Seeds of Wisdom RV and Economic Updates Monday Afternoon 9-16-24

September 16, 2024 DINARRECAPS8

Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,

LAWMAKER CALLS ON CFTC TO REGULATE ELECTION MARKETS AS POLYMARKET ACTIVITY FALTERS AMID UNCERTAINTY

Lawmaker warns that banning election betting could fuel illegal platforms, threatens election integrity.

Congressman Ritchie Torres has called on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to regulate election-related prediction markets rather than blocking them.

In a letter addressed to CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam, Torres urged the regulator to focus on promoting responsible innovation and working with platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket to ensure such markets are regulated rather than pushing traders towards illegal, unregulated platforms.

Torres’ letter followed a Sept. 6 court ruling that partially overturned the CFTC’s efforts to prevent Kalshi, a US-based prediction platform, from offering election-related contracts. He emphasized that further legal challenges could harm both election integrity and consumer protection, allowing illegal platforms to flourish.

Torres wrote:

“The CFTC has a mandate to promote responsible innovation.”

He urged the agency to collaborate with regulated market participants, ensuring election-related contracts are conducted transparently and securely within regulated markets.

Polymarket declines amid uncertainty
Polymarket has seen a significant decline in activity over the last few days as regulatory pressure and uncertainty over election betting continue to mount.

According to Dune Analytics, Polymarket’s daily active traders dropped by nearly 40%, from 12,595 on Sept.11 to 7,627 by Sept. 15. The platform’s daily trading volume also fell dramatically, down 85.6%, from $37.2 million to $5.35 million over the same period.

The drop in activity follows the CFTC’s proposal to limit certain event contracts, particularly those related to political outcomes. The regulator has expressed concerns about the potential for manipulation in such markets, citing instances where fabricated information, like a fake poll involving musician Kid Rock, distorted market prices.

Despite the regulatory challenges, Polymarket has gained some mainstream recognition, with Bloomberg recently integrating the platform into its financial terminals. The move suggests that interest in decentralized prediction markets is growing, even as regulators scrutinize the sector more closely.

Intensifying debate
The debate over election prediction markets intensified on Sept. 6 when a federal court ruled in favor of Kalshi, allowing the platform to offer election-related contracts. The platform hailed the decision as a historic moment, stating that for the first time in 100 years, Americans could legally trade on election outcomes.

However, the CFTC quickly filed an emergency motion to stay Kalshi’s election markets, citing concerns about potential manipulation. The agency has argued that election markets could undermine public trust in the democratic process.

The CFTC’s actions have faced criticism from lawmakers like Torres, who urged the watchdog to accept the court’s ruling and focus on regulating these markets to ensure transparency and consumer protection.

Torres wrote in his letter:

“The CFTC should be focusing on regulating exchanges, protecting consumers, and safeguarding the integrity of elections.”

He warned that continued legal battles could push traders toward unregulated platforms, further jeopardizing election integrity.

@ Newshounds News™

Source: CryptoSlate

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RIPPLE JOINS HANDS WITH HEDERA AND APTOS LABS TO LAUNCH MICA CRYPTO ALLIANCE

▪️Ripple, Hedera and Aptos Labs, founding members of DLT Science Foundation, made a key announcement on Monday.

▪️The three firms launched the MiCA Crypto Alliance to enhance compliance with EU markets in crypto assets regulation.

▪️XRP hovers around $0.5600 on Monday.

Ripple (XRP) made a key announcement alongside other founding members of a crypto alliance. The DLT Science Foundation is behind the effort, Ripple partnered with Hedera and Aptos Labs.

XRP erased recent losses and held steady above $0.5600 on Monday.

Daily digest market movers: Ripple leads effort for crypto alliance launch

▪️Ripple partnered with crypto firm Aptos Labs and distributed ledger technology-based Hedera for the DLT Science Foundation. The DLT Science Foundation (DSF) is a non-profit organization that promotes blockchain technology adoption among firms.

▪️The foundation’s mission is to create an open ecosystem and work with industry, academia and developer communities.

▪️DSF announced the launch of the MiCA Crypto Alliance for better coordination among industry members and for navigating the regulatory landscape in the European Union (EU).

▪️The alliance aims to foster cooperation between firms navigating the EU’s regulation pertaining to innovation in blockchain technology.

▪️MiCA sets strict disclosures for Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) and expects centralized exchanges and crypto firms to disclose climate impact of operations, among other details, through white papers and online descriptions accessible to the public.

Technical analysis: XRP eyes double-digit gains
XRP has been in a multi-month downward trend since its July 2024 top of $0.9380. The native token of the XRP Ledger erased recent losses and trades at $0.5731, above support at $0.5600.

Newshounds News™

Source: FX Street

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Ripple Stablecoin is for All, Including Retail Investors: XRP Ledger Validator

Vet, an XRPL dUNL validator, has debunked speculations that the highly anticipated Ripple stablecoin RLUSD is only for institutional investors.

In an X post, the dUNL validator stated that RLUSD is for everyone, both institutions and retail users. According to him, a compelling ecosystem would need an all-rounded adoption to thrive. As a result, Ripple will need both retail and institutions to boost the stablecoin’s utility

RLUSD is for Everyone
Vet further asserted that institutions would play an important role in RLUSD distribution, creating a path to widespread adoption of the stablecoin. He stated that institutions would receive RLUSD from the XRP Ledger and distribute it to users.

It bears mentioning that retail traders and some institutional investors cannot assess stablecoins directly. USD-pegged assets are usually minted in treasuries and distributed to certain institutions. These organizations, in turn, move them to other institutions and exchanges.

As a result, Vet noted that retail traders and other institutions would access RLUSD through exchanges and automated market makers. This would allow the stablecoin to be widely used for cross-border payments and consequently provide liquidity on the XRP Ledger.

Vet’s analogy supports community pundit WrathofKahneman’s stance on the boiling issue. The XRP community enthusiast stated that the misconception that institutions alone would use RLUSD was false.

WrathofKahneman pointed out that Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) requires retail traders. Hence, creating a stablecoin for seamless cross-border transactions without the inclusion of retail is not rational. Notably, the actual date for the launch of RLUSD remains a mystery, with Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse noting it will debut in weeks.

The RLUSD Institution Theory
The notion that RLUSD was only for institutional investors came up from a comment by Ripple’s chief technology officer, David Schwartz. In an X post, Schwartz stated that the Ripple stablecoin would only be accessed directly by institutions.

He likened the scenario to Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC, noting that retailers cannot directly access the stablecoins. Schwartz reiterated the same notion in another post, asserting that retail only acquired these stablecoins from exchanges and not directly from their treasuries.

It bears mentioning that RLUSD has been speculated to replace XRP as a bridge asset for ODL transactions. However, Schwartz stated that the stablecoin, which is in beta testing on the XRPL mainnet and the Ethereum network, would complement XRP, providing broader options for users.