Cardano Drops 5.323% Amid ETF Speculation, DeFi Integration Hopes

Cardano's latest price was $0.5426, down 5.323% in the last 24 hours. The cryptocurrency is once again in focus as speculation around a potential U.S.-approved ETF surfaces. Market analyst CryptoPatel shared a technical chart via TradingView alongside a tweet stating there’s a “90% chance for a Cardano ETF by October 23.” The post hinted that current ADA price action could represent calm before a possible breakout, and drew attention to long-term accumulation patterns. The chart covers ADA/USDT on a bi-weekly timeframe and outlines a multi-year trend channel beginning in 2020. It tracks ADA from its extended bear cycle through the 2021 rally, and maps out projected movements into 2027. ADA has been trending within a wide ascending channel since its breakout in 2020. The lower boundary of this channel has acted as support across multiple cycles, while the upper trendline has contained price surges. This structure provides a consistent framework for long-term analysis. In late 2020, ADA price broke above a sloping resistance line, which lead to its all-time high. That move marked the beginning of an uptrend within the channel. Since then, price has fluctuated but continued to respect both support and resistance boundaries of the channel. Between $0.24 and $0.35, a clear support base has formed. ADA price tested this level multiple times from mid-2022 to 2024. The zone overlaps with the channel bottom and is identified as an accumulation area in the chart. ADA current price near $0.5459 suggests a modest rebound from that zone. Recent candles show consolidation, which may suggest accumulation rather than immediate upward momentum. A key resistance band exists between $1.00 and $1.45. ADA price has failed to close above this range during past rallies. If price approaches this zone again, it may encounter selling pressure. The Cardano chart also outlines a potential breakout path, with targets at $2.00 and $2.89. These align with long-term resistance levels and the upper channel trendline. CryptoPatel’s tweet tied the possibility of an ETF approval to the current chart setup. The projection indicates a possible staged breakout, with accumulation leading to a long-term move above $2. The combination of technical structure and external catalysts such as ETF news is drawing renewed attention to ADA next potential cycle.

A new chapter may be unfolding in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space as Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson signals a groundbreaking offer: full support for integrating Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, into the Cardano ecosystem, at no cost. The announcement, shared by crypto analyst Merlijn The Trader, is already sparking predictions of surging liquidity and growth for Cardano’s DeFi infrastructure. In a video posted by Merlijn The Trader, Charles Hoskinson made a direct appeal to the XRP community, stating: “We’d like to find a path to bring RLUSD on Cardano. We will do the integration for free because we like the XRP community.” This unexpected overture comes as a surprise to many, considering the historically tense relationship between members of the XRP and Cardano communities. Hoskinson’s gesture marks a significant shift in tone from competition to collaboration and underscores a broader movement within the blockchain sector to promote interoperability and shared innovation. By eliminating financial and technical barriers, the offer opens the door for swift and seamless integration of Ripple’s enterprise-grade stablecoin. RLUSD, Ripple’s stablecoin launched in December 2024, is fully backed 1:1 by U.S. dollar reserves and designed to meet both institutional compliance requirements and retail usability. Built for fast settlement and cross-chain functionality, RLUSD has already gained traction on the XRP Ledger and EVM-compatible blockchains. Integrating RLUSD into Cardano’s native DeFi ecosystem would provide immediate access to reliable, stable liquidity, allowing users to participate in lending, yield farming, and decentralized trading without needing to exit the Cardano network. It would also create a bridge for XRP community members to explore DeFi opportunities within Cardano. According to Merlijn The Trader, the potential impact is massive. He predicts that if RLUSD becomes operational on Cardano, the network will witness an influx of liquidity providers (LPs), a sharp increase in Total Value Locked (TVL), and a significant evolution of its DeFi ecosystem. “If this gets executed… LPs flood in. TVL spikes. DeFi on Cardano levels up,” Merlijn noted. This integration could be the catalyst Cardano needs to compete with other leading DeFi ecosystems. While Cardano is known for its strong academic and technical foundations, it has struggled to match Ethereum or Solana in DeFi activity. RLUSD could act as a key anchor asset, offering users low-risk yield opportunities and encouraging more cross-chain liquidity plays. If realized, this integration would represent more than just a technical upgrade; it would signal a major milestone in blockchain cooperation. A free RLUSD integration would forge a direct connection between Ripple and Cardano, two of the most influential Layer 1 protocols in the crypto space. Such synergy could help decentralize liquidity across networks and give rise to new multi-chain DeFi strategies, allowing users to access broader financial tools with lower friction and greater efficiency. It also highlights a growing maturity within the industry, where leaders like Hoskinson recognize the value of building bridges rather than walls. While the integration remains in its proposal stage, the community response is already gaining momentum. Should Ripple respond positively, technical collaboration could begin sooner than expected, potentially altering the DeFi landscape in 2025 and beyond. For now, both the Cardano and XRP communities and the broader crypto market are watching closely. The success of this initiative could signal the start of a new era in blockchain innovation: one powered not just by code, but by cooperation.

Cardano continues to make significant strides in regulatory acceptance and ecosystem activity. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission granted approval for a groundbreaking multi-asset cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund that includes Cardano among its holdings, alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. This landmark decision, approved for trading on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2025, represents a major step towards institutional integration for the Cardano network within the traditional financial landscape.

Network activity demonstrates notable movement, particularly among large holders. While retail participation shows signs of decreased engagement, significant entities often referred to as 'whales' have actively accumulated substantial amounts of ADA. Data indicates these large investors purchased approximately 490 million ADA tokens during this period, suggesting continued long-term confidence within certain segments of the investor base despite shifting retail sentiment. This divergence in behavior highlights differing perspectives on the network's trajectory.

Further underscoring institutional recognition, Cardano was included in Grayscale's top crypto returns list, coinciding with a measured increase in network utilization. On-chain activity, a key metric reflecting user engagement with the blockchain itself, rose by 10.7% during this timeframe. While broader market conditions remain a factor, this uptick in fundamental network usage points to sustained underlying demand for the platform's capabilities. Concurrently, overall market attention translated into a reported 91% surge in Cardano's trading volume, indicating heightened interest and speculative activity around the asset, though the specific drivers extend beyond simple price action.