XRP rose 3.23% over the past 24 hours to reach $1.35, driven by optimism surrounding Ripple’s partnership with Convera and recent regulatory developments.

The price move mainly reflects improved risk appetite in the market, supported by a steady flow of positive news within the Ripple ecosystem.

The altcoin’s price action also aligns with a broader recovery in the cryptocurrency market as geopolitical tensions ease and overall risk sentiment improves.

Optimism around the Ripple–Convera partnership and positive regulatory developments provided key support for XRP’s gains. Technical traders noted that if XRP holds above the $1.31 support level, it is likely to test resistance at $1.38. A break below this support could lead to a decline toward the $1.25–$1.30 range, with the next key event being the CLARITY Act hearing scheduled for April 13.

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization also rose 2.59% over the past 24 hours, supported by a 2.84% increase in Bitcoin following reports of potential de-escalation in the Iran conflict. This easing of geopolitical risks has fueled a broader risk-on rally across assets, with XRP’s 3.2% gain clearly reflecting this trend.

Crypto analysts noted that while positive developments related to Ripple provided fundamental support, they were not the primary driver of the latest price increase. The Convera partnership, aimed at enhancing cross-border payments using stablecoins, was announced on March 31.

In addition, discussions within the crypto community about Ripple potentially becoming a trusted national bank, along with the upcoming CLARITY Act, have contributed to a positive long-term outlook, though they have not directly influenced the immediate price movement.

Technically, XRP is currently trading above the daily pivot point at $1.33, with key support at the recent low of $1.31, while the next catalyst remains the CLARITY Act hearing on April 13.

Technology giants Microsoft and Nvidia are collaborating on an AI-driven initiative aimed at accelerating the development of nuclear energy to meet the growing power demands driven by artificial intelligence. The project seeks to build an “ecosystem of AI-powered digital engineering tools” designed to shorten the lengthy timelines required to bring nuclear power plants online, amid rapidly rising global energy demand.

The US nuclear energy sector faces multiple bottlenecks, ranging from complex and costly custom design and engineering processes to lengthy regulatory procedures characterized by layers of bureaucracy. The Vogtle plant in Georgia, the most recent nuclear facility to come online in the United States, highlighted the scale of these challenges. The project took 15 years to complete and cost $35 billion when it was finalized in April 2024, making it the most expensive infrastructure project of any kind in US history.

One commentator wrote about Vogtle in 2024: “The project was such a massive disaster that many experts believe it could be fatal for the future of the US nuclear energy sector. But there are two ways to interpret the warning from Vogtle: either the lesson is not to build new reactors, or the lesson is to build nuclear reactors better.”

Big Tech companies appear to be clearly choosing the second option. Nuclear energy has gained traction in Silicon Valley as a potential solution to meet the massive surge in energy demand driven by the rapid integration of AI. As pressure mounts from both the public and governments on major tech firms to address the energy challenge — the burden of which ultimately falls on consumers, whether they support or benefit from AI — many top technology executives have begun investing billions of dollars into the nuclear sector.

Entering the “digital era of nuclear energy”

Microsoft and Nvidia are strongly backing efforts to overcome the major obstacles preventing a new nuclear era in the United States. They believe that digitizing the analog processes that underpin the sector could be a turning point, enabling more efficient scaling. This will be critical in allowing nuclear power generation capacity to grow in line with the surge in energy demand driven by data centers.

A report by Interesting Engineering described the new system as providing “end-to-end tools that combine AI with digital twins to enable faster and more iterative design and engineering solutions. Licensing and permitting processes are handled using generative AI to draft documentation and identify gaps.”

Advanced modeling capabilities are also expected to simplify the design of new reactors. A Microsoft press release stated: “While traditional 3D models only map physical space, 4D (time-based scheduling) and 5D (cost tracking) simulations can virtually construct the plant before ground is even broken.”

These benefits are not merely theoretical, as Microsoft says it is already seeing efficiency improvements from this collaborative initiative. The toolkit is currently being deployed in smaller-scale environments such as Aalo Atomics and the Idaho National Laboratory. The results have been significant, with Aalo reporting a 92% reduction in permitting timelines, translating into estimated annual savings of around $80 million.

Yasser Arafat, as quoted by Interesting Engineering, said: “There are two very important factors: enterprise-level complexity and mission-critical reliability. We are deploying something complex at a scale that only a company like Microsoft can truly understand.”

In addition to streamlining the development and deployment of traditional nuclear reactors, major technology companies are also investing heavily in unlocking commercial nuclear fusion, which many advocates view as a breakthrough solution capable of generating massive amounts of energy without compromising climate goals or producing hazardous nuclear waste. Once again, they are turning to AI to solve the equation.

Copper prices extended gains on Wednesday to reach their highest level in two weeks, amid hopes that the war with Iran may be nearing an end.

Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.2% to $12,365 per metric ton in official trading, after touching $12,492.50, its highest level since March 18.

This marks the fourth consecutive session of gains, although copper prices remain well below their record high of $14,527.50 reached on January 29.

Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank in Copenhagen, said: “The market wants to believe we are approaching the end of this escalation, although we are still facing economic clouds hanging over markets, and they are dark and could worsen.”

Copper joined equities and other financial markets that rose after US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran may be nearing its end.

The most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange also rose 1.5% to 97,030 yuan ($14,093.57) per ton, after earlier climbing to 97,250 yuan, its highest level since March 19.

Metals were also supported by data released on Wednesday showing that China’s private manufacturing sector — the world’s largest consumer of metals — expanded in March for the fourth consecutive month.

This followed official survey data released on Tuesday showing that economic activity grew at its fastest pace in a year.

Higher premiums and declining inventories in China also indicate improving physical demand for copper.

Inventories monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell for the second consecutive week to 359,135 tons as of March 27.

Hansen added: “This suggests there is pent-up demand, and that the lower prices we saw earlier this month triggered some buying.”

Metals also received additional support from a weaker US dollar, making dollar-denominated commodities more attractive to investors using other currencies.

Meanwhile, aluminum initially declined on the London Metal Exchange after investors expected supply disruptions from smelters in the Gulf region to ease if the war de-escalates.

However, prices later rebounded, rising 1.6% in official trading to $3,523 per ton, after a consultancy said that one major smelter had halted operations while another was operating at no more than 30% capacity.

Among other metals, zinc on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.4% to $3,240 per ton, lead gained 1.3% to $1,928, nickel increased 0.7% to $17,225, and tin rose 2.1% to $47,745.

Historical price data from CoinGlass shows that Bitcoin recorded its first positive monthly candle in six months, after closing March up 2% following five consecutive months of losses.

Analyst Ash Crypto said in a post on X on Wednesday: “This is a huge dose of hope.”

The analyst was referring to the possibility of a shift in momentum that could lead to a sustained recovery, similar to previous cycles.

The last time this occurred was during the 2018–2019 cycle, when Bitcoin closed February 2019 higher after six consecutive red monthly candles, according to historical data.

At that time, it triggered a strong trend reversal, with gains exceeding 300% over the following five months as Bitcoin recovered from the 2018 bear market.

Trader Satoshi Flipper said in a post on X on Wednesday: “The last time Bitcoin dropped for six straight months, it rallied continuously over the next five months!”

If history repeats, this reversal could continue through April, suggesting that Bitcoin may have already bottomed near the $60,000 level.

Trader Caleb said that Bitcoin’s bullish monthly close represents “a catalyst for new investment inflows at the start of April,” adding: “April begins with positive momentum.”

Bitcoin has a well-documented history of strong price volatility during April.

Since 2013, April has been a positive month for Bitcoin in eight out of 13 years, with average returns of around 12.2%.

However, Bitcoin also tends to move in the opposite direction of March during April, which has occurred in nine out of the past 13 years.

In recent years, Bitcoin declined in April after a positive March close in three out of four instances between 2021 and 2024.

Therefore, while the end of prolonged downtrends has historically pointed to the potential for a rebound, data also suggests that Bitcoin could decline during April.

Bitcoin price levels to watch

Data from TradingView shows that Bitcoin rose 2.5% during the day to trade at $68,470, while the resistance range between $69,000 and $70,000 remains intact.

Analysts expect price action to remain range-bound for some time, with key levels to watch in the event of a bullish breakout.

Among these levels is the supply zone between $70,000 and $72,000, which coincides with the 50-day simple moving average and the 50-day exponential moving average, in addition to the cost basis of investor cohorts holding Bitcoin for one week to one month.

This zone also represents the level at which investors purchased around 650,000 Bitcoin, which could act as a potential selling pressure point, according to cost basis distribution data from Glassnode.

If the price manages to break above this level, the BTC/USD pair could revisit the range high near $76,000 and potentially move toward the psychological level at $80,000.

On the broader timeframe, trader Sheldon Diedericks said that Bitcoin may be “heading toward a resistance zone” near $83,000 on the monthly timeframe, which previously acted as a key support level in April 2025, while the 200-day exponential moving average is also located near that area.

On the downside, the 200-week exponential moving average at $68,300 and the 200-week simple moving average at $59,400 remain among the key levels to watch.

If the price falls below these levels, the next major level would be Bitcoin’s realized price near $54,000.

Cointelegraph had previously reported that a bear market bottom for Bitcoin could form when the price drops to or below its realized price.