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NFT Drama Ends For Shaquille O’Neal With Hefty $11 Million Settlement

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NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to pay $11 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over his promotion of the failed Astrals NFT project. A Florida federal judge approved the settlement on April 1, with the order becoming public just this week on April 8, according to court documents.

Basketball Icon Caught In Crypto Controversy

The lawsuit, first filed in May 2023, claimed O’Neal promoted the sale of unregistered securities through the Solana-based Astrals NFT collection. Investors who bought Astrals NFTs or the project’s GLXY tokens between May 2022 and January 15, 2024, will now be eligible for compensation from the settlement fund.

Judge Federico Moreno previously acknowledged that plaintiffs had made a plausible case that the former NBA star acted as a seller under securities law. The settlement comes after months of legal back-and-forth, with O’Neal reaching an agreement with plaintiffs last November.

Lawyers Take Home $2.9 Million Slice

The court approved $2.9 million in attorney fees and related costs as part of the settlement package. Judge Moreno ruled these fees were “fair and reasonable,” and noted that none of the plaintiffs objected to the amount lawyers would receive.

The lawyers were able to convince the court that investors lost their money because of O’Neal’s marketing campaigns for the project.

Court papers indicate that O’Neal urged potential investors to “hop on the wave before it’s too late,” something that came to haunt him in court.

Screenshot of court document on Shaq's legal settlement. Source: Courtlistener

Failed Project Promised Virtual Meetings With Shaq

Astrals were released in April 2022, providing 10,000 one-of-a-kind 3D avatars designed by artist Damien Guimoneau. The venture presented itself as a fully immersive metaverse experience through which users would be able to interact with other users as well as with O’Neal himself.

Despite the star power behind it, the collection has shown zero signs of activity over the past two years based on data from NFT marketplace OpenSea.

Total crypto market cap currently at $2.39 trillion. Chart: TradingView

O’Neal reportedly continued to support the project publicly even after the major cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapsed in November 2022.

The court did throw O’Neal one small victory, dismissing claims that he was a “control person” within the project—a designation that would have suggested he held actual power over its operations rather than just serving as its famous face.

NFT Market Continues Downward Spiral

The settlement comes as the broader NFT market struggles to regain its former glory. Total NFT sales volume stood at just $27 million for the week ending April 7, 2025, a dramatic drop from the $2 billion-plus weekly volumes recorded during the market’s peak in 2021.

This downward trend has been ongoing, with trading volumes falling by more than 60% in February alone. The drop continues a slide that began in early 2024, suggesting the once-hot digital collectibles market remains in a prolonged slump.

Featured image from Megan Briggs/Getty, chart from TradingView

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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Has XRP Price Already Bottomed? Analyst On How Ripple Coin Can Hit $15

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XRP price has recorded marginal gains today and held its $2.15 support as the broader crypto market stayed in the green. Amid this, a top analyst revealed that Ripple’s coin may have already hit its bottom. However, he also highlighted some key conditions that the crypto must attain to confirm the bottom.

Meanwhile, another expert has also shared key insights and mathematical calculations, which showed how Ripple’s native crypto might hit the $15 ahead.

XRP Price Holds $2.15 Support: Has It Already Bottomed Out?

XRP price has added around 0.23% during writing and exchanged hands at $2.15, while its one-day volume fell 25% to $2.99 billion. Notably, the crypto’s current market cap stood at $125.33 billion and the token has touched a 24-hour high of $2.18.

Besides, CoinGlass data showed that XRP Futures Open Interest also rose 0.5%, reflecting renewed market confidence. Amid this, renowned analyst EGRAG CRYPTO suggests that XRP might have already hit its bottom on April 7. However, the analyst outlines some key conditions to confirm this trend reversal.

XRP Really Bottomed?

According to the pundit, Ripple’s coin must close a weekly full-body candle above $2.10, the 21-week EMA, and notably above $2.25. If these conditions are met, it would strongly confirm the bottoming out of XRP price. However, failure to achieve these conditions may lead to other market narratives emerging, the expert noted.

XRP Price
Source: EGRAG CRYPTO, X

Meanwhile, despite the soaring discussions, another expert recently hinted that the crypto might hit $15, citing XRP ETF inflow as the key factor.

Ripple’s Coin To Hit $15? ETF Inflow Calculation Shows

In a recent analysis, market expert Zach Rector made a bold prediction that XRP price could reach $15 and beyond, driven by anticipated inflows from Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). According to Rector, JPMorgan’s estimate of $4 to $8 billion inflows into XRP ETFs in the first year could trigger a significant price surge.

A Closer Look Into The Calculation

Using his market cap multiplier model, Rector calculated that a conservative $4 billion inflow could lead to a 200x multiplier, resulting in an $800 billion increase in XRP’s market cap. Adding this to the current market cap of $125 billion would take the total market cap to $925 billion. With a circulating supply of 60 billion XRP tokens, this would translate to a price of $15.42 per token.

Rector’s analysis is based on the market cap multiplier theory, which measures how inflows can amplify an asset’s valuation. He cited a recent example where XRP’s market cap grew by $7.74 billion in just eight hours, fueled by a mere $12.87 million in inflows, resulting in a 601x multiplier.

While Rector’s prediction seems ambitious, industry leaders are growing more confident about the prospect of an XRP ETF. Ripple CEO has predicted that at least one XRP ETF could launch in the second half of 2025. If Rector’s analysis is correct, the anticipated ETF inflows could trigger a significant rally for XRP price, making $15 a realistic target.

Meanwhile, this also comes as Ripple’s coin continues to witness an influx, outshining BTC, ETH, SOL, and others. A recent report showed that XRP defied the broader market trend last week when the broader digital assets space noted an outflux of over $790 million.

Additionally, a recent Ripple price analysis also showed that the XRP ETF launch, among other factors, could trigger a short-term surge to $5.5 for the crypto. However, investors should exercise caution and conduct their own research before making any investment decisions.

But, this prediction seems to have sparked interest in the crypto community, with many eagerly awaiting the potential launch of XRP ETFs in 2025.

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Rupam Roy

Rupam is a seasoned professional with three years of experience in the financial market, where he has developed a reputation as a meticulous research analyst and insightful journalist. He thrives on exploring the dynamic nuances of the financial landscape. Currently serving as a sub-editor at Coingape, Rupam’s expertise extends beyond conventional boundaries. His role involves breaking stories, analyzing AI-related developments, providing real-time updates on the crypto market, and presenting insightful economic news. Rupam’s career is characterized by a deep passion for unraveling the complexities of finance and delivering impactful stories that resonate with a diverse audience.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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Binance Delists This Crypto Causing 40% Price Crash, Here’s All

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Crypto exchange Binance has recently revealed plans to delist a specific spot trading pair for the VIDT crypto, causing its price to plunge nearly 40% in just a day. The exchange revealed in an official announcement this Tuesday that it will delist the VIDT/BTC trading pair shortly, pushing investors to take a cautious approach while trading the asset.

Binance To Delist VIDT/BTC: Here’s The Timeline

According to an official Binance announcement dated April 15, the VIDT/BTC trading pair will be delisted at 08:30 UTC. The decision to delist this trading pair comes as the crypto exchange looks to protect its users from emerging market risks while also ensuring a high-quality trading experience.

Per the announcement, the spot trading pair mentioned above is being delisted after a thorough periodic review by the exchange. The VIDT/BTC trading pair reflects concerning factors, such as poor liquidity and trading volume, among other reasons that pose a risk to users.

In turn, usual market sentiments remain highly bearish in light of such delistings on one of the top crypto exchanges. Besides, it’s noteworthy that this delisting was initially scheduled to take place on April 16. However, Binance pre-poned the delisting, which caused a sudden shock to traders as the coin’s price promptly crashed severely.

As of press time, VIDT price saw a steep fall of roughly 38%, closing in at $0.001838. The DAO-based token fell from a high of $0.003024 in the past 24 hours. This price drop reflects market uncertainty in the wake of one of the top crypto exchanges delisting the crypto.

Meanwhile, it’s also worth pointing out that Binance offered clarity on OM price crash by revaling a statement recently. CoinGape reported that the crypto exchange titan blamed massive cross-chain liquidations as the primary reason for Mantra’s 90% price crash on Monday. The price crash in turn caused massive liquidations and OM selling, whilst the project also faced rug pull allegations.

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CoinGape comprises an experienced team of native content writers and editors working round the clock to cover news globally and present news as a fact rather than an opinion. CoinGape writers and reporters contributed to this article.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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Shiba Inu Burn Rate Blows Up 2000%; Is SHIB Price Gearing Up For A Pump?

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The Shiba Inu burn rate once again shot up by a staggering 2000% on Tuesday, reverberating market optimism surrounding its future price movements. Recent burn metrics revealed that over 20 million SHIB tokens were removed from the asset’s circulating supply in just a day. Now, crypto market traders and investors speculate if price gains loom, whilst a renowned SHIB community member further revealed that a “new pump wave is loading.”

Shiba Inu Burn Rate Soars 2000% As 20M Tokens Burnt

According to Shibburn’s data on April 15, the Shiba Inu burn rate exploded by 2061.22% at the time of reporting. This surge in the meme token’s burn rate is in sync with 20.83 million coins removed from the asset’s supply intraday.

Shiba Inu burn data
Source: Shibburn, official site

For context, the SHIB burn mechanism transfers tokens to a null address and makes their recovery impossible. This saga drastically reduces the dog-themed meme coin‘s circulating supply, a reason that many believe is driving SHIB’s relatively sluggish performance over the years.

Besides, a renowned Wall Street expert going by the name “wallstreetbets” on X has stated that “Despite burns, SHIB supply remains unchanged.” This statement has ushered an apprehensive sentiment among market participants who are anticipating price gains ahead in light of the constant burns. Intriguingly, CoinGape found that the total circulating supply rested at 584.37 trillion tokens at the time of reporting.

Can SHIB Price Pump Ahead?

CoinMarketCap’s data showed that SHIB token’s price rested at $0.00001193, down nearly 3% over the day despite the Shiba Inu burn rate surge. The meme coin fell from an intraday high of $0.00001239, even hitting a bottom of $0.00001182. Crypto market participants are currently uncertain about the coin’s future price movements, given broader market trends and a volatile price trajectory.

Nevertheless, renowned Shiba Inu community member SHIB Knight posted on X that a “new pump wave is loading.” Notably, a sustained break above $0.00001238 paves the way for a bull run, per the community member. Traders and investors continue to monitor the coin for further price action shifts ahead.

SHIB Price Trend
Source: SHIB Knight, X

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CoinGape comprises an experienced team of native content writers and editors working round the clock to cover news globally and present news as a fact rather than an opinion. CoinGape writers and reporters contributed to this article.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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