Hey, interesting things are happening on the Ripple network lately. A few days ago, validator Vet shared that the XRP Ledger was processing over 120 transactions per second, with blocks of 600 to 700 transactions each. That’s quite a lot of activity, really. What caught attention is that most of these transactions come from cancellations of offers on DEX. In other words, traders are adjusting positions, not opening new ones aggressively. Vet even shared a video showing 35 seconds of live flow to give an idea of the density and speed. The network is really handling the volume well. The community had mixed reactions. BankXRP called it "the internet of value," believing that the ripple coin is fulfilling its promise. But Vet was very clear: although the activity is significant, it’s mainly cancellations, not large-scale value transfers. For those sending the transactions, of course, it’s valuable, but it’s not exactly what some expected. The most interesting part is that Vet sees this as an important stress test. According to him, when markets explode higher, activity will be much greater. This gives time to further optimize the network before that happens. Some critics questioned whether this should affect the XRP price, but Vet was direct: why would it? The focus should be on technical performance, not the price. And look, the network is clearing huge volumes of transactions instantly. In the end, although this peak doesn’t translate into immediate price movement, it shows that the ripple coin’s infrastructure is ready to handle much more activity. With increasing DEX usage and these ongoing load tests, the network is positioning itself well for more intense market cycles.

I recently came across an interesting piece of news in Japanese fintech. Rakuten Wallet, this Japanese giant, has just officially integrated Ripple (XRP). Starting from April 15th, over 100 million Rakuten members can directly buy and sell XRP, which is a significant move for the Japanese market. I noticed that the scale behind this is quite astonishing. Rakuten Pay currently has 44 million active users, and the entire Rakuten ecosystem has over 100 million members. More importantly, they hold approximately $23 billion in points assets. Now, these points can be converted into XRP, circulated within Rakuten’s payment system, and finally exchanged for Rakuten cash to spend at over 5 million merchants across Japan. From a market perspective, what does this mean? Even if only 1% to 5% of points users attempt to convert to XRP, it could generate potential buying pressure of over $230 million to $1 billion. Some estimates suggest this could bring an additional daily trading volume of $5 million to $20 million for XRP. Currently, XRP is priced around $1.41, with a 24-hour decline of about 2.68%. This large-scale retail adoption could potentially change the supply and demand dynamics in the market. Honestly, this is one of the most significant milestones for Ripple in Asia. The recognition by Japan’s financial system indicates that XRP is transitioning from a mere crypto asset to a practical payment tool. If Rakuten’s integration proceeds smoothly, other Japanese financial institutions might follow suit, which is a very positive signal for the future development of the entire XRP ecosystem.

The XRP price decline situation has become quite serious. I have observed a significant drop in XRP's price over the past few weeks. It is currently trading at $1.41, with a risk of falling below $1.50. Bitcoin has also fallen to $77.44K, indicating a negative sentiment across the entire market. Last month, a substantial decline was seen in XRP's price. Ethereum has dropped to $2.32K, Solana to $85.44, and BNB to $631.70. It is clear that the entire crypto market is under significant pressure. The fear among traders is quite strong, and liquidation talks are circulating. There are several reasons behind the XRP price decline. Trump's tariff policy, uncertainty regarding the Federal Reserve's policy, and the negative stance of institutional investors are involved. However, some investments are still seen in spot XRP ETFs, but this is not enough to stop the sell-off. I have doubts about the future situation. If the $1.50 support breaks, there could be further decline to $1.25. But if buyers return, a recovery toward $2.00 is also possible. Currently, the XRP price trend continues downward, and caution is essential in this market.