U.S. crypto giant Coinbase Institutional said on Friday it had submitted a filing to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to roll out futures contracts tied to Ripple’s closely related XRP token.

«We’re excited to announce that Coinbase Derivatives has filed with the CFTC to self-certify $XRP futures — bringing a regulated, capital-efficient way to gain exposure to one of the most liquid digital assets,» it said in an X post. «We anticipate the contract going live on April 21, 2025.»

According to the filing, the XRP futures will operate as a monthly, cash-settled, margined contract, trading under the ticker XRL. Each contract mirrors XRP’s price, settled in USD, and represents 10,000 XRP — roughly $20,000 at the current $2 per token valuation.

Traders will have flexibility, with contracts available for the current month plus the following two, though a safeguard halts trading if XRP’s spot price swings over 10% within an hour.

When launched, the product will be the second after Chicago-based Bitnomial’s CFTC-regulated XRP futures that went live in March. XRP prices are down 2% in the past 24 hours, in line with a broader market drop.

An oversold market and reactions to U.S. tariffs may be a thing of the past with traders now eying new economic data and rate cuts in the coming months — with expectations of a bitcoin bounce in the near term.

Crypto markets saw high volatility on Wednesday and Thursday in the run-up to the tariff announcement, where President Donald Trump levied a minimum 10% fee on all imports to the country.

Major tokens bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), Solana’s SOL, XRP (XRP), and others, zoomed ahead of the speech and slumped as global markets fell, reversing all gains from the start of the week.

Markets have since shown an uptick in prices on Friday morning, with BTC steady above $83,100, ETH retaking $1,800 and XRP, SOL and ADA rising over 2%.

Ahead of Trump’s speech, investors transferred larger volumes of Bitcoin, ETH, and XRP into exchanges, suggesting a growing intent to sell, per a CryptoQuant note shared with CoinDesk on Thursday. Bitcoin transactions surged to as much as 2,500 BTC in a single block just hours after Trump began speaking.

In the U.S., Coinbase also saw a rise in bitcoin deposits, particularly from large holders.

Similarly, ETH inflows into exchanges spiked to an hourly peak of approximately 80,000 ETH. XRP transfers into Binance jumped to 130 million in one hour, up from under 10 million XRP per hour throughout most of the previous day.

These rising exchange inflows reflected investor willingness to exit positions amid growing economic uncertainty, CryptoQuant said, with demand for Bitcoin and ETH declining in the perpetual futures market as traders closed their long positions to take profits.

But with headwinds behind and a new economic data set to be released later Friday could provide the impetus for a short-term relief in markets.

Attention is on the non-farm payroll report scheduled for a Friday release. The monthly U.S. economic indicator released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the change in employment, reflecting job creation, unemployment trends, and wage growth, offering insight into economic health.

“Investors are bracing for signs of softness in the U.S. labour market,” Singapore-based QCP Capital said in a Telegram broadcast earlier Friday. “ A weaker-than-expected print would bolster the case for further Fed rate cuts this year, as policymakers attempt to cushion a decelerating economy.”

Data shows markets are pricing in four rate cuts in 2025 — 0.25 bps each in June, July, September and December. Rate cuts occur when a central bank, like the Federal Reserve, lowers interest rates to stimulate economic growth by making borrowing cheaper.

Bitcoin, and the broader market, tend to react positively to rate cuts, as lower rates reduce the appeal of traditional investments like bonds, driving investors toward alternatives like BTC. Additionally, a weaker dollar can enhance BTC’s value as a hedge against inflation or currency devaluation.

QCP Capital said it continues to observe elevated volatility in the short term, with more buyers of downside protection.

“That said, with positioning now light and risk assets largely oversold, the stage may be set for a near-term bounce,” the fund said.

For years, the crypto market has thrived on speculation, where excitement, hype and fleeting trends attract value instead of fundamentals. Investors have continually poured money into tokens fueled by viral moments, chasing rapid gains. Time and again, a select few of these investments soar to incredible heights, only to come crashing down. With over 33 million tokens in circulation, the competition to attract attention gets harder and harder and investor attention is ever more fleeting. But DePIN can change this. With compelling businesses attracting real customers and revenue built on well designed token economics, DePIN can set a new standard of fundamentals in crypto.

As our DePIN Token Economics Report outlines, Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) offer a number of compelling businesses with fundamental value. Unlike typical crypto projects driven by speculation, DePIN offers a different approach. It uses blockchain technology to support real-world infrastructure, creating tangible value and generating real revenue. Instead of relying on hype, it builds a financial system based on actual demand, making it a more sustainable and practical model.

Rather than resembling major crypto networks like Bitcoin or Ethereum, DePIN operates more like capital-light marketplaces such as Uber and Airbnb, but with key distinctions. While both models connect providers with customers without funding infrastructure, DePIN providers are compensated in tokens that can appreciate in value, akin to Uber drivers or Airbnb hosts receiving equity. Additionally, most DePINs sell to businesses which eliminates the need for massive marketing expenses required in building a consumer brand.

DePIN offers a compelling business model and, unlike memes that come and go, it is the beginning of crypto’s transformation into a mature, revenue-generating industry.

From Hype to Revenue-Driven Models

At its core, DePIN represents a paradigm shift. Traditionally, blockchain-based businesses have relied on hype to attract buyers. In the absence of traditional fundamentals, the industry cycled through endless metrics such as TPS, TVL, Telegram channel size, followers on X and many others. Many projects have attempted to build decentralized ecosystems. But, without real customers paying for services, they have largely functioned as economies fueled by speculation rather than external demand.

DePIN changes this by integrating blockchain technology with physical and digital infrastructure, creating compelling services that generate revenue. Whether it is decentralized cloud computing, wireless networks, mapping or storage solutions, DePIN projects offer services like traditional businesses and with customers who pay for usage. When combined with the correct token economics, it creates a sustainable financial model.

As DePIN generates growing revenue, it is likely to draw institutional investors who have long been skeptical of crypto’s reliance on hype and speculation. The projects that successfully correlate the token demand to actual business growth will not only survive the current market but also set the standard for the next generation of blockchain companies

The report also highlights one of the most compelling aspects of DePIN, the use of buy-and-burn, which removes the need to have an expanding pool of new buyers. Instead, these projects use a portion of their revenue to repurchase and burn tokens, permanently reducing supply and potentially driving long-term price appreciation similar to stock buybacks.

This approach is in stark contrast to most of crypto which relies on new buyers to sustain and grow their value.The buy-and-burn model ensures that as DePIN businesses grow and generate more revenue, their token ecosystems become more resilient to market fluctuations. Some DePIN tokens are already demonstrating this by decoupling from broader crypto market trends, proving that real-world adoption can lead to price stability and long-term investor confidence.

Aligning Incentives for Sustainable Growth

While DePIN offers significant potential, it also comes with challenges. One major concern is transparency, as most projects lack traditional financial reports, audits, or clear revenue statements. However, blockchain itself provides a solution — on-chain verification through buy-and-burn mechanisms allows for real-time financial tracking, giving investors a clearer picture of a project’s health.

Another challenge is customer adoption. Many businesses and consumers remain concerned due to crypto’s volatility. To address this, DePIN projects are introducing fiat payment options and stablecoin rewards, making it easier for everyday users to interact with these decentralized services without needing prior crypto or Web3 experience.

For DePIN to succeed, its incentive structures must be designed to keep all stakeholders — providers, users, and investors aligned. One way to achieve alignment is through staking mechanisms, especially in cloud-based networks where service providers lock up tokens as collateral to guarantee reliability. Projects like Filecoin and Fluence already use this approach, ensuring accountability while strengthening network security. Others, such as Render and Livepeer, take a different route by distributing a share of network revenue to token stakers, creating a system similar to dividends that rewards long-term commitment.

Governance will also be critical as DePIN projects decentralize. To prevent large token holders from short-term profiteering for quick gains, new governance models like quadratic voting and weighted staking are emerging. These frameworks help keep decision-making balanced, ensuring that projects remain sustainable and fair as they evolve.

DePIN isn’t just another blockchain investment vehicle, it is laying the foundation for real, decentralized infrastructure. While meme coins have shown that crypto can generate hype, they rarely create lasting value. In contrast, DePIN is developing businesses that can compete with centralized companies by focusing on real-world utility.

With token models backed by revenue, deflationary supply mechanics, and increasing interest from institutional investors, DePIN is redefining how blockchain networks should function. The projects that successfully address capital efficiency, align incentives, and navigate regulatory challenges will be the ones that lead this next phase of decentralized technology.

As DePIN matures, its token models will continue to evolve. Optimizing capital efficiency through transparent buy-and-burn rates will ensure liquidity while maintaining long-term value. Governance structures will adapt to prevent short-term actors from derailing network growth. By 2026, DePIN will be recognized as the benchmark for sustainable blockchain economies, proving that crypto can function as more than a speculative asset class.

The crypto industry stands at a crossroads. Investors, developers, and institutions must choose between supporting unsustainable token models or supporting projects that create real value. For the space to mature, it needs to move beyond pure speculation, and DePIN is at the forefront of that transformation.