Ethereum Dominates Wall Street Tokenization as Crypto ETFs & DeFi Platforms Surge

Ethereum's Position in Wall Street's Tokenization Race

According to Decrypt, Ethereum is increasingly being recognized as the frontrunner in Wall Street's race toward tokenization. Etherealize co-founders Vivek Raman and Danny Ryan shared their vision for Ethereum's future, emphasizing its potential to become the global settlement layer for financial markets. They highlighted Ethereum's evolving economics, institutional adoption, and the network's robust infrastructure as key factors driving its success.

The discussion also touched on Ethereum's role in supporting a wide range of assets and its adaptability to institutional requirements. The co-founders believe that Ethereum's open and programmable nature gives it a significant edge over competitors, positioning it as the preferred platform for tokenizing traditional financial instruments.

"Etherealize co-founders Vivek Raman and Danny Ryan join Decrypt reporter André Beganski to offer a vision of Ethereum's future. Diving deep into tokenization, institutional adoption, and the network's evolving economics, they argue that Ethereum is poised to become the global settlement layer for Wall Street." (Decrypt)

Ethereum is seen as the leading platform for tokenization by industry experts.
Institutional adoption and network adaptability are key strengths.

Summary: Ethereum is positioned as the top choice for Wall Street's tokenization efforts, with experts citing its programmability and institutional appeal as major advantages. (Source: Decrypt)

Should You Buy Ethereum While It's Under $2,600?

A recent analysis by Yahoo Finance notes that Ethereum has rallied 50% in the past month, despite being nearly 50% below its all-time high from late 2021. The article points out that Ethereum's recent Pectra upgrade, which improves staking and usability, is a significant step toward increased scalability. Additionally, the GENIUS Act, a bipartisan bill setting a framework for stablecoins, could further boost the Ethereum ecosystem, which already hosts many stablecoins and decentralized finance (DeFi) projects.

Investor confidence in Ethereum appears strong, with blockchain analytics firm Santiment reporting that only 4.9% of Ethereum's supply is held on centralized exchanges—an all-time low. This limited supply on exchanges is often interpreted as a sign that investors are holding rather than selling. Despite concerns about scalability and competition from other blockchains, Ethereum remains the dominant platform for DeFi, with DefiLlama reporting over $60 billion in total value locked on Ethereum-based platforms.

Key Metrics	Value
Ethereum Price (as referenced)	Under $2,600
Recent Rally	+50% in the past month
ETH on Centralized Exchanges	4.9% of supply
DeFi Total Value Locked (TVL)	$60 billion
Standard Chartered Year-End ETH Forecast	$4,000

Ethereum's recent technical upgrades and regulatory developments could drive further growth.
Investor confidence is high, as indicated by low exchange balances.
Ethereum remains the leading DeFi platform by TVL.

Summary: Ethereum's price is rallying, technical upgrades are improving scalability, and investor confidence is strong, with a major bank forecasting a potential rise to $4,000 by year-end. (Source: Yahoo Finance)

XpFinance: New DeFi Platform on the XRP Ledger

As reported by GlobeNewswire, XpFinance has emerged as the first fully decentralized lending and borrowing protocol on the XRP Ledger. The project has already filled more than 20% of its 100,000 XRP presale soft cap within just a few days. XpFinance offers a noncustodial lending engine that leverages the speed and low fees of the XRP Ledger, aiming to address the lack of decentralized finance (DeFi) options for XRP holders.

The XpFinance presale allocates 60 million XPF tokens—30% of the total 200 million supply—at a rate of one XRP for 200 XPF. After the presale, XPF will be listed at one XRP for 140 XPF, giving early buyers a 30% price advantage. Token holders benefit from reduced borrowing fees, a share of protocol fees distributed in XRP, and governance rights over platform upgrades. A demo of the lending dashboard is set to be released next week, allowing users to simulate deposits and preview loan creation.

Presale Soft Cap	100,000 XRP
Presale Filled	20%+
XPF Token Presale Price	1 XRP = 200 XPF
XPF Listing Price	1 XRP = 140 XPF
Total XPF Supply	200 million
Presale Allocation	60 million XPF (30%)

XpFinance introduces decentralized lending to the XRP ecosystem.
Early presale participants receive a 30% price advantage.
Token holders enjoy reduced fees, passive income, and governance rights.

Summary: XpFinance is rapidly gaining traction as the first decentralized lending protocol on the XRP Ledger, with a strong presale and unique benefits for early adopters. (Source: GlobeNewswire)

Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs See $1 Billion in One Day

According to 99Bitcoins, Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs experienced over $1 billion in combined net inflows in a single day, marking their largest daily intake in months. Bitcoin ETFs accounted for the majority, with nearly $935 million in inflows, led by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which alone attracted $877 million. IBIT’s year-to-date inflows now exceed $7.7 billion, making it one of the most popular ETFs in the United States.

Ethereum ETFs also saw significant activity, with $110.5 million in inflows—their best single-day performance since February. Grayscale’s ETHE and Fidelity’s FETH were the leading contributors. For May, Ethereum ETFs have accumulated over $210 million in inflows, and this marks five consecutive days of positive flows. The total assets under management (AUM) for crypto ETFs now stands at $137.92 billion. The article notes that ongoing market momentum, rising Bitcoin prices, and inflation concerns are driving institutional investors toward crypto ETFs. However, the SEC has delayed decisions on in-kind redemptions, which could further impact the ETF landscape.

ETF	Single-Day Inflow	Year-to-Date Inflow
Bitcoin ETFs (Total)	$935 million	$44 billion (since January)
BlackRock IBIT	$877 million	$7.7 billion
Ethereum ETFs (Total)	$110.5 million	$210 million (May)
Total Crypto ETF AUM	$137.92 billion

Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs are attracting strong institutional inflows.
BlackRock’s IBIT is a leading ETF with $7.7 billion in 2025 inflows.
Ethereum ETFs are gaining momentum, with five consecutive days of inflows.
Regulatory clarity on in-kind redemptions is still pending.

Summary: Institutional interest in crypto ETFs is surging, with over $1 billion in daily inflows and total crypto ETF AUM reaching $137.92 billion. (Source: 99Bitcoins)

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