Connect with us

Crypto World

Is Ripple’s 2026 XRPL Funding Overhaul Bullish for XRP Price?

Published

on

XRP (XRP) Price Performance.

Ripple is transforming how funding and support are distributed across the XRP Ledger ecosystem, shifting toward a more distributed model.

The company announced the changes on February 26. It positions 2026 as a transition point in how builders access capital, mentorship, and technical support on XRPL.

XRP Ledger Enters New Phase as Ripple Expands Funding Channels in 2026

In a recent blog, Ripple noted that since 2017, it has deployed more than $550 million into XRP Ledger ecosystem initiatives, including non-equity grants, builder incentives, strategic partnerships, and growth programs. 

The firm noted that 2026 introduces a transition toward a broader, more distributed funding structure. The stated goal is to give builders multiple funding channels.

Advertisement

“As the ecosystem matures, the focus is shifting toward expanding access to funding through more distributed and independent pathways so builders have multiple avenues to scale,” the blog read.

Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens

As part of the plan, the organization introduced several new and scaled-up initiatives planned for 2026.

XAO DAO is a hybrid Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) built for the XRP Ledger. It will empower members to collectively allocate resources through community grants, feedback loops, and direct DAO proposals. Additionally, this enables fast, low-friction funding for developers and early-stage projects.

“By shifting decision-making power toward a broader group of stakeholders, XAO DAO represents a significant step toward a more resilient and community-led governance model for the XRPL,” the firm said.

XRPL Commons, an independent organization, will continue supporting builders through initiatives like the GLOW program and The Aquarium, a 9-week incubator in Paris that has operated since 2023. The firm is also developing a new regional entity, XRP Asia, to serve the APAC builder community with localized funding and support.

Advertisement

In addition, the University Digital Asset Xcelerator (UDAX), which launched its inaugural cohort with UC Berkeley in fall 2025, is expanding in 2026 to Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, the University of Oxford, and UC Berkeley again in the fall.

On the institutional side, Ripple is launching a FinTech Builder Program to support startups building institutional-grade financial applications on XRPL.

The blog also revealed that a growing number of venture capital firms are mentoring teams, investing in startups, and connecting XRPL builders with global capital networks. Partner organizations include a100x Ventures, Superscrypt, Reforge, New Form Capital, Dragonfly, Pantera, Franklin Templeton, and Tenity. Their involvement signals broader institutional confidence in XRPL.

To enable access to this expanding ecosystem, Ripple announced that a new dedicated XRPL funding hub will soon launch. This will serve as a single entry point for builders to discover grants, accelerators, and support programs across the entire ecosystem.

Advertisement

XRP Price Slides Despite Ripple’s 2026 Expansion 

The new initiatives come as XRP’s performance continues to track the broader market. BeInCrypto Markets data shows that the altcoin declined 2.24% over the past day. At press time, XRP was trading at $1.41.

XRP (XRP) Price Performance.
XRP (XRP) Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto Markets

In the short term, the funding shift is unlikely to move XRP’s price. Market performance is typically driven by liquidity conditions, macro trends, and regulatory developments rather than ecosystem restructuring. 

Over the medium- to long-term, the impact depends on execution. If the FinTech Builder Program, XAO DAO, and venture participation translate into higher on-chain activity, institutional pilots, and real financial applications, sentiment could strengthen. 

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch leaders and journalists provide expert insights

Advertisement

Sustained adoption, transaction growth, and deeper integration of XRP into payment or tokenization flows would be required for any structural price effect to occur. Ultimately, usage metrics, not funding headlines, will determine whether this shift supports long-term valuation.

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crypto World

MARA Bitcoin miner posts $1.7B quarterly loss as BTC slumps

Published

on

Crypto Breaking News

In its latest quarterly update, MARA Holdings confronted a stark reality: even as its bitcoin mining fleet generated fewer coins, the company’s balance sheet was weighed down by falling crypto valuations and a strategic pivot away from pure mining. MARA reported a fourth-quarter 2025 net loss of $1.71 billion, or $4.52 per diluted share, compared with a year-earlier net income of $528.3 million. Revenue slipped 6% year over year to $202.3 million, as a softer Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) price offset a higher hashrate. For the full year, the firm posted a net loss of $1.31 billion on revenue of $907.1 million, reversing 2024’s $541 million profit.

Key takeaways

  • MARA’s Q4 2025 net loss was $1.71 billion and revenue was $202.3 million, with earnings pressured by the decline in BTC prices despite a higher mining hashrate.
  • For the full year 2025, the company recorded a net loss of $1.31 billion on $907.1 million in revenue, reversing 2024’s profit as crypto prices remained volatile.
  • A $1.5 billion negative adjustment to the fair value of digital assets and receivables contributed to the quarterly loss, reflecting BTC price declines from around $114,300 on Sept. 30 to $88,800 on Dec. 31 (per CoinGecko).
  • MAR A’s BTC holdings at year-end totaled 53,822, with 15,315 pledged or loaned, and the balance-sheet BTC carried a roughly $4.7 billion value at quarter-end prices.
  • The company unveiled a strategic pivot into AI and high-performance compute, including a joint venture with Starwood Digital Ventures to build data centers at power-rich sites, initially targeting more than 1 GW of IT capacity and potentially expanding to 2.5 GW.
  • In February, MARA acquired a 64% stake in Exaion to pursue sovereign-grade and enterprise AI deployments as part of the broader diversification plan.

Tickers mentioned: $BTC, $MARA

Sentiment: Bearish

Price impact: Negative. MARA’s stock has fallen about 46% over the past six months as results and strategic pivots weigh on investor sentiment.

Trading idea (Not Financial Advice): Hold. While the transition toward AI/HPC is notable, near-term investors should watch project execution and BTC price stability before reassessing risk/reward.

Advertisement

Market context: The results come amid a broader crypto downturn where mining economics remain sensitive to BTC price swings, regulator signals, and capital allocation shifts among miners pursuing diversified revenue streams rather than pure hodling or mining.

Why it matters

The quarterly and annual figures underscore a pivotal moment for MARA as it moves beyond a pure-play bitcoin miner toward an energy and digital infrastructure company. The heavy accounting hit from the fair value of digital assets illustrates how price volatility can disproportionately affect mining-focused models, even when production levels hold steady or improve. By contrast, the balance sheet remains robust in crypto terms, with a substantial BTC stash that, on paper, still carries significant value given the ongoing, albeit uneven, interest in asset-backed mining operations.

Beyond the numbers, the strategic pivot is the centerpiece. MARA’s collaboration with Starwood Digital Ventures aims to unlock a significant AI/HPC footprint on existing energy-rich sites, a move that could open new revenue channels independent of BTC cycles. The plan envisions more than 1 gigawatt of IT capacity in the initial phase, with a roadmap to exceed 2.5 GW over time. Crucially, MARA retains the option to invest up to 50% in individual projects, while continuing to mine where power remains economical. This hybrid model reflects a broader industry trend: miners seeking to hedge against crypto price volatility by anchoring operations in data centers and AI workloads that can generate steady, long-term demand.

Additionally, the February acquisition of a 64% stake in Exaion signals a concrete push into AI deployments that could leverage MARA’s grid-scale energy footprint. Exaion’s focus on sovereign-grade and enterprise AI deployments aligns with the growing demand for specialized compute resources, particularly at the intersection of crypto mining infrastructure and high-performance compute networks. As more miners explore blended business models, MARA’s approach stands out for attempting to formalize AI-centric data center capacity alongside mining operations.

Advertisement

In comparison, peers are testing similar pivots with varying degrees of commitment. Some miners are leaning into large AI data-center leases, while others continue to emphasize a combined strategy of mining and hoarding BTC to preserve, and potentially grow, crypto exposure. The sector’s direction remains dependent on macro conditions, including BTC price trajectories, energy costs, and regulatory developments that could influence the economics of large-scale mining and data-center deployments alike.

The financials also hint at the balancing act between growth investments and shareholder value. If the Starwood joint venture and Exaion initiatives deliver on capacity and utilization, MARA could unlock a multi-year path toward diversified cash flows. Yet the immediate picture is clouded by historical volatility in the crypto markets and the challenge of turning large capex programs into near-term profits. Investors will be watching how the company manages capital deployment, debt, and any potential tranche financing to accelerate its AI/HPC push while supporting ongoing mining operations.

The company’s overall strategy, while ambitious, mirrors a broader move within the crypto hardware space toward building resilient, diversified platforms. As data centers become a more common anchor for crypto firms, MARA’s ability to translate capacity into meaningful revenue streams will be a key test for the model’s sustainability in a market where price signals for BTC remain bifurcated and often unpredictable.

What to watch next

  • Progress updates on the Starwood Digital Ventures AI/HPC data-center partnership, including projected milestones for the initial >1 GW capacity and any expansions toward 2.5 GW.
  • Operational and financial details on Exaion deployments and contracts, particularly any sovereign-grade AI projects and enterprise compute commitments.
  • Bitcoin price movements and realized/batched mining yields as MARA advances its hybrid strategy, plus any changes to the company’s balance-sheet BTC position or collateral arrangements.
  • Any capital-raising efforts, debt restructurings, or financing agreements tied to the new AI/HPC initiatives and data-center builds.
  • Regulatory developments affecting crypto mining, energy use, and AI infrastructure deployments that could impact project economics or timelines.

Sources & verification

  • MARA Holdings Q4 2025 shareholder letter filed with the SEC (SEC: q425shareholderletter.htm).
  • Bitcoin price data used for the fair value discussion (CoinGecko: bitcoin).
  • Company updates and stock performance coverage (Yahoo Finance: MARA).
  • Exaion stake and AI/HPC deployments referenced in MARA communications (Cointelegraph article on Exaion stake).

Key figures and next steps

What the announcement changes

The fourth quarter reports reveal a company navigating a difficult macro environment for mining while actively pursuing a structural shift toward AI-enabled data centers. If successful, the Starwood JV and Exaion partnerships could provide MARA with nonmining revenue streams that weather BTC price cycles. The path forward will hinge on project execution, the pace of capacity buildup, and the ability to translate compute demand into sustained profitability.

Sources & verification

  • SEC filing: q425shareholderletter.htm
  • CoinGecko data: bitcoin
  • Yahoo Finance: MARA
  • Exaion stake coverage: Cointelegraph

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Crypto World

Ethereum price outlook as foundation unveils “Strawmap” for network upgrades

Published

on

Ethereum price outlook as foundation unveils "Strawmap" for network upgrades - 1

Ethereum is attempting to stabilize above the $2,000 level as fresh details around the network’s long-term scaling roadmap, dubbed the “Strawmap,” inject renewed fundamental optimism into the market.

Summary

  • Ethereum is holding above $2,000 as the Ethereum Foundation unveils its “Strawmap,” a roadmap aimed at faster slot times and improved transaction finality.
  • ETH is consolidating between $1,900 and $2,100 after a sharp January–February sell-off, with $2,100 acting as key breakout resistance.
  • Momentum indicators, including the Aroon Oscillator and Bull-Bear Power, are turning positive, suggesting early-stage accumulation but confirmation requires a decisive move above range highs.

The proposal, outlined by Vitalik Buterin and backed by the Ethereum Foundation, sketches a path toward significantly faster slot times and improved transaction finality.

The plan envisions reducing block times and tightening confirmation latency, a move that could materially enhance user experience, rollup efficiency, and DeFi execution speeds.

Advertisement

While the Strawmap remains a directional framework rather than a finalized upgrade schedule, its focus on faster slots and stronger finality reinforces Ethereum’s commitment to long-term scalability, a narrative that may help underpin price recovery after weeks of heavy selling pressure.

Ethereum price analysis: Can bulls reclaim $2,100?

On the daily ETH/USDT chart, Ethereum is trading around $2,035 after rebounding from a sharp early-February sell-off that briefly pushed the price below $1,900.

The broader structure shows that ETH fell aggressively from the $3,200–$3,300 region in January before finding demand near the $1,850 zone. Since that capitulation-style move, price action has shifted into consolidation, forming a range between approximately $1,900 and $2,100.

Advertisement
Ethereum price outlook as foundation unveils "Strawmap" for network upgrades - 1
Ethereum price analysis | Source: Crypto.News

This sideways structure suggests the market is attempting to build a base following weeks of heavy distribution.

The $2,100 level now stands as immediate resistance and represents the upper boundary of the current range. A decisive daily close above this area would mark the first meaningful higher high on the daily timeframe and could open the path toward $2,300, where prior breakdown momentum accelerated.

Beyond that, $2,500 remains a major resistance zone, having previously acted as structural support before the January collapse.

On the downside, $1,900 continues to serve as critical short-term support. A break below that level would expose the $1,800 area, the site of the February wick low, as the next major demand zone.

Momentum indicators are beginning to show early signs of improvement. The Aroon Oscillator has flipped back into positive territory after an extended period of negative readings, indicating that bearish dominance is weakening.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Bull-Bear Power has shifted from deeply negative levels to printing green histogram bars above the zero line, suggesting that buying pressure is gradually returning.

Together, these signals point to a transition from capitulation to accumulation. However, confirmation of a trend reversal requires a clean breakout above $2,100 and sustained follow-through. Until then, Ethereum remains in a consolidation phase, balancing improving technical momentum against overhead resistance.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

TeraWulf Reports $35.8M Q4 Revenue Amid Mining Losses

Published

on

TeraWulf Reports $35.8M Q4 Revenue Amid Mining Losses

TeraWulf, a publicly listed US digital infrastructure company, missed fourth-quarter earnings estimates as its mining revenue dropped amid falling Bitcoin prices in late 2025.

TeraWulf (WULF) released 2025 earnings on Thursday, reporting a fourth-quarter loss of $1.66 per share, compared with a loss of $0.21 per share a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance had expected a $0.16 loss.

Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 totaled $35.8 million, including $26.1 million from digital assets and $9.7 million from high-performance computing (HPC), down from $50.6 million in the third quarter. Analysts had expected an average of $44.1 million.

For the full year, Terawulf’s revenue rose from $140.1 million in 2024 to $168.5 million, expecting further growth in 2026 with $12.8 billion in signed AI and HPC contracts.

Advertisement

“We are advancing build schedules and optimizing design to support next‑generation AI workloads at scale,” TeraWulf’s chief technology officer Nazar Khan said.

TeraWulf plans to double total capacity with Kentucky and Maryland sites

TeraWulf plans to expand its infrastructure in 2026 with the acquisition of a site in Kentucky (MISO) and a planned acquisition in Maryland (PJM).

The company expects these acquisitions to add 1.5 gigawatts (GW) to its platform, more than doubling its current capacity and bringing total owned platform capacity to approximately 2.8 GW across five sites.

Source: TeraWulf

Together, the sites form a multi-year development path capable of supporting 250-500 megawatts (MW) of critical IT capacity annually, allowing TeraWulf to scale with growing AI demand while maintaining disciplined capital deployment and credit-backed contracts.

“We enter 2026 with 522 critical IT MW of contracted HPC capacity and a gross 2.9-GW multi-regional platform designed for long-term expansion,” CEO Paul Prager said.

Advertisement

Related: Bitcoin miner MARA posts $1.7B quarterly loss on BTC slump

Bitcoin mining companies have struggled as the cryptocurrency’s price fell from around $125,000 in early October to nearly $60,000 by February 2026, according to TradingView.

At $67,982 at the time of publication, Bitcoin is trading well below the estimated average cost to mine one coin, $87,310, according to MacroMicro.

The decline has intensified pressure on miners to pivot into AI and HPC, fueling a broader rush into data center operations.

Advertisement

Magazine: Bitdeer sells all Bitcoin, Metaplanet rejects misconduct claims: Asia Express