RLUSD Surges 122% in One Month as Stablecoins Take Over

gm Defiers!

Ripple’s stablecoin has experienced a significant surge, climbing 21% in just two days time this week to a $294 million market cap. Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market recorded mild gains on Friday, buoyed by promising macroeconomic data, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP all recording price increases.

In other news, the DeFi sector continues to face turbulence, with DeFAI, AI Agents, and DeSci emerging as some of 2025’s worst-performing crypto sectors. As the space struggles with instability, projects like Lens are pushing forward, with the decentralized social ecosystem launching its mainnet on Ethereum Layer 2.

✍️ In today’s newsletter:

• RLUSD market cap nears $300 million
• Crypto market gains on Friday following carnage on Thursday
• TRUMP memecoin plummets following tariff rollout
• Synthetix’s sUSD depegs below $0.92
• Hyperlane announces $HYPER airdrop date
• Treasure DAO restructures
• DeFAI, AI Agents, and DeSci wipe out in 2025
• Aave Founder’s Lens launches on mainnet

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RLUSD Market Capitalization Surges 21% After Ripple Payments Integration

Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin recorded a major boost this week, with its market cap jumping 21% to $294 million following integration with Ripple Payments. Launched in December 2024, RLUSD has surged 122% over the past month.

Crypto Market Rebounds Slightly After Tariff-Induced Losses

The cryptocurrency market rebounded on Friday, supported by positive macroeconomic data, following significant losses on Thursday due to President Trump's trade tariffs. Bitcoin rose 1% to $82,700, while Ethereum gained nearly 1% to $1,790.

TRUMP Memecoin Plummets as Tariffs Roil Markets

The TRUMP memecoin dropped another 13% to a $9 billion valuation. After peaking at a $75 billion FDV in January, the token has slid steadily. The most recent selloff has been amplified by Trump’s tariff policies.

Synthetix’s Stablecoin sUSD Depegs to Below $0.92 Twice This Week

Synthetix’s sUSD stablecoin slipped below its dollar peg twice this week, dropping over 8% to just above $0.91. Core contributors acknowledged the instability and attributed it to excess supply.

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Stablecoins are exploding, projected to hit $230 billion in 2025, bridging traditional finance and blockchain. Leaders like Tether and Circle, alongside innovations like Ethena’s yield-generating USDe, are driving adoption. They’re slashing cross-border payment times and costs, and powering DeFi’s growth. But are they a valuable inroad for institutions or a Trojan horse? As on-chain finance continues to grow and innovate, banks and other established financial institutions face a choice: adapt or risk obsolescence. Will stablecoins empower traditional finance to capitalize on the new value being generated by Web3, or serve as the seed for decentralization? Platforms like Stellar that enable compliant issuance may offer a middle path.

READ MORE: Stablecoins: Institutional Game-Changer or Web3’s Trojan Horse?

Hyperlane Sets $HYPER Airdrop Date on April 20

Hyperlane has scheduled its airdrop and token generation event (TGE) for April 20, with over 340,000 wallets eligible to claim tokens by April 13.

Treasure DAO Restructures and Cuts Costs in Attempt to Survive

Treasure DAO is undergoing a major restructuring, shutting down its game publishing arm and L2 chain in a bid to survive. Chief contributor and co-founder John Patten explained the move in a video on X on April 2.

DeFAI, AI Agents, and DeSci Have Been Obliterated in 2025

DeFAI, AI Agents, and DeSci have become 2025’s worst-performing sectors. DeFAI leads the slump with a 91% YTD drop, followed by AI Agents at 81% and DeSci at 75%, as hype fades and market demand dries up.

Aave Founder's SocialFi Protocol Lens Launches Mainnet with 650K Users

SocialFi ecosystem Lens has launched its mainnet Lens Chain on April 4, migrating from Polygon to its own Ethereum Layer 2. The shift involved moving 125 GB of data from over 650,000 users.

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🌍 ELSEWHERE

• Michael Saylor offers blunt response on why Bitcoin dips with stocks (TheStreet)
• DeFi TVL Falls Below $95 Billion, Down 30% From December Levels (CoinMarketCap)
• Bitcoin Holders Double Down in Early April as Value Buyers Step In, Veterans Hold Firm (CoinDesk)

🔥TRENDING

• Hyperlane Sets $HYPER Airdrop Date on April 20
• Uniswap DAO Advances $111 Million Program to Boost Governance Participation
• Crypto Market Holds Firm as Trump Readies "Liberation Day" Tariffs
• Exclusive: Top Vault Protocol Veda is Expanding to Solana
• Bringing Intellectual Property Onchain with Story Protocol | Jason Zhao
• Privacy Pools Go Live on Ethereum, With Vitalik Buterin As One of the First Users