The cryptocurrency market capitalization brieflysurpassed $4 trillion yesterday (Thursday). This rise was driven mainly by strong gainsin Ether and XRP. XRP’s price increased nearly 20% in a single day.The market movement followed the approval of theGENIUS Act by the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation aims toprovide clearer regulatory guidelines for digital assets. Some investorsinterpret the bill as a sign of increased political focus on the crypto sector.Regulatory Changes Affect Investor Behavior and AltcoinPerformanceData from CoinGecko showed the market cap exceeding $4trillion, an all-time high, during the day. However, CoinMarketCap and TradingView reportedslightly lower figures, between $3.8 trillion and $3.9 trillion.JUST IN: The total crypto market cap has hit a new ATH of $4T. pic.twitter.com/gE8hRFegwz— CoinGecko (@coingecko) July 18, 2025Ether gained about 8% in the day, trading above $3,600. Itsvalue has risen roughly 40% over the past two weeks. Ether-linked stocks roseafter ether reached a six-month high, outperforming bitcoin. Companiesincreased ether holdings amid growing stablecoin use on Ethereum.You may find it interesting at FinanceMagnates.com: XRPNears $3: Grayscale Challenges SEC Over Paused Multi-Crypto ETF.Analysts said the new law has improved market sentiment.Many investors appear more willing to take risks. While Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies also saw gains, the largest increases occurred in altcoins,especially those with regulatory implications.XRP Price Correction After Bullish SurgeThe XRPUSD H1 chart shows that after a strong bullish run,the price faced resistance near 3.66000 and experienced a bearish correction.So far, the 3.41000 level has acted as intraday support. A clear bullishreversal here could draw buyers and push the price back toward yesterday’shigh. Conversely, a bearish break below this support may lead to an extended price correction.XRP and Bitcoin Prices Track Analyst ProjectionsEarlier projections from DeepSeekAI suggested that XRP could trade between $3.50 and $5.00 by the end of2025. The platform also outlined three possible scenarios for Bitcoin, with abase case range of $100K to $150K and a more optimistic projection of $350Kunder a “hyperbitcoinization” phase. Analyst Austin Hilton noted that if XRP breaks above $3, itmay revisit its previous all-time high of $3.84, with possible targets of$5 or higher, depending on market conditions. A pullback to the $2.55–$2.60range was also considered.Recent price movements suggest the market may be starting toalign with some of these projections.This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.