In a week where headlines were dominated by AI-token rallies and Bitcoin’s bullish momentum, a quieter but equally significant development took shape in the DeFi landscape. The presale of $NMA, a new token launching on the XRP Ledger, exceeded all expectations, raising over $42 million within 72 hours and positioning itself as a strong contender for the next major DeFi breakout.
What sets $NMA apart isn’t just aggressive marketing or speculative hype—it’s the integration of an AI-powered agent protocol into a DeFi-native ecosystem. The project aims to redefine how decentralized capital is allocated and governed, combining the liquidity power of XRP’s growing DeFi base with autonomous execution frameworks typically seen in more experimental Layer-1 ecosystems.
This launch marks a critical moment for the XRP ecosystem, which has often been criticised for lagging in DeFi innovation. With $NMA’s momentum and technical architecture, that narrative may soon shift.
What is $NMA and Why Is It Gaining Traction?
$NMA stands for Network Managed Agent, a protocol-layer token designed to power AI-driven agents that operate across DeFi applications. These agents execute strategies such as yield farming, liquidity routing, and automated governance voting based on real-time on-chain data and predictive modeling.
Unlike many DeFi protocols built on Ethereum or its Layer-2s, $NMA utilises the XRP Ledger’s speed and cost-efficiency to deploy smart contract agents with minimal latency. It also benefits from XRP’s built-in features, like native decentralized exchange (DEX) capabilities and cross-currency payments.
The project’s mission is to transform DeFi from reactive to proactive by giving protocols and DAOs access to intelligent automation tools that reduce human bias, increase speed, and mitigate risk.
A Presale That Outperformed Expectations
Launched on June 25, 2025, the $NMA presale was expected to run for seven days with a soft cap of $18 million. Within the first 36 hours, that target was surpassed, and by June 28, over $42 million had been raised from over 60,000 unique wallet addresses.
Key factors behind this surge include:
- XRP Ecosystem Support: Ripple-affiliated DeFi platforms promoted the launch, including XSwap and OnXRP, which committed to listing the token post-launch.
- Tiered Utility Model: Investors in the presale were granted early access to AI agent beta testing, governance privileges, and increased staking rewards.
- Cross-Chain Functionality: The team announced future support for EVM-compatible chains, drawing interest from Ethereum-native DeFi communities.
The presale’s smart contract was audited by CertiK and flagged zero critical issues, helping further boost investor confidence.
How $NMA Differs From Other DeFi Launches
What makes $NMA notable is its agent-centric approach to DeFi. While protocols like Yearn automate yield strategies using scripts, $NMA introduces semi-autonomous agents that can:
- Analyze macro trends
- Adjust LP positions across protocols
- Vote on DAO proposals based on sentiment analysis and governance alignment
- Recommend or execute reallocation of DAO treasury assets
These capabilities aren’t theoretical—the beta version of its agent network is already running on XRP testnet environments with measurable outputs.
In essence, $NMA is not just a governance or utility token. It’s the economic driver of a full-stack DeFi intelligence layer that can be embedded across protocols.
XRP Ledger’s DeFi Revival
The XRP Ledger has long been focused on payments, but 2025 has seen a shift in narrative. New tooling, including smart contract support via Hooks and sidechain development, has made XRP’s ecosystem more attractive to DeFi builders.
Key platforms supporting the new wave include:
- Xumm Wallet: Now integrated with staking and DeFi dashboards
- Evernode: XRP’s native smart contract framework is seeing increased adoption
- XSwap: The largest DEX on XRP by TVL, which confirmed it would support $NMA staking and liquidity pairs post-launch
By deploying $NMA on XRP, the team capitalises on low transaction costs and near-instant confirmations—features increasingly valuable as congestion returns to Ethereum-based DeFi.
Market Reaction and Price Predictions
While the token hasn’t officially launched on public exchanges yet, pre-launch over-the-counter (OTC) trades have reportedly priced $NMA at nearly 4x its initial presale rate. Early investors who bought in at $0.012 are seeing OTC valuations north of $0.045.
Crypto analysts suggest that if listings on XSwap and at least one Tier 2 centralized exchange occur by mid-July—as the team has hinted—$NMA could reach $0.10–$0.15 in the early post-launch phase, depending on liquidity and staking lock-ups.
Beyond that, long-term price trajectories will depend on:
- Adoption of AI agents by third-party protocols
- Expansion to the Ethereum and Solana ecosystems
- Governance participation and treasury utilization efficiency
Risks and Considerations
Despite the enthusiasm, $NMA is not without risk. Challenges include:
- Agent Overreach: Malfunctioning AI agents could cause DeFi strategies to misfire or incur unexpected losses
- Liquidity Fragmentation: While the team promises cross-chain integration, initial liquidity is concentrated on XRP, limiting exposure to broader DeFi users
- Speculative Froth: A 4x pre-listing valuation is often unsustainable without organic volume and protocol usage
However, the project appears well-prepared, with public roadmaps, community engagement, and technical documentation readily available for scrutiny.
Final Thoughts
The $NMA presale is more than a successful token launch—it represents a potential inflection point for DeFi and for the XRP Ledger. By embedding intelligent agents directly into protocol logic, $NMA offers a new model for capital management in decentralized systems.
Whether or not it becomes the next household name in crypto, it has already proven that the next evolution of DeFi will likely be intelligent, autonomous, and cross-chain. And for XRP, it may signal the beginning of a long-awaited DeFi renaissance.
