Bitcoin experienced a dramatic 15% drop, leading to $1 billion in liquidations and dragging Ethereum below $2,000. Amidst this market chaos, Plasma's $XPL token defied the trend, surging 12% and nearing a market cap of $500 million. Plasma utilizes PlasmaBFT consensus for rapid block production and gas-free USD stablecoin transfers, fully compatible with EVM smart contracts, positioning itself as a disruptive DeFi payment infrastructure. As Russian banks explore crypto-backed loans and Singapore advances stablecoin regulations, $XPL offers a hedge against volatility. It allows value transfer without gas fee erosion, appealing to investors during whale sell-offs. The token's performance raises questions about its potential to rebound to $1.