Ripple's CEO says Saylor's Bitcoin strategy has hurt crypto, as Fear & Greed hits 15

Price action was quiet across the board today — Bitcoin gained 0.30%, Ethereum 0.95%, and most top-15 assets moved less than 1% in either direction. The real story was off-chain. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse publicly criticized Michael Saylor's Bitcoin-maximalist strategy, arguing that Saylor's approach — which involves MicroStrategy accumulating Bitcoin at scale and advocating that institutions hold only BTC — has actively hurt the broader crypto market by crowding out altcoins and narrowing institutional attention. Garlinghouse said he remains bullish on Bitcoin itself, but the criticism landed as a notable public split between two prominent figures in the industry. Solana was the standout mover in the top 15, up 3.15% on the day. According to a report from The Block, SOL climbed roughly 9% over the past week — that figure comes from the news report rather than verified 24-hour price data, but it aligns with the broader momentum visible in Solana-linked equities, which gained double digits over the same period. Worldcoin's 2.85% decline fits a pattern noted this week: investor interest has been rotating toward AI stocks, pulling capital away from AI-adjacent crypto projects like WLD. Dogecoin and Hyperliquid were also cited as weekly underperformers for the same reason. The Fear & Greed index reading of 15 reflects sustained selling pressure accumulated over recent weeks — a level consistent with prolonged drawdown periods rather than a single-session shock.

• –Spain's financial regulator told Binance and other crypto firms there will be no exceptions or deadline extensions for MiCA compliance — the EU's crypto regulatory framework — with the deadline now imminent.
• –A U.S. House Democrat who may soon chair a key financial committee publicly condemned the inclusion of crypto in 401(k) retirement plans, a stance that could shape the legislative environment for crypto in workplace savings accounts.
• –Dogecoin and Hyperliquid's HYPE were among the week's worst performers in the top tier, with analysts pointing to capital rotating into AI equities as the proximate cause.