Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Flare, and XDC Advance with Upgrades and Market Growth

What Shipped: New Developments Across Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Flare, and XDC

October 2025 has been an exciting month for blockchain enthusiasts, with several notable updates from key players in the space including Ripple, Stellar, Hedera Hashgraph, Flare Network, and XDC Network. Let’s break down some of the most important recent developments and what they mean for the broader crypto ecosystem.

Why It Matters: Building Bridges and Expanding Use Cases

First, let’s talk about Etherfuse, a new project aiming to bring over 100 sovereign currencies onto blockchain networks. This can be a game-changer because it means traditional national currencies could be digitized and traded on blockchain platforms, making cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and more transparent. Imagine being able to send money internationally in minutes, without the usual bank fees and delays.

Stellar, known for its focus on fast and affordable cross-border payments, recently released a Protocol 24 Upgrade Guide. This upgrade improves the network’s efficiency and security, making transactions even smoother for users and developers. Stellar also celebrated the Stellar i³ Awards 2025, recognizing innovative projects building on its platform.

Hedera Hashgraph has seen a price increase of nearly 1.5% in the last 24 hours, reflecting growing interest in its unique technology that offers fast transaction speeds with high security. Hedera’s approach differs from traditional blockchains by using a “hashgraph” consensus, which many believe can handle more transactions per second with less energy.

Ripple’s XRP token continues to gain momentum, with a 3.7% price increase and news that the first U.S. Spot XRP Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) has surpassed $100 million in assets under management. An ETF is a way for investors to buy into XRP through traditional financial markets without needing to manage the cryptocurrency directly, which could bring in more mainstream investors.

Flare Network, while seeing a slight dip in price, remains an important project focused on enabling smart contracts on networks that don’t natively support them, such as XRP and Litecoin. Meanwhile, the XDC Network, which supports trade finance and enterprise blockchain solutions, has also seen positive price movement.

Builders’ Corner: What Developers Are Working On

Stellar’s Protocol 24 Upgrade: This update enhances transaction throughput and introduces new features to make asset issuance and management easier for developers and businesses.
Etherfuse Project: Developers are working to onboard sovereign currencies, creating a bridge between traditional finance and decentralized systems.
Chainlink Innovations: Though not on the primary focus list, Chainlink’s recent announcements, including winning the SWIFT hackathon and launching DataLink for institutional data onchain, show how oracle networks are improving blockchain data reliability.
Ripple’s Spot XRP ETF: The launch and rapid growth of this ETF highlight efforts to bring crypto assets into regulated financial products, easing access for everyday investors.

Quick Prices (As of October 25, 2025, 21:00 ET)

Bitcoin (BTC): $111,737 (+0.9% in 24h)
Ethereum (ETH): $3,951 (+0.88% in 24h)
Ripple (XRP): $2.62 (+3.7% in 24h)
Stellar (XLM): $0.33 (+2.2% in 24h)
Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR): $0.17 (+1.5% in 24h)
Flare Network (FLR): $0.017 (-1.6% in 24h)
XDC Network (XDC): $0.063 (+1.2% in 24h)

What to Watch: Regulatory Moves and Market Integration

One of the most significant recent headlines is the U.S. political development where President Trump named Gary Gensler’s former crypto task force head, Selig, as the nominee to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This is important because the CFTC plays a major role in regulating derivatives markets, including crypto futures, and Selig’s experience could lead to clearer and more supportive regulations for cryptocurrencies.

Also, keep an eye on the growing adoption of cryptocurrencies on traditional financial platforms. For example, Solana (SOL) was recently added to Fidelity’s retail platform, making it easier for everyday investors to buy and sell. Such moves help bridge the gap between traditional finance and crypto, increasing legitimacy and access.

Finally, the success of the first U.S. Spot XRP ETF is a sign that institutional and retail investors are becoming more comfortable with crypto assets. ETFs provide a regulated, familiar way to invest, which could help attract more capital into the crypto markets.

TL;DR: October 2025 brings exciting progress for Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Flare, and XDC with new upgrades, projects like Etherfuse digitizing sovereign currencies, and growing regulatory clarity. Prices are generally up, especially for XRP and Stellar, boosted by the launch of the first U.S. Spot XRP ETF and new listings like Solana on Fidelity. These developments make crypto more accessible and promising for investors and developers alike.

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Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Flare, and XDC Advance with Upgrades and Market Growth