Ripple’s Circle Acquisition Would Be ‘Disastrous’ for Crypto, Warns MetaLeX’s Shapiro

What’s another day in crypto without some alarm bells? 

As you know, Ripple and Coinbase are now locked in a multi-billion dollar bidding war to acquire Circle – the powerhouse behind USDC. The reported price tag is as high as $11 billion. This one could shake the foundation of the stablecoin market.

If Ripple wins, it wouldn’t just gain control of a major dollar-backed asset but could instantly become one of the most dominant forces in the entire ecosystem. And not everyone’s okay with that. 

Critics are already throwing up antitrust red flags and warning of potential chaos if the deal goes through.

Why does this acquisition matter so much? Here’s the buzz.

A Disaster Is Brewing

Gabriel Shapiro, founder of MetaLeX Labs, did not hold back when weighing in on the possible Ripple-Circle deal. 

“Making Ripple the largest asset issuer on every blockchain would obviously be disastrous and anticompetitive,” he warned, raising serious antitrust alarms.

Shapiro believes that if the acquisition goes through, it won’t sail past regulators.

“If a definitive agreement is signed, we will be at the DoJ’s and FTC’s doorstep, citing Ripple’s history of campaigns against Bitcoin and Ethereum…”

He also pointed to Ripple’s past behavior, calling out how the firm previously used its influence to hurt competitors – like when Chris Larsen teamed up with Greenpeace in 2022 to target Bitcoin mining. According to Shapiro, Circle needs to consider the Revlon doctrine, which requires companies to act in shareholders’ best interests –  including weighing antitrust risk.

Oof, a well-researched lash out! 

Rejected Offers, XRP Leverage & a Heated Bidding War

Reports suggest Ripple had initially offered around $4-$5 billion to acquire Circle earlier this year – but was turned down. Now, it’s apparently back at the table with deeper pockets, possibly combining cash and XRP reserves for a much higher bid.

“Ripple is setting on holdings at about $94 billion based on estimated around $40 billion in XRP at the current price at $2.37,” said Paul Barron in a now-deleted post. 

But legal roadblocks still exist – Ripple can’t easily liquidate those tokens without a judge’s nod.

On the other side, Coinbase holds a healthy balance sheet: around $8.5 billion in cash and nearly $2.8 billion in crypto investments. Yet despite its financial strength, it hasn’t made a move – raising questions. 

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Circle’s Fate: Ripple, Coinbase… or a Surprise Player?

While Ripple appears aggressive, Coinbase may still have the edge – especially with U.S. regulators likely to scrutinize Ripple’s bid harder. 

“If Coinbase wanted to buy them, Circle would sell in a heartbeat,” one banker reportedly said.

And let’s not rule out a dark horse. Firms like Japan’s SBI Holdings, one of the biggest XRP holders, could jump in with support.

Ripple’s acquisition push could shift stablecoin dynamics overnight. But if Shapiro’s warnings play out, this could turn into a defining moment for crypto’s future. Hopefully, a good one. 

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