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XRP price outlook as velocity hits 1-year peak

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XRP price grinds higher as XRP Ledger stablecoin velocity hits a 1-year peak, signaling rising real payment activity behind the price action.

Summary

XRP price and market snapshot

As of Feb. 18, XRP (XRP) is trading around $1.48, with 24‑hour moves roughly flat to slightly positive (about +0.1% to +0.7% depending on venue).

Data shows XRP at $1.48 with a 24‑hour change of +0.11%, a circulating supply near 60.92 billion tokens and a market cap close to $89.96 billion. CoinMarketCap and other trackers broadly confirm a 24‑hour volume in the $2.2–$2.4 billion range and total XRP supply of roughly 100 billion.

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XRP price outlook as velocity hits 1-year peak - 1

For context, Bitcoin trades near $67,900, down about 0.8–0.9% on the day, on more than $33 billion in 24‑hour volume. Ethereum changes hands around $1,998–$2,000, up about 0.5% over the last 24 hours, with spot volume near $2.7 billion.

Velocity on XRPL: capital actually moving

Stablecoin value is accruing to the XRP Ledger, and relatively fast. Roughly $425 million in stablecoins now sit on XRPL, up 6.6% over the 30 days ending Feb. 12, with Ripple’s RLUSD accounting for about 83% of that pool. In monetary terms, that base is the ledger’s “money stock.”

The more important signal for price, however, is velocity. According to one analyst, “Stablecoin transfers rising can often be an even more informative piece of information than stablecoin supply rising, because it hints that people are actually moving money rather than just parking it.” Over the last 30 days, XRPL processed around $1.2 billion in stablecoin transfer volume, a 57.5% jump that the author calls “a huge surge in volume, to say the least.”

In macro terms, you have a growing stock ($425 million in stablecoins) turning over faster ($1.2 billion in transfers), meaning each unit of capital is circulating multiple times a month. That rising throughput supports fee burn, forces participants to hold XRP as reserve collateral, and tends to anchor speculative rallies in actual payment activity rather than pure narrative.

Implications for XRP price path

The XRP Ledger (XRPL) is getting used for what it was built to do. In other words, velocity is laying the rails before price tries to break out. Higher payments flow can attract more businesses and developers to build on the ledger, and they’ll need to buy and hold some XRP to do so, while more activity means more XRP is being used to pay transaction fees.

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Still, does this mean you should drop $2,000 into XRP today? For traders used to beta‑chasing, the message is blunt: watch the velocity and on‑chain cash flow first; the sustainable leg higher in XRP likely comes only once that fundamental usage persists through the current drawdown.

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$150B in US Tax Refunds Could Fuel Fresh Crypto Inflows, Historical Data Suggests

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A flood of fresh cash might about to land in crypto. Roughly $150 billion in tax refunds will hit U.S. consumer accounts by the end of March.

Some analysts think part of that money could drift straight into risk assets. Including crypto. Wells Fargo strategists say this refund wave, boosted by 2026 tax incentives, may quietly fuel retail participation again.

And the timing is interesting. Markets are sitting at key technical levels. If even a fraction of that capital rotates into digital assets, the retail bid could show up right when it matters most.

Key Takeaways

  • $150B Liquidity Wave: Wells Fargo analysts project roughly $150 billion in refunds will be distributed by late March.
  • Refunds Are Up 11%: Early IRS data shows the average refund size has jumped to $2,290, increasing retail purchasing power.
  • Retail Catalyst: Historical data suggests the “refund effect” correlates with increased inflows into retail-heavy crypto assets.

Why Does Refund Season Matter for Crypto?

Liquidity moves markets. And right now, the U.S. Treasury is about to inject a wave of it. After the One Big Beautiful Bill passed in July 2025, tax cuts boosted refund sizes for a lot of Americans.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has already hinted that refunds this season could be “very large.” That means more disposable cash landing in bank accounts.

Historically, lump sum payouts like this do not just go toward bills. A slice often flows into investments. And in recent cycles, that has included digital assets. Retail participation tends to rise when people feel flush.

Refund averages usually peak around mid February. That timing lines up with the current surge in activity across several altcoins. When fresh cash meets technical breakout zones, the reaction can be sharper than most expect.

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The Data: Bigger Checks, Faster Deposits

The early numbers for the 2026 filing season are already coming in hot. By February 6, the IRS had processed more than 20.6 million returns and sent out nearly $16.954 billion in refunds.

The average check is now around $2,290, up roughly 10.9% from last year.

Source: Tax Foundation

Direct deposits are even higher, averaging about $2,388. And the money moves quickly. Most e filers see funds within about 21 days, which means that cash is ready to be deployed almost immediately.

Another wave is coming too. Once PATH Act restrictions lift after February 15, refunds tied to the Earned Income Tax Credit start flowing. Historically, that second wave is larger and hits later in February.

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Fresh liquidity entering an already concentrated exchange environment can have an outsized effect. Especially if even a small slice finds its way into risk assets.

Will This Trigger the Next Leg Up?

Tax refund season hitting at the same time as improving regulatory tone is not random timing. It creates a strong backdrop for risk assets. Funding rates are already flashing extremes, which tells you shorts are crowded.

If even a fraction of retail refund money rotates into spot crypto, that buying pressure could trigger a fast short squeeze.

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The macro tone adds fuel. Political signals around clearer crypto legislation are improving sentiment. When retail feels regulatory risk is fading, confidence returns quicker.

Over the next six weeks, roughly $150 billion will move into consumer accounts. Not all of it will hit crypto, but it does not need to. Even a small percentage can shift momentum in a leveraged market.

Keep an eye on the weekly IRS updates toward the end of February. That data will show whether the liquidity wave is building or already peaking.

The post $150B in US Tax Refunds Could Fuel Fresh Crypto Inflows, Historical Data Suggests appeared first on Cryptonews.

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New Zealand Dollar Weakens After Central Bank Decision

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New Zealand Dollar Weakens After Central Bank Decision

The New Zealand dollar weakened today after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) announced its decision to keep interest rates unchanged.

While the decision itself was widely expected, the accompanying forecasts drew attention due to their dovish tone. According to the official statement:
→ monetary policy is likely to remain accommodative for some time, although the possibility of a rate hike in the fourth quarter was not ruled out;
→ inflation is returning to the target range.

The currency market reacted by pushing the NZD lower against major counterparts. NZD/USD, for example, fell to its lowest level in nearly two weeks.

Technical Analysis of NZD/USD

The New Zealand dollar had been showing bullish momentum since late autumn 2025, resulting in the formation of an ascending channel. Notably, the channel’s median line shifted from acting as resistance to serving as support (highlighted by the thicker lines).

It is worth noting that the reversal from the 21 January peak — where price touched the upper boundary — occurred in a sharp manner. Near the 2025 high, bears appear to have regained confidence and seized the initiative.

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→ From a bullish perspective, the aforementioned median line may provide support.
→ From a bearish standpoint, a descending trend line drawn through the lower high of 12 February may act as resistance.

Against this backdrop, it is reasonable to assume that the market could enter a consolidation phase over the coming weeks.

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This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

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Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund Exits ETHZilla as Ether Treasuries Strain

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Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund Exits ETHZilla as Ether Treasuries Strain

Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund has fully exited Ether treasury company ETHZilla, according to a Tuesday filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

Entities linked to Thiel now report owning zero shares in the company in a 13G amendment filed on Tuesday, after disclosing a 7.5% stake on Aug. 4, 2025. 

At that time, the group beneficially owned 11,592,241 shares of what was then known as 180 Life Sciences Corp., representing 7.5% of the 154,032,084 shares outstanding and worth about $40 million based on trading at around $3.50 per share in early August.

Founders Fund 13G Filing with SEC. Source: SEC

180 Life Sciences rebrands to ETHZilla

180 Life Sciences raised $425 million in July 2025 to launch an Ether treasury strategy and rebrand as ETHZilla. 

The company later moved to raise another $350 million via convertible bonds in September to expand its Ether (ETH) holdings and deploy them across decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenized assets, at one point holding more than 100,000 Ether.

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Related: Bitmine’s staked Ether holdings point to $164M in annual staking revenue

ETHZilla began unloading tokens as markets turned, liquidating 24,291 Ether for $74.5 million in December 2025 at an average price of $3,068.69 per token, to repay debt, leaving about 69,800 ETH on its balance sheet.

Strain on Ether treasury company models

Thiel’s exit is the latest stress signal for public companies with crypto treasuries built around Ether rather than Bitcoin (BTC). 

Other large Ether accumulators are taking different approaches. BitMine Immersion Technologies, the largest listed Ethereum holder, acquired a further 40,613 ETH on Feb. 9, lifting its total holdings to more than 4.325 million ETH, worth about $8.8 billion at current prices.

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Trend Research, on the other hand, began unwinding its entire Ethereum position this month, selling 651,757 ETH for about $1.34 billion on Feb. 8, locking in an estimated $747 million realized loss.

ETHZilla has since tried to diversify by launching ETHZilla Aerospace, a subsidiary offering tokenized exposure to leased jet engines. However, Thiel’s exit magnifies how volatile Ether‑heavy treasury strategies have become in a market still digesting last year’s peak.

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