digital payments infrastructure. Furthermore, the development has quickly drawn attention across the XRP community because it creates a direct historical overlap between Ripple’s early settlement technology and X Money’s regulated banking framework. While there is still no official confirmation of the XRP integration within X Money, many see Cross River Bank’s role as a significant connection that is difficult to dismiss. Ripple Prime Revenue Surges Despite XRP Trading Below All-Time High Although XRP continues to trade below 50% its all-time high, Ripple’s broader infrastructure business appears to be gaining momentum behind the scenes. A technical analyst known as ChartNerd has noted that institutional adoption across Ripple’s ecosystem is accelerating, with Ripple Prime emerging as one of the company’s strongest growth drivers. Related Reading: Could Ripple XRP Power Cross-Border Payments? Russia’s Early Tests Suggest Potential The platform reportedly tripled its revenue over the past 12 months, processed more than 60 million transactions, and now clears over $3 trillion annually while operating across the United States. Thus, this is just one of a broad infrastructure stack that Ripples is building out during a bear market, and the projects that are being built now will accelerate the next bull run. Ripple and XRP have been building this infrastructure for over a decade, from surviving regulatory battles and securing a major victory against the SEC to expanding XRP Ledger functionality. XRP rules as a commodity, expanding XRPFI and DeFi capabilities, strategic acquisitions, banking partnerships, and strengthening its global infrastructure through XRPL upgrades. With more than 300 institutional clients and increasing global licensing approvals, these fundamentals have never been stronger, and clarity is on the horizon. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

18 May 2026, 15:20

Pump.fun Transfers $7.76M in SOL to Kraken as On-Chain Activity Intensifies

BitcoinWorld Pump.fun Transfers $7.76M in SOL to Kraken as On-Chain Activity Intensifies Pump.fun, a Solana-based token launchpad, has transferred 91,708 SOL—worth approximately $7.76 million—to the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, according to on-chain analytics firm Onchain Lens. This transaction is part of a broader movement of funds today, bringing the total Solana sent to Kraken by the platform to 174,400 SOL, valued at roughly $14.76 million. Details of the Transfer The latest transfer was detected by blockchain monitoring tools and reported by Onchain Lens via social media. The funds were moved from a wallet associated with Pump.fun to a Kraken deposit address. While the exact purpose of the transfer has not been officially disclosed by Pump.fun or Kraken, large exchange deposits often signal an intention to sell or manage liquidity. Context and Market Implications Pump.fun is a platform that facilitates the creation and trading of memecoins and other tokens on the Solana blockchain. It has seen significant activity in recent months, particularly during the memecoin trading frenzy. Large-scale movements of SOL from such platforms to centralized exchanges can indicate profit-taking, operational treasury management, or preparation for new listings. The total of 174,400 SOL moved today represents a notable volume, especially when compared to average daily trading volumes for SOL. Such inflows can create short-term selling pressure on the asset, though the broader market impact depends on how the funds are utilized after arrival on the exchange. On-Chain Visibility and Transparency This event highlights the transparency of blockchain transactions, allowing observers to track large wallet movements in near real-time. For retail investors and analysts, monitoring such flows provides insight into the behavior of major holders and platforms. However, it is important to note that on-chain data does not reveal intent—only the movement itself. Conclusion Pump.fun’s transfer of $7.76 million in SOL to Kraken, part of a $14.76 million daily total, represents a significant on-chain event. While the reasons remain unconfirmed, the transaction underscores the ongoing high-volume activity within the Solana ecosystem and the importance of exchange inflows as a market signal. Readers should monitor official statements from Pump.fun or Kraken for further clarification. FAQs Q1: Why did Pump.fun transfer SOL to Kraken? The exact reason has not been publicly disclosed. Possible explanations include selling for fiat or stablecoins, providing liquidity, or managing operational treasury funds. On-chain data alone cannot confirm intent. Q2: How does this transfer affect the price of Solana? Large exchange inflows can create selling pressure, but the actual price impact depends on market depth and whether the SOL is sold immediately. Short-term volatility is possible. Q3: Can I track similar large transfers in real-time? Yes. Blockchain explorers and analytics platforms like Onchain Lens, Whale Alert, and Solscan provide real-time tracking of large wallet movements on the Solana network. This post Pump.fun Transfers $7.76M in SOL to Kraken as On-Chain Activity Intensifies first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

18 May 2026, 15:16

'Attractive Opportunity': Tom Lee's BitMine Adds $151 Million in Ethereum Amid Price Dip

BitMine Immersion Technologies added $151 million in Ethereum amid last week's price slide, with Tom Lee citing the "attractive opportunity."