#USSeeksStrategicBitcoinReserve Rakuten Wallet Releases Point Conversion Feature to XRP Valid at 5 Million Merchants Rakuten Wallet users in Japan can now convert Rakuten Points into XRP. This feature allows users to leverage loyalty points into crypto assets that can then be used for transactions at over 5 million merchants within the Rakuten network. This move connects the loyalty ecosystem with blockchain-based digital payments, expanding the utility of points previously limited to internal services. With the conversion to XRP, users gain greater flexibility in using the value of their points, including for everyday payments. This integration also demonstrates how major technology companies are beginning to combine rewards systems with digital assets. Rakuten itself is known as one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Japan, with a wide network of merchants. This development reflects the increasing adoption of crypto in daily consumption activities, not just as an investment asset.

I just saw that Davinci Jeremie, that analyst who predicted Bitcoin when no one believed, released a pretty crazy thesis about XRP. He says it could reach $20 or more, although he literally admits he hates the project. The thing is, his technical analysis tells him it’s going way beyond $3... so well, when someone with that track record speaks, people listen. The odd thing is that XRP is currently at $1.39, up 0.21% in 24 hours. It was higher recently but dropped quite a bit this month, although interestingly it’s up +5.22% in the last 30 days. Nothing spectacular for now, but there are things moving in the background. What’s fueling the hype is mainly the case where Ripple won against the SEC—that cleared up a lot of regulatory uncertainty. Plus, there are rumors that an XRP ETF could be approved, and if that happens, just imagine the institutional flow that would come in. It happened with Bitcoin and it was huge. Honestly, Davinci Jeremie’s prediction sounds extreme, but it’s not like he’s pulling numbers out of nowhere. There’s momentum, there are legal catalysts, and investors are paying attention. Will it reach $20? That’s another story, but definitely XRP is on everyone’s radar now.

There is something fascinating happening with XRP that most people don't see at first glance. While the price seems stuck on the charts, beneath the surface the battle is intense. The pattern we are currently observing is a classic resistance pattern: pure consolidation, the phase where the market takes a breath before making an important decision. But here’s the interesting part. Ripple releases 1 billion XRP every month from its Escrow, and that is no small detail. It’s a constant selling pressure that the market must digest. Each massive supply injection keeps the price cautious, as if waiting to see whether the company will flood the market or if things will finally change. When a single entity controls so much currency, investors naturally become defensive. Then came the ETFs. Many believed they would be the definitive catalyst, but the flows have been moderate, nothing spectacular. It wasn’t the rocket we expected. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. What really matters is on the horizon of 2026. Ripple is building something different: integration of DeFi loans, enhanced privacy with ZK proofs, greater network utility. This isn’t a change for tomorrow; it’s a serious medium-term bet. If they succeed in getting institutions and users to truly utilize the network for these functions, everything changes. It would no longer be just about controlled supply versus demand, but whether the technology becomes truly indispensable. In the resistance pattern you see on the charts, there are clues. Those support and resistance levels are not random numbers; they are zones where the market has made decisions. The consolidation rectangle marks the accumulation zone, where patience is the strategy. The real question is this: will this be the year when technical utility finally wins against regulatory uncertainty? Or are we still in the longest waiting cycle we’ve seen? For now, the important thing is to keep those levels on the radar and watch whether the resistance pattern finally breaks upward or if we need more time. Technical indicators are there to guide us, but the real test will be if Ripple manages to make its network so useful that the market can no longer ignore it.