Crypto Shifts as Powell Signals Rate Cuts, TON Rallies, and Ripple Eyes Japan

Powell Puts September Rate Cuts Back in Play

Bitcoin rebounded 2% to $114K after Powell’s Jackson Hole remarks reignited hopes for a September cut. Ether swung harder, recovering 8% after a sharp correction.

Fed odds: CME’s tracker jumped back to ~90% cut probability.
Market impact: Stocks gained, yields slid to 4.27%, gold ticked higher.

⚠️ Crypto’s near-term path is tethered to Fed signals. Another hawkish turn could unwind gains fast.

TON’s $780M Treasury & Ledger Staking Push

The Open Network (TON) emerged as the week’s institutional darling:

Verb Tech disclosed $780M in Toncoin reserves.
Ledger Live integration slashed staking entry from 300K to just 10 TON.
Sharpe ratio flipped positive, signaling momentum.
Telegram exclusivity continues to give TON unmatched mainstream rails.

👉 Analysts suggest TON could power the next wave of crypto wealth.

Ripple & SBI Target Stablecoin Expansion in Japan

Ripple signed an MoU with SBI Holdings to roll out RLUSD via SBI VC Trade in early 2026.

RLUSD is fully licensed, backed by USD deposits and Treasuries.
Ripple’s compliance-first approach stands out in a $300B stablecoin sector eyeing trillion-dollar growth.
Recent credibility boost: RLUSD was used in Bullish’s $1.15B IPO settlement.

Japan could become a proving ground for regulated stablecoins in Asia.

Hedera & Injective Ride RWA and Institutional Momentum

Hedera (HBAR): Despite broader weakness, SWIFT began live blockchain trials with Hedera. Grayscale also filed an HBAR trust, fueling ETF speculation. Price eyes $0.25 if momentum holds.
Injective (INJ): Republic integrated Injective into its RWA platform, opening Launchpad access and wallet tools. While INJ trades at ~$13, bulls eye $20–30 if tokenization demand accelerates.

DOJ Signals a Softer Stance on Developers

In Wyoming, DOJ’s Matthew Galeotti reassured developers:

“Writing code without ill intent is not a crime.”
DOJ won’t use indictments as a backdoor to regulate crypto.
Clearer guidance arrives after Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet cases rattled the industry.

For builders, this marks a rare regulatory de-escalation moment.

Takeaway

Crypto remains chained to macro levers—Powell’s words can spark 10% swings overnight. Yet, structural shifts are unfolding:

TON is scaling institutional credibility.
Ripple is pushing stablecoins into regulated markets.
DOJ is cooling legal risks for developers.
RWA plays like Hedera and Injective hint at deeper Wall Street–DeFi bridges.

⚠️ Bottom line: Short-term volatility, long-term maturation.