XRP News Today: As XRP Declines, Investors Turn to MUTM's Practical Benefits

Cryptopolitan report.>

Shifts in the crypto market are changing where investors focus, with new DeFi platforms such as Mutuum Finance (MUTM) gaining traction as established large-cap coins face challenges.

, which was once a leader in blockchain payment solutions, has lost momentum even after a notable collaboration with Absa Bank to bring institutional-grade XRP Ledger (XRPL) products to Africa. The token has struggled to find stability amid market turbulence, prompting traders to move funds toward projects with stronger fundamentals and greater growth prospects.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) stands out as a promising DeFi project for 2025-2026, according to analysts. MUTM is priced at $0.035, has attracted $17.95 million in investments, boasts over 17,400 holders, and has sold 75% of the current round. Since launching at $0.01 in Phase 1, the token has surged 250%, reflecting growing trust in its dual lending approach, which merges Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Peer-to-Contract (P2C) models to maximize liquidity and transparency, as detailed in a

.

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While XRP's performance has waned, MUTM continues to gain momentum. Despite Ripple's partnership with Absa Bank, XRP remains under downward pressure, trading below $2.50 and unable to recover as open interest in futures contracts declines, according to Cryptopolitan. Meanwhile, Mutuum Finance has brought in over $17.65 million, and its latest funding round is close to a 20% price jump to $0.04 once fully subscribed, as noted in a

. The project's roadmap features a Q4 2025 rollout of its lending and borrowing protocol on the Sepolia Testnet, including liquidity pools, mtTokens, and a liquidator bot for automated risk management, as mentioned in a .

Experts emphasize MUTM's methodical approach to DeFi, highlighted by a CertiK audit with a 90/100 Token Scan score and a $50,000 bug bounty to enhance security, as reported in a

. Its dual-market structure—offering pooled lending for major tokens like and , alongside P2P lending for less common assets—enables it to serve both retail and institutional users while ensuring on-chain transparency, according to the GlobeNewswire release.

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Industry watchers point out that MUTM's utility-focused design matches the broader DeFi trend, where projects with real-world applications and solid tokenomics are outperforming speculative coins. The project also features gamified incentives, such as a daily $500 MUTM reward for top contributors on a 24-hour leaderboard, which boosts engagement and transparency, as stated in the GlobeNewswire announcement. The $17.8 million raised so far highlights strong interest, with funds allocated to audits, development, and liquidity ahead of the mainnet launch, according to a

.

On the other hand, XRP's outlook remains uncertain despite Ripple's push for institutional adoption. The introduction of Evernorth, a Ripple-supported entity with plans for a nearly $1 billion XRP treasury, has fueled speculation about possible supply shocks and ETF-related demand, as reported by CoinPedia. Still, XRP's recent 88% recovery from monthly lows to $2.66 has not led to sustained upward movement, with traders citing weak retail interest and negative technical signals, according to Crypto.news analysis.

Mutuum Finance's development plan includes launching a USD-pegged stablecoin and Layer-2 scaling solutions to improve efficiency and lower transaction fees, as described in a

. These enhancements are designed to address scalability issues and make the platform more accessible to smaller investors, which is vital for long-term growth. The platform's buy-and-distribute system, which uses platform fees to repurchase MUTM tokens and reward stakers, is expected to further drive demand as adoption increases, according to a .

With XRP's institutional deals failing to counteract negative sentiment and MUTM's recent fundraising showing rapid results, the DeFi sector is increasingly favoring projects with clear utility and strong execution. As 2026 approaches, more investors are viewing MUTM as a compelling option in decentralized lending, while XRP's prospects hinge on broader economic trends and regulatory developments.