Best Crypto to Buy Now 4 December – XRP, Pepe, Zcash
Yesterday, Bitcoin kicked off another strong uptrend, pulling several top-performing altcoins higher with it. Many are hoping this will be the end of a long downturn triggered shortly after the world’s favourite cryptocurrency set a new all-time high (ATH) of $126,080 on October 6. In the weeks that followed, BTC sank to a seven-month low of $82,000 on November 21.
Yesterday, the broader crypto market climbed 6%, lifting total market capitalization to roughly $3.24 trillion. Today, the rally is cooling off with a 0.7% intraday rise to $3.27 trillion, although crypto bulls hope this is a rest point rather than a retreat.
Additionally, in a bull market, Bitcoin is likely to lose dominance to strong altcoins. So, with that in mind, here’s why XRP, Pepe, and Zcash are the best crypto to buy now.
XRP ($XRP): Driving Innovation in Global Settlement Systems
Ripple’s XRP ($XRP) dominates the cross-border settlement arena thanks to its rapid transaction throughput and low fees. Ripple positions the XRP Ledger as an on-chain alternative to legacy banking rails like SWIFT.
Reports from institutions like the UN Capital Development Fund and the White House have drawn attention to Ripple’s XRPLedger, while a growing roster of fintech partners has helped XRP secure its place as the third-largest non-stablecoin, boasting a market cap exceeding $131 billion.
Ripple’s introduction of RLUSD, a USD-backed stablecoin, signals the company’s broader plan to lead the next era of international payments. Each transfer of RLUSD on the XRPL burns a small amount of XRP, gradually reducing supply and tightening the connection between XRP’s utility and long-term valuation.
XRP finally broke out after the conclusion of a five-year legal battle with the SEC this year, hitting a new high of $3.65 in July. However, its current price of around $2.17 marks a retracement of 40% since then.
With its relative strength index (RSI) now at 54 and price action aligning with its 30-day moving average, XRP appears to be regaining strength. The recent rollout of nine XRP ETFs in the U.S. is expected to introduce a wave of institutional demand throughout the Christmas period.
Further ETF approvals are anticipated, and if Congress manages to pass comprehensive crypto legislation before the year closes, many analysts believe XRP could realistically pursue $10 or more by 2026.
Pepe (PEPE): The Internet’s Most Recognizable Frog Eyes Another Breakout
Pepe ($PEPE) debuted in April 2023 and rapidly climbed the meme coin ranks, drawing on the global popularity of Matt Furie’s well-loved Boy’s Club character of the same name.
The token now commands a market cap above $2 billion and enjoys widespread cultural recognition. Elon Musk even swapped his X profile image for a Pepe meme at one point, igniting speculation about his potential position in the coin. It is known that he holds Bitcoin and Dogecoin.
Currently priced around $0.0000048, PEPE sits nearly 83% below its late-2024 high of $0.00002803 after a slow summer and muted fourth quarter.
With the RSI climbing above 67, buying momentum appears to be building ahead of the weekend.
Currently hovering near its lowest valuation in nearly two years, Pepe’s current value poses a strategic entry point for those who want the high-upside potential meme coin experience on the next bull run.
Expectations for clearer U.S. regulatory guidance could revive investor appetite across crypto. Such an environment would provide PEPE with the momentum needed to revisit its previous all-time high before the end of the year.
Zcash (ZEC): Privacy Pioneer Rockets Over 1,400% in 12 Months
Zcash ($ZEC), introduced in 2016 as a confidentiality-focused fork of Bitcoin, remains one of the most advanced privacy coins on the market.
ZEC employs zk-SNARKs, or state-of-the-art zero-knowledge cryptography that validates transactions without exposing sender, recipient, or transaction details. Users can select transparent or shielded addresses, creating flexibility for both privacy and compliance advocates.
Zcash has surged 377% over the last year. Now trading near $362 with a market cap around $6 billion, ZEC accounts for just over a third of the privacy-coin sector’s roughly $16 billion valuation.
With its RSI near 48 and climbing, buying momentum could build over the weekend, pushing the price higher in a short time. If December proves to be bullish, Zcash could easily run toward $2,500 before year’s end.
Among the emerging projects drawing early attention ahead of 2026 is Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), a Bitcoin layer-2 network packaged in a meme-inspired brand. Beyond its playful exterior, HYPER aims to dramatically enhance Bitcoin’s performance with high-speed transactions, ultra-low fees, and full smart-contract support.
Built using the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), the project integrates decentralized governance and a Canonical Bridge that enables frictionless Bitcoin movement across multiple chains.
The presale has already attracted roughly $29 million in funding, and analyst Borch Crypto suggests the token could climb as much as 100× once publicly listed.
A recent Coinsult audit found zero smart-contract vulnerabilities, reinforcing investor trust. The HYPER token underpins network fees, staking, and governance, with early presale participants earning returns up to 40% APY.
With Bitcoin Hyper’s full launch planned for 2026, both Bitcoin veterans and newcomers have a rare opportunity to position themselves early in what may become a major extension of Bitcoin’s real-world utility.
Visit the official presale website or follow Bitcoin Hyper on X and Telegram for more information.
Visit the Official Website Here
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“First Time Ever”: CFTC Greenlights Spot Crypto Trading on Regulated U.S. Exchanges
For the first time in the United States, spot cryptocurrency trading is set to take place on federally regulated futures exchanges, a step that reshapes how digital assets fit into the country’s financial system.
The update was announced on Thursday by Acting Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Caroline Pham. She said that exchanges registered with the agency will soon be allowed to list spot crypto products, following months of behind-the-scenes coordination among U.S. regulators.
The move also reflects guidance from the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets.
Pham Calls Spot Crypto Approval on U.S. Exchanges a “Historic Moment”
Pham described the announcement as a historic moment, saying spot crypto will now be able to trade on exchanges that have operated under strict federal standards for nearly a century.
She said the goal is to give U.S. investors access to familiar, well-regulated venues that already enforce strong protections and market safeguards.
You can now trade listed spot crypto on @CFTC exchanges. We’re working smarter and faster to protect Americans who deserve safe U.S. markets, not offshore exchanges https://t.co/2yNTjDsCFV
— Caroline D. Pham (@CarolineDPham) December 4, 2025
Until now, the CFTC’s role in crypto has mostly centered on derivatives such as futures and options.
Spot markets, the direct buying and selling of assets, fell mostly outside its jurisdiction, pushing significant trading activity to offshore platforms with looser rules.
Under the new framework, the CFTC will apply its existing authority to oversee spot trading for digital assets it considers commodities, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The change also folds leveraged retail crypto trades into the same regulated exchange system that has long governed traditional commodities markets.
The decision also reflects growing regulatory cooperation in Washington. In early September, the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a joint statement clarifying that exchanges registered with either agency are not barred from supporting certain spot crypto trades.
Spot crypto trading is moving closer to mainstream finance after the SEC and CFTC cleared registered exchanges to facilitate certain spot products.#SpotCrypto #SEC #CFTChttps://t.co/5C5uy800Ju
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) September 3, 2025
That guidance eased longstanding jurisdictional tensions between the two regulators.
Pham said the approval ties into the CFTC’s wider Crypto Sprint initiative, which spans several areas of digital finance.
The program includes work on tokenized collateral, the use of stablecoins in derivatives markets, and updates to clearing, settlement, and recordkeeping rules using blockchain-based systems.
The change also responds to years of pressure from the crypto industry for clearer rules. Under current law, leveraged retail commodity trades must take place on registered exchanges and involve physical delivery of the asset within 28 days.
That requirement created uncertainty for crypto markets and pushed much of the activity overseas. Allowing spot and leveraged crypto trading on Designated Contract Markets offers a regulated option within the U.S. system.
CFTC in Talks With CME, Coinbase, and Others as Crypto Market Oversight Expands
Several major platforms have already held talks with the CFTC about launching products under the new framework. These include CME Group, Cboe Futures Exchange, ICE Futures, Coinbase Derivatives, Kalshi, and Polymarket U.S.
Earlier this month, Pham confirmed that the agency was in direct discussions with multiple firms seeking approval for spot and leveraged crypto offerings.
The CFTC is reportedly set to approve leveraged crypto trading on regulated U.S. exchanges next month. Acting Chair @CarolineDPham confirmed talks are underway to bring these products under the agency's oversight.
#crypto #regulation https://t.co/wSaWVJ4lEh
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) November 10, 2025
The policy change is unfolding at a time when the CFTC itself is going through a leadership transition. Pham took over as acting chair in January after former Chair Rostin Behnam stepped down.
She is set to leave once the Senate confirms President Donald Trump’s nominee, Michael Selig, whose confirmation vote is now moving toward the full chamber.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Congress are advancing legislation that could officially place crypto spot markets under the CFTC’s primary supervision. As those plans take shape, some lawmakers have questioned whether the agency has the manpower to manage the expanded duties.
Right now, the CFTC employs just over 500 staff members, a small figure compared with the more than 4,000 employees at the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Outside of its enforcement role, the agency is also stepping up its work with the private sector.
In November, Pham announced plans to launch a new CEO Innovation Council and opened public nominations to help shape future policy on digital assets and prediction markets.
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Record $12M Crypto Donation to Reform Rocks UK Politics as Government Weighs Ban
Reform UK has landed its biggest donation yet, after receiving £9 million ($12 million) from crypto investor and aviation businessman Christopher Harborne, according to newly released figures from the Electoral Commission.
The sum is now the largest single political donation ever made by a living person to a UK political party.
Harborne, a British investor living in Thailand, has long been active in UK political donations. He donated heavily to the Conservatives during Boris Johnson’s time in office and also supported the Brexit Party, which later became Reform UK, in both 2019 and 2020.
Two companies tied to him, AML Global and Sherriff Group, operate in the private aviation sector.
Harborne’s £9M donation Reshapes UK as Crypto Money Enters UK Politics
Harborne’s donation comes at a time when, as the next general election is not due until 2029, but local elections are scheduled for May. It also comes as Reform UK has remained at the top of several national opinion polls since the spring.
Harborne’s £9 million donation breaks the previous record of £8 million, which was set in 2019 by supermarket heir Lord David Sainsbury in support of the Liberal Democrats.
Separately, Lord John Sainsbury left £10 million to the Conservatives through his will in 2022.
Figures released by the UK Electoral Commission show that Reform UK raised more than £10.2 million between July and September, over twice the amount collected by the Conservatives in the same period, which brought in £4.6 million.
Source: Electoral Commission UK
Labour brought in £2.1 million, and the Liberal Democrats reported £1 million. This makes it the first full quarter in which Reform will outpace Conservatives in fundraising since the general election in 2024.
Still, the longer-term numbers slightly favor the Conservatives, showing that since July 2024, they have raised around £14.4 million in total, compared with Reform’s £13.5 million.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch downplayed the impact of Harborne’s contribution, describing it as a “one-off” and insisting her party remains stronger when it comes to steady, repeat donors
Beyond fundraising, the donation has reignited debate around the role of cryptocurrency in UK politics.
In May, Reform leader Nigel Farage announced that the party would begin accepting Bitcoin donations, making it the first UK political party to do so.
The party later launched a dedicated digital donation portal and confirmed that it had already received a small number of crypto contributions, the first recorded instance of such donations in British political history.
Foreign Influence Fears Drive UK Review of Crypto Political Funding
That decision is now under increasing political scrutiny. The UK government says it’s now looking into whether cryptocurrency donations should be blocked entirely for political parties.
While no formal proposal has been confirmed, officials say discussions are underway across Whitehall about it, driven by rising concerns over transparency and the risk of foreign interference in British politics.
UK considers crypto political donation ban, threatening @Nifel_Farage Reform UK’s campaign and fundraising amid foreign interference and money-laundering concerns.#UKPolitics #ReformUK https://t.co/WBR07U05bb
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 2, 2025
Additionally, security specialists caution that while blockchain records are public, the real origin of funds can still be obscured through layered wallets, intermediaries, and offshore structures.
The debate gained urgency after former Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill was convicted and sentenced to over 10 years in prison for accepting payments to push pro-Russian narratives while serving as a Member of the European Parliament.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is leading work on the Elections Bill, has also warned that existing rules leave the political system exposed to covert foreign influence.
Proposed changes are expected to focus on donations funneled through shell companies and to introduce stricter risk checks for politically sensitive contributions.
The discussion unfolds as the UK moves ahead with its wider digital asset rules. On December 3, Parliament passed a law recognizing cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as legal property for the first time under UK law.
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