BTC at $87K, XRP Jumps 10% on Ripple's SEC Victory, First Solana ETFs, US Govt $1M BTC Buy: Mar 20

As of March 18, 2025, Bitcoin is trading at approximately $87,131.30, reflecting a 0.3% increase over the past 24 hours. Ethereum is priced around $2,032.58, down 1.23% in the same period. Crypto markets face major shifts as technical moves and political decisions drive new strategies. 

On March 7, 2025, at 3:10 AM UTC, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that creates a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Digital Asset Stockpile. Today marks a dynamic shift in the crypto market on March 19, 2025. The crypto market rallies with Bitcoin climbing to 87,131.30 USD on March 19, 2025 while gold reaches a record above 3,050 per ounce. XRP surges by 10% on legal news and new Solana ETFs hit the market. In addition, Congress moves ahead with a Bitcoin reserve bill. This surge comes on the back of a steady Fed decision and positive investor sentiment across multiple sectors.

 Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: Alternative.me 

The Fear and Greed Index has increased to 49, still indicating a neutral market sentiment. Bitcoin has remained below the $100,000 mark, experiencing limited whale accumulation and low volatility. 

 Industry Highlights

1. PancakeSwap’s 24-hour trading volume reached $2.672 billion, leading the DEX market.

2. Cosmos acquired an open-source EVM framework through Evmos.

3. Volatility Shares launches two Solana futures ETFs on March 20.

4. MyShell launched Shell Launchpad, an AI agent launch and tokenization platform.

Trade now on KuCoin

Source: BTC/USD 4H chart via Bitstamp on March 19, 2025. BTC dipped below the $87,000 range at 8:30 p.m. (ET) down to $86,745 per coin.

Investors benefit from a steady Fed stance as the Federal Open Market Committee holds rates at 4.25%-4.50%. Moreover, positive news on crypto stocks such as Bitdeer and Core Scientific boosts market mood. In addition, Ripple legal relief and a favorable regulatory outlook add to demand. Furthermore, technical analysis shows limited supply and strong buying pressure. In addition, gains of 7% seen in Ethereum and Solana and a 6% rise in the CoinDesk 20 index combine to push Bitcoin to 87,131.30 USD today. It reached an intraday high of $87,470 at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

Callie Cox, chief market strategist at Ritholtz Wealth Management, said that the U.S. central bank was signaling that any additional rate cuts would likely happen at the cost of battering stocks. “The Fed is no longer comfortable gliding to neutral as we get closer to their inflation target. I think you can argue that the soft landing is over,” she posted.

The Federal Open Market Committee holds rates steady on March 19, 2025. Moreover, Bitcoin rises by 4.5% to trade at 87,131.30 USD. In addition, the CoinDesk 20 index climbs by 6% and both Ether and Solana surge by 7%. Crypto stocks post gains and gold sets a new record above 3,050 per ounce. In addition, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says tariff-related inflation is transitory and recession risk remains low. 

Economist Mohamed A. El-Erian states "the word - 'transitory' - is back at the Federal Reserve as Chair Powell characterizes the price effects of tariffs as a one-off."

Source: KuCoin

Furthermore, XRP jumps by 10% after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announces legal relief on X. 

He states "This is it - the moment we've been waiting for. The SEC will drop its appeal. A resounding victory for Ripple for crypto every way you look at it." 

In addition, the SEC filed its lawsuit against Ripple in 2020 during President Donald Trump's term alleging Ripple raised 1.3B USD through unregistered securities sales. In 2023 Judge Analisa Torres ruled that institutional sales broke the law and imposed a fine of 125M USD. In addition, after the SEC filed a notice of appeal XRP holders suffered losses of 15B USD. 

Recent trends show the SEC dropping cases after former Chair Gary Gensler left and the chance for an XRP ETF rises.

Source: TradingView

Furthermore, Volatility Shares LLC launches two new ETFs that track Solana futures. Moreover, the Volatility Shares Solana ETF (SOLZ) offers standard exposure with a management fee of 0.95% while the Volatility Shares 2X Solana ETF (SOLT) provides leveraged exposure with a fee of 1.85%. In addition, Solana holds a market cap of 66.5B USD and the token rises by 6% in 24 hours. 

Analysts rate the chance for a spot Solana ETF approval at 75% by year-end. In addition, issuers such as Grayscale, Franklin Templeton and VanEck have filed for spot ETFs and the final decision may depend on the futures market strength and the confirmation of SEC Chair nominee Paul Atkins.

Source: WhiteHouse

Furthermore, Congressman Tom Emmer predicts that the BITCOIN Act will pass before this Congress ends. Moreover, the bill proposes that the US government acquire 1M BTC over five years and hold them for at least 20 years. In addition, Senator Cynthia Lummis reintroduced the act with support from five Republican Senators. 

The purchase will use Federal Reserve net earnings and adjustments to Treasury certificates based on Fed gold holdings. In addition, the legislation limits divestment to no more than 10% of the reserve within two years. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 7, 2025 regarding Bitcoin reserves while the US already holds nearly 200,000 BTC. In addition, twenty-three US states have proposed their own Bitcoin reserve measures.

Read more: Trump Orders Creation of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund: Could Bitcoin Play a Role?

Furthermore, today we see a market that surges with strength and bold moves. Moreover, Bitcoin climbs to 87K supported by stable monetary policy and strong investor demand. In addition, gold sets records while crypto stocks and Ripple gain momentum on legal relief. Furthermore, new Solana ETFs and congressional action on a Bitcoin reserve bill signal a shift in the market landscape. In addition, these developments reflect robust technical factors and a positive outlook that investors must watch closely as economic and regulatory trends evolve.