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ETF Issuer Says XRP Is A Tactical Play For Institutional Investors, Here’s Why

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Institutional confidence in the cryptocurrency market is gaining new momentum, particularly with XRP, which is increasingly becoming a focal point for investors. A recent release by ETF issuer WisdomTree, now circulating across the social media platform X and amplified by crypto commentator SMQKE, is projecting XRP as a “tactical onshore play” for institutional portfolios. 

The endorsement shows the growing sentiment that XRP is no longer just a speculative asset, with many fervent bullish proponents predicting a $1,000 price point in the near future.

XRP As A Tactical Onshore Play

According to ETF issuer WisdomTree, the unique advantage XRP now offers is its fully onshore accessibility through CME-listed futures. This eliminates the reliance on offshore venues that often expose investors to shallow liquidity and weaker regulatory oversight. In essence, the full onshore access of XRP makes it a viable gateway to consistent basis yield harvesting, especially valuable in fast-moving and volatile conditions in the crypto market. 

Basically, recent crypto market dynamics have made it possible that institutional traders can directly access basis trading opportunities in XRP without leaving regulated markets, a development that makes the asset particularly attractive for large-scale portfolio managers. 

However, many XRP proponents would argue that the cryptocurrency is yet to reach its full potential when it comes to being the tactical play for institutional investors. The most important thing right now is the launch of Spot XRP ETFs in the US market. A Spot XRP ETF would mirror the trajectory that Bitcoin followed in early 2024, when Spot ETF approvals by the SEC unleashed billions in inflows into the cryptocurrency.

Interestingly, the SEC has set a final deadline for deciding on several XRP-linked spot ETF applications by mid-October. For instance, the regulator must decide by October 18, 2025, whether to approve Grayscale’s request to convert its XRP Trust into a spot ETF. According to Eric Balchunas, a senior ETF analyst for Bloomberg, the odds of an XRP ETF hitting the US market soon are at 95%.

Bitcoin, Ether, And Solana As Institutional Benchmarks

The release by WisdomTree also looks at how different digital assets occupy particular roles among institutional investors. Bitcoin, through CME-listed futures, is the institutional “gold standard,” with the deepest liquidity and the most reliable structure for basis trading. According to the ETF issuer, Bitcoin CME futures are always trading at an annualized premium to spot, which makes them the cleanest in terms of scalability for yield harvesting. 

On the other hand, Ether is the smart beta to Bitcoin’s benchmark, while Solana was described by WisdomTree as the high-octane yield enhancer. Solana, like XRP, is still in its early stage compared to Bitcoin and Ether among institutional investors, but with the potential for higher returns due to staking rewards boosting its basis trades. However, despite these other crypto heavyweights, WisdomTree proclaimed XRP as the best tactical onshore play.

XRP trading at $2.9 on the 1D chart | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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LG’s massive 77-inch C5 OLED TV is more than $1,000 off
Gaming Gear

LG’s massive 77-inch C5 OLED TV is more than $1,000 off

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If you want to spend the rest of the year catching up on the movies, TV shows, and video games you missed over the summer, you should enjoy them on a really nice screen. Thankfully, you can get a 77-inch LG C5 OLED TV for around $2,496.99 ($1,203 off), its lowest price ever at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy.

The C5 has a 120Hz panel, four HDMI 2.1 ports and support for both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, so gamers can play PC and current-generation console titles in 4K at up to 120 frames per second. LG says its custom-designed processor can upscale lower quality video to look cleaner on a large, 4K set. The processor also enables AI Picture Pro, a feature that analyzes what you’re watching and adjusts the TV’s settings — including brightness, resolution, and clarity — in real time to present the best picture.

LG says the C5’s Perfect Black and Perfect Color features allow the TV’s picture to look great in bright rooms, which OLED TVs have struggled with in the past. It also supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, so games and videos encoded in those formats will have better color and contrast. A benefit of picking up an OLED TV is that each pixel is illuminated individually, so you completely avoid blooming, which is what happens when a TV has to increase the brightness of a larger section of the set to accommodate a bright object. Blooming can be distracting once you notice it, but that’s a non-issue with the C5.

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Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams
Esports

The Hunting Wives star’s new Netflix crime drama is dropping very soon

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If you’re looking for something new on Netflix after The Hunting Wives, you’re in luck: Brittany Snow is starring in another crime drama, and it looks fantastic.

The Hunting Wives technically isn’t a Netflix series. It’s on Netflix, but it doesn’t feature the streaming service’s logo at the start, nor is it classified as a Netflix original. Starz licensed it to the platform for a year in the US, and it’s been a huge success, topping the country’s Luminate ratings.

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Unfortunately, we could be waiting a while for The Hunting Wives Season 2 to be confirmed, so fans will need to find another show to watch.

If Wednesday Season 2 or Stranger Things Season 5 isn’t up your alley, you’ll happy to know that Snow (who plays Sophie O’Neill) has teamed with Netflix for a new series.

Brittany Snow’s The Beast in Me is coming to Netflix soon

The Beast in Me, a new series from Gabe Rotter (who wrote The X-Files Season 11), will premiere on Netflix on November 13, 2025.

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Your first look at Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys in THE BEAST IN ME, a gripping new limited series from the team that brought you Homeland, coming to Netflix November 13.

Grieving the loss of her son, a reclusive author becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, a real… pic.twitter.com/N39lj73cfM

— Netflix Canada (@Netflix_CA) August 13, 2025

As per Netflix, the show will follow Aggie Wiggs (Clair Danes), an acclaimed author who “has receded from public life since the tragic death of her young son, unable to write, a ghost of her former self.”

“But she finds an unlikely subject for a new book when the house next door is bought by Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), a famed and formidable real estate mogul who was once the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance,” the synopsis continues.

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“At once horrified and fascinated by this man, Aggie finds herself compulsively hunting for the truth – chasing his demons while fleeing her own – in a game of cat and mouse that might turn deadly.”

So, where does Snow come in? She plays Nina, Niles’ wife who becomes Aggie’s neighbor – so, we can expect things to be more than a little tense between them. It’s unclear how big her role will be in the show, but she’s listed high on its cast list, above the likes of Jonathan Banks and Deirdre O’Connell, so she could be a substantial (or perhaps briefly seen, but crucial) character.

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“Brittany Snow supremacy continues on,” one user tweeted. “Brittany Snow lovers are being fed,” another wrote. “We waited long enough damn I missed my little blondie,” a third posted.

There have also been lots of posts on social media demanding The Hunting Wives Season 2. Rest assured, Snow wants it to happen.

“I think the end is really interesting and I know that we would deal with it in Season 2,” she teased to teased to Collider.

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“There are a lot of questions that didn’t get answered because [showrunner Rebecca Cutter] wants to answer them in the next season if we get one.”

In the meantime, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to binge, the best Netflix thrillers, and our ranking of the best TV shows of all time.





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Bitcoin
GameFi Guides

PayPal Founder Drops Bombshell On Bitcoin Invention, Is It Above Society’s Understanding?

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Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Over the last decade, Bitcoin has been considered one of the greatest inventions. Even though it began as a tech asset, BTC has gained significant mainstream attention, with prominent figures, large corporations, and even countries engaging the crypto king. BTC’s foray into the financial landscape was so monumental that Peter Thiel claims it broke the mold of society’s understanding.

Bitcoin Is Beyond Society’s Ability To Process

Bitcoin has experienced exponential growth since its inception, with many analysts calling it the biggest macro trade over the last 10 years. While it is believed that the Bitcoin story is still far from reaching its climax, Peter Thiel, a well-known billionaire and PayPal founder, has once again underscored the revolutionary power of the flagship cryptocurrency.

Trending Bitcoin on the social media platform X shared an interview where the billionaire evaluated the monumental introduction of BTC and its significance. In the interview, Thiel described BTC as an invention so massive that society has found it difficult to understand or process its implications.

The PayPal founder’s audacious statement suggests that the scale and transformative nature of Bitcoin go far beyond conventional banking, signifying a paradigm shift in the definition of freedom, trust, and value in the digital era.

BTC, in Thiel’s opinion, is likened to a Tax Stagnation, where the society finds it difficult to comprehend its implications. “I think Bitcoin was a big invention, and whether good or bad, it was a pretty big deal,” the founder added. His remarks emphasize not only Bitcoin’s function as an alternative asset but also its status as a social phenomenon that is upending established structures and changing the way people talk about money around the world.

According to the founder, BTC was systematically underestimated for at least the first 10 to 11 years and was available for trade within the time frame. Furthermore, the asset experienced a smooth upward move in the same time frame and did not get repriced all at once. 

Given that Bitcoin’s inception was monumental in a world where nothing big ever happens, Thiel stated that society had no way of processing it. He further drew a comparison to the historical launch of the Internet in 1989.

While it was launched in 1989, the project gained significant global adoption only in 1999. After analyzing BTC’s impact in the financial sector today, Thiel claims that the crypto king is witnessing the same explosive growth and recognition as the Internet in 1999.

A $200 Trillion Market Cap For BTC

Big investors and large firms continue to double down on Bitcoin. Amid this wave of institutional adoption, Michael Saylor, the founder of Strategy, has outlined the potential for BTC’s market cap to skyrocket. During a presentation, Saylor predicted that the BTC market cap could rise from a $2 trillion value to $200 trillion, representing a 100x growth.

Although at this audacious market value, BTC will still be lower than equity, real estate, and bonds, the chairman claims it will remain noticeable. Saylor has declared that Bitcoin is the emerging global asset and digital gold, which is probably 100 times better than Gold.

BTC trading at $113,899 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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Daedalic reveal story-driven Star Trek: Voyager strategy game in which you can betray everything Janeway ever stood for
Game Updates

Daedalic reveal story-driven Star Trek: Voyager strategy game in which you can betray everything Janeway ever stood for

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Oi oi, where my Janeway fans at? Where my Parisians and my Torresians? Can I get a whoop, whoop for Chakotay? A high five for Seven of Nine? Daedalic have announced Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, a “story-based survival strategy game” adaptation of the loneliest of the classic Treks. Created by developers gameXcite, who I may yet forgive for capitalising their name that way, it asks you to “manage systems and crew, engage in diplomacy, navigate difficult moral decisions, and face the unknown”. It’s got a cutaway dollhouse spaceship and a HUD made up to resemble a Star Trek bridge display. Also, Ensign Harry Kim is here! He wants orders. Kim, your orders are to roll that trailer.

Watch on YouTube


Here’s some blurb from the Steam page:


Set aboard the U.S.S. Voyager and deep in the unexplored reaches of the Delta Quadrant, Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown invites players to relive–and redefine–the legendary starship’s journey back to earth. The game blends exploration, ship & resource management, roguelite elements, and meaningful choices. Experience crew dynamics and a fresh take on a beloved sci-fi universe — with what-if scenarios that open up new possibilities.


If you’re like me, you are presently being torn in half by the contrast between your apathy for yet another set of “roguelike elements”, and your enthusiasm for the what-if scenarios. Maybe an episode where Janeway becomes the Borg Queen? Maybe the Doctor gets to be captain? Maybe Neelix undergoes some kind of Garrus-style reinvention as a badass with hairy ears? All that may have actually happened, I can’t remember. Some more from the Steam page:


Take a risky approach or play it safe. Be diplomatic or let phasers do the talking. Research technologies that were shunned by the crew. But: Be prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions! The game features rogue-like elements, so in each run you will encounter different situations and even iconic characters might meet an early end if you don’t react accordingly.


There’s a base-building component: you’ll add facilities to Voyager’s innards as you go, in the manner popularised by XCOM: Enemy Unknown. I’m less sold on the tiddly, top-down spaceship movement within solar systems, which recalls Mass Effect at its dinkiest and makes the Delta Quadrant seem as strange and enveloping as Center Parcs. But I do like the sound of the away missions, in which you get to handpick a team of named faces and redshirts.

“A team with skills that complement each other might be best suited for the task, but it is up to you to call the shots,” the developers comment. “Minimize the risk for the team’s members, rush headlong into danger, or take a scientific approach – you decide.” All this and, of course, ship-to-ship combat, in which you’ll assign crews to stations and target individual systems.


There’s no release date. In case it wasn’t obvious already, my excitement about this game is at least 80% nostalgia spike, with another 5% consisting of furtive teenage memories of certain saucy fan fiction websites. Finally, we can make Paris and Chakotay bone. The developers don’t have much form for space sims: going by their website, they have hitherto specialised exclusively in Asterix comic adaptations. I guess a starship is a kind of Gallic village? Let’s finish off by watching the original Voyager intro again.

Check out our Gamescom 2025 event hub for all the PC game announcements and preview coverage from Cologne.



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The Pixel 10 Pro puts generative AI right inside the camera
Product Reviews

The Pixel 10 Pro puts generative AI right inside the camera

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At The Verge, we like to ask “What is a photo?” when we’re trying to sort out real and unreal images — especially those taken with phone cameras. But I think there’s another question that we’ll want to add to the mix starting right now: what is a camera? With the introduction of the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL, that answer is more wild and complicated than ever, because generative AI isn’t just something you can use to edit a photo you’ve already taken; it’s baked right into the camera itself.

I’m talking about Pro Res Zoom, which is not to be confused with Apple’s ProRes video format or Google’s Super Res Zoom, so help us all. Pro Res Zoom kicks in when past 30x, all the way up to 100x digital zoom. Typically, the camera uses an algorithm to help fill in the gaps left by upscaling a small portion of your photo to the original resolution. Typically, the results look like hot garbage, especially when you get all the way to 75x or 100x, despite every camera maker’s best efforts over the past two decades. Pro Res Zoom aims to give you a usable image where you wouldn’t have gotten one before — and that’s where the diffusion model comes in.

It’s a latent diffusion model, Google’s Pixel camera product manager Isaac Reynolds tells me. He doesn’t see it as an entirely new process — more like a variation on what phone cameras have done for years. Algorithms have long helped identify subjects and improve detail, producing unwanted artifacts as a byproduct that engineers squash in subsequent updates. “Generative AI is just a different algorithm with different artifacts,” he says. But as opposed to a more conventional neural network, a diffusion model is “pretty good at killing the artifacts.”

That might be an understatement. In the handful of demos I saw, Pro Res Zoom cleaned up some pretty gnarly 100x zoom photos remarkably well. The processing all happens on device after you take the photo. Reynolds tells me that when Google started developing the feature, it took around a minute to run the diffusion model on the phone; his team got the runtime down to four or five seconds. Once the processing is done, the new version is saved alongside the original. I only saw it work a handful of times, but the results I saw looked pretty darn good.

1/3The original photo before Pro Res Zoom.

Pro Res Zoom has one important guardrail: it doesn’t work on people. If it detects a person in the image, it’ll work around them and enhance everything else, leaving the human be. This is a good idea, not only because I do not want a phone camera hallucinating different features onto my face, but also because it could be problematic from a creepiness standpoint.

Google has also taken a responsible step to tag photos taken with the phone using C2PA content credentials, labeling Pro Res Zoom photos as “edited with AI tools.” But it doesn’t stop there — all photos taken with the Pixel 10 get tagged to indicate that they were taken with a camera and whether AI played a role. If a photo is the result of merging multiple frames, like a panorama, that’ll be noted in the content credentials, too.

The Pixel 10 labels all photos taken with its camera using C2PA content credentials.

It’s all in an effort to reduce the “implied truth effect,” Reynolds explains. If you only apply labels to AI-generated images, then anything without an AI label seems to be authentic. But that only really means that the origin of an image is unknown, especially in an age of easy access to AI editing and image generation tools. It could have been edited with AI and not tagged as such, or the tag could have been removed by taking a screenshot and sharing that image instead.

The thing is, C2PA credentials can’t be modified once they’re created. Looking for a tag to positively identify an image as being camera-created becomes one of the only surefire ways of knowing that what you’re looking at isn’t AI. If that’s the future we’re moving toward, then there’s a massive gap between that reality and the one we live in now.

“I do think there’s going to be a period of education,” Reynolds acknowledges. He thinks that phase is already well underway, and I agree. But there is still potential for real harm — to people and our institutions — between now and that future, and that’s what makes me most uncomfortable about this whole moment.

Is a camera that uses AI to clean up your crappy zoom photos still just a camera? Probably, for now

Misgivings aside, I still had one question I needed an answer to: what exactly is an image taken with Pro Res Zoom? A memory? A robot’s best guess at what a tree looks like? A moment lost in time, like tears in the rain? If I take a Pro Res Zoom picture of the Statue of Liberty, is it really a photo that I took? Reynolds thinks so.

“Pro Res Zoom is tuned very carefully to just be a picture,” he says. “There’s nothing about Pro Res Zoom that changes what you’re expecting from a camera. Because that’s how we built it, that’s what we wanted it to be.”

Is a camera that uses AI to clean up your crappy zoom photos still just a camera? Probably, for now. But there’s a door open for someone who wants to build something else — and a lot of questions to ask in the meantime.

Photos by Allison Johnson / The Verge

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Silksong's Hornet runs through a green field.
Game Reviews

Silksong’s Devs Didn’t Think It Would Take This Long Either

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Hollow Knight: Silksong will arrive seven years after the first game. Why? That’s what fans have been impatiently wondering for a while now. According to the developers at Team Cherry, there was no major drama or development snafus. Seven years is just how long it takes to make the Metroidvania Soulslike sequel to what some fans regard as one of the best games of the last decade.

“I remember at some point I just had to stop sketching,” cofounder Ari Gibson told Bloomberg in a new interview. “Because I went, ‘Everything I’m drawing here has to end up in the game. That’s a cool idea, that’s in. That’s a cool idea, that’s in.’ You realize, ‘If I don’t stop drawing, this is going to take 15 years to finish.’”

What began as DLC for 2017’s surprise Steam hit Hollow Knight eventually morphed into a full-fledged standalone game. Team Cherry officially revealed Silksong would become a sequel in 2019. The developers told Bloomberg they wanted to keep their team size small so as not to disrupt the creative flow responsible for the first game. But growing scope—bigger boss fights, multiple towns, a denser world—meant it would take even longer to finish, especially if it would exude the same level of tight controls, visual polish, and world-building mystery of the original Hollow Knight.

When Microsoft doubled down in 2022 on the promise that Silksong would arrive within the year, that was apparently the actual goal. “We did genuinely believe that was the case,” cofounder William Pellen confirmed. “There was a period of two to three years when I thought it was going to come out within a year.” The team just kept biting off more than it could chew while also calmly ignoring all of the online chatter about unhinged fans.

“I think we’re always underestimating the amount of time and effort it’ll take us to achieve things,” Gibson told Bloomberg. “It’s also that problem where, because we’re having fun doing it, it’s not like, ‘It’s taking longer, this is awful, we really need to get past this phase.’ It’s, ‘This is a very enjoyable space to be in. Let’s perpetuate this with some new ideas.’”

It seems to have helped that the original Hollow Knight has now sold 15 million copies, Team Cherry revealed. Silksong is already Steam’s most-wishlisted game. If it lives up to even a fraction of the hype, the team won’t be forced to release their next game any time soon, either.



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NFT Gaming

Tether, Circle to Meet South Korea’s Top Banking CEOs as Stablecoin Momentum Mounts

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In brief

  • Executives from stablecoin issuers Circle and Tether are set to meet with top figures in some of South Korea’s biggest financial groups this week, according to reports in local media.
  • The discussions will reportedly revolve around the potential distribution and use of dollar-pegged stablecoins in South Korea, as well as the issuance of won-backed stablecoins.
  • South Korea’s ruling party and the opposition party have expressed differing opinions about how to regulate stablecoins.

Following reports that South Korea is preparing to launch a legal framework for stablecoins in October, top executives from some of the country’s biggest financial groups are set to meet with executives from stablecoin giants Tether and Circle Internet Group this week.

Tether issues USDT, while Circle issues USDC, the world’s two largest stablecoins by market capitalization.



According to Korean news agency Yonhap, the executives will discuss the potential distribution and use of dollar-pegged stablecoins in South Korea. The meetings will also cover the issuance of stablecoins backed by the country’s currency, the won.

The CEO of Shinhan Financial Group, Jin Ok-dong, and Hana Financial Group CEO Ham Young-joo are set to have separate meetings with Circle President Heath Tarbert on Friday. Ham is also reported to be meeting an unnamed official from Tether later on Friday.

Meanwhile, KB Financial Group’s Chief Digital & Information Technology Officer Lee Chang-kwon and Woori Bank President Jeong Jin-wan are also said to be planning a meeting with Circle’s President, though an official date has not yet been set.

Rajiv Sawhney, Head of International Portfolio Management at Wave Digital Assets International, thinks the development is an “interesting” one considering how South Korea’s regulators have treated crypto in the past.

“Regulators there have historically blocked foreign institutions from registering and operating in the region,” he told Decrypt. “It’s a very domestic market, and the exchanges there are only allowed to list spot products, not perpetuals or leverage trading.”

He points out that Upbit, the country’s largest exchange, is entirely Korean owned and operated, and its listings are primarily quoted against Korean won fiat.

South Korea and stablecoins

Despite the East Asian nation’s current President Lee Jae-myung being widely considered crypto-friendly, the appropriate legal frameworks have proved politically controversial in the country. Under his presidency, Bitcoin ETFs have headed toward legalization in the country, while crypto KYC and AML oversight has been ramped up.

The country’s ruling party and the opposition party have both expressed different opinions about how to regulate the area, with the opposition Democratic Party debating the use of interest-generating stablecoins and the enforcement of strict capital limitations.

Meanwhile, executives from Korea’s central bank have mulled linking its deposit tokens to a public blockchain, enabling them to “coexist” with stablecoins issued by the private sector.

But these issues haven’t stopped some Korean companies from already preparing to issue their own stablecoins, with South Korean internet conglomerate Kakao recently registering trademarks for a Korean won stablecoin.

Sawhney argued that a joint venture or partnership between Circle or Tether and one of the banks would allow them to “maintain their market share in the stablecoin space” versus South Korean fintech firms issuing their own won-based stablecoins.

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Crypto Trends

Bitcoin Whale Dumps $75 Million to Go Long on Ethereum

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In brief

  • A long-dormant Bitcoin whale, inactive for seven years, has reawakened to sell a portion of its Bitcoin holdings.
  • The investor used the proceeds to open massive leveraged long positions on Ethereum, a move experts view as a strategic bet on ETH’s future growth.
  • This rare transfer could increase market volatility, but analysts believe the current mature market is better equipped to absorb such large-scale events than in the past.

A long-dormant OG Bitcoin whale has opted to swap a portion of their holdings to open leveraged long positions on Ethereum.

The whale held 14,837 BTC worth $1.67 billion for more than seven years without a transaction until today.

On August 21, the dormant whale moved roughly 670 BTC, worth $75 million at current prices, and split it among four wallets to open leveraged long positions on Ethereum. This signals a major asset rotation with clear bullish sentiment for the second-largest token by market capitalization.

At the time of writing, ETH is changing hands for $4,296.25 after having gained 4.1% in the past day. It’s still 6.4% down from last week, when it was hovering near its all-time high.

“This transfer indicates the activation of old BTC whales,” Slava Demchuk, CEO of blockchain analysis firm AMLBot, told Decrypt. He noted that the whale’s decision to sell Bitcoin to open leveraged long positions on Ethereum signals a “strategic rotation into alternative assets due to expectations of growth.”

The whale initially sold 660 BTC on the decentralized exchange Hyperliquid and used the proceeds to open leveraged long positions.

Three out of the four long positions have a 10x leverage with a notional position size of $209 million.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading for around $113,000, having gained 1.2% in the past day, but down 10% from its peak on August 14.

Crypto and U.S. equities have been retreating as investors book profits and de-risk ahead of Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to deliver a speech addressing concerns about inflation and providing guidance for the September rate decision.

According to experts who previously spoke to Decrypt, a rate cut has already been priced in. Only a surprise from the Federal Open Market Committee, the body that sets U.S. monetary policy, could trigger volatility.

Signs of a mature market

While such large-scale movements from dormant wallets can be a cause for concern among investors, Demchuk believes the market is more resilient than in the past.

He referenced a previous event in July 2025 where a Satoshi-era whale moved 80,000 BTC, worth roughly $8 billion, which led to a 5% price drop in Bitcoin.

This new activity, however, demonstrates that Bitcoin that was once considered lost is actually still available to its holder, which could increase supply and volatility.

“A mature market is better at absorbing such events,” Demchuk explained, suggesting that while the whale’s actions may introduce some short-term volatility, the overall ecosystem is now more capable of handling large transactions without a catastrophic price collapse.

Three other wallets from the Satoshi era have come alive in the past two months. The latest instance occurred on August 7, when the whale moved $349 million in BTC after a decade of inactivity.

July saw two such major moves with a $469 million transfer after 14 years of dormancy and the aforementioned $8 billion BTC transfer.

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Eagles' Saquon Barkley is entering his prime
Esports

Fantasy football – Best picks for each draft slot in Round 1 and 2 in 10-team leagues

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Aug 21, 2025, 07:03 AM ET

No one needs more stress in their lives.

Strange as it may sound, among the more anxiety-inducing parts of the fantasy football experience centers around one’s draft position. Whether it’s fretting that your most desired player won’t be there by the time you get to pick, the bother of not knowing your slot until an hour beforehand (as is the case in ESPN default leagues), or the fear that you’ll pick the inevitable “first-rounder who is a bust” and be openly ridiculed by your counterparts, we collectively exhaust far too much energy sweating this particular topic.

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Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place. It’s here where I annually walk you through the twists and turns of your draft’s first two rounds, helping ease your mind and maximize your chances at starting your team off strong. After all, we all know that age-old fantasy mantra: “You can’t win your league in the first round, but you can certainly lose it.”

Below is an outline of the specific candidates for selection from each draft spot, the potential combinations for your first two picks, and I offer my ideal selections from each slot in your league.

This edition covers 10-team ESPN standard leagues with PPR scoring. Under each draft slot, you’ll find a “players unlocked” section, which highlights the earliest pick at which you should consider selecting that player (this does not mean that you should select him, but rather that you could if you wish to).

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Draft Slot 1

Round 1 (Pick 1 overall): Ja’Marr Chase is coming off one of the most prolific seasons by a wide receiver, he’s a prime-age 25, and his Cincinnati Bengals return a near-identical offense for 2025. Chase’s 403.0 fantasy points were fourth best in history by a wide receiver, his 23.7 points per game was 12th since the merger, and he joined Charley Hennigan (1961), Isaac Bruce (1995) and Davante Adams (2020) as the only wide receivers to score 40-plus points in a game three times in a season. Chase at No. 1 is a no-brainer.

Players unlocked: Chase, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley.

Round 2 (Pick 20): In a 10-team league, there’s a path to one-slot teams enjoying a dream start to the draft, should any of the running backs from the Derrick Henry/Bucky Irving/Josh Jacobs tier, or the wide receivers from the Nico Collins/A.J. Brown/Drake London tier, or even better, multiples, make it this far. If Jacobs is the only one there, he is a great selection this late. Additionally, a WR-RB start to the draft gives this team the luxury of considering Brock Bowers in Round 3. Bowers scored 12.9 more fantasy points than the second-best TE and 114.2 more than the 11th best last season, while projecting for 100-plus more points than the No. 11 tight end for 2025.

Players unlocked: Tee Higgins, Tyreek Hill, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jayden Daniels.

Tristan’s picks: Chase and Jacobs.

Draft Slot 2

Round 1 (Pick 2): You’ll notice both Bijan Robinson and Saquon Barkley alongside Chase among “unlocked” players at No. 1 overall, in large part due to the perennial debate about the impact and scarcity of three-down, 360-touch running backs (they’re the only ones with at least that many in 2024 and in our 2025 projections). Barkley averaged the position’s most fantasy points per game (22.2), while Robinson’s 341.7 total points were 11th best by any second-year running back in history, making either a viable choice for managers who prefer to prioritize the position. I’m not going running back at No. 1 overall, but I would from this spot, with Robinson preferred between the two.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Players unlocked: Justin Jefferson, Jahmyr Gibbs, CeeDee Lamb.

Round 2 (Pick 19): Getting the No. 1 running back, and a prime-age one at that, provides this team lots of second-round flexibility, to the point that the two-slot manager might be thinking about breaking the seal on either the quarterback or tight end position. I wouldn’t, as there are enough of the former in the top tier, the latter has historically unearthed enough low-cost breakthroughs to warrant draft patience, and the third round should still provide a wealth of options at either spot. Lamar Jackson, for example, by all rights should be there at 22nd overall.

Running back remains the way to go from this slot, with Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor or Bucky Irving often the names available. Taylor, for all his injury risk, is one of the most reliable three-down backs, his 15 games exceeding 20 touches in a game the past two seasons trailing only Saquon Barkley and Kyren Williams (17 apiece).

Players unlocked: None.

Tristan’s picks: Robinson and Taylor.

Draft Slot 3

Round 1 (Pick 3): If you’re a Saquon Barkley believer — and I’m not, concerned that players of his age (28) coming off his 2024 workload (482 total touches, including the postseason) have a poor track record of repeating (detailed in my video above) — you shouldn’t let him sneak past this draft slot. Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson and Barkley are projected for 100-plus more points than the No. 21 player at their positions, the only running backs and wide receivers who can claim that.

This is a year, however, where personal opinion can come into play between picks 3 and 6, meaning Justin Jefferson, Jahmyr Gibbs and CeeDee Lamb, all “unlocked” at the previous slot, are fair game. I’m among the most pro-Jefferson fantasy managers around, pointing out his wide receiver-record 1,492.4 fantasy points through his first five NFL seasons.

Players unlocked: None.

Round 2 (Pick 18): Bucky Irving is the most intriguing second-round running back, at least relative to what are generally modest projections. I can formulate a case that he almost scratches the top-10 overall picks, though many people rank him outside the top 20. This seems like the sweet spot for him, but don’t be afraid to reach with one of the lower draft slots, if you share similar optimism.

Players unlocked: Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Trey McBride.

Tristan’s picks: Jefferson and Irving.

Draft Slot 4

Round 1 (Pick 4): Jahmyr Gibbs ultimately outscored Saquon Barkley last season (362.9 to 355.2), and while Barkley sitting out the Week 18 finale contributed, Gibbs’ performances in Weeks 15-18 and the divisional round gave him the look of a player ready to take his game to another level. If Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson and Justin Jefferson are already off the board, this slot should come down to your Gibbs/Barkley personal preference.

Players unlocked: None.

Round 2 (Pick 17): I’m fading Derrick Henry more than most — more on why under Draft Slot 10 — but this is about as far as I’d allow him to slip in any draft, 10 teams or otherwise. Running backs will be plentiful from this spot in drafts where the Brian Thomas Jr./Nico Collins/A.J. Brown/Drake London wide receiver tier goes early in the second round, and Henry is a cut above Bucky Irving, Jonathan Taylor and Josh Jacobs.

Players unlocked: None.

Tristan’s picks: Gibbs and Henry.

Draft Slot 5

Round 1 (Pick 5): Don’t get me wrong, my fading of Saquon Barkley is no hater’s angle. The 5-slot is the furthest I’d let him slide in any 2025 draft of 10 teams or greater. Any more than that and you run the danger of gifting your competition a massive value pick … kind of like Barkley wound up being in 2024.

Players unlocked: None.

Round 2 (Pick 16): The danger for this team is being cornered into a Philadelphia Eagles strategy, should Brian Thomas Jr., Nico Collins and Drake London all already be off the board. If that’s the case, taking a second running back in De’Von Achane, Derrick Henry or Bucky Irving, then drafting wide receivers aggressively in the next three to five rounds, is reasonable. It’s also not outrageous to take No. 1 tight end Brock Bowers this early.

Players unlocked: Chase Brown, Kyren Williams.

Tristan’s picks: Barkley and London.

Draft Slot 6

Round 1 (Pick 6): If it’s not either of the top two draft slots, this is my preferred position for 2025, as the first point at which there’s a noticeable drop-off in terms of talent. Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, Justin Jefferson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkey and CeeDee Lamb make up the top tier of six, meaning you should select the one remaining from this slot. For those feeling super-bold, this is the earliest possible slot from which you should even consider drafting the top-ranked rookie, Ashton Jeanty.

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Players unlocked: Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Christian McCaffrey, Malik Nabers, Jeanty.

Round 2 (Pick 15): This team also runs the risk of the dual-Eagles start, albeit with more control over it in the second round. A non-A.J. Brown member of the Brian Thomas Jr./Nico Collins/Brown/Drake London wide receiver tier, or a RB1 like De’Von Achane, should still be there. Incidentally, I wouldn’t pass up one of the wide receivers even if I took Lamb in the first round. Chase Brown, Kyren Williams and James Cook have been known to make it back to this pick in Round 3.

Players unlocked: Ladd McConkey.

Tristan’s picks: Lamb and Brown.

Draft Slot 7

Round 1 (Pick 7): Picks 7 through 11 overall come down largely to personal preference, from the trio of wide receivers (Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Malik Nabers) and the two high-ceiling running backs (Christian McCaffrey and Ashton Jeanty) unlocked in the 6-slot. I’ve vacillated between the three receivers in my own early drafts, though St. Brown, the only wide receiver to score 300-plus fantasy points in each of the past two seasons, has most often risen to the top of my board.

Players unlocked: None.

Round 2 (Pick 14): If you’re more pro-Henry than I am, selecting him here makes a bit of sense, even if you took a running back in the first round. I prefer one of the Brian Thomas Jr./Nico Collins/Brown/London wide receiver quartet, but as long as you’re not selecting a running back ranked beneath De’Von Achane or Henry, you’re starting off fine. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tyreek Hill, Tee Higgins and Garrett Wilson are typically among wide receivers available from this slot in the third round.

Players unlocked: None.

Tristan’s picks: St. Brown and Collins.

Draft Slot 8

Round 1 (Pick 8): Puka Nacua is the next wide receiver on my draft board. He has a more reliable quarterback throwing him the football than Malik Nabers, and he has scored 15-plus fantasy points in 17 of the first 28 games of his career. Nacua also finished last season on a high note, scoring 159.4 fantasy points over the final eight weeks (third best among wide receivers, despite sitting out the finale).

Players unlocked: De’Von Achane and Brian Thomas Jr.

Round 2 (Pick 13): I’m an Achane fan, so I must point out the following: Since his breakthrough game in Week 3 of 2023 (but not including that one), he has averaged 16.8 PPG, eighth best among running backs. That’s production I can’t pass up in the hopes of piecing a Zero-RB strategy together in the later rounds.

Players unlocked: Josh Jacobs, Brock Bowers.

Tristan’s picks: Nacua and Achane.

Draft Slot 9

Round 1 (Pick 9): Here is where fantasy managers face their toughest draft decision, as Christian McCaffrey, despite the glut of top-6 wide receivers, becomes too difficult to pass up. Over the past seven NFL seasons, covering the time he has been a full-time starter, he has averaged a league-leading (among all players) 23.7 fantasy points per game. Yes, McCaffrey is now 29 years old, with 1,871 career touches on his résumé, and he averaged barely half that per-game rate in his four games played last season, but the upside of a healthy McCaffrey is unquestionably first-round talent. I wouldn’t fault anyone for picking any of the earlier wide receivers (if still available) or Ashton Jeanty over McCaffrey, but this is the furthest I would allow him to slip in any draft.

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Players unlocked: Nico Collins, Derrick Henry.

Round 2 (Pick 12): My valuations have there being a gap between the top 11 picks and the next tier that includes Brian Thomas Jr., Nico Collins and De’Von Achane, meaning that if any player targeted for earlier slots makes it this far, snatch him up quick. Failing that, those who select McCaffrey might be tempted to take Achane, or perhaps Derrick Henry, though that’s absorbing a good amount of risk at the position. I’d go wide receiver, and Thomas, from here.

Players unlocked: None.

Tristan’s picks: McCaffrey and Thomas.

Draft Slot 10

Round 1 (Pick 10): The reason to shy away from the 10-slot in a 10-team league, if you at all have the opportunity to choose, is what will likely be available come the Rounds 3-4 turn, not these two picks. If everything plays out as outlined above, Malik Nabers and Ashton Jeanty provide an excellent starting point. That said, once Christian McCaffrey is gone, it’s time to bring up the other highly debatable running back, Derrick Henry. Henry was fourth in scoring among RBs in 2024, and he’s a three-down back for one of the most run-friendly offenses in football. That said, among the previous 20 players with at least the same as Henry’s 2,529 career touches through his age-30 season, only Walter Payton (three), Ricky Watters and Curtis Martin enjoyed a season of 220-plus fantasy points at an older age. Henry is a risk/reward pick, and I’m not yet ready to take the chance.

Players unlocked: Bucky Irving, Jonathan Taylor, A.J. Brown, Drake London.

Round 2 (Pick 11): If you’re thinking about going WR-WR rather than selecting Jeanty, or if Jeanty goes earlier and you’d rather pass on De’Von Achane, bear in mind that every one of the top 12 running backs will likely be gone by the Rounds 3-4 turn. Be prepared to go heavily Zero-RB if selecting Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., for example.

Players unlocked: None.

Tristan’s picks: Nabers and Jeanty.



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