Leveraged XRP Futures ETFs to Debut in the U.S. This Week

ProShares will launch three new XRP futures ETFs on April 30, expanding U.S. investor access to Ripple’s token through leveraged and inverse exposure without direct asset holdings. The SEC tacitly approved the Ultra XRP ETF (2x leverage), the Short XRP ETF, and the Ultra Short XRP ETF (-2x leverage).

This comes after Vermont's Teucrium launched the first leveraged XRP ETF earlier this month, with Eric Balchunas calling it “very odd that a new asset’s first ETF is leveraged.” ProShares’ separate spot XRP ETF application, along with proposals from Grayscale, Bitwise, and 21Shares, is still awaiting approval.

Meanwhile, momentum around XRP investment products is building globally, with Hashdex launching XRPH11, a regulated XRP ETF on Brazil’s stock exchange last week. “We continue expanding access to the crypto economy, offering investors trusted, regulated, and efficient products” Hashdex said in its announcement.

CME Group is also adding XRP futures on May 19, following Ripple’s recent SEC settlement and rising institutional interest, which Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says makes an eventual U.S. spot XRP ETF “inevitable.”

Senator Calls for Trump Impeachment Over His Memecoin

U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff backed calls for President Donald Trump’s impeachment at an April 25 town hall in Georgia, criticizing Trump’s dinner event for top TRUMP memecoin holders. Ossoff argued that offering private access in exchange for token holdings was akin to selling influence, an action he said “clearly rises to the level of an impeachable offense.”

The TRUMP coin’s website announced the exclusive dinner days earlier, causing the memecoin's price to surge over 50%. The event will be held at Trump’s Washington, DC golf club for the top 220 token holders, with requirements including background checks and restrictions on attendees from sanctioned countries.

Although TRUMP token organizers denied rumors of a $300,000 minimum stake to attend, legal experts continue warning that Trump's personal crypto dealings pose major conflict-of-interest concerns. Impeachment efforts are unlikely to advance unless Democrats retake control of Congress in the 2026 elections.

Stripe Developing New Stablecoin Product Outside U.S.

Payments giant Stripe is developing a new stablecoin product using Bridge, the platform it acquired for $1.1 billion in October 2024. CEO Patrick Collison confirmed the project on April 25 via X, saying the company had wanted to build this for a decade and was now seeking early testers. Developer Jen Kim added that the product would target markets outside the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom.

Although Stripe has yet to release full product details, early stablecoin transaction data shows over 90 countries have used its tools for payments and invoices. Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge remains the largest crypto M&A deal to date, aimed at simplifying stablecoin settlement worldwide. Analysts predict Stripe could tap into around $40 billion annually from stablecoin-related yield and global transaction flows.

Swiss Central Bank Rejects Adding Bitcoin Reserves

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) said it will not add Bitcoin to its currency reserves, citing concerns about liquidity and price volatility. SNB President Martin Schlegel told the bank’s General Assembly on April 25 that cryptocurrencies do not meet Switzerland’s standards for reserve assets during crises. His comments were a response to lobbying from the Bitcoin Initiative, a group advocating for a 1% Bitcoin reserve allocation.

Research by the Bitcoin Initiative showed that even a small Bitcoin position would have nearly doubled the SNB’s returns since 2015 with minimal additional risk. However, Schlegel said introducing Bitcoin could harm Switzerland’s delicate diplomatic relationships in Europe. Meanwhile, the SNB maintains indirect Bitcoin exposure through equities like Tesla and Marathon Holdings, according to year-end filings.

Data of the Day

A report from Deloitte’s Center for Financial Services predicts over $4 trillion in real estate assets could be tokenized on blockchains by 2035. Published April 24, the study estimates that tokenized real estate will grow from less than $300 billion today at a 27% annual growth rate. Analysts credit the surge to blockchain’s ability to fractionalize ownership and expand global investment access.

The transformation of commercial properties into AI data centers and logistics hubs is accelerating the trend, according to experts. Despite skepticism from some industry leaders, RWA tokenization advocates say regulatory acceptance will likely follow user demand as blockchain usage expands into traditional assets.

More Breaking News

• Solana's lending protocol Loopscale halted borrowing after a $5.8M hack drained USDC and SOL, with investigations still ongoing.
• DeFi Development Company filed a $1 billion shelf offering with the SEC, aiming to expand its Solana-focused crypto investment strategy.
• Michael Saylor hinted at another massive Bitcoin buy for Strategy as whale accumulation surges and BTC trades above $94,000.
• BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF now holds 2.8% of total BTC supply after inflows spiked, reflecting growing investor trust amid market volatility.
• North Korean hackers set up fake U.S. shell firms to target crypto developers, with malware distribution linked to the Lazarus Group.
• Bitget crypto exchange plans legal action against eight accounts that allegedly manipulated VOXEL trades and profited nearly $20 million.
• Victims of Celsius are demanding a life sentence for founder Alex Mashinsky, blaming him for devastating financial losses and ruined lives.
• Dragonchain’s token soared 104% after the SEC moved to drop its lawsuit, citing policy shifts and ending a years-long legal battle.
• Paradigm led a $50M Series A round for decentralized AI (DeFAI) lab Nous Research, boosting its yet-to-launch token’s valuation to $1 billion.

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