DZ Bank, one of Germany’s largest banking groups by assets, secured a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), clearing a key regulatory hurdle to operate crypto services within the jurisdiction. 

DZ Bank announced Wednesday that it had received approval from Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) to operate its crypto platform, “meinKrypto,” which is designed to provide crypto trading infrastructure to banks within Germany’s cooperative banking network. The platform will be made available to participating local banks in the coming months. 

Under the model, DZ Bank will act as the central operator of the platform, while individual cooperative banks will determine whether to offer the crypto services to their retail customers. Each participating bank must file a separate MiCA notification with BaFin before enabling crypto trading.

At launch, the offering will support Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Cardano (ADA) and will be integrated directly into the VR Banking App as a self-directed investment option. 

MiCA approval marks execution phase for DZ Bank’s crypto plans

The MiCA license marks a transition from planning to execution for DZ Bank’s crypto strategy, following years of regulatory preparation by European financial institutions. 

MiCA establishes a unified legal framework for crypto assets and related services across the EU, replacing fragmented national regimes with a single supervisory standard. 

DZ Bank’s approval allows it to legally operate crypto infrastructure under the framework. However, it does not automatically authorize retail distribution across its entire network.

Banks that want to offer crypto services to their consumers through the infrastructure must individually engage with regulators before offering crypto trading. 

The “meinKrypto” platform was developed jointly by DZ Bank and Atruvia, the IT service provider of Germany’s cooperative financial group.

Related: Spain’s Bankinter joins $35M Bit2Me round amid growing bank crypto alliances

Following through on earlier rollout plans

On Sept. 19, 2024, DZ Bank partnered with Boerse Stuttgart Digital to bring crypto trading and custody services to roughly 700 cooperative banks, with an initial rollout planned for late 2024. At the time, the initiative was framed as a phased deployment pending regulatory approvals. 

The approval resolves key uncertainty surrounding earlier plans, providing a clear legal basis for operating crypto services at scale within the EU. 

While widespread retail access is not immediate, the license positions DZ Bank as one of the first major banking groups to operationalize MiCA in practice.

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Cryptocurrency investment products pulled in about $47 billion of inflows in 2025, just shy of 2024’s total amid new crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) launches in the US.

Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) logged $47.2 billion in inflows last year, 3% below 2024’s record of $48.7 billion, according to European crypto asset manager CoinShares.

Bitcoin (BTC) inflows fell sharply in 2025, with a 35% drop from $41.7 billion in 2024 to around $27 billion, while Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP) and Solana (SOL) ETPs saw substantial gains.

Despite falling short of 2024, global crypto ETP assets under management (AUM) rose to about $180 billion in late 2025, up from $160 billion the previous year.

Ether, XRP and Solana led the way in 2025

Ether ETPs posted the strongest gains in 2025, with inflows totaling $12.7 billion, up 138% from $5.3 billion the previous year, according to CoinShares head of research James Butterfill.

Solana funds recorded the highest growth rate, surging 1,000% to $3.6 billion from $310 million in 2024, while XRP investment products rose 500%, to $3.6 billion from $608 million.

“The remaining altcoins saw a decline in sentiment with a fall in inflows YoY of 30%,” Butterfill noted.

The US sees majority of inflows at $47.2 billion

The US attracted the bulk of crypto fund inflows in 2025, totaling $47.2 billion, or a 12% decline from 2024.

By the end of 2025, US crypto funds held $152.6 billion in AUM, representing 84% of all crypto assets managed by global crypto ETPs.

Germany saw the strongest growth, with inflows jumping from just $43 million in 2024 to $2.5 billion last year. Canada also recorded a notable recovery, rising from $600 million in 2024 to $1.1 billion in 2025.

Related: Spot Bitcoin ETFs snap 7-day outflow streak with $355M as liquidity improves

Week-wise, crypto ETPs kicked off 2026 with $671 million in inflows last Friday, bringing total inflows for the week to $582 million, Butterfill noted.

The gains followed two weeks of selling at the end of December, which saw outflows of $446 million and $952 million, respectively.

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Asset manager Bitwise says its Solana staking exchange-traded fund has tallied $55.4 million in trading volume on its debut trading day on Tuesday, alongside the launch of two other altcoin ETFs from Canary Capital.

The trading volumes on the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) were the largest out of all crypto ETFs launched in 2025, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said on Tuesday, beating out the launches of XRP (XRP) and Solana (SOL) staking ETFs from REX Osprey.

BSOL attracted around $223 million in assets prior to launch, which Balchunas said signaled increasing institutional engagement and confidence in being exposed to staking, rewards for those who lock up cryptocurrency on the blockchain to validate transactions.

Wall Street’s appetite for crypto has expanded beyond market leaders Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) as asset managers now eye launching exchange-traded products tied to riskier cryptocurrencies or featuring novel mechanisms such as staking.

BSOL beats predictions

BSOL’s $55.4 million trading volume surpassed Balchunas’ pre-launch estimate of $52 million, while the Canary Capital HBAR ETF (HBR) closed its debut trading day at $8 million, also matching the analyst’s prediction.

The Canary Capital Litecoin ETF (LTCC) saw $1 million, below Balchunas’ estimate of $7 million.

Ether ETFs outshine for altcoin fund debut

BSOL’s debut trading volume was, however, a fraction of the $1.08 billion in trading volume noted by the nine spot Ether ETFs that launched last July, the first of the altcoin funds to launch in the US.

Related: Polymarket will likely start initial US relaunch in November: Report

Mostly outflows from Grayscale’s converted Ethereum ETF Trust accounted for $458 million of that tally, while the BlackRock-issued iShares Ethereum Trust ETF raked in $248.7 million.

Bitwise’s spot Ether ETF product also saw $94.3 million, considerably higher than how its Solana product fared today.

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Canary Capital’s spot Litecoin exchange-traded fund is in limbo after the US Securities and Exchange Commission took no action on Thursday, the original deadline for it to make a decision.

The SEC’s silence has left the crypto community uncertain about how the regulator will function amid a federal government shutdown and how its new generic listing standards would affect the timelines of dozens of crypto ETF applications awaiting approval.

Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart and FOX News reporter Eleanor Terrett noted that the old 19b-4 deadlines for crypto ETF applications may no longer be relevant, as the SEC has asked applicants to withdraw them, leaving the S-1 registration statement as the sole document requiring regulatory approval.

However, overshadowing that is another layer of uncertainty surrounding the government shutdown.

In August, the SEC posted an “Operation Plan” in the event of a government shutdown, stating it would “not review and approve applications for registration.” This includes new financial products, self-regulatory organization rule changes, and reviewing or accelerating the effectiveness of registration statements.

It is unclear whether the SEC’s silence on Canary’s spot Litecoin ETF is solely due to the government shutdown or whether it is also a result of the new generic listing standards, which would render the 19b-4 deadline irrelevant.

Canary withdrew its 19b-4 last week, complicating the matter

Canary withdrew its 19b-4 application on Sept. 25 at the SEC’s request, which may have been a contributing factor to the SEC not deciding on Thursday. It is unclear what impact the 19b-4s will have on applicants who haven’t withdrawn that document.

pic.twitter.com/FmbMfWWaqe

— Litecoin (@litecoin) October 2, 2025

Cointelegraph reached out to the SEC and Canary for comment, but didn’t receive an immediate response.

SEC still open, but in limited capacity

In light of the government shutdown on Wednesday, the SEC stated that it would continue to operate, but with a “very limited” number of staff members available. 

The SEC said its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR) database would remain operational.

Altcoins look to add to $75 billion spot crypto ETF market in US

The market has been bracing for potential approval of several new spot crypto ETFs — including LTC and Solana (SOL) to XRP (XRP), Avalanche (AVAX), Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and Dogecoin (DOGE).

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Any approval would add to the US spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) ETFs currently available, which have attracted $61.3 billion and $13.4 billion in inflows since their launch last year.

Despite the setbacks, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said on Monday that the SEC’s new listing standards have bumped the odds of some spot crypto ETF approvals to 100%.

The listing standards are expected to streamline the process under Rule 6c-11, significantly reducing approval timelines, which typically take up to 240 days.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the new listing standards will reduce barriers to accessing digital asset products and offer investors more choice.

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A playful spat between the official social media account of cryptocurrency Litecoin and crypto influencer Benjamin Cowen has grabbed the attention of the broader crypto community heading into the weekend.

“Your head reminds me of the great recession,” Litecoin, the 21st-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, said in an X post on Friday, firing back at crypto influencer Benjamin Cowen after he poked fun at Litecoin’s (LTC) long-term price action against Bitcoin (BTC) with the caption “the quiet part.”

Cowen said, “Your market cap reminds me of the great recession.” Litecoin responded, “You could use a cap.” The jokes kept rolling. Litecoin said, “I call this the ‘No need for Head and Shoulders’ chart,” referencing the popular bearish reversal pattern.

Litecoin is down approximately 73% from its May 2021 all-time high of $410.26 and 67% down from its $25.89 billion market cap peak, now at $8.52 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.

However, the cryptocurrency has climbed roughly 69% over the past year.

The wider community joined in on the banter

Litecoin is no stranger to humor online; the project’s social media account often leans into memes and playful posts to engage its 1.2 million X followers.

Cowen, meanwhile, joked that he’d lost all his “hair trying to convince Litecoiners to convert to Bitcoin.” “A small price to pay for the greater good,” he added.

Light-hearted social media feuds are common in the crypto industry and are usually enjoyed by the community.

The back-and-forth social exchange captured the interest of the broader community, with the official social media account of cryptocurrency Dash also chiming in, commenting, “Price chart instantly means you’ve lost the argument.”

Cowen responded, “Dash is down 99% against Litecoin. Why don’t you sit this one out.”

The exchange led to some traders changing their tone on LTC

The ongoing exchange led some traders to suggest they were becoming more bullish on the asset. Bitcoin trader Tyler Durden said, “Buying Litecoin immediately.”

Related: LTC under $90: Buying opportunity or warning sign?

It comes as several asset management firms intend to launch Litecoin ETFs in the US.

On Feb. 6, asset management firm Grayscale applied to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list shares of the Grayscale Litecoin Trust as an exchange-traded product (ETP) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Arca.

Just a few months prior, in October 2024, asset manager Canary Capital filed registration documents for a spot Litecoin ETF with the SEC.

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Key points:

XRP struggles to break above the $2.35 resistance, pointing to a lack of demand at higher levels.

Rising odds of an XRP ETF approval could catalyze the next leg of an XRP rally.

Bloomberg’s exchange-traded fund specialists Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart project a 95% possibility of XRP (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Litecoin (LTC) ETFs being greenlit by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in 2025.

Could XRP’s price consolidation act as a launch pad for the next move higher, or will the bears pull the price lower? Let’s analyze the charts to find out.

XRP price prediction

Buyers pushed XRP above the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) ($2.24) on Monday, but the long wick on the candlestick shows selling at higher levels.

The 20-day exponential moving average (EMA) ($2.17) is the key level to watch out for in the near term. If the price rebounds off the 20-day EMA with force, it increases the likelihood of a break above the $2.35 resistance. If that happens, the XRP/USDT pair may surge to $2.65.

Contrarily, if the price breaks and maintains below the 20-day EMA, it signals that the bears are trying to seize control. The pair could slide to $2.06 and later to $2. Buyers are expected to defend the $2 level with all their might because a close below it opens the doors for a fall to $1.61.

Related: XRP price predictions above $3 in 2025 have one major flaw

The 4-hour chart shows that the bears are fiercely defending the $2.35 level. There is support at the 50-SMA, but if the bears prevail, the pair could drop to $2.06. This is a critical level for the bulls to defend because a break below $2.06 may sink the pair to $2.

On the contrary, if the price turns up from the 50-day SMA, the bulls will try to push the pair to the neckline of the inverse head-and-shoulders pattern. A break and close above the neckline completes the bullish setup, which has a target objective of $2.76.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Key takeaways:

SOL’s futures open interest surged to a 2-year high, reflecting growing institutional interest.

Rising competition from other blockchains and neutral funding rates continue to dampen SOL’s bullish momentum.

Solana’s SOL (SOL) failed to hold its bullish momentum after gaining 10% between Monday and Thursday. The cryptocurrency has shown weakness after testing the $180 level several times in May, but traders’ growing interest in leveraged positions could open the path to $200 and beyond.

On Wednesday, total open interest on SOL futures reached 46.2 million SOL, the highest in over two years and up 22% from the previous month. Demand from buyers is always matched by sellers, but the rise in activity signals increased participation from institutional investors.

With $7.4 billion in open futures positions, SOL is drawing more attention from savvy market participants. This creates more opportunities for arbitrage strategies like the “carry trade,” where investors buy SOL on the spot market and sell the futures contract. A liquid and active derivatives market supports these trades.

Even with these developments, many SOL investors are likely disappointed. The current $155 level remains well below the $294 all-time high. Meanwhile, the total crypto market cap is just 12% below its record. The sharp drop in Solana network activity has led investors to lower expectations for future SOL gains, making a return to $200 less likely.

Decentralized exchange (DEX) activity on Solana dropped to $10.5 billion per week, down from $29.2 billion just 30 days earlier. More notably, the 50% DEX market share peak in early January proved unsustainable, especially as trading volumes rose on BNB Chain and Hyperliquid became the clear leader in perpetual futures.

Unlike the Ethereum ecosystem, which involves more friction due to its reliance on layer-2 scaling solutions, BNB Chain competes directly with Solana by offering low fees and integrated tools for token launches. Its seamless connection with the Binance exchange also gives BNB Chain a clear edge in user experience.

SOL funding neutral as competition weakens investor confidence

To assess whether traders are turning bearish on SOL due to its recent underperformance and rising competition, it’s useful to examine perpetual futures funding rates. In a neutral market, funding should range between 5% and 15% annually, signaling that buyers (longs) are paying a premium to hold their positions.

The funding rate for SOL has fluctuated between neutral and slightly bearish levels, clearly moving away from the negative 7% seen on Saturday. More importantly, SOL futures have failed to hold above the 15% annualized funding threshold over the past 30 days, indicating a lack of strong bullish sentiment.

Related: DeFi Development to refile $1B Solana plan after SEC filing snag

Speculation around a potential spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) for SOL in the United States remains the most significant short-term price catalyst. Bloomberg analysts are confident that the US Securities and Exchange Commission will approve ETFs for Litecoin (LTC), SOL, and XRP by the end of the year.

At the moment, there is no clear sign that SOL is on track to reach $200, especially given the neutral funding rates in perpetual futures. Additionally, rising competition among decentralized applications has likely played a major role in weakening investor expectations for SOL.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has pushed back its decision on a proposed spot Solana exchange-traded fund (ETF), with the cryptocurrency industry now looking to the deadlines for the Polkadot and XRP-based ETFs in June.

The SEC pushed its decision on listing Grayscale’s spot Solana (SOL) Trust ETF on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to October 2025, according to a May 13 filing by the securities regulator.

The decision came the week after the SEC delayed its ruling on Canary Capital’s Litecoin (LTC) ETF, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart wrote in a May 5 X post.

Spot ETFs are viewed as key drivers of liquidity and institutional adoption for digital assets. For Bitcoin (BTC), the US spot Bitcoin ETFs accounted for an estimated 75% of new investment after launching, which helped BTC recapture the $50,000 mark in February 2024, a month after the ETFs debuted for trading.

While a Solana ETF may generate only a fraction of the inflows of Bitcoin ETFs, it could increase Solana’s institutional adoption in the long term by offering investors a “regulated investment vehicle” that may still attract billions of dollars in capital, Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget Research, told Cointelegraph.

Related: Solana co-founder proposes meta chain to fix blockchain fragmentation

Despite the latest delay by the SEC, the majority of investors are optimistic about the approval of a SOL ETF before the end of 2025.

Investors are predicting an 82% chance for a SOL ETF approval and an 80% chance for a Litecoin ETF approval before the end of the year, according to data from Polymarket, the largest decentralized betting platform.

Related: $1B Bitcoin exits Coinbase in a day as analysts warn of supply shock

Polkadot, XRP, DOGE ETFs await SEC decision in June

Several other crypto ETF applications are approaching SEC deadlines in June.

The SEC will decide on Grayscale’s Polkadot (DOT) ETF by June 11, and 21Shares’ Polkadot ETF on June 24, according to a court filing from the SEC.

On June 17, the SEC is set to make a decision on Franklin Templeton’s spot XRP (XRP) ETF and Bitwise’s spot Dogecoin (DOGE) ETF, official filings show.

However, those decisions may also be delayed. The SEC typically takes full advantage of its 240-day review period when evaluating crypto-related financial products, as seen in its handling of the Bitcoin and Ether (ETH) ETF applications in 2023 and 2024.

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A New York lawmaker has introduced legislation that would allow state agencies to accept cryptocurrency payments, signaling growing political momentum for digital asset integration in public services.

Assembly Bill A7788, introduced by Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, seeks to amend state financial law to allow New York state agencies to accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment.

It would permit state agencies to accept payments in Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), according to the bill’s text.

According to the bill, state offices could authorize crypto payments for “fines, civil penalties, rent, rates, taxes, fees, charges, revenue, financial obligations or other amounts,” as well as penalties, special assessments and interest.

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Cryptocurrency legislation is becoming a focal point in New York, with Bill A7788 marking the state’s second crypto-focused legislation in a little over a month.

In March, New York introduced Bill A06515, aiming to establish criminal penalties to prevent cryptocurrency fraud and protect investors from rug pulls.

Crypto-focused legislation has gathered momentum since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, with Trump signaling during his campaign that his administration intends to make crypto policy a national priority, as well as making the US a global hub for blockchain innovation.

Related: Illinois Senate passes crypto bill to fight fraud and rug pulls

New York may mandate state “service fee” on crypto payments

If passed, the bill would mark a significant shift in how New York handles digital assets. It would allow state entities to integrate cryptocurrency into the payment infrastructure used for collecting public funds.

The proposal also includes a clause allowing the state to impose a service fee on those choosing to pay with crypto. According to the text, the state may require “a service fee not exceeding costs incurred by the state in connection with the cryptocurrency payment transaction.” This could include transaction costs or fees owed to crypto issuers.

Assembly Bill A7788 has been referred to the Assembly Committee for review and may advance to the state Senate as the next step.

New York’s legislation comes shortly after the state of Illinois passed a crypto bill to fight fraud and rug pulls after the recent wave of insider schemes related to memecoins, Cointelegraph reported on April 11.

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