Now that the US markets have closed again, it is of course time for an update on the live Bitcoin (BTC) price and the prices of the top 25 crypto. In addition, we share the latest news surrounding Ripple (XRP) and Cardano (ADA). Finally, we look at a known and new form of crypto crime with insider trading and ‘pig butchering’.
We begin, of course, with the live Bitcoin (BTC) price and the prices of the top 25 crypto.
Live Bitcoin (BTC) price and prices top 25 crypto remarkably flat
At the time of writing, the live Bitcoin (BTC) price is quoting EUR 22,967.99 ($23,375.03). This is 0.02% lower than during our crypto update yesterday.
In addition, we see that the prices of most coins in the crypto top 25 are also remarkably flat. The biggest gain is with +2.15% for Near Protocol (NEAR) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) records the biggest loss with -4.05%. However, if you look at the live crypto prices you will see that there are remarkably many results of around + and – 1% recorded.
Crypto whales Cardano (ADA) don’t happen (yet) in Vasil hard fork
Meanwhile, in the run-up to the Vasil hard fork, Cardano (ADA) has rolled out the Rosetta update across its blockchain. This update should make it easier for developers to deploy their blockchain -after building it once- everywhere. The Rosetta update did not cause any major price fluctuations.
Despite the fact that the Cardano (ADA) price has a reputation for rising quickly in the run-up to major updates like the Vasil hard fork is sure to do, investors don’t seem overly excited right now. For example, during the recent bull-rally, the coin’s price rose “only” 31% while other crypto currencies showed much higher returns during that run.
The whales don’t seem to be biting yet either. If we look at the Cardano (ADA) whale statistics we see that the number of whales is actually decreasing. We also see that the whales’ investments in the past month were only $0.2 million. So it remains to be seen whether the enthusiastic noises from the crypto market are going to be converted into resounding price increases and the Cardano (ADA) price record that some investors foresee. Perhaps the market will move when the date of rollout of the Vasil hard fork becomes known.
Ripple (XRP) records victory in case against SEC and makes fight
It was a busy and energizing crypto day for Ripple (XRP). For example, the SEC again objected to a court decision in the case the SEC brought against them. This again involved the submission of the Hinman papers. Although the judge has previously ordered the SEC to insert them into the litigation, the SEC has now challenged this decision. First, they argue that they would be internal draft papers, making them irrelevant to the litigation.
Since this sounds a bit strange since Hinman used these papers as the basis for his public speech, the SEC has additionally invoked a privilege. With that, many crypto investors think that these documents could be crucial (and in Ripple’s favor) in the trial. The judge is known for not being afraid to put pressure on the SEC, so we are curious to see how this plays out.
Crypto roosters Schwartz and Buterin fly at each other’s throats
In addition, Ripple (XRP) top man David Schwartz and Ethereum (ETH) top man Vitalik Buterin flew at each other. The feud between the two top men goes back to 2020 when XRP representatives called Ethereum “China controlled. This was not forgotten by Buterin and he finely recalled it when a discussion erupted today about whether a $300,000 cap as proposed in Canada for Ripple (XRP) was justified. Especially since Ethereum (ETH) was given an exemption from this cap.
Twitter won’t load because you didn’t give permission.
“The goverment should punish projects that disagree with our narrative” seems pretty on brand for ETH.
– 𝙳𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚍 𝚂𝚌𝚑𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚣 (@JoelKatz) August 18, 2022
Finally, there was also action among the Ripple (XRP) whales. Indeed, WhhaleAlert reported that 767 million XRP were moved. 50 million of that was from the organization behind the crypto currency that sold these coins (worth nearly 19 million) for fiat money.
In addition, many of the transactions were from exchange to exchange. So we cannot infer a bullish or bearish trend from this.
Want to stay up to date with the latest price developments?
You can always follow the developments yourself with our WANT crypto analyses or the background articles and previews on the crypto market and Bitcoin. Of course, you can also follow the live quotes 24 hours a day if you want to stay informed in real time. Are you interested in other investments besides crypto? Then our weekly Monday morning price forecast might be a reading tip. “Please note: We never give financial advice, so our contributions can’t be interpreted that way either. Always do your own research and decide on rational grounds if, when, what and how much you want to invest in.”