The past three months have brought significant changes to the cryptocurrency market. XRP, Cardano, and Ethereum stand out with notable advancements at technical, regulatory, and institutional levels.
XRP: Legal Wins and Global Payment Expansion
Recent legal successes and international licenses are reviving XRP. The SEC officially dropped its lawsuit against Ripple Labs, removing a multi-year legal cloud over the token. Ripple also gained VARA approval in Dubai to use XRP for cross-border transactions, making it the only licensed asset for that purpose in the region. An increase in wallet users further strengthens XRP's fundamental position.
Cardano: Ecosystem Development and Scaling
The Cardano community recently approved a $70 million core development budget aimed at upgrades such as the Hydra layer-2 scaling protocol and Project Acropolis modular architecture. The launch of the Plomin hard fork this month triggered a quick price rise as developers and investors reacted positively. With over 2,000 projects in its ecosystem and new integrations like Brave browser support, Cardano is becoming increasingly capable of competing with Ethereum-level infrastructure.
Ethereum: Institutional Flows and Pectra Upgrade
Ethereum is benefiting from a combination of institutional interest and technical improvements. The Pectra upgrade, completed in late July, improved staking caps, sped up transactions, and enhanced wallet usability. Institutional investments are rising, and regulatory clarity is fostering adoption in corporate treasuries. Staking levels have reached record highs, with over 36 million ETH locked, reducing supply and supporting prices. Rumors circulate that BlackRock might have purchased $103 million worth of Ethereum, boosting market optimism.
All three altcoins are showing strong momentum as we move into the latter half of 2025. XRP is leveraging legal and regulatory breakthroughs, Cardano is scaling its infrastructure, and Ethereum is solidifying its position as the backbone of DeFi and institutional crypto. While discussions of 1,000% gains in the short term may be excessive, these fundamental shifts can lead to long-term market revaluations.
