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The Asian crypto landscape is continually evolving. This week, the region witnessed significant developments across several fronts, including massive capital infusions, global expansions, as well as rising concerns over crypto exposure and a massive security breach. These developments showcase a rising institutional confidence along with persistent vulnerabilities. Hong Kong’s OSL Group Locks In $300M Equity Amid Bullish Asian Crypto Landscape Hong Kong’s OSL Group has generated significant buzz in the Asian crypto landscape, raising $300 million through an equity financing round, making it the largest publicly disclosed crypto capital raise that the region has seen so far. In an article published by Reuters on 25 July 2025, the firm stated that it plans to use the raised capital for its global expansion efforts, including the development of a stablecoin infrastructure, securing licenses in additional markets and launching a compliant digital network. Ivan Wong, the CFO of OSL Group, said, “The funding will accelerate our global build-out, particularly in regulated stablecoin infrastructure and compliant payment rails.” Furthermore, the company also aims to establish an additional subsidiary dedicated to derivatives-related activities. Through this, Metaplanet aims to achieve its broader objective of income generation and risk mitigation. Explore: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in July 2025 Key Takeaways Hong Kong’s OSL Group raised $300 million to further expansion projects, stablecoin development, licensing and launching a compliant digital network CoinDCX’s operational account hacked, users’ funds are safe Metaplanet launched a new holdings company to manage US-based operations that sits between the parent company and Metaplanet Treasury Corp The post This Week In Asian Crypto Landscape: Metaplanet Launches New US Subsidiary, CoinDCX Gets Hacked appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

Windtree Therapeutics (WINT), a biotech firm listed on Nasdaq, has recently made headlines by venturing into the cryptocurrency space, particularly focusing on Binance Coin (BNB). Just over a week after raising $60 million, the company announced a substantial partnership with Build and Build Corporation, unveiling a $200 million securities purchase agreement aimed at establishing a dedicated BNB treasury. In a surprising turn of events just six days later, the firm disclosed a strategic partnership with Kraken, which will reportedly provide services such as custody, trading, and over-the-counter (OTC) solutions for Windtree’s newly formed BNB treasury strategy. Windtree Therapeutics Partners With Kraken According to the announcement, the biotech firm and the US-based cryptocurrency exchange have signed a term sheet that will be formalized into a definitive agreement pending shareholder approval of Windtree’s securities purchase agreement. This partnership is said to open the door for potential future subscriptions of up to $140 million, led by Build and Build Corporation, further solidifying Windtree’s dive into the cryptocurrency ecosystem. By aligning with Kraken, Windtree aims to leverage the exchange’s security, liquidity, and expertise in digital asset management. Notably, Windtree distinguishes itself as the first Nasdaq-listed company to offer direct exposure to the BNB token, which ranks as the fifth-largest digital asset by market capitalization, exceeding $100 billion. Kraken’s infrastructure is expected to play a vital role in ensuring the secure custody and efficient trading of BNB assets. The exchange’s over-the-counter desk will facilitate transactions related to Windtree’s Binance Coin treasury strategy. The Key To Windtree’s BNB Strategy Success Jed Latkin, Chief Executive Officer of Windtree, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating: We are excited to partner with Kraken, a trusted leader in the cryptocurrency industry, to support our groundbreaking BNB strategy. Kraken’s expertise and secure platform will strengthen our ability to deliver unparalleled exposure to the Binance ecosystem, creating significant value for our shareholders. David Olsson, Global Head of Institutional Client Solutions at Kraken, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the exchange’s commitment to expanding access to BNB and the Binance Smart Chain. “Our deep liquidity and industry-leading security infrastructure allow us to deliver bespoke solutions tailored to the needs of corporate treasury teams,” he added. “With qualified custody, a leading staking platform, and seamless OTC execution, we’re well-positioned to support Windtree as they execute their digital asset strategy with confidence and precision.” As of this writing, Binance Coin is trading at $782, marking a 20% surge over the past month. This makes it one of the top performers among the ten largest cryptocurrencies in the market over this period. Yet, the token has a 3% gap from its record high of $809. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

In the latest Africa crypto news, Ghana will license crypto exchanges starting September 2025, as Luno introduces crypto staking services in Nigeria. DRC has released an e-diplôme platform that integrates blockchain for diploma verification. Ghana has joined several African countries in enacting crypto regulations and has announced plans to license crypto exchanges starting in September. In Nigeria, Luno, a crypto exchange, has rolled out a staking service to attract more users. Meanwhile, the DRC is incorporating the blockchain to create a reliable database for government-issued diplomas. These crypto stories and more dominate the continental headlines this week: DISCOVER: Top Solana Meme Coins to Buy in 2025 Ghana Crypto News: Central Bank to License Crypto Exchanges From September The Bank of Ghana will begin licensing crypto exchanges by September 2025 if a regulatory framework currently in parliament is approved. According to Johnson Asiama, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, licensing crypto exchanges will boost cross-border trading and attract strategic investment to the country. This application extends beyond cryptocurrencies and could serve as a blueprint for governments and organizations seeking similar transparency. DISCOVER: Next 1000x Crypto – 13 Coins That Could 1000x in 2025 Africa Crypto News: Ghana Licenses Exchanges, DRC Adopts Blockchain Ghana Crypto News: Bank of Ghana to license crypto exchanges by September 2025 Nigeria Crypto News: Luno introduces staking services, supporting coins like Cosmos and Solana DRC Crypto News: Government releases the e-diplôme platform that uses the blockchain to verify diplomas The post Africa Crypto News Week in Review: Ghana to License Exchanges, Luno Releases New Feature in Nigeria, DRC Integrates Blockchain for Transparency appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

Bitcoin experienced heightened volatility on Friday, briefly dipping to a local low of around $114,700 before stabilizing within a tight consolidation range. The price remains capped below the psychological $120,000 mark, with bulls and bears locked in a tug-of-war that has intensified speculation across the market. Despite the pullback, Bitcoin is holding key support, suggesting resilience in the current bullish structure. According to CryptoQuant analyst Axel Adler, this week stands out as one of the most aggressive selling periods of the current bull cycle. Adler notes that only 12 weeks—about 7.3% of the entire cycle—have shown equal or greater selling pressure. This context highlights just how intense the recent market activity has been, with significant profit-taking from investors but no full breakdown in price. The combination of strong selling and price stability has introduced a high level of uncertainty. Market participants are watching closely for confirmation of either a deeper correction or a renewed push to break the $120K barrier. As the week closes, Bitcoin’s ability to maintain its consolidation range could determine the pace and direction of the next major move in this cycle. Bitcoin Holds Strong Amid Heavy Selling Adler highlighted that this week ranks among the top 7% of the most extreme in terms of selling volume during the current Bitcoin bull cycle. Despite the intense selling pressure, Bitcoin has shown notable resilience, recovering to $117,000 by week’s end. This rebound is seen as a positive signal, reflecting bullish strength in the face of aggressive distribution. While Bitcoin remains in a tight consolidation range, its dominance is starting to weaken relative to Ethereum and other major altcoins. This shift has caught the attention of analysts who now view this week as a pivotal moment. A continued decrease in Bitcoin dominance paired with growing strength in altcoins could mark the beginning of the long-anticipated altseason—a period where capital rotates from Bitcoin into alternative cryptocurrencies, driving strong gains across the sector. Still, Bitcoin’s recent recovery and consolidation above key support suggest that its bullish momentum may not be over. If buyers continue to defend the current range, BTC could be gearing up for another leg higher, putting pressure on shorts and reigniting market confidence. BTC Retests Resistance After Strong Recovery Bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading around $117,867 on the 4-hour chart after recovering sharply from the $115,724 support level. This area has proven to be a critical short-term demand zone, with bulls stepping in aggressively to defend it following a recent dip. The price is now pressing against the 100-period SMA ($117,822), attempting to reclaim this level as support. The structure of the chart shows BTC remains locked in a well-defined consolidation range between $115,724 and $122,077. This week’s retest of the lower boundary and subsequent bounce signals continued interest from buyers, despite strong selling pressure earlier in the week. Volume remains elevated, suggesting active market participation during the recent recovery. The key to watch now is whether BTC can flip the 100 SMA and hold above $118,000. If confirmed, the next major test will be the upper range resistance at $122,077. A clean breakout above this level could set the stage for new all-time highs. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

In a turbulent second quarter (Q2) for the cryptocurrency market, Avalanche (AVAX), a layer-1 blockchain platform frequently considered a competitor to Ethereum (ETH), reported a mixed bag of financial metrics. Avalanche Price Declines But User Engagement Soars A recent analysis from data firm Messari revealed that AVAX’s price fell 4.2% quarter-over-quarter, dropping from $18.77 to $17.99. This decline came alongside a 2.6% decrease in its circulating market cap, which fell from $7.8 billion to $7.6 billion. The impact of this price drop was also reflected in AVAX’s market ranking, which fell from 15th to 16th among all cryptocurrencies. However, not all metrics were negative. Transaction fees for AVAX surged by nearly 29% during the quarter, increasing from 58,300 to 75,170. In terms of revenue, transaction fees in USD also rose slightly, going from $1.50 million to $1.54 million, indicating a growing user base and increased activity on the platform. A particularly bright spot for Avalanche in Q2 2025 was the significant growth in daily transactions across its C-Chain and other layer-1s. Average daily transactions skyrocketed by 169.91%, reaching 10.1 million compared to 3.7 million in the previous quarter. This was complemented by a dramatic increase in daily active addresses, which surged by 210.45% to 519,954, suggesting a robust uptick in user engagement. In line with this growth, Avalanche also reduced its average transaction fees by 42.7%, from $0.05 to $0.03. This reduction is largely attributed to the Octane upgrade, which introduced a dynamic fee mechanism on Avalanche’s C-Chain, allowing for real-time fee adjustments to enhance user experience and reduce costs. C-Chain Transactions And DeFi TVL Soar The C-Chain in particular saw impressive usage growth, with average daily transactions jumping 493.4% from 244,995 at the end of Q1 to 1.4 million by the end of Q2. Daily active addresses also experienced a healthy increase of 57% quarter-over-quarter, rising from 29,554 to 46,397. Notably, there was a spike to 419,619 daily active addresses on May 11. As seen in the chart above, Avalanche’s total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (DeFi) rose 37.1%, climbing from $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion. However, the stablecoin market cap on Avalanche saw a significant decline of 23.8%, dropping from $1.9 billion to $1.5 billion. The rise in daily active addresses across Avalanche’s layer-1 platforms was particularly noteworthy. The average daily active addresses surged by 444.8% quarter-over-quarter, from 68,723 to 374,402. As of this writing, AVAX’s price has recovered from Q2 lows toward the $23 zone, rising 35% in the past thirty days due to the recent bullish sentiment that led Bitcoin (BTC), the market’s leading crypto, to reach a new all-time high above $123,000. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the co-founder of Binance and former CEO of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is reportedly aligning himself with President Donald Trump’s policy initiatives following his recent release from a four-month jail sentence. This shift comes as Zhao seeks to navigate the complexities of his situation in the US in light of his legal challenges, including a formal application for a presidential pardon after serving time for violations related to anti-money laundering laws (AML). Will CZ’s Strategy Result? As reported by Crypto in America, Zhao’s foundation, Giggle Academy, has partnered with American Legion Charities to donate $2 million to create a permanent scholarship for the children of fallen and disabled US service members. Per the report, this initiative is particularly timely, coinciding with Trump’s renewed focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology. Zhaos’ scholarship program aims to empower students by providing grants of up to $20,000 and features an annual competition that encourages participants to address pressing societal issues with innovative solutions. This aligns with the Trump administration’s broader objectives, which include bolstering America’s position as a global leader in technology and cryptocurrency while supporting veterans and their families. Recently, the president’s administration approved an $832 billion defense funding bill that includes pay raises and enhanced benefits for service members, further underscoring this commitment. Former Binance CEO’s Pardon Application Gains Traction Industry insiders view Zhao’s “philanthropic initiative” as potentially strategic, suggesting that it could be an attempt to gain favor with the president. “CZ knows what he’s doing,” remarked a crypto executive familiar with the landscape. The executive, who chose to remain anonymous when responding to Crypto in America’s inquiries, further stated: For the US to maintain its status as the crypto capital of the world, it needs strong leadership from its top exchanges and entrepreneurs. Moreover, we need a skilled workforce to drive the future economy. Adding to Binance’s former CEO complex situation in the country, recent speculation has emerged regarding his chances of receiving a presidential pardon. CZ has topped crypto-betting platform Polymarket’s leaderboard as the individual most likely to be pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2025, according to recent polls. This narrative gained momentum after Zhao confirmed on a podcast that he had formally applied for a pardon. This came after a tumultuous year in which he faced significant legal hurdles, leading him to leave Binance and relinquish any role in its operations. When writing, the exchange’s native token Binance Coin (BNB) trades at $782, a gap of over 3% from its current record high of $809 reached two days ago. Featured image from CNBC, chart from TradingView.com

The Bitcoin price has been quite indecisive in its action over the past week, jumping between the $117,000 and $120,000 consolidation zone in that period. The flagship cryptocurrency, however, came tumbling toward the $115,000 mark following massive coin movements toward centralized exchanges in the past day. Interestingly, a prominent market expert has put forward an even more bearish outlook for the Bitcoin price over the next few weeks. With this latest projection, the price of BTC seems to only be at the beginning of a downward spiral, which could worsen over the coming days. How BTC Price Could Be At Risk Of Extended Decline In a July 25 post on social media platform X, Chartered Market Technician (CMT) Aksel Kibar painted a bearish picture for the Bitcoin price after falling to $115,000 on Friday. According to the analyst, the flagship cryptocurrency could be on its way to around $109,000 in the coming days. Kibar’s bearish stance revolves around the inverse head-and-shoulder pattern on the Bitcoin price chart on the weekly timeframe. The inverse head-and-shoulders pattern is a technical analysis formation characterized by three distinct price troughs, including a lower “head” set between two higher “shoulders.” Typically, the inverse pattern signals a possible bullish breakout and is validated when the price breaches the neckline — a trendline connecting the crests (swing highs) between the head. As shown in the chart below, the Bitcoin price has already broken through the neckline to reach a new all-time high. However, Kibar explained that the price breakout witnessed by Bitcoin might not be the textbook breakout typically expected in most inverse head-and-shoulders pattern scenarios. According to the market expert, most head-and-shoulder breakouts are followed by pullbacks and retests rather than straight rallies. Chart data provided by the analyst shows that, since May 2017, the Bitcoin price has witnessed a retest or pullback (type 2 continuation) more times than a straight rally (type 1 continuation) after a head-and-shoulder pattern breakout. This trend explains the rationale behind Kibar’s bearish projection for BTC in the next few days. If the price of Bitcoin does suffer a deeper correction as in the type 2 continuation, it is likely to return to the neckline — and around the $109,000 mark. A move like this would represent an over 5% decline from the current price point. Bitcoin Price At A Glance After a horrendous start to the day, the market leader seems to be recovering nicely from its recent fall to $115,000. As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $117,323, reflecting a mere 0.6% decline in the past 24 hours.

Avalanche (AVAX) prices are up 6.59% in the past 24 hours amidst a general crypto price rebound. The prominent altcoin presently trades around $24, keeping in line with a long-standing range-bound movement. Meanwhile, popular market analyst Ali Martinez has shared some insights on the present AVAX market, highlighting a potential bullish scenario. Incoming AVAX Breakout? Here Are The Levels To Watch In an X post on July 25, Martinez provides a technical analysis on the AVAX market tipping the altcoin for a major price surge; Using the daily AVAX/USDT chart, the renowned analyst identified a constant trading range that has remained active from February to date. Related Reading: TRON Drops Q2 Report: Revenue, USDT Dominance Lead Multi-Quarter Highs This price range shows that AVAX prices have consistently moved between $15 and $27, forming a pivotal support and resistance in these price regions, respectively. Most notably, AVAX made another surge towards $27 following the crypto rebound in early July. However, the altcoin soon experienced another solid rejection for the third time in six months at the rather effective price barrier. Following this most recent rejection, AVAX found quick support around $23, another important price level in this trading range, which has previously acted as support or resistance depending on the price trend. If the market bulls can sustain the current buying pressure at this price zone, AVAX is likely to return to retest the $27 region. Interestingly, Ali Martinez explains that a successful breakout beyond $27 would pave the way for a quick climb to an immediate price target of $36 based on the Fibonacci retracement levels. This prediction presents a potential 46% price gain from current market prices and 38% from the breakout zone. On the other hand, failure to hold above the $23 price level may result in a bearish return to $15, marking a potentially catastrophic 34.78% decline from the support zone. Therefore, AVAX market forces must view the $23 as a critical region, which could influence a decisive breakout or breakdown in the mid-term. AVAX Price Overview At the time of writing, AVAX trades at $24.81 following a slight 3.71% gain in the last seven days. Meanwhile, the daily trading volume is down by 31,84% indicating a significant decline in market interest and transaction volume. With the altseason reportedly underway, AVAX also remains one of the many altcoins in investors’ consideration as a potential outperformer following an estimated 1,150% gain in the last bull run in 2021. With a market cap of $10.1 billion, AVAX continues to rank as the 17th largest cryptocurrency in the world.

After surging to a record high around $123,000 in the second week of July, the Bitcoin price action for the rest of the month has been largely choppy. However, the flagship cryptocurrency dropped to a level just above $115,000 on Friday, July 25. This abrupt decline came with the expected question in the market: Is the rally over? Here’s How $115,000 Could Be Critical To BTC’s Price In a recent post on the social media platform X, crypto pundit Burak Tamaç highlighted the relevance of the region below the $115,000 level for the price of BTC. This on-chain observation, which is based on the BTC Supply Distribution URPD, showed how the Bitcoin price could play out in the near future. The Supply Distribution URPD metric tracks the amount of Bitcoin supply last moved or transferred at particular price levels. This metric is specifically useful in identifying potential support (demand) and resistance (supply) zones. Tamaç pointed out on X that there is a significant void in Bitcoin’s Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) distribution just around the $110,000 and $115,000 bracket. What this means is that there have been relatively fewer significant transactions around this price region in the recent past. However, this UTXO gap sits above a price region ($90,000 to $110,000) thick with significant investor activity. Considering the level of activity within this zone, there is an increased likelihood of the premier cryptocurrency finding a support cushion just within the UTXO gap. In this context, the support is to be above the $110,000 price level. As mentioned earlier, after Bitcoin reached a new all-time-high price, the premier cryptocurrency entered a consolidatory phase, where it has moved mostly sideways in the second half of July. During this period of indecisive price action, it can be observed that the Bitcoin price has not gone below the $115,000 price. What this means is that the $110,000 and $115,000 zone is likely where a new UTXO support has been established. If Bitcoin prevails above this price level, we can expect to see continued bullish momentum. On the flip side, if the $110,000 — 115,000 support zone fails, the flagship cryptocurrency might experience a severe sell-off. Bitcoin Price At A Glance As of this writing, Bitcoin is valued at about $118,050, reflecting an almost 2% jump in the past 24 hours.

Ripple’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Brad Garlinghouse, has issued a serious warning to XRP investors amid a surge in scam activity targeting investors across social media platforms like YouTube. The alert follows increasing reports of fraudulent accounts impersonating Ripple and its executives, with the aim of tricking users into sending their XRP. Ripple Warns Investors Of Rising XRP Scams On July 23, Garlinghouse took to X social media to raise the alarm on a sharp rise in XRP scams, urging investors and community members to stay alert. According to the Ripple CEO, scammers are capitalizing on market momentum and community excitement to ramp up impersonation schemes, particularly targeting unsuspecting XRP holders. One of the most notable developments flagged by Garlinghouse is a recent surge in fraudulent activity on YouTube, where scammers have taken over existing channels, rebranded them to resemble recognized Ripple accounts, and begun promoting misleading content that impersonates the crypto company and its executives. In its official X account, the Ripple team stressed that these YouTube accounts are legitimate and do not belong to the crypto firm, despite appearing convincing. In many cases, the usernames have been altered to mimic the company’s official handles, often making it difficult for unsuspecting users to identify the deception. These scam videos frequently promise giveaways, rewards, or investment multipliers, usually asking users and investors to send XRP in exchange for a larger return. Garlinghouse has emphasized that neither he nor Ripple will ever request XRP from anyone under any circumstances. To combat the growing threat of skyrocketing crypto scams, Ripple is actively and aggressively reporting these fraudulent accounts and encouraging its community to do the same. The company has reiterated that its official channels remain the only trusted sources of communication and provides a direct reminder to always verify account handles and links before engaging. Notably, Garlinghouse concluded his post with an important reminder to stay vigilant against avoidable losses. He warned that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Ripple Alert Highlights Broader Threat Amid Market Recovery Beyond the immediate focus on the YouTube impersonation scams, Garlinghouse’s report touches on a broader trend of escalating crypto fraud that tends to spike during periods of market recovery or growing optimism. This pattern, described by the Ripple CEO as “like clockwork,” suggests that malicious actors closely monitor community sentiment and time their campaigns to exploit emotional and financial excitement. In a broader context, the rise in XRP scams has coincided with the recent surge in the altcoin’s price to above $3.6. Additionally, they come after bullish news like Ripple’s growing regulatory clarity and legal win against the US SEC. As the XRP price inches closer to ATH levels and gains more momentum, bad actors are leveraging this wave of optimism to cast a wider net, targeting investors through sophisticated scams and fraudulent schemes.

Streamex, a New York-based cryptocurrency trading platform, joined mining hall of famer Frank Giustra’s company to secure $1.1 billion (C$1.5 billion) this month to put gold assets on blockchain. They plan to launch a gold-backed treasury strategy, Streamex founder Henry Mcphie told The Northern Miner at a recent industry conference in Boca Raton, Fla. The idea is to turn assets into tokens that can be traded like cryptocurrency. Streamex expects its first asset issuance by year‑end and wants to eclipse existing gold tokens within three years. “We’re going to denominate our balance sheet in gold,” McPhie says in a new video. Tokenized gold will track spot prices one‑to‑one while avoiding the friction of futures and traditional custodial models, he said. Streamex combines blockchain transparency with physical backing, he said. In the same interview, Giustra, chairman of financier Fiore Group, said tokenization opens commodity markets to a new audience. Giustra predicts tokenized gold could play a stabilizing role if buyers demand physical delivery rather than paper leverage. With the U.S. government facing a $2.4-trillion increase in its budget deficit over the next decade, a revolt in U.S. Treasury auctions could push yields higher and trigger a liquidity crisis, he warned. “There will be a day of reckoning and it’s coming faster than any U.S. government can imagine,” he said. Watch below the full chat with The Northern Miner’s Western Editor, Henry Lazenby (we apologize for the inconsistent audio in this interview).

Renowned market expert with X username CasiTrades has shared an interestingly bullish insight on the XRP market. Notably, this price forecast comes following a broader crypto market correction in the past week, during which XRP has registered a 6.74% price decline. XRP Bulls Eye Return To ATH After $3 Retest In an X post on July 25, CasiTrades shows that XRP is on the brink of a major price surge based on the indications of the Elliot Wave Theory – a technical framework that proposes that price movements occur in five repetitive waves. Amidst the price decline in the last week, XRP failed to hold above the critical $3.21 price level, forcing a retrace to retest the major $3.00 support zone, resulting in a slight price bounce. Despite this bearish event, the analyst notes encouragingly that the altcoin did not form a new price low, suggesting the larger bullish structure remains intact. Related Reading: XRP To $10? Basketball Legend’s Poll Puts Crypto On Center Court CasiTrades explains that XRP’s latest retracement reached a deep 0.854 Fibonacci level, a classic reversal zone for second waves in a bullish five-wave structure. This deep pullback, combined with the strong bounce off $3.00, signifies the potential bottom of Wave 2. If bulls can hold the price above this support, this sets the stage for the beginning of Wave 3, the strongest and most explosive leg in the Elliott Wave Theory. For context, the Elliot wave theory begins with an initial price rise, i.e, Wave 1, followed by Wave 2, a pullback that doesn’t breach the starting point. Wave 3 is usually the strongest and longest, driven by increased participation and bullish momentum. Meanwhile, Wave 4 brings another correction, often less severe than Wave 2, before Wave 5 pushes prices to a final high. For Wave 3 to commence in the present market, CasiTrades states the next price target lies at the $3.21 region, which represents a crucial resistance. If XRP produces a sustained breakout above this price barrier, it validates the proposed bullish scenario. In this case, the analyst identifies an immediate price target of $3.82, which aligns with the 2.618 Fibonacci extension of the prior move. Interestingly, this price zone also represents XRP’s all-time high on certain markets. This confluence strengthens confidence in the bullish scenario, especially considering that if the Elliott Wave structure plays out fully, a Wave 5 rally could propel the altcoin into uncharted price territory. XRP Price Overview At the time of writing, XRP is valued at $3.20 following a price rebound of 5.52% in the past 24 hours.

Providing fresh market insight on X, Cryptowzrd revealed that Chainlink ended the session on a bullish note, with signs pointing to further upside pressure. As LINKBTC gains momentum and Bitcoin’s dominance trend declines, the setup appears promising. Cryptowzrd noted he will be monitoring the intraday chart closely for the next scalp opportunity, particularly if LINK breaks above the intraday lower high trendline. Bitcoin Dominance Weakens: A Catalyst For Chainlink’s Surge According to Cryptowzrd, both LINK’s daily candle and the LINKBTC pair ended the day on a bullish note. This positive price action is drawing attention to the potential for further upside movement. Cryptowzrd emphasized that continued strength in LINKBTC, especially if fueled by ongoing weakness in Bitcoin Dominance, could help LINK gain significant bullish momentum from its current levels. Looking ahead, the next major resistance target for LINK is set at $20. Cryptowzrd suggested that a firm hold above this level could act as a catalyst for a stronger rally toward higher resistance levels, possibly reaching $30 and beyond. The speed at which this move might unfold was another key point highlighted by Cryptowzrd. He expects that once LINK clears the $20 hurdle, the rally could accelerate rapidly, driven by increased bullish pressure and technical confirmation across multiple timeframes. While the outlook is bullish, Cryptowzrd also pointed out an important support zone to watch. The $16 level has been identified as the main daily support target. Holding above this area will be crucial to maintaining the current bullish structure and preventing any deeper pullbacks. Overall, Cryptowzrd’s analysis suggests that Chainlink is positioned for a potential breakout phase, with $20 acting as the immediate resistance to watch. If Bitcoin Dominance continues to weaken and LINKBTC remains strong, traders could see a swift and powerful rally unfold in the days ahead. Volatility Vs. Patience: Navigating LINK’s Weekend Setup Concluding his analysis, Cryptowzrd noted that LINK’s intraday chart experienced significant volatility in the last 24 hours, reflecting an uncertain short-term outlook. He expects this choppy price action to continue, but due to the lower trading activity typically seen over the weekend, his expectations remain rational. The key level to watch is $18.40, which serves as an intraday resistance target. According to Cryptowzrd, if Chainlink holds above this level, it could trigger a long setup aiming for a move toward $19.80 or higher in the near term. However, if LINK remains below $18.40, Cryptowzrd expects the price to stay range-bound with continued sideways movement over the weekend.

Bitcoin faced renewed volatility after a minor pullback interrupted two weeks of tight consolidation just below its all-time high of $123,000. The price briefly dipped near the $115,000 support level but has already begun to recover, signaling that bullish momentum remains intact despite recent selling pressure. Market participants appear to be reacting calmly, with strong demand quickly absorbing the dip. According to fresh data from CryptoQuant, today’s price movement coincides with a significant increase in open interest across major exchanges. Binance, Bybit, and Gate all recorded sharp spikes in open interest within the last 24 hours, suggesting that traders are positioning aggressively. Notably, these exchanges were among the recipients of large Bitcoin transfers earlier in the day, likely tied to institutional or whale activity. This alignment of price recovery and rising open interest hints at a shift in sentiment. Short-term traders are re-entering the market, while bulls appear ready to defend key levels. As volatility picks up, Bitcoin’s ability to hold and reclaim recent support will determine whether it resumes its upward march or remains range-bound. The coming days could be critical for setting the tone of the next leg in Bitcoin’s price action. Rising Open Interest Signals Growing Volatility According to Julio Moreno, CryptoQuant’s head of research, over the last 24 hours, open interest surged by approximately $4 billion, indicating that leveraged positions—particularly shorts—have entered the market in large numbers. This spike coincided with significant Bitcoin transfers to major exchanges like Binance and Bybit, which received a substantial portion of today’s large-volume transactions. These developments suggest increased speculative activity as traders anticipate further price movement. The inflow of coins to exchanges, combined with rising open interest, typically signals upcoming volatility. Short sellers appear to be betting on continued downside, but with Bitcoin already recovering from its recent $115,000 dip, this could lead to a short squeeze if momentum shifts back in favor of the bulls. This market shift comes as Ethereum and altcoins show notable strength. Since May, Ethereum has consistently outperformed Bitcoin, aided by institutional accumulation and clearer regulatory signals in the US. As ETH leads the altcoin rally, investors are watching closely to see whether capital rotation from BTC into altcoins continues. Bitcoin Holds Key Support After Minor Pullback The daily Bitcoin chart shows that BTC remains in a bullish structure despite recent volatility. After briefly consolidating near the $122,000 resistance zone and reaching an all-time high just above that level, the price retraced toward the $115,700–$117,000 support band. This zone, marked by the horizontal yellow range, also aligns closely with the 50-day simple moving average (SMA), currently at $117,593.23, reinforcing its role as a strong technical support. The overall uptrend that started in early May remains intact, with higher highs and higher lows clearly visible on the chart. Notably, BTC continues to trade well above the 100-day (green) and 200-day (red) SMAs, which sit at $112,547.95 and $109,436.38, respectively. These levels serve as deeper support zones if selling pressure intensifies. Volume has increased slightly on red candles, indicating some sell pressure, but there is no sign of panic. As long as BTC holds above the $115,700 level, bulls maintain the advantage. A breakout above $122,000 would signal trend continuation and could open the path to new highs. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Highlights include Trade talks and deadlines, Fed, BoJ, BoC, US NFP, Mfg PMI, PCE, QRA, EZ CPI & GDP and Aussie CPI Newsquawk Week Ahead: Highlights 28th July-1st August 2025 MON: US Dallas Fed (Jul), German GfK (Aug) TUE: US Consumer Confidence (Jul), JOLTS (Jun) WED: FOMC & BoC Policy Announcements; ECB Wage Tracker, Australian CPI (Jun/Q2), German Retail Sales (Jun), Swiss KOF (Jul), EZ Flash Prelim. GDP (Q2), US ADP (Jul), GDP Advance (Q2), PCE Advance (Q2), Pending Home Sales (Jun) THU: BoJ & SARB Policy Announcements; Chinese NBS PMIs (Jul), Australian Retail Sales (Jun), Export/Import Prices (Q2), German Unemployment (Jul), French & German Flash CPI (Jul), US PCE (Jun), Weekly Claims, Canadian GDP (May) FRI: EZ Manufacturing PMI Finals (Jul), EZ CPI (Jul), US Jobs Report (Jul), ISM Manufacturing PMI (Jul), University ofb vMichigan Survey (Jul), Swiss holiday, US Tariff Deadline US-CHINA TRADE TALKS (MON/TUE): Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will lead talks with US Treasury Secretary Bessent in Stockholm on Monday and Tuesday to seek an extension of the 90‑day US–China tariff truce that expires August 12th. Since the Geneva and London meetings earlier this year, the truce has lowered triple‑digit duties; without a deal, tariffs would revert to 145% on US imports and 125% on Chinese goods. Bessent, who said overnight that trade with China is in a “very good place,” wants Beijing to curb excess manufacturing, boost consumer demand and discuss Chinese purchases of sanctioned Russian oil. In earlier talks, China agreed to lift export bans on rare earths and magnets while the US restarted shipments of semiconductor design software and aircraft parts. Beijing has signalled cooperation by suspending an antitrust probe into DuPont China earlier this week and emphasising “mutual respect and win‑win cooperation”. Bessent earlier this week, suggested they could do a rolling 90-day deadline when asked about a deadline with China – such an outcome will likely boost sentiment, allowing more time for talks with no escalations. QUARTERLY FINANCING ESTIMATES/REFUNDING (MON/WED) : The Quarterly Financing estimates will be released on Monday at 20:00 BST / 15:00 EDT. The prior financing estimates showed that the Treasury expects to borrow USD 554bln in privately-held net marketable debt during the July-September 2025 quarter, assuming an end-of-September cash balance of USD 850bln. This compares to Q2’s (April-June) USD 514bln expected. The Quarterly Refunding will be announced on Wednesday at 13:30BST/08:30 EDT. The prior guidance was left unchanged to suggest the “Treasury anticipates maintaining nominal coupon and FRN auction sizes for at least the next several quarters.”. As always, any change to this would be key, but Wells Fargo expects this to be left unchanged. Given the distaste for the current high long-end rates from the Trump administration, Bessent has previously said it makes no sense to term out the debt at these rate levels. Instead, the Treasury has been boosting bill issuance to cover funding needs in recent weeks. Wells Fargo expects bill supply to continue to ramp up in the near term, projecting net T-bill issuance of USD 475bln in Q3, USD 142bln in Q4 and USD 416bln in Q1-26. The desk also estimates T-bills as a share of the Treasury market will climb to 22.5% by year-end 2027 vs 21.9% by the end of 2024. Looking ahead, Wells Fargo’s new base case is that coupon auction size increases will come in February 2027. FOMC ANNOUNCEMENT (WED): The consensus looks for the FOMC to hold rates at between 4.25-4.50% on July 30th, an outcome predicted by all 105 economists surveyed by Reuters. Some policymakers, including Governors Waller and Bowman, have advocated for a rate cut (the former cited evidence of labour market weakening, and argued that the Fed should cut now instead of waiting), and that raises the possibility of some dissent at the meeting. Analysts at Morgan Stanley look for both to dissent at the meeting, favouring a 25bps rate reduction. Other policymakers have remained cautious and data-dependent in the face of potential inflation linked to tariffs, as well as political pressure from US President Trump to reduce rates. Ahead, the majority of economists surveyed see possible rate cuts in September, though expectations for cuts this year have slightly diminished. Most expect one or two cuts in 2025. Factors that will influence the Fed’s decision-making include trade uncertainty, inflation risks from tariffs and increased fiscal spending; additionally, the central bank may make efforts to assert its independence amid increasing political interference. At the post-meeting press conference, Chair Powell will likely be heavily quizzed on his role; President Trump has already suggested that he will be nominating a new Fed Chair before Powell’s term expires in May 2026, though has seemingly backed away from the idea of firing him before it ends. Leading candidates to replace Powell are said to include former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh (who recently heavily criticised the Fed, and argued that rates should be lower), Governor Waller, as well as White House Advisor Hasset and Treasury Secretary Bessent. Powell will also be asked about whether he intends to serve his term as Governor after his term as Chair expires — traditionally, Fed Chairs have stepped down from the role after the term as Chair expires; however, some suggest that Powell may wish to serve his remaining Governor term in order to assert the central bank’sindependence. Morgan Stanley expects Powell’s message to be in line with a ‘wait-and-see’ approach, emphasising that monetary policy is ‘well positioned’ to see how the economy evolves. It says that “it’s a long way to September. The Fed needs more time to determine how the economy is evolving versus its goals.” The bank itself sees the US economy will be further away from the Fed’s price stability mandate than full employment and expects no rate cuts this year, in contrast to the consensus view, where money markets are pricing in a decent chance of two cuts this year. US GDP (WED): The advance reading of GDP in Q2 is expected to show growth of 2.5% (from the prior -0.5%), according toReuters. At the time of writing, the Atlanta Fedʼs GDPnow tracking estimate for the quarter is modelling growth of 2.4%. In June (end of Q2), S&P Globalʼs PMI data suggested that the US service sector reported sustained growth, and viewed alongside improvement in manufacturing growth, indicates that the economy grew at a reasonable annualised rate in Q2, with momentum having improved following Aprilʼs lull. That said, S&P Global said it was “seeing some worrying signs of weakness below the headline numbers,” and points out exports and falling activity among consumer-facing service providers, which has curbed the overall pace of economic expansion. “Concerns over government policies have meanwhile created uncertainty and dampened spending on services more broadly, while also ensuring confidence in the outlook remains subdued compared to the optimism seen at the start of the year.” The July PMI report noted the Q2 data was consistent with a 1.3% annualised growth rate. Try Newsquawk free for 7 days AUSTRALIAN CPI (WED): Aussie CPI for Q2 is expected at 0.8% Q/Q (prev. 0.9%), with the Trimmed Mean forecast unchanged at 0.7% Q/Q. Analysts at Westpac also pencil in a 0.9% Q/Q print for headline CPI, noting upside contributions from rents, electricity, garments, and fruit & vegetables, while falling fuel and household gas provide partial offsets. Despite Mayʼs Monthly CPI Indicator falling –0.4%—larger than expected—Westpacʼs review of the data led them to reaffirm their 0.9% quarterly call, albeit with recognised downside risks. For core inflation, Westpacʼs nearcast model for the Trimmed Mean sits at 0.66%, implying a greater likelihood of a 0.6% than a 0.8% print, versus the RBAʼs 0.55% forecast. The annual Trimmed Mean is seen easing to 2.7% Y/Y (prev. 2.9%), still slightly above the RBAʼs implied annual target of +2.6%. Markets currently price an 86% chance of a 25bps cut following the hold in July, with above 57bps of cuts currently priced in till year-end. EZ Q2 GDP (WED): Expectations are for Q2 Q/Q growth to come in flat vs. the Q1 expansion of 0.6%. The Y/Y rate is expected to slow to 1.2% from 1.6%. As a reminder, the Q1 release showed Q/Q growth of 0.4% vs. the Q4 2024 outturn of 0.2%. However, the uptick in growth was largely attributed to front-loading of purchases in the US ahead of expected tariff announcements from the Trump administration. This time around, analysts at Investec are of the view that Q1ʼs buoyant performance is unlikely to persist into Q2. The desk holds a below-consensus view of -0.3% Q/Q, stating that “monthly data for April and May have already pointed to some payback”. Adding that, as with the Q1 release, the Q2 report will be subject to trade-related distortions. As such, the expected soft outturn is unlikely to represent the “start of a period of persistent weakness” – the desk looks for a return to growth in Q3 and a gradual strengthening thereafter. From a policy perspective, a soft print will likely be largely overlooked given the aforementioned trade distortions and with greater focus on the outcome of EU-US trade talks ahead of the August 1st negotiation deadline. BOC ANNOUNCEMENT (WED): The BoC is expected to leave rates unchanged at the upcoming meeting, with the BoC likely to leave out forward guidance again given uncertainties to the economy. The Monetary Policy report will be eyed to see how the bank expects Trump’s tariffs to impact the Canadian economy based on the current trade environment. The policy rate of 2.75% remains at the midpoint of the BoC’s nominal neutral rate estimate (between 2.25-3.25%). This limits room for more rate cuts, unless the economy were to deteriorate in the face of trade tensions. Macklem, in June, had suggested that rate cuts would be needed if the effects of tariffs and uncertainty continued to spread through the economy and cost pressures were contained. However, recent data saw inflation remain towards the top-end of the BoC’s target, while the labour market situation improved – dimming the prospects for near-term rate cuts. Money markets are only pricing in 14bps of further easing by year-end, implying a 56% probability of one more rate cut this year, but any deterioration in trade relations may see a rate cut priced with more certainty and vice versa, depending on how the economy unfolds. The recent outlook surveys showed signs of optimism and improvement; however, despite the ongoing uncertainties, with the worst-case scenarios from Q1 less likely to occur, while business expectations on short-term inflation have returned to levels seen at the end of 2024. However, the consumer survey declined as spending intentions weakened further due to the persistent threats of tariffs and related uncertainty. Consumersʼ short-term inflation expectations have changed little since increasing markedly in Q1 2025. US PCE (THU): Both headline and core PCE are expected to rise by +0.3% M/M in June (from 0.1% M/M and 0.2% M/M, respectively, in May). Writing after the June CPI and PPI reports, Pantheon Macroeconomics forecast that headline PCE will have increased by +0.32% M/M, while core PCE will have risen by 0.30% M/M. “This would represent an acceleration relative to May, with the majority of the underlying components showing accelerated prints, and in particular, we expect a drag from energy prices to be offset by firming in food inflation and the core.” Its economists say that the soft trajectory of monthly core inflation going into June is poised for further firming in the coming months. “Although airfares and lodging prices remain on downward trajectories, we doubt that this can be a sustained source of disinflation in the coming months,” adding that “meanwhile, financial services prices have now firmed following the post-Liberation Day swoon.” Crucially, Pantheon expects cost-push pressures from tariffs to intensify in the coming months, which should push core goods PCE higher. The Fedʼs June forecasts estimate a rise in headline PCE inflation to 3.0% this year, while the core rate is seen rising to 3.1%, before cooling in 2026. Most Fed officials, except for Governors Waller and Bowman, have taken a cautious line on rate reductions, arguing that the tariff impact on inflation remains uncertain, but has the potential to push up consumer prices. Waller, however, has been arguing for rate cuts, based on evidence of a weakening in the labour market. BOJ ANNOUNCEMENT (THU): The Bank of Japan will hold a two-day policy on July 30th-31st, where the central bank is expected to maintain its short-term interest rate at 0.50%. A recent Reuters poll showed 60 out of 72 economists surveyed forecast the BoJ to refrain from any rate adjustments for the next two meetings through to September, while money market rates are pricing a 99% likelihood the central bank keeps rates unchanged. The BoJ will also release its latest Outlook Report containing board members’ median forecasts for Real GDP and Core CPI. The Bank of Japan have refrained from any rate adjustments since it last hiked rates in January, although it announced at the prior meeting in June it is to reduce the amount of monthly JGB purchases by about JPY 200bln each quarter from April 2026 onward. It noted this decision was made to improve the functioning of the JGB markets in a manner that supports stability in the markets. Furthermore, Governor Ueda stated following the meeting that they will continue to hike rates if the economy and prices improve, with the central bank to be guided from the viewpoint of sustainably and stably meeting the price target. He also stated that a further hike is dependent on the likelihood of attaining the BoJ’s outlook, and the timing of such a move is dependent on the certainty of the outlook, but added it is not appropriate to comment on near-term hike possibilities, and a rate hike decision would need to be based on lots of data and considerations. Since then, there have been recent major developments concerning Japan, which policymakers would need to consider when deciding on rates: 1) The upper house election, where the ruling coalition suffered a scathing loss and failed to achieve a majority. This raises political uncertainty and pressure for the government to listen to opposition partiesʼ calls for fiscal loosening, although PM Ishiba is seemingly looking to remain in position and denies reports of a possible resignation. 2) Trade developments have provided optimism after the US and Japan reached a trade deal involving a 15% tariff on Japanese exports to the US, which is lower than the previous threat of a 25% tariff rate. Nonetheless, these developments are unlikely to spur any immediate policy reaction from the central bank and a source report via Bloomberg noted the BoJ sees little impact from the election on the rate stance but sees upward price risks if there is large fiscal loosening and was watching for trade talk impact before any hikes. Further sources (via Bloomberg) on Friday suggested Copyright © {{ copyright-year }} Newsquawk Voice Limited. All rights reserved. Registered Office One Love Lane, London, EC2V 7JN, United Kingdom · Registered Number 12020774 · Registered in England and Wales. newsquawk.com · +44 20 3582 2778 · info@newsquawk.com Join GTA for FREE – Click HERE The post Newsquawk Week Ahead: Highlights 28th July-1st August 2025 appeared first on Forex Trading Forum.

Crypto analyst Steph has issued a warning to XRP investors regarding the current price action. He alluded to a multi-year resistance that the altcoin has struggled to break, noting that this should be the major focus as it eyes new highs. XRP Needs to Break Above the $3.6 Resistance In an X post, Steph shared a video in which he analysed the XRP monthly chart, dating back to the 2020 bull run. He highlighted an upward-sloping trendline for the altcoin, which showed that the altcoin has faced rejection at around the $3.6 level twice now. The first was in January of this year, when the altcoin surged to a yearly high. Meanwhile, the second has occurred again following the XRP’s latest rally to a new all-time high (ATH) around this $3.6 resistance. Steph declared that the altcoin needs to break above this multi-year trendline resistance, as it risks falling into “an ugly period of downward momentum” if it can’t flip this level into support. However, if XRP breaks above this resistance, Steph predicts that it could record a parabolic rally, which would send its price into double digits. The crypto analyst is more confident that the altcoin will break this resistance, noting that other bullish patterns support sustained bullish momentum. In the short term, Steph predicts that XRP could rally to as high as $4.42. He highlighted a double bottom breakout on the 4-day chart, which is still in play for the altcoin. He assured that XRP could still maintain this upward momentum despite the current pullback in the broader crypto market. However, if this bearish trend in the crypto market sustains for a while, he warned that the $3 support level is the one that XRP needs to stay above to avoid losing its bullish structure. The analyst expects a lot of buying pressure if the altcoin were to drop to this support level. What Next As The Altcoin Retests $3 In an X post, crypto analyst CasiTrades noted that XRP was unable to hold the $3.21 resistance and has now fallen back to test the $3 support. She stated that the altcoin appears to have completed a subwave wave 2 of a new trend, reaching a deep .854 retrace. If this new low holds as support, then she suggested that it could kickstart a large impulse to the upside. CasiTrades predicts that XRP could reach new highs if volume begins to rise and the price starts moving back above the $3.21 resistance. She noted that the first wave 3 sits near $3.82, which is the 2.618 Fibonacci extension. Her accompanying chart showed that the altcoin could reach $3.8 on this next run-up. At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $3.16, up over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Tron Inc. (Nasdaq: TRON), the publicly listed company with the largest holdings of the TRON (TRX) token, marked a major milestone on Thursday with a ceremonial visit to the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square. Tron Founder and the company’s Global Advisor, Justin Sun, rang the opening bell, signaling a new chapter for the blockchain firm. Coinciding with the event, TRON released its Q2 2025 earnings report, revealing robust growth across key metrics. TRON’s market capitalization surged 17% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to $26.5 billion, while revenue jumped 20.5% QoQ to reach $915.9 million—both standing as multi-quarter highs. The report signals rising institutional interest and growing adoption of the TRON ecosystem at a time when broader crypto markets face mixed sentiment. As the blockchain sector matures, TRON’s blend of aggressive expansion and strong fundamentals appears to position the company favorably in the eyes of both retail and institutional investors. With this dual milestone—market debut and strong Q2 performance—TRON is sending a clear message: it’s here to lead. TRON Reports Deflationary TRX Supply, Record Stablecoin Growth In Q2 TRON’s Q2 report highlights a deflationary shift in TRX supply alongside strong network growth and stablecoin dominance. The circulating supply of TRX declined from 95.0 billion to 94.8 billion tokens, reflecting an annualized inflation rate of approximately -1.8%. While this marks a slightly higher inflation rate than Q1’s -1.6%, it still points to deflationary pressure on TRX, reinforcing its value proposition amid broader market uncertainty. Network activity also showed solid growth during the quarter. Daily average transactions rose 12.6% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), increasing from 7.7 million to 8.6 million, while daily active addresses climbed 5.9% QoQ from 2.4 million to 2.5 million. These metrics suggest rising user engagement and expanding utility across the TRON ecosystem. Stablecoin activity remains a cornerstone of the network’s success. TRON’s stablecoin market cap surged 22.2% QoQ, rising from $66.2 billion to an all-time high of $80.9 billion. Tether (USDT) continues to dominate, accounting for 99.2% of the stablecoin supply on TRON. By the end of Q2, the USDT market cap on TRON reached $80.3 billion, a 22.2% increase from the previous quarter. Notably, TRON now hosts 50.6% of all USDT in circulation, underscoring its role as the leading blockchain for stablecoin activity. TRX Price Holds Above Key Support TRON (TRX) is showing resilience following its strong Q2 performance, holding steady above key support levels despite recent market volatility. As of the latest 8-hour chart, TRX is trading at $0.3163, up 0.48% on the day. After reaching a local high near $0.34 earlier this month, TRX experienced a mild pullback but has since stabilized and is now consolidating in a tight range. Price action remains bullish, with TRX trading above the 50-day ($0.3084), 100-day ($0.2935), and 200-day ($0.2840) moving averages—an indication of strong medium- and long-term momentum. The recent bounce from the 50-day MA suggests buyers are actively defending short-term support zones, reinforcing the overall uptrend. A breakout above the $0.32–$0.325 zone could signal a push toward retesting the $0.34 high. A failure to hold above the 50-day MA could open the door to a retest of the $0.30 psychological level. For now, the bias remains cautiously bullish. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin has jumped more than 170% from its launch‑month price around $45,000 to about $123,000 earlier this month. Based on reports from Citi, the bank has laid out three scenarios for where the price might land by year‑end 2025. These range from a low of $64,000 in a weak market to a bull case of $199,000 if everything goes right. ETF Flows Take Center Stage In Bitcoin Uptrend According to Citi analysts, spot Bitcoin ETFs now explain over 40% of the recent price swings. Since their debut, US ETFs have snapped up about $54.66 billion worth of Bitcoin. That buying power helped drive BTC from roughly $45,000 to $123,000 in just a few months. The bank’s base case assumes another $15 billion in ETF inflows this year. At the ratio they’ve modeled—about $4 of price per $1 of flow—that would add around $63,000 to Bitcoin’s value. User Growth Fuels Network Effects Based on figures from trading desks and on‑chain metrics, Citi expects a 20% rise in active Bitcoin users over the next year. That jump in adoption would support roughly $75,000 of price strength on its own. The idea is simple. More users mean more hands holding and trading Bitcoin. That activity tends to make prices less prone to sudden drops. Still, forecasts like this rest on the assumption that new users stick around rather than flipping coins for quick gains. Macroeconomic Factors Cut Forecast Slightly Citi’s model also factors in weaker performance in equities and gold, trimming the price by about $3,200. That adjustment reflects a view that if stock and metal markets struggle, Bitcoin won’t fully decouple from broader risk assets. At the same time, growing regulatory approval and deeper links between crypto and traditional finance should offer some support. ETF Demand Could Lift Bitcoin By $63,000 In the base‑case scenario, Citi adds the $63,000 from ETF flows to the $75,000 from user growth, then subtracts $3,200 for macro headwinds. That math lands the price at about $135,000 in 2025. That figure is only $12,000 above the recent peak of $123,000. It suggests Citi sees more upside but not a runaway rally—at least not in the base case. A Bull Case Of $199,000 Remains On The Table If ETFs keep pouring in far more than $15 billion and user growth exceeds 20%, Bitcoin could climb to $199,000 under Citi’s bull case. Conversely, a drop to $64,000 is possible if macro conditions sour sharply. Globally, ETFs now hold around 1.48 million BTC, worth over $170 billion—about 7% of the total supply. That level of institutional backing is unprecedented. It shifts Bitcoin’s fate more toward big‑money flows than pure retail hype. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

We had adopted a working hypothesis that the after recording lows in early July that the greenback was going to retrace the last leg down that began around June 23. That appeared to run its course around July 17. We anticipated last week's pullback. However, the price action warns that the dollar's upside correction may not be over. The challenge is that next week is among the busiest of the year. Three G7 central banks meet--the Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of Canada. The US and the eurozone release their first estimates of Q2 GDP. The eurozone also reports its preliminary estimate of July CPI and the US sees its PCE deflator. The week begins with US President Trump meeting with EC President von der Leyen on on Sunday to possible finalize a trade agreement and finishes on Friday, August 1, with the US July jobs report, and ostensibly the end of the postponement of the US "reciprocal tariffs." Top US and Chinese officials meet at the start of the new week in Stockholm and the US seems interested in extended the tariff truce for another 90-days (from August 12). A Federal Reserve that indicates it may be getting closer to resuming its easing cycle and the continued slowing of the US labor market may be difficult to reconcile with the constructive technical outlook. US Drivers: There is not a one-to-one correspondence between change in US interest rates and the dollar, and sometimes other factors overwhelm the interest rate impulse. However, currently we understand the greenback to be sensitive broadly to shifts in expectations for Fed policy, while the exchange rate against the yen appears more sensitive to movement of the 10-year US yield. Data: This is one of the busiest weeks of the year for US macro. The US reports June trade figures, and the H1 shortfall looks to about 30% larger than H1 24, partly flattered by trying to front-run US tariffs. The US also sees the first estimate of Q2 GDP, which may be the last where the annualized rate is above 2.0% for several quarters. Personal income and consumption data are due, and, given the recent CPI and PPI figures, the deflators are likely to have risen. However, the market will be more sensitive to the non-farm payroll figures at the end of the week, where job growth is expected to have slowed (~100k) and the risk is that the unemployment rate ticked up. The FOMC meets but is not going to do anything. Governor Waller, the former head of research at the St. Louis Fed, has suggested he may dissent in favor a rate. He has expressed concern that the labor market is deteriorating more than it may appear, but after initial jobless claims fell for the fifth week in a row, his concern may not rise to the level of dissent. Still, a dissent by another governor (Bowman) is also possible, and while one governor dissent is rare, two would make the decision appear as a dovish hold. Note that the appellate arguments to the international trade court finding that the tariffs implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 are illegal. Regardless of the outcome, the we imagine it will be appealed up to the Supreme Court. The US Treasury will announce its quarterly refunding plans as it sells $183 bln in coupons (not counting the two-year floating rate note) and a greater amount of bills. Prices: We correctly anticipated the bounce in the Dollar Index in the first half of July and caught the recent pullback. However, after trending lower since mid-January, the dollar's upside correction may be more complicated than we initially assumed. A move above the 98.00-98.25 band would suggest a retest on the month's high near 99.00, and possibly the 99.40-60 area. This would likely be accompanied by rising US rates. EMU Drivers: The European Central Bank stood pat last week and gave the market no encouragement to anticipate another cut any time soon. In fact, the swaps market does not have another cut fully discounted for this year but still sees around 64% probability of a cut in December. Europe seemed willing to accept some universal tariff from the US, but like appeasement of Russia, its acquiescence seems to have encouraged the Washington harden its demands. Data: Two data points stand out, and they may send conflicting signals. Wednesday sees the first estimate of the aggregate eurozone Q2 GDP. After expanding by 0.6% quarter-over-quarter in Q1, the median forecast in Bloomberg's monthly survey anticipates a small contraction in Q2, while the weekly survey sees a flat quarter. On the other hand, at the end of the week, the preliminary July CPI is reported and given the base effect (flat in July 2024), the risk is the year-over-year rate increased for the second consecutive month and resurfaced above 2.0% for the first time since April. Prices: The euro stalled last week near $1.1790, stopping short of the nearly four-year high set July 1 (~$1.1830). The risk is that the downside correction is not over. A break of $1.1650 would support such a view, and warn of risk toward $1.1540-50, and possibly $1.1450. PRC Drivers: The key driver of the yuan's exchange rate is the broad direction of the dollar. Beijing will not allow the US to depreciate the dollar and gain competitive advantage the way it thinks the US did to Europe and Japan in the 1980s. Still, the PBOC has introduced a modicum of more flexibility in setting the dollar's daily reference rate. Note the Sino-American trade truce is currently set to end on August 12, though negotiations at the beginning of next week in Stockholm may result in a 90-day extension. Data: Owing to the close management of the exchange rate, the economic data tends not to have much impact. Still, on July 31, Chinese reports the July PMI. The composite has edged up for the past two months and stood at 50.7 in June. It has not risen for three consecutive months since Q1 23. Beijing estimated that the economy expanded by 1.1% quarter-over-quarter in Q2 and 1.2% in Q1. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey sees growth slipping below 1.0% here in Q3. Prices: Last Thursday's dollar slump to a new low for the year near CNH7.1440, likely marks the near-term extreme. The recovery ahead of the weekend reached a little through CNH7.17. Above CNH7.1730 there is little to stand in the way of CNH7.19, provide the dollar remains firm. The greenback has not traded above CNH7.20 since June 11. The absolute value of the changes in the PBOC dollar fix was 0.27% last week. Small beer, but most in a week since late May. Critics of China's exchange rate policy seem concerned about the pace of the yuan's appreciation not the direction. Since the end of April, the yuan has risen in all but three weeks against the dollar. Japan Drivers: We continue to track the robust rolling 30-day correlation of changes in the exchange rate and the 10-year US yield. The correlation with the exchange rate is stronger than Japanese yields or even the interest rate differentials. Data: Japan reports June retail sales and industrial production figures. Both fell in May, and industrial output also fell in April. Japan reports June housing starts and employment, which typically have little market impact. The highlight of the week is the Bank of Japan meeting that concludes Thursday. There is practically no chance of a change instance. It will update its economic forecasts. The Japanese economy contracted in Q1, and the uncertainty around US tariffs is palpable, but the direction of impact is unfavorable. The swaps market is pricing in more than 20 bp of tightening by year end for the first time since April. Details of the US trade deal with Japan have not been published especially about the most innovative feature, the $550 bln direct investment pledge, which is equivalent to around 14% of Japan's GDP. Direct investment last year from Japan, including retained earnings was about $54 bln. Prices: The dollar recovered from the July 1 low near JPY142.70 and reached nearly JPY149.20 on July 16. Last week's pullback overshot slightly the (50%) retracement of the recovery (~JPY145.95). However, helped, we would argue, by the rise in the US 10-year yield, the greenback reached almost JPY148 ahead of the weekend to meet the (61.8%) retracement of the pullback. With an eye toward higher US rates, we suspect there may be potential for the US dollar to test its recent highs. The 200-day moving average is near JPY149.65, and the dollar has not traded above it since mid-February. UK Drivers: Sterling remains sensitive to the broad direction of the dollar. The rolling 30-day correlation between changes in sterling and the Dollar Index is around -0.75. This is slightly more than correlation with the euro (0.73), the largest component of the Dollar Index. It is roughly as sensitive to the changes in the US two-year yield as it is to changes to the UK two-year Gilt yield (~0.36). The Labour government faces difficult fiscal choices, but it does not seem like an immediate market driver. Data: The market is not typically sensitive to the upcoming data, which consists of consumer credit and mortgage lending data. The UK economy grew by 0.7% quarter-over-quarter in Q1 to lead the G7, but growth evaporated in Q2. The monthly GDP contracted in April and May. Prices: The string of disappointing UK data revealed sterling's vulnerability. It was the weakest of the G10 currencies last week, with a nearly flat performance. Recall that fell from the multi-year high on July 1 around $1.3790 to a two-month low on July 16 near $1.3365. The subsequent recovery hit a wall on July 24 by $1.3590, which was slightly more than the (50%) retracement of the leg down from July 1. The $1.3365-70 area may be the neckline of a possible head and shoulders top pattern. A convincing break of the neckline has a measuring objective is around $1.2940. The (50%) retracement of this year’s rally is near there and the 200-day moving average is a little above there (~ $1.2970). Canada Drivers: The broad movement of the US dollar, reflected in the Dollar Index continues to be the single most important driver of the Canadian dollar's exchange rate. The rolling 30-day correlation of changes in the USD-CAD exchange rate and the Dollar Index is slightly below 0.77. Many observers insist that the Canadian dollar is a petro-currency, but the 30-day correlation is around 0.20. The sign is important here: Over the last couple of months, the US dollar tends to appreciate against the Canadian dollar when oil rises. Data: The Bank of Canada meets on July 30, and the May GDP will be reported the following day. There is little doubt that the Bank of Canada will stand pat with its overnight interest rate target at 2.75%. The swaps market is discounting a little more than 50% chance of another cut later this year. The economy contracted by 0.1% in April and economists expect a gain of a similar magnitude in May. That said, the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a 0.5% annualized contraction in Q2 before stagnating in Q3. Prices: The US dollar bottomed last Wednesday near CAD1.3575. It held above the year's low in mid-June (~~CAD1.3540) and the low seen early this month (~CAD1.3555). It reached almost CAD1.3515 before the weekend to overshot (61.8%) of the recent decline from ~CAD1.3775 on July 17. A move above CAD1.3780 could spur a move to CAD1.3835-65. Australia Drivers: The rolling 30-day correlation of changes in the Australian dollar and the Canadian dollar is around 0.77 and is slightly more than the correlation with the Dollar Index (-0.68). However, over the rolling 60-day correlation is a little stronger with the Dollar Index than the Canadian dollar (-0.71 vs 0.67). Many refer to the Aussie as a commodity currency, but the correlation with different commodities, and the CRB Index is less robust than one might suspect. Consider that the rolling 30-day correlation between changes in the Australian dollar and the CRB index has been inverse since late June (~-0.30). It was also slightly inverse from late January through late February. Data: Two data points stand out in the coming week. On Wednesday, Australia report June monthly CPI and Q2 quarterly print. The central bank puts more weight on the quarterly reading, which looks to have softened from the 2.4% year-over-year pace in Q1. The trimmed mean and weighted median underlying measures were a bit firmer at 2.4% and 3.0% respective but also look to have eased. The other economic report of note is the following day's release of June retail sales. Retail sales rose by an average of 0.3% a month in Q1, but the average in April and May slowed to 0.1%. The central bank meets on August 12, and the futures market has nearly a quarter-point cut discounted (~93%) and 57 bp between now the end of year. That implies two cuts are fully discounted and a little more than 25% of a third in the last four meetings of the year. Prices: The Australian dollar reached a new high for the year on July 24 near $0.6625. It was unable to sustain the momentum and retreated to the 20-day moving average before the weekend near $0.6550. Nearby support is seen in the $0.6520-40. The trendline connecting the June and July lows is found near $0.6500 at the end of the coming week. This month's low was set on July 17, near $0.6455. Mexico Drivers: We have suggested that Mexico's yield pick-up over the US, the modest volatility of the peso, and its near 24-hour a day liquidity makes the peso an attractive long against the greenback. Still, the peso is sensitive to the broader dollar direction. The rolling 30-day correlation of changes in the dollar against the peso and the Dollar Index is almost 0.50. Recall that as recently as early March, the correlation was inverse. The year's high was set around June 20 near 0.66. The 60-day correlation is slightly above 0.50, the most since the end of May 2024. Data: It is an important week for Mexican data. The week starts with the June unemployment rate, which has been trending gradually higher this year after softening in the last part of 2024 to end the year at 2.43%. It was 2.75% in May. It also reported June's trade balance the day. In the first five months of 2025, Mexico recorded $2.04 bln surplus, compared with a $4.46 bln deficit in the Jan-May 2024 period, and a $6.56 bln deficit in the same 2023 period. Exports are up about 3.4% year-over through May, while imports have risen by almost 0.8%. In the middle of the week, Mexico provides the first estimate of Q2 GDP. The economy grew by 0.2% in Q2, quarter-over-quarter, but it struggled in Q2 and the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey anticipates a 0.1% decline. Consumption is seen contracting for the second consecutive quarter, and business investment falling for the third straight quarter. Government spending also looks softer. Worker remittances have been a key source of hard currency revenue for Mexico but has moderated slightly. Through May, Mexico received about $24.4 bln of worker remittance compared with $25.1 bln the first five months of 2024 and $24.7 bln in the same period in 2023. The week ends with the IMEF PMI, where the manufacturing and non-manufacturing surveys have held below the 50 boom/bust level this year. The central bank meets on August 7, and the swap market favors an unchanged outcome after four half-point cuts have been delivered this year. Prices: The US dollar fell to a new low for the year near MXN18.5250 in the middle of last week and saw it again before the weekend as a near-term base was forged. Since the low was recorded, the greenback has held below MXN18.60. There may be potential toward the MXN18.66-MXN18.70 area. Our next downside target is the MXN18.35-40 area. Disclaimer

Bitcoin looks to be on the verge of a breakdown after rallying to $123,000 all-time highs earlier in the month. This reversal has taken the market by surprise, with the altcoin market, once again, bearing the brunt of the losses. Now, as the Bitcoin price reaches an important level, the questions of whether this is the start of a bear trend or if there will be a bounce in price have become more urgent. Bitcoin Trends Low After New Highs After the reversal back into the $117,000 levels, crypto analyst TehThomas has published an analysis outlining the current Bitcoin price trend and where it could be headed next. So far, the analyst explains that Bitcoin is still trading in a well-defined trend after being rejected from the upper resistance zone at $120,000 multiple times. However, there is still a lot of bite from its support levels below, which could be its saving grace. As the analyst explains, the fact that the support continues to hold shows that there is still a lot of buying going on for Bitcoin. This puts the support very tight around this area, but also makes it a dangerous territory for the bulls. It is possible that there is a sweep back to these lows, and Thomas explains that such a move would engineer sell-side liquidity. There is also a Fair Value Gap (FVG) at the $121,000 level, which continues to be defended. This is where most of the resistance has come from, pushing the price back below $118,000 multiple times already. Thus, this FVG is the next level to reclaim in the campaign for new highs. Bouncing Back From Lows If the sweep back toward the lows is completed, it is not entirely bearish for the Bitcoin price and could, in fact, be the move that helps to trigger the next wave of uptrend. The analyst explains that buyers would have to step back in at this level, with support sitting firmly at $116,000. This accumulation during consolidation would be inherently bullish. Looking back at the FVG, the analyst explains that it could act as a magnet if the price begins to rise again. Nevertheless, all of this depends on the Bitcoin price dipping back to support and then bouncing off again. The sweep of liquidity at the lows and the bounce would offer confirmation that the price is going to keep trending upward. However, there is still the possibility of a price breakdown from here. Thomas points to an invalidation of the bullish thesis if support at $116,000 fails to hold and there is no immediate recovery. “Bitcoin remains locked in a clear range, and until the breakout happens, the edges of that range offer the best trading opportunities,” the analyst explained.

The Shiba Inu price is back in the spotlight after a massive Coinbase transfer of 5 trillion SHIB shakes the broader market and sparks speculation across the crypto community. With uncertainty surrounding the intent of the large-scale SHIB transfer, the transaction has drawn significant attention and comments from crypto watchers, especially as it comes on the heels of a recent crash in the meme coin’s price. Whale Moves Fuel Shiba Inu Price Speculation A new report from Whale Alert on X social media has confirmed a jaw-dropping transfer of 5 trillion SHIB, worth approximately $69.98 million from crypto exchange Coinbase to an unknown wallet. The move has reignited market discussions, closely following a significant crash in the meme coin’s price that erased weeks of gains. CoinMarketCap’s data shows that Shiba Inu is now trading at $0.000014, down by more than 7% in just a few days. Notably, the 5 trillion SHIB transfer by the anonymous whale has raised eyebrows across the crypto community, with many expressing their astonishment over the sheer size of the transaction and others viewing it as a calculated move. The timing and size of the transfer have also led some to interpret it as a bearish signal, potentially indicating an upcoming sell-off, which could lead to further declines in the meme coin’s price. Others assert that the tokens have been deliberately taken off the active trading market and put into a vault, hinting at a strategic supply reduction. If conditions remain optimal, this could set the stage for a possible liquidity squeeze. In addition, as demand returns to the market, the crypto member states that Shiba Inu could face a thin wall of available supply, potentially triggering a price rebound. What’s more, the lack of clear information regarding the receiving wallet has only added to the speculation, with a community member suggesting that the entity, the 5,000,000,000,000 SHIB transfer, may have been driven by insider knowledge. Typically, whale moves of this magnitude tend to influence market sentiment, potentially triggering sharp price reactions and raising questions about possible coordinated activity. Market Eyes Possible Price Revival Beyond the initial shock of the 5 trillion SHIB transfer and its potential implications on price action and whale activity, many in the crypto space are beginning to draw connections to a broader bullish trend or possible price resurgence. Some crypto members believe that the reemergence of high-value whale entities could be a potential precursor of big price moves. Others suggest that this move could trigger the start of a meme coin season, where speculative assets like Shiba Inu or Dogecoin experience renewed investor interest and dramatic price surges. Historically, large and sudden whale movements often precede market-wide interest and price rallies in meme tokens, particularly when those moves significantly shrink supply and hint at potential future accumulation. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

It’s the weekend again, and it is the time again to reflect back what the week has brought to the market and time to find the best crypto to buy now, or next week for non weekend traders. After the weekdays chops, ETH ▲1.48%, SOL ▲4.64%, and BNB ▲1.87% have led with notable gains, conversely, BTC ▲1.47% and XRP ▲2.18%have trailed, with Bitcoin slightly down and XRP seeing a steeper decline after breaching ATH earlier in the week. Looking back, it might be time to read between the lines. Is the alt season coming, or is it already happening? Will market keeps pumping or it is time to sell all? As Benjamin Franklin says “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” so it is the time to prepare for the best crypto has to offer, what to buy, now, or next week. BitcoinPriceMarket CapBTC$2.34T24h7d30d1yAll time EXPLORE: Best New Crypto to Buy Now in 2025 Is Bitcoin Still The One, Or Is Ethereum The Best Crypto To Buy Now? After a dip from $3.8k to $3.5k, Ethereum ended up posting a 4.2% gain, especially with its ties to huge ETF inflows and the passage of the GENIUS bill. Ethereum has spurred altcoin momentum, with over $533 million inflow reported in a single day. It is no brainer not to think of ETH as the best crypto to buy now. Bitcoin’s modest 0.44% drop this week could just be due to it experiencing a consolidation phase. This could be driven by macroeconomic uncertainties or reduced momentum. Despite its historical dominance, Bitcoin has lagged behind altcoins this week, with its dominance level dropping to 60%. EthereumPriceMarket CapETH$453.44B24h7d30d1yAll time Solana, on the other hand, has recorded a 5.45% rise. This shows its dominance and technical strengths in the meme coin market. Its high speed and cheap transactions boost its user base growth and adoption. Solana, although still struggling to breach the top three cryptos, is still one of the best altcoins to buy. BNB and XRP are displaying a tale of two cities. Both have breached their ATH this week, although XRP failed to maintain momentum and dropped by 8%. BNB, though, rose by 7%, outpacing the crypto market. The Binance coin is undoubtedly one of the top performers this week. It has capitalized on favorable market sentiment and solidified its competitive edge. So… which crypto is the best one to buy now? Remember: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in 2025 Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates 7 minutes ago By Akiyama Felix Meanwhile, ETH is looking stronger against BTC, and BTC Dominance level is still dropping. Altseason coming as CZ says. (ETH/BTC) (BTC.D) 36 minutes ago By Akiyama Felix Finding the best crypto to buy now. Loading…. However, this could play out. The post [LIVE] Ethereum, Solana, BNB Outperforming The Crypto Market: Best Crypto To Buy Now As BTC and XRP Stall appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

Scottie Pippen, the six‑time NBA champion, stirred up the crypto community this week. He put out a poll on X asking his 728,000 followers whether XRP will hit $10 by 2026. Alongside that question, he also threw out bold targets for Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. The move sent traders and fans buzzing. Pippen’s Viral Crypto Poll According to his post, Bitcoin could climb to $233,000, Ethereum to $10,000 and Solana to $1,000. Pippen gave people four choices for each token and let them vote. Travis Turnbull and others in the comments threw their support behind XRP reaching $10, while some thought even 2026 might be too soon. Polls like this tend to draw big crowds, and Pippen’s name carries weight well beyond sports. XRP is trading around $3.18 right now. That price is down 2.2% in the past day, though it’s still up 45% for the month. At that level, the token’s market cap sits near $156 billion. To hit $10, XRP would need to swell to about $500 billion based on its roughly 50 billion coins in circulation. That jump would rank it among the world’s biggest assets. Bullish Forecasts From Other Analysts Based on reports, an NFT project founder predicted XRP could top $10 by next year if Bitcoin rockets toward $250,000. A well‑known crypto analyst updated his earlier $4–$5 call to $10 after a surge in bullish momentum. Aaron Arnold, host of Altcoin Daily, went even further with an $11 target by 2025. He called that figure “realistic,” pointing to growing demand and fresh capital flows. If XRP ever hit $11, its market cap would soar past $650 billion. That would put it ahead of big names like Mastercard and Tencent on the value charts. Such a move would reshape how people see cross‑border payments and tokenized banking rails. What It Takes To Hit $10 Reaching $10 won’t happen on hype alone. XRP still faces legal hurdles in the US. Banks need clear rules before they can embrace it at scale. On‑chain activity must keep rising, and fresh partnerships with payment firms or tech players are a must. At the same time, rival tokens and layer‑2 solutions compete for investor money. Timing is key, too. Crypto often moves in waves, and a bull run can last months or years—but corrections can come fast. Featured image from NBA, chart from TradingView

Tyler Winklevoss says JPMorgan hit pause on Gemini’s attempt to restore banking access after he publicly criticized the bank. According to him, the decision came shortly after he posted a tweet calling out major banks for fighting against open banking reforms. He believes the timing wasn’t a coincidence. A Tweet That Changed Everything On July 19, Winklevoss accused the banking industry of trying to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Open Banking Rule. He argued that banks were attempting to block consumers from sharing their own data through platforms like Plaid. Shortly after airing his views, Gemini’s re-onboarding talks with JPMorgan reportedly stalled. Winklevoss saw it as punishment for speaking out. Source: Shutterstock What’s at Stake for Users and Fintechs The open banking rule in question falls under Section 1033 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act. It aims to give consumers control over their financial data and allow them to share it with apps and services they choose. Winklevoss argues that banks are trying to turn this into a pay-to-play model by adding fees, which would hurt smaller fintechs and crypto platforms that depend on smooth fiat-to-crypto transfers. Is This About Money or Power? Winklevoss didn’t hold back. He framed the banks’ resistance as a way to protect their gatekeeper role in the financial system. In his view, it’s less about covering costs and more about keeping control over data. He warned that banks are pushing back not just through lobbying but through legal action aimed at delaying or weakening the rule entirely. BitcoinPriceMarket CapBTC$2.34T24h7d30d1yAll time DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in July2025 Others in the Industry Back Him Up He’s not the only one sounding the alarm. Arjun Sethi, Kraken’s co-CEO, weighed in with his own criticism. He said banks are treating access to user data like a product to be sold, which could lock people into walled gardens. Nic Carter also chimed in, tying the whole situation to what’s often called Operation Choke Point 2.0, where crypto companies lose banking access without a clear explanation. Gemini’s Banking History and Workarounds Gemini had a relationship with JPMorgan before regulators began pressing banks to distance themselves from crypto firms in 2023 and early 2024. Since then, the company has been seeking alternative banking partners. This wouldn’t be the first time the Winklevoss twins had to pivot. They’ve dealt with debanking issues before and responded by expanding internationally and building out different payment rails. DISCOVER: Next 1000X Crypto: 10+ Crypto Tokens That Can Hit 1000x in 2025 JPMorgan’s Silence Says a Lot The bank hasn’t commented publicly on Winklevoss’s claim. In the past, JPMorgan has defended charging fees for access to its data infrastructure, and CEO Jamie Dimon hasn’t exactly been shy about his distrust of crypto. Whether the pause in discussions was personal, political, or procedural, JPMorgan is keeping quiet for now. This is part of a wider fight over who gets to control financial data. If fees become the norm, it could make it harder for new players to compete, and for users to freely connect their bank accounts to the services they want. The outcome of this conflict could shape the future of open banking in the U.S. for years to come. DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025 Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates Key Takeaways Tyler Winklevoss says JPMorgan halted Gemini’s banking talks after he criticized banks for opposing open banking rules. The dispute centers on Section 1033, which gives consumers control over their financial data and lets them share it with apps. Winklevoss and others claim banks want to charge fees for data access, locking out fintechs and crypto platforms. Industry voices like Arjun Sethi and Nic Carter say this reflects a wider push to limit crypto access to banking services. JPMorgan hasn’t responded publicly, but the standoff highlights growing tension between traditional finance and crypto firms. The post Winklevoss Calls Out JPMorgan Over Banking Backlash appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

Dragonfly Capital could be in serious trouble. A federal prosecutor told a New York court that the Department of Justice is weighing criminal charges against one of the firm’s general partners in connection with their investment in Tornado Cash. It’s a surprising twist in the trial of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm and raises a bigger question: can investors be held legally responsible for what their portfolio projects do? Legal Spotlight Shines on Tom Schmidt Tom Schmidt, a partner at Dragonfly, found himself mentioned in court when the prosecutor casually noted that charges against him were still on the table. That comment was quickly sealed from the record, but the message was clear. For now, he hasn’t been charged, but he’s under serious scrutiny. This kind of attention on a VC investor is rare, especially when they weren’t directly involved in day-to-day operations. Source: Shutterstock Emails from Dragonfly Surface in Court One reason the DOJ is taking this angle may be the internal emails now in evidence. Messages from 2020 show Dragonfly discussing compliance features with Tornado Cash’s developers, including things like KYC. That might cut both ways. On one hand, it shows Dragonfly was aware of regulatory concerns. On the other hand, it could be used to argue they knew the risks and went ahead anyway. Schmidt, for his part, refused to testify, invoking the Fifth Amendment. Dragonfly Isn’t Backing Down Haseeb Qureshi, another managing partner at Dragonfly, has already responded publicly. He called the idea of criminal charges against an investor absurd. According to him, Dragonfly got legal advice before investing, didn’t run the company, and certainly didn’t help anyone launder money. He also stressed the firm’s commitment to privacy tech and said they’ve been cooperating with authorities since last year. BitcoinPriceMarket CapBTC$2.34T24h7d30d1yAll time DISCOVER: Best New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2025 If a VC Can Be Charged, What Next? This could set a new bar for legal risk in the crypto space. Charging a venture capitalist for putting money into a project that later becomes the focus of sanctions or enforcement could scare other investors off. There’s already hesitance around privacy tech, but this might take it further. Investors may start avoiding anything remotely controversial, even if the tech itself is neutral. DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025 Schmidt Stays Silent, Defense Takes the Hit With Schmidt refusing to testify, the defense team loses a key opportunity to explain Dragonfly’s side of the story. His testimony could have helped Storm show that the developers were working with partners who took compliance seriously. But since the government didn’t grant immunity, Schmidt kept quiet. That decision could impact how the rest of the case unfolds. Big Picture for Crypto and DeFi Roman Storm and his co-defendant are facing charges related to money laundering and alleged ties to sanctioned groups, including North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Regulators are clearly widening the net. It’s no longer just about developers. Now, backers and investors may be dragged into court as well. Precedent or Warning Shot? So far, Schmidt hasn’t been charged. But if the DOJ moves ahead, this could set a major precedent. If not, it still sends a signal that no one in crypto is off-limits. Investors may need to think twice about what they fund and how closely they stay involved. This case is no longer just about Tornado Cash. It’s about where the government draws the line. DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025 Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates Key Takeaways The DOJ is considering criminal charges against Dragonfly partner Tom Schmidt over the firm’s investment in Tornado Cash. Internal emails from 2020 show Dragonfly discussing KYC and compliance features with Tornado Cash developers. Schmidt invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify, limiting the defense’s ability to present Dragonfly’s role. Dragonfly managing partner Haseeb Qureshi called the idea of charging a VC absurd and said they followed legal guidance. This case could set a new precedent, with investors facing legal exposure for the actions of crypto projects they back. The post Dragonfly Investor Might Face DOJ Charges Over Tornado Cash Bet appeared first on 99Bitcoins.