Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (April 4) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.
Bitcoin and Ethereum price update
At the time of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) had recovered to US$83,879.15, up 2.3 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has brought a low of US$81,950.04 and a high of US$84,497.52.
Bitcoin performance, April 4, 2025.
Chart via TradingView.
The crypto market staged an apparent recovery by the end of Friday’s trading session. US President Donald Trump’s announcement of new global tariffs has unsettled financial markets, as reflected in risk assets.
Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$1,808.88, a 1.3 percent increase over 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,772.16 and a high of US$1,823.14.
Altcoin price update
Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$122.36, up 6.2 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$114.16 and a high of US$123.31 on Friday.
XRP is trading at US$2.12, reflecting a 3.5 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$2.04 and a high of US$2.15.
Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.27, showing a 2.4 percent increase over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$2.18 and a high of US$2.30.
Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.6606, reflecting a 3.5 percent increase over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Friday was US$0.6667, with a high of US$0.6325.
Crypto news to know
Trumps tap crypto after Trump Organization’s ‘cancellation’
Eric Trump has revealed to CNBC that his family’s business pivoted toward the cryptocurrency sector following what he describes as ‘unprecedented financial deplatforming.’
After the Trump Organization faced legal scrutiny and banking restrictions — including the closure of over 300 accounts by Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF) — the Trump brothers decided to turn to digital assets.
This led to the creation of World Liberty Financial, a US dollar-backed stablecoin venture, and American Bitcoin, a new Bitcoin-mining company co-founded with Hut 8 (NASDAQ:HUT) CEO Asher Genoot.
According to Eric Trump, the shift to crypto was as much about financial opportunity as it was about resistance.
He claims that during what he calls a ‘war on the industry,’ major banks were shutting down accounts simply for holding Bitcoin, and regulatory agencies were targeting crypto firms through aggressive lawsuits.
Now, with Donald Trump back in the White House, the US has taken a more crypto-friendly stance, including signing an executive order to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve and pardoning Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.
Atkins moves closer to SEC chair position
US lawmakers in the Senate Committee on Banking voted to advance Paul Atkins as chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday (April 3) through a final vote of 13 to 11.
If approved, Atkins will take over for Gary Gensler, who resigned as chair on January 20. Gensler’s term ends in June 2026, after which Atkins will serve a second consecutive term that will terminate in 2031.
Atkins’ nomination will now move to a full Senate vote on a yet-to-be-determined date. Experts predict a likely confirmation. Interim Chair Mark Uyeda is currently sitting in the role.
Coinbase files for XRP futures contracts
Crypto exchange Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) filed on Thursday with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to launch futures contracts tracking Ripple’s token, XRP.
“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,” Coinbase said in an X post that day, adding that it anticipates that the contract will go live on April 21.
Monthly-settled, margined contracts will trade under the symbol XRP. Each contract will represent 10,000 XRP, worth about US$20,000 at the current value. Trading will halt if the spot XRP price deviates over 10 percent in an hour.
In other news, Grayscale filed an S-1 application with the SEC on Friday to convert its Grayscale Solana Trust into a spot SOL exchange-traded fund trading under the ticker symbol GSOL.
Circle, Klarna and Chime may delay IPOs
A Friday report from the Wall Street Journal suggests that stablecoin firm Circle may delay its initial public offering (IPO). The event was originally slated for April 11, according to the firm’s S-1 filing.
“Circle had been nearing its next steps in going public but is now watching anxiously before deciding what to do,” the news outlet’s report reads, before suggesting that fintech companies Klarna and Chime may also postpone their IPOs amid ongoing market turmoil triggered by the unfolding global trade war.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.