hodler

21 Jan 2026, 09:34

XRP Ledger Takes Center Stage in WEF Report on Financial Market Tokenization

XRP Ledger Powers $1B Private Equity Tokenization, Cementing Ripple’s Role in Next-Gen Finance As blockchain innovation reshapes finance, XRP Ledger (XRPL) is positioning itself at the forefront of real-world asset tokenization. Crypto researcher SMQKE cites a World Economic Forum report highlighting XRPL’s role in a $1 billion private equity tokenization project, a landmark move signaling digital assets’ growing integration into mainstream finance. Tokenization, turning real-world asset ownership into digital tokens, unlocks unprecedented liquidity, transparency, and accessibility. The report highlights XRPL as a leading platform for large-scale tokenized asset issuance, leveraging its fast, low-cost, and eco-friendly consensus protocol. By enabling seamless settlement and cross-border transfers, the XRP Ledger is poised to become the backbone of the next generation of global value exchange. The WEF report spotlights Ripple’s crypto custody solutions as a cornerstone of modern digital finance. Partnering with BitGo and Metaco, Ripple delivers enterprise-grade custody technology that ensures secure, compliant management of digital assets at scale. By tackling one of the biggest challenges in asset tokenization, trustworthy storage, Ripple effectively bridges traditional finance with blockchain markets. XRP Ledger’s role in large-scale tokenization highlights a growing convergence of traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi). By making private equity more accessible, XRPL’s fast transactions and low fees enable broader participation, while Ripple’s custody solutions ensure regulatory compliance and secure operations. As financial institutions embrace digital assets, XRPL’s expanding footprint highlights its potential to transform global markets. Its high-performance ledger and secure custody infrastructure position Ripple and its ecosystem to lead the shift from traditional assets to programmable, tokenized forms. The WEF’s acknowledgment of XRPL’s role in a $1 billion private equity tokenization effort goes beyond technical validation; it signals that the future of value exchange is digital, secure, and interoperable. Therefore, XRP Ledger has evolved from a cryptocurrency network into a cornerstone of the emerging tokenized economy. Conclusion By powering a $1 billion private equity tokenization and leveraging Ripple’s secure custody solutions via BitGo and Metaco, XRP Ledger is emerging as a cornerstone of the tokenized economy. Bridging traditional finance with blockchain innovation, XRPL enables faster, more transparent, and efficient asset transfers, while establishing a scalable and secure foundation for global value exchange. As institutional adoption grows, XRP Ledger proves that the future of finance is digital, interoperable, and inclusive.

21 Jan 2026, 09:33

MSTY: Using WNTR To Offset Downside Until Strategy And Bitcoin Recovery

Summary Yieldmax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF offers robust income but is highly sensitive to MSTR and Bitcoin price movements. Holding MSTY alongside WNTR, which shorts MSTR, can mitigate downside risk while maintaining strong distribution streams. Both ETFs’ performance and risk profiles are directly linked to Bitcoin’s trajectory and MSTR’s leveraged exposure. Optimal strategy involves a larger MSTY position and smaller WNTR allocation, monitoring for Bitcoin and MSTR recovery signals. Yieldmax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF ( MSTY ) continues to be one of the most popular covered call ETFs, even though the share price has been under significant pressure as a result of the plunge in share price of Strategy ( MSTR ) in response to the correction in the price of Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ). It has $1.47 billion in assets under management ( AUM ) and over 1.5 million in daily trading volume as I write. While the weekly dividend or distribution has been falling lately, it still remains robust, with its last payout coming in at $0.4137. In this article, we'll look primarily at the utilization of the YieldMax MSTR Short Option Income Strategy ETF ( WNTR ) as a strategy to offset much of the downside of MSTY while waiting for the rebound in the price of Bitcoin, and by extension, the underlying MSTR. Investors can also get a strong income distribution stream while mitigating MSTY risk. Seeking Alpha First, the Underlying With an ETF that focuses on a single stock as the underlying, it means there is a lot more risk involved because how the underlying goes, so will go the ETF writing options against it. In the case of Strategy Inc., it has, of course, plummeted in value in direct correlation with the decline in the price of Bitcoin, which is considered to be a proxy of. Add to that its levered strategy to acquire Bitcoin, and it has declined a little more in contrast to Bitcoin, which of course has had a major impact on the performance of MSTY. To offset some of the risk to the price movement of Bitcoin and MSTR, YieldMax introduced WNTR, which shorts MSTR. The purpose is to hold MSTY and WNTR together in order to lower the risk profile. WNTR I mentioned above that WNTR was created for the purpose of seeking inverse exposure to the share price of MSTR. Nonetheless, YieldMax states that its primary purpose is to first generate income and secondarily, offset the share price decline of MSTR. Since YieldMax exists to generate the highest yields it can, this makes sense, but investors do think of it in terms of holding it to offset the downward share price movement of MSTR. With that in mind, the dual purpose is very effective when considering it generates a strong and consistent income stream from a high distribution yield, which hasn't fallen below $0.50 per share on a weekly basis. That is impressive, but investors do need to consider what happens with those shorting a holding like MSTR when it starts to jump upward. Shorts can make a lot of money going down but can get crushed when the stock they're shorting reverses direction, which I believe is inevitable with MSTR; it's not a matter of if in my opinion, but when it happens. I do think it's a good idea to hold both MSTY and WNTR at this time, but WNTR needs to be watched closely for signs it could quickly erode in price and distributions when MSTR starts to sustainably climb in value and its share price. MSTY MSTY did well for me when I held it. I did sell it when I was convinced the price of Bitcoin and MSTR were going to decline in a big way. That did happen, and even with the solid distributions, I am glad I made that decision. I have lost the accompanying income stream from MSTY, but as the price of MSTR stabilizes and climbs once again, I see it being, once again, a solid ETF to hold in order to generate income. Keep in mind that MSTY was created for the purpose of generating income, not for growth. I would be very happy to take a position and have it trade sideways or slightly up or down while collecting the high distributions it pays out. On the other hand, we're not sure whether or not we've hit the bottom with MSTR and Bitcoin yet, so having a position in WNTR and MSTY makes sense until confirmation of a sustainable recovery in both Bitcoin and MSTR. Once that's confirmed, MSTY should be poised to outperform current expectations. The Bitcoin Cycle There have been concerns expressed by investors in regard to the four-year Bitcoin cycle that many believe remains in place, meaning they think the price of Bitcoin has a lot farther to fall before a recovery. I don't hold that belief for two major reasons. The first one is growing demand and decreasing supply. Based upon its code, Bitcoin supply is cut in half every four years. This time around, after the halving, demand has continued to climb, leading me to the second reason: institutional interest in Bitcoin. As many readers know, the initial response of institutional investors to Bitcoin was to talk it down. With the risk associated with an increasing money supply and loss in value of the U.S. dollar, institutional investors, including some nations, have grown their exposure to Bitcoin, making acquisitions in the millions, and in some cases, billions of dollars. For those two reasons, I think the four-year Bitcoin cycle has been permanently disrupted. It's too early to know what will emerge from that change, but the most likely is the increase in the price of Bitcoin in the years ahead, albeit with ongoing volatility. Over time volatility will probably contract, but until then that should be the ongoing cost of taking any position in Bitcoin, MSTR, or MSTY. MSTY, WNTR, and NAV erosion It is highly probable that the most concerning thing associated with WNTR and MSTY, as well as most, if not all, covered call ETFs, is in relation to NAV erosion. As I've mentioned several times in my articles, a lot of people talking about this don't know what NAV erosion actually is. By definition, NAV erosion is when an ETF like MSTY, for example, pays out more than the income generated from the covered calls. NAV erosion is not when MSTY's share price drops in response to the drop in share price of MSTR. The same would be true with WNTR, although inversely. If the share price of MSTR is rising and WNTR's dropping, that is the same as the share price of MSTY falling in correlation with the share price of MSTR. Again, it doesn't mean it's NAV erosion causing it. Why is this important to understand? It has to do with the ability of the two ETFs to rebound in response to the share price movement of MSTR. If it's not NAV erosion, the share prices of MSTY and WNTR will reverse direction, as well as their distribution yields. Conclusion The performance of MSTY, WNTR, and MSTR is directly related to the price of Bitcoin. What one thinks of Bitcoin should be the deciding factor in making a decision concerning whether or not to take a position in any of them. In the case of MSTR, the strongest risk in the near term is how levered it is. If the price of Bitcoin were to remain under pressure for longer than anticipated, it could cause some problems for MSTR, which would be detrimental for MSTY, but positive for WNTR. I don't think that's going to happen for a prolonged period of time, but anything is possible. There is also the risk concerning WNTR when considering the risks associated with shorting stocks in general. If Bitcoin were to start outperforming, and its growth trajectory takes off, we could have a short squeeze with WNTR, which would probably result in it declining faster than the price of MSTY gains from the increase in the price of MSTR. Under that scenario, it would be hard to recover for WNTR, and its distributions would without a doubt take a hit. If the bottoms for Bitcoin and MSTR climb along with the ceilings, it would be difficult for holders of WNTR. While true, I do think it's worth holding both MSTY and WNTR. Under most circumstances, investors should be able to see potential for an underperformance from WNTR coming and respond accordingly. The best way to mitigate the risks there is to get in at a good price point and take a smaller position with WNTR than with MSTY. That would help MSTY mitigate some of the downside while generating income from both ETFs. It would be a win/win until the need to sell WNTR once MSTR takes off.

21 Jan 2026, 09:31

Solana Mobile launches SKR token airdrop for Seeker phone users

Solana Mobile's airdrop of almost 2 billion SKR tokens for 100,000 Seeker users is claimable for 90 days, with staking rewards starting immediately.

21 Jan 2026, 09:20

Major Ripple (XRP) Update Also Concerning Binance

Ripple has just announced that its dollar-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, will be listed for spot trading on the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, Binance. According to the official release, the listing includes support for Ethereum, while XRP Ledger (XRPL) capabilities are underway. On launch day, the available trading pairs include: XRP/RLUSD RLUSD/USDT In addition, the listing will cover : Spot trading support for the stablecoin Eligibility for portfolio margin Inclusion in Binance Earn is soon to come as well This should increase RLUSD’s overall utility for leveraged trading while also cementing its position as yet another stablecoin seeking to capitalize on this growing crypto narrative. At the time of this writing, its total market capitalization is $1.4 billion. Although this is a far cry from the market leaders in the face of USDT and the USDC, which currently sit on $186B and $74B, respectively, RLUSD is on a steady path upward. Source: CoinGecko Meanwhile, a partnership with Binance adds to the growing list of collaborations that Ripple is working on. As CryptoPotato reported back in November last year, MasterCard was the latest financial giant to join the liks of Gemini in testing RLUSD usage on the XRPL. The post Major Ripple (XRP) Update Also Concerning Binance appeared first on CryptoPotato .

21 Jan 2026, 09:16

SKR surges 72% following Solana Mobile token drop

SKR tokens have surged over 77% to $0.01185 following the January 21 launch of Solana Mobile’s 1.8 billion SKR airdrop for Seeker phone users and developers. The token is expected to play a central role in staking and governance, allowing holders to delegate tokens to help secure and scale the mobile ecosystem. CoinGecko’s data shows that the SKR token has risen 77.8% over the past 24 hours, with prices ranging from $0.005423 to $0.01313. The market cap also jumped $55.9 million to $66.12 million, while the 24-hour trading volume climbed from $3.3 million to $19.08 million. Slightly over 50% (~5.7B SKR) of the total SKR supply (10B SKR) is currently in circulation. Meanwhile, the 1.8 billion tokens set aside for the latest airdrop are part of the 30% of the total SKR supply earmarked for airdrops. The 30% also includes the initial distribution to eligible Seeker phone users and developers. The SKR’s allocation plan also includes another 25% reserved for partnerships and growth initiatives, and 10% for launch activities and liquidity support. There is also a 10% community treasury intended to fund the ecosystem’s future proposals, while the remaining token supply will be split between Solana Labs (10%) and Solana Mobile (15%). Solana Mobile kicks off anticipated SKR airdrop Seekers, here’s how to check your SKR allocation right now: 1. Grab your Seeker (obviously) 2. Open Seed Vault Wallet 3. Hit the Activity Tracking tab 4. See your tier. Check your allocation. Then come back here and show us what you got. Flex or cope accordingly. pic.twitter.com/mq3o4agM0b — Seeker | Solana Mobile (@solanamobile) January 14, 2026 Solana Mobile’s SKR airdrop went live on January 20 evening, around 9 PM ET, as part of the broader strategy to support the Seeker smartphone ecosystem. The airdrop comes after months of building up hype around the Seeker phone, which Solana Mobile has pitched as more mature than its predecessor, the Saga. Allocations for users eligible through Seeker phone ownership are split into five tiers: Scout, Prospector, Vanguard, Luminary, and Sovereign. Each user in the Sovereign tier will receive 750,000 SKR tokens. Meanwhile, over 100,000 Solana Mobile users and app developers are set to receive airdrops of the SKR token. An allocation tracker is also live, allowing users and developers to check their seed vault wallets to confirm how many SKR tokens they will receive in the January 21 airdrop. The total allocations include 1.82 billion SKR to 100,908 users and over 141 million SKR tokens to 188 developers, according to Solana Mobile. Following the airdrop, “Seekers” will be able to start staking SKR immediately to earn rewards or participate in decision-making processes. Solana Mobile adds that Seeker phone users can stake directly to Guardians in the Seed Vault Wallet or stake SKR on the web through the SKR staking web experience. Solana Mobile bases reward distribution on Seeker phone engagement According to Solana Mobile, rewards distributed to users and developers are based on their engagement with the Seeker phone. The rewards distribution will also depend on the users’ engagement with the Solana decentralized app store and on-chain activity during Season 1 of the SKR airdrop. Meanwhile, Solana Mobile touted over 150,000 pre-orders in the build-up to Seeker’s launch, but the latest figures reveal that only 109,000 users are eligible for the airdrop. Eligible Seeker users can claim SKR directly through the Seed Vault Wallet on their devices by completing the claim process under the Activity Tracking tab. On the other hand, a small Solana balance is required to cover network fees during the airdrop distribution. Users will have 90 days to claim their allocations; otherwise, they will be returned to the airdrop pool. Developer teams that built approved apps on the Solana Mobile dApp Store during Season 1 can also claim their SKR allocations through the Publishing Portal. Solana Mobile describes the move as a reward for early builders who brought the Seeker platform to life. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

21 Jan 2026, 09:15

Gen Z To Inherit $15 Trillion—And They Trust Crypto 5x More

As $84 trillion transfers from Boomers to younger generations, a new survey shows heirs trust crypto 5x more than their parents. The money is moving to crypto believers.