# XRP and DOGE Payments Coming to X? Elon Musk Announces Beta Version of X Money

Elon Musk has confirmed that X (formerly Twitter) will soon launch a beta version of its long-anticipated payment service, X Money, sparking speculation that cryptocurrencies like XRP and Dogecoin (DOGE) may be integrated into the platform's financial ecosystem . This development marks a significant step in Musk's vision to transform X into an "everything app" combining social media, banking, and payment services.

## The X Money Announcement

Musk revealed that X Money will initially launch as a "very limited access beta," emphasizing that "when people's savings are involved, extreme care must be taken" . The cautious rollout suggests Musk is prioritizing security and stability as X ventures into financial services.

While an exact launch date hasn't been specified, X CEO Linda Yaccarino indicated the service would likely debut later in 2025 . The platform has already secured money transmitter licenses in 41 U.S. states as part of its preparations .

## Potential Crypto Integration

Although official announcements haven't confirmed specific cryptocurrencies, industry observers believe X Money could support:

- **XRP**: With its fast transaction speeds (3-5 seconds) and low fees ($0.0002 per transaction), XRP would be well-suited for payments on X . Its role as a bridge currency in global payments aligns with X's ambitions to facilitate cross-border transactions .

- **Dogecoin**: Musk's well-documented affinity for the meme coin (he's nicknamed the "DogeFather") has led many to speculate DOGE will be included . DOGE surged 227% in 2023 partly due to Musk's endorsements .

- **Bitcoin**: As the most established cryptocurrency, BTC is considered a likely candidate, especially given X's partnership with Visa for payment processing .

The integration of these digital assets would position X as a competitor to established payment platforms like PayPal and Cash App while potentially accelerating crypto adoption .

## Challenges and Competition

X Money faces several hurdles:

1. **Regulatory compliance**: Obtaining remaining state licenses and navigating financial regulations, particularly in New York, remains challenging .

2. **User trust**: Building confidence in a social media platform handling financial transactions will be crucial .

3. **Market competition**: X will compete with Asian super-apps like WeChat that already offer integrated payments .

4. **Technical implementation**: Ensuring seamless, secure transactions at scale presents engineering challenges .

## Broader Implications

If successful, X Money could:

- Revolutionize how users interact with financial services by combining social media and banking 

- Potentially disrupt traditional banking by offering faster, cheaper alternatives 

- Boost cryptocurrency adoption by exposing X's massive user base to digital assets 

- Further Musk's ambition to make X account for "half of the global financial system" 

While details remain scarce, the coming months should reveal whether XRP, DOGE, and other cryptocurrencies will play a role in X's financial ecosystem. With Musk at the helm and crypto-friendly policies emerging from the Trump administration, the conditions appear favorable for innovative crypto integrations .

As the beta launch approaches, all eyes will be on how X balances innovation with the security and reliability required for financial services. The success or failure of X Money could significantly influence the future trajectory of both social media and digital payments.

#Latest Bitcoin News Highlights

# 1. Bitcoin Price Correction and Institutional Accumulation**  

- Bitcoin (BTC) corrected to **$108,940** after reaching an all-time high of **$111,971** last week. Despite the dip, institutional investors continue accumulating BTC via spot ETFs, with inflows reaching **$2.75 billion** in the past week .  

- MicroStrategy purchased an additional **$427 million worth of BTC** at an average price of **$106,237**, reinforcing its bullish stance .  

# **2. Market Sentiment and Predictions**  

- Analysts note a **10% chance** of BTC surpassing **$130,000** and a **15% chance** of ETH exceeding **$3,100** by late June .  

- A research report predicts BTC could hit **$135,000 by July 2025**, citing correlation with the **U.S. M2 money supply** (which grew 2.7% recently) .  

# **3. Whale Activity and Volatility**  

- A trader named **James liquidated 2,406 BTC**, triggering a brief drop before BTC rebounded to **$109,200**. The event highlighted market sensitivity to large whale moves .  

- Whales holding **100K–1M BTC** began reducing holdings, signaling potential short-term bearish pressure .  

# **4. Global Adoption Trends**  

- **1 in 4 people** now own crypto globally, per Gemini’s 2025 report. Adoption grew fastest in the **UK (24%, up from 18%)** and the **U.S. (22%, up from 20%)**, partly driven by pro-crypto policies under the **Trump administration** (e.g., the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve) .  

# **5. Regulatory and Macro Impacts**  

- **JPMorgan** opened client access to **spot Bitcoin ETFs**, leveraging its **$6 trillion AUM** .  

- Bitcoin’s price faces headwinds from macro events like **U.S. tariffs on EU goods** and pending **Fed meeting minutes** .  

# **Key Takeaways**  

- **Short-term**: BTC shows volatility but strong institutional demand.  

- **Long-term**: Bullish targets ($135K) align with macroeconomic trends.  

- **Adoption**: Crypto ownership is rising globally, especially in Europe and the U.S.  

# The $223 Million Cetus Protocol Hack: A Deep Dive into the Sui/USDC Exploit and Its Aptos Connection

On May 22, 2025, the decentralized finance (DeFi) world was shaken by one of its largest security breaches—a $223 million exploit targeting Cetus Protocol, the leading decentralized exchange (DEX) on the Sui blockchain. The attack not only drained liquidity pools but also exposed critical vulnerabilities in blockchain infrastructure and raised serious questions about decentralization. What makes this incident particularly noteworthy is its connection to Aptos—another blockchain using the Move programming language—where similar vulnerabilities had been previously identified.

## The Attack: How It Unfolded

The exploit began in the early hours of May 22 when blockchain monitors detected irregular movements in Cetus Protocol's SUI/USDC liquidity pool. Initially, reports suggested an $11 million outflow , but the scale quickly expanded as investigators discovered the attacker had manipulated the protocol's pricing mechanism to drain approximately $223 million across multiple pools .

The attacker exploited a critical overflow flaw in Cetus's automated market maker (AMM) logic. By depositing a single token, the protocol mistakenly credited them with an enormous liquidity position due to a miscalculation that truncated oversized values rather than rejecting them . This allowed the hacker to:

- Mint spoof tokens (like BULLA) with little to no real liquidity 

- Skew internal pool metrics to make valuable assets appear undercollateralized 

- Extract real SUI and USDC tokens at artificially favorable rates 

- Bridge approximately $63 million to Ethereum and convert it to ETH 

## The Aptos Connection: A Vulnerability Foretold

What makes this breach particularly troubling is that it wasn't entirely unexpected. Blockchain security firm Ottersec had flagged a similar vulnerability during an audit of Cetus Protocol's codebase when it was deployed on Aptos in early 2023 . Despite this warning:

- The issue persisted when the code was ported to Sui 

- Attempted safeguards failed to properly address the overflow check flaw 

- The same type of exploit became possible on Sui 

This isn't the first major security incident involving the Move programming language used by both Sui and Aptos. In November 2024, Aptos' Thala money market lost $25 million to an exploit , demonstrating that language-level security features don't eliminate protocol-level vulnerabilities.

## Aftermath and Ecosystem Impact

The immediate consequences were severe:

- **Token prices collapsed**: CETUS dropped 40% initially (with partial recovery to -19%) , while SUI fell from $4.19 to $3.62 (14%) 

- **Memecoins crashed**: Tokens like LOFI, HIPPO, and MEMEFI lost 51-97% of their value 

- **TVL plummeted**: Sui's total value locked dropped from $2.13 billion to $1.92 billion 

- **Trading halted**: Major Sui DEXs like Bluefin and Momentum paused operations 

The Sui Foundation coordinated with validators to freeze about $162 million of stolen funds , while Cetus offered a $5-6 million bounty for information leading to the attacker's identification .

## Decentralization Debate

The freeze operation sparked intense debate about Sui's decentralization claims:

- Validators coordinated to ignore transactions from the attacker's addresses 

- This required consensus from over two-thirds of validators—achieved remarkably quickly 

- Critics argue this demonstrates excessive validator control 

- Supporters view it as necessary protection for a young network 

## Lessons for the Blockchain Ecosystem

The Cetus hack offers several critical lessons:

1. **Audit findings must be addressed comprehensively**: Vulnerabilities identified on one chain (Aptos) can resurface on another (Sui) 

2. **Economic design flaws transcend language security**: Move's "secure by default" features didn't prevent this protocol-level exploit 

3. **Oracle manipulation remains a top threat**: Internal price feeds need robust validation 

4. **Emergency response plans are essential**: The partial fund recovery shows value in coordinated action 

5. **Decentralization claims face real-world tests**: Asset freezing capabilities conflict with "code is law" ideals 

As investigations continue and the Sui community debates potential network upgrades to recover frozen funds , this incident serves as a stark reminder that blockchain security requires constant vigilance—across all layers of the technology stack and across all chains sharing similar architectures.