Crypto News Today, 27th March : XRP News, Pi Network, Ghibli-Themed Memecoins Surge

ChatGPT-4o’s new image generation feature has sparked a wave of Ghibli-style art on social media, fueling the rise of Ghibli-themed memecoins. At least 20 such tokens have launched, with the leading one, GHIBLI, reaching a $20 million market cap within 19 hours of its debut. The trend highlights how viral AI-generated content can rapidly influence crypto markets, especially in the memecoin space.

Ripple has teamed up with Chipper Cash to enable fast, low-cost cross-border payments into Africa using Ripple Payments. Serving 5 million users across nine countries, Chipper Cash will now offer 24/7 global transfers powered by blockchain. This partnership expands Ripple’s footprint in Africa, following its 2023 deal with Onafriq. With over $70B processed and 60+ licenses, Ripple continues to lead in crypto-enabled payment infrastructure worldwide.

Paul Atkins, President Trump’s nominee for SEC Chair, has pledged to introduce a clear and innovation-friendly regulatory framework for digital assets. In prepared Senate testimony, Atkins criticized the current crypto oversight as “ambiguous and non-existent,” calling for a “rational, coherent, and principled” approach. A longtime crypto advocate, Atkins disclosed up to $6M in crypto-related assets, including stakes in Anchorage Digital and Securitize. However, his nomination faces backlash over past ties to FTX and potential conflicts of interest.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin sent 250 ETH (worth around $500K) to privacy protocol Railgun about 7 hours ago. Known for his strong stance on crypto privacy, Buterin has previously said “privacy is normal.” Railgun uses a privacy pool system designed to protect user anonymity while preventing misuse by bad actors—aligning with Buterin’s vision of a secure yet transparent crypto ecosystem.

Harpie, a chain firewall project aimed at preventing crypto theft, has announced it will cease operations. Backed by major players like Coinbase and Dragonfly, Harpie aimed to build a theft-free crypto ecosystem. However, the team stated they were unable to develop a sustainable business model to support their mission, leading to the project’s shutdown.

Binance Futures will list a PAXGUSDT perpetual contract on March 27, 2025, at 10:30 UTC, offering up to 75x leverage. Pax Gold (PAXG) is a gold-backed crypto by Paxos, and this contract will settle in USDT. Key features include a tick size of 0.01, funding rate capped at ±2%, and settlements every four hours. The contract supports 24/7 trading and Multi-Assets Mode, allowing margin in BTC and other assets.

Former President Donald Trump warned of larger import tariffs on the EU and Canada if they cooperate to harm the U.S. economy. He posted on Truth Social, threatening “large scale tariffs” to defend America’s interests. Despite the bold warning, financial markets held steady—Bitcoin hovered below $88K, DAX futures dipped 0.3%, and U.S. markets remained flat. Analysts credit Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comment that tariff-driven inflation may be temporary for calming investor nerves.

Solana-based Ghibli-themed memecoins are surging after ChatGPT-4o launched image generation in Studio Ghibli style, sparking viral posts online. Notably, Elon Musk and Sam Altman joined the trend, boosting visibility. GHIBLI, the top token, hit a $20.8M market cap within 19 hours, soaring 39,010%. Over 20 similar tokens have launched, signaling a possible memecoin revival. However, like CHILLGUY—which dropped 95% after peaking—trading such tokens remains highly risky despite their social-driven appeal.

Upbit has announced support for WAL (Walrus) token deposits via the Sui network starting March 27 at 7 PM KST, with trading to begin later once liquidity is secured. WAL powers Walrus, a decentralized storage network using Erasure Coding to store and recover unstructured data efficiently. Trading will initially have restrictions, including a 5-minute buy limit and 1-hour order type limit. Only verified wallets are allowed for deposits. WAL is used for payments, security, and governance within the Walrus ecosystem.

Grayscale Research highlights Sui as a rising star among smart contract blockchains. Unlike Ethereum, Sui handles high transaction volumes without needing extra scaling layers. Though it holds just 0.3% market share in Grayscale’s crypto sector, Sui has rapidly grown, reaching $830M in TVL within a year. With a strong TVL-to-market cap ratio of 2.16, Grayscale sees Sui as a serious contender to challenge Ethereum’s dominance.

Over the past three days, Bitcoin has seen a balance between Long and Short positions, with Longs slightly ahead. However, Longs have clearly dominated over the past week. Major liquidation zones are around $89K and below $83K. No matter which way Bitcoin moves next, many traders are expected to face liquidations due to heavy positioning near these key levels.