Ripple CTO's Playful Bitcoin Jab Coincides with Regulatory Probe and Institutional Shifts

Crypto analyst Rajat Soni disclosed on social media platform X that he received a 'Notice of Investigation' from the CFA Institute for allegedly promoting Bitcoin as a 'risk-free' asset, highlighting increased regulatory scrutiny over risk communication by crypto professionals. Soni argued in a thread: 'Bitcoin is not volatile. Fiat is volatile. We use fiat to price Bitcoin. If you have a 4+ year time horizon, BUY BITCOIN.' This sparked a debate, with Ripple CTO David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz responding sarcastically: 'Bitcoin is not the same now as it was 50 years ago,' a playful nod to Bitcoin's 2009 launch, emphasizing its evolving market context.

Amid this, Ripple is advancing its institutional payments strategy, having raised $500 million in a private funding round, valuing the company at approximately $40 billion, while postponing IPO plans. The focus is on expanding enterprise products, stablecoin rails like RLUSD, and cross-border settlement infrastructure. Ripple is supporting the Federal Reserve's proposed 'skinny' master account to grant non-banks access to Fed settlement, which could streamline RLUSD reserve redemption and boost adoption. Pilot programs with Mastercard and Gemini are testing RLUSD for fiat card settlement, bridging crypto and traditional finance.

Concurrently, Bitcoin whales are shifting strategies, moving hundreds of millions in BTC from dormant wallets into spot Bitcoin ETFs due to tax advantages and regulatory legitimacy. This rotation may tighten on-chain supply, potentially supporting price dynamics. At the time of reporting, Bitcoin was trading around $106,000, with bullish momentum building.