Ripple (XRP) continues an unresolved battle around the $1 mark. As of the 17th (Korean time), XRP is trading at around $1.00, and it recently dipped below this price level for the first time since November 2024.

■ Institutional Fund Inflows Plummet... Standard Chartered Cuts Target Price to Less Than One-Third

Underlying this sluggishness is a sharp decline in institutional fund inflows. Weekly net inflows into XRP spot ETFs shrank from $14.9 million the previous week to roughly $1 million. Compared with the initial post-launch period, when $1.3 billion poured in, the flow of funds has effectively dried up.

On this basis, Standard Chartered lowered its XRP target price from the previous $8 to $2.80, cutting it to less than one-third of the original level.

■ Cboe Files for 3x Leveraged ETF Listing... Some See "Altcoin Expansion" Coming

Another story that heated up the market the same day was a move to expand the derivatives market. The U.S.-based Cboe (Chicago Board Options Exchange) filed to list 3x leveraged ETFs covering not only Bitcoin and Ethereum but also gold, silver, crude oil, and natural gas, signaling an attempt to broaden a lineup of leveraged products that bundle digital assets together with traditional commodities.

No filing targeting XRP has emerged yet. However, some suggest that once leveraged products for major coins establish a foothold, the range could subsequently expand to altcoins. The proposal remains at the filing stage, making it difficult to predict whether or when it will be approved.

■ SafePal Data Breach... Stirs Wariness in the Coin Market

Security-related issues also cast a shadow over investor sentiment. Crypto wallet service SafePal announced that a vulnerability found in an order-tracking plugin allowed the personal information and order histories of approximately 39,798 users to leak externally. The company emphasized that seed phrases, private keys, and information on held assets were not part of the leak.

Although the matter has no direct connection to XRP, some observers note that the string of security incidents originating from wallets and plugins has heightened caution across the coin market as a whole.

[This article is intended to provide information only and does not recommend buying or selling any specific virtual asset or endorse any investment. Virtual asset prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate sharply over short periods. The outlooks, target prices, and technical indicators mentioned in the article reflect the views of the respective institutions and analysts and may differ from actual results. Responsibility for any gains or losses from investing rests entirely with the investor, so please be sure to review any investment decision carefully under your own judgment and at your own responsibility. AI assisted in part with this article.]