5 Aug 2025, 07:58

Litecoin Surges 10% on ETF Hopes and Merchant Activity Amid Quiet Rotation

Litecoin (LTC) rose by more than 11% in the past 24 hours, edging above $123, marking one of the sharpest large-cap rallies this week as traders rotated into legacy altcoins amid improving sentiment and fresh ETF chatter. The move, which made LTC as the largest weekly gainer among the top hundred tokens, comes as a mix of structural adoption and regulatory tailwinds. In July, litecoin accounted for 14.5% of all crypto payments on CoinGate, the firm said in an X post , leapfrogging stablecoins like USDT and USDC and second only to bitcoin (BTC). As such, speculation over a spot ETF continues to build despite the SEC delaying its decision on Grayscale’s application until October. Bloomberg analysts pegged the odds of eventual approval at 90% in early July, citing LTC’s commodity classification by the CFTC — a distinction that reduces legal risk and places it alongside bitcoin and ether (ETH) in regulatory clarity. Elsewhere, MEI Pharma disclosed a $100 million litecoin allocation last month, echoing early bitcoin treasury moves and giving LTC a new angle as a low-beta treasury asset. While the buy hasn’t moved markets materially, the optics help. Meanwhile, data from CoinDesk Analytics shows LTC broke above its 7-day simple moving average and faces a key pivot level at $117.61. Relative strength index (RSI) sits at 69.5 — elevated, but not yet signaling exhaustion. However, early MACD divergence suggests momentum may be cooling if inflows don’t sustain. Traders are watching $124–$131 as a resistance zone, per analytics, and a close above could signal a structural breakout.

5 Aug 2025, 07:53

Tom Lee’s BitMine Adds Another 208K ETH, Treasury Tops $3B as Ethereum Surges

BitMine Immersion Technologies, chaired by Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, has added 208,137 ETH to its growing crypto reserves, boosting its total holdings to 833,137 ETH, now worth over $3 billion. Key Takeaways: BitMine holds 833,137 ETH worth over $3 billion, making it the largest corporate Ethereum holder. The firm’s aggressive strategy puts it far ahead of rivals just one month after announcing its ETH push. BitMine is betting on Ethereum’s upside amid shifting macro conditions. The move cements BitMine’s position as the top Ethereum-holding treasury firm and places it fourth among global crypto treasuries overall, according to a Monday press release . The purchase was disclosed on Monday, coinciding with a sharp Ether price swing that saw the asset climb 5.8% to $3,730 before easing back to $3,654, according to CoinGecko. BitMine Accelerates Ethereum Push Just One Month Into New Strategy BitMine’s latest accumulation highlights its aggressive entry into the Ethereum space just over a month after the firm unveiled its ETH strategy. “We have separated ourselves among crypto treasury peers,” Lee said in a statement, emphasizing the rapid pace at which the firm has raised its crypto net asset value per share. “BitMine moved with lightning speed in its pursuit of the ‘alchemy of 5%’ of ETH.” The firm’s acceleration puts distance between it and rivals like SharpLink Gaming, which holds 438,200 ETH worth $1.61 billion, and The Ether Machine, now at 345,400 ETH after a $40 million buy on the same day. Rounding out the top five are the Ethereum Foundation (232,600 ETH) and PulseChain SAC (166,300 ETH), according to StrategicETHReserve data. BitMine’s rise has been fueled by notable backing. Investors include billionaire Bill Miller III, macro veteran Stanley Druckenmiller, and ARK Invest’s Cathie Wood — all vocal advocates for long-term crypto exposure. The firm’s positioning signals rising institutional conviction in Ethereum, which has outperformed in recent weeks while attempting to close the gap with leaders Bitcoin and Solana. Lee told CNBC he expects further upside in August, citing soft labor data and a possible pivot in U.S. monetary policy. He said signs of an easing Federal Reserve could lift both equities and crypto markets, potentially pushing the S&P 500 to new all-time highs — a move that would likely benefit Ether. “I think we’re going to rally pretty strongly in August,” says Tom Lee of @Fundstrat . “I think we can get to 6500, 6600 [on the S&P 500] and all-time highs in the next couple of weeks.” https://t.co/ZAsld9FqER — Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) August 4, 2025 With its latest buy, BitMine is not just betting on price appreciation but also staking its claim as a dominant force in Ethereum treasury strategy, outpacing peers both in speed and size. BitMine Launches $1B Buyback as ETH Holdings Top $2.3B Last week, BitMine announced a $1 billion stock buyback program as its Ethereum holdings surged past 625,000 ETH, worth $2.3 billion, making it the largest corporate holder of Ethereum to date. The open-ended repurchase plan comes amid BitMine’s larger goal of acquiring 5% of Ethereum’s total supply, a move it sees as part of a long-term capital strategy. Chairman Tom Lee described the buyback as a flexible way to optimize capital allocation on the firm’s path toward what he calls “the alchemy of 5%.” The announcement follows a massive ETH accumulation in July, including a single 16-day purchase of 566,776 ETH worth over $2 billion, vaulting BitMine past competitors like SharpLink and the Ethereum Foundation. BMNR shares have skyrocketed over 3,000% since early July as investors react to the aggressive accumulation strategy. The company’s stock options began trading on the NYSE last month , further boosting market engagement. The post Tom Lee’s BitMine Adds Another 208K ETH, Treasury Tops $3B as Ethereum Surges appeared first on Cryptonews .

5 Aug 2025, 07:29

HTX：Macro Dislocation and Crypto Re-Pricing – How Fed Revaluation and “Project Crypto” Are Resetting the Playing Field

The Federal Reserve’s latest rate decision jolted global markets—but it was the unexpected collapse in U.S. job growth that truly reshaped investor expectations. This week, Chloe (@ ChloeTalk1 ) from HTX Research offers insights into recent macro surprises and the regulatory pivot reshaping crypto’s policy landscape. Soft Jobs Data Resets Market Expectations After the July FOMC meeting, the Fed left the funds rate at 5.25%-5.50% and offered no timeline for rate cuts, stoking fears of a “higher-for-longer” regime. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped to 4.24% , the U.S.-Dollar Index reclaimed the 100 handle, gold slipped below $3,270 , and Bitcoin retreated to the $116,000 area as on-chain activity cooled. Three days later, the macro narrative flipped: July non-farm payrolls “collapsed,” with only 73k jobs versus the 180k consensus, while May–June gains were revised down by roughly 129k (-90 %). The sudden chill forced an aggressive rate reset—CME FedWatch showed the probability of a September cut surging from 38% to 82% , with two cuts by year-end now priced at 64% . The 10-year yield slid below 4.10% , gold bounced $40 to $3,363/oz , and Bitcoin briefly spiked before recession angst pushed it to an intraday low near $112,000 . Yet the broader economy still resembles a growth-slowdown rather than a full-blown recession. By 2025 Q2, household debt stood at 98% of disposable income —well below the 2008 peak of 133%. Credit-card delinquencies eased from 2.7% to 2.5% ; retail sales are holding a 2.8%-3.1% YoY band. America’s richest 10% control 72% of household wealth and finance nearly half of total consumption, providing a sturdy demand floor. On the corporate side, JPMorgan and Bank of America report commercial-loan growth of 5%-7% YoY , with no material uptick in loss reserves. Historically, a mix of softer payrolls and sticky-but-easing inflation marks the Fed’s turn toward accommodation, ushering in a “high-volatility liquidity window” where BTC and gold attract hedging flows while leveraged alt-coins face valuation and deleveraging pressure. Regulatory Shift Opens Up DeFi and RWA Momentum The truly disruptive catalyst comes from regulation. On 31 July , SEC Chair Paul Atkins unveiled “Project Crypto,” pledging to put U.S. finance “fully on-chain” via deregulation, innovation safe-harbors and exemptions. Atkins stated that most crypto assets should not be defaulted into securities status and that AMMs and on-chain lending are “non-intermediated financial activity” deserving legal recognition. The signal unlocks huge upside for DeFi protocols such as Uniswap , Aave and Lido , long suppressed by the “securities overhang.” According to data from HTX, DeFi tokens including UNI and AAVE have recorded notable gains in August. Atkins also floated a “Super-App” license for brokers to aggregate equities, crypto, staking and lending. The draft further names ERC-3643 —with its ONCHAINID permission layer—as the reference standard for tokenized RWA, paving a compliant path for real estate, private equity and other trillion-dollar markets. Crucially, the SEC will revise the decades-old Howey Test , introducing clear disclosure waivers and safe harbors for airdrops, ICOs and staking, ending the era where founders had to “flee to Cayman” or geo-block U.S. users; venture capital could now re-shore, reigniting an on-chain startup cycle in America. Outlook and Structural Signals Bitcoin and Ethereum remain central to market structure, with BTC dominance and stablecoin basis offering key signals for capital rotation. High-beta altcoins and leveraged products may remain under pressure, particularly if the U.S. dollar strengthens or long-term yields rebound above 4.40%. Tokens with clear compliance paths—especially DeFi governance assets and RWA tokens built on ERC-3643—are increasingly positioned to benefit from evolving policy support and real-world adoption narratives. With macro softening, liquidity conditions easing, and regulatory upgrading now converging, Bitcoin’s role as a global inflation hedge and policy-beta asset is hardening, while on-chain finance enjoys its first genuine policy tail-wind—setting the stage for the next structural up-cycle in crypto markets. *The above content is not an investment advice and does not constitute any offer or solicitation to offer or recommendation of any investment product. To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square , and follow HTX on X , Telegram , and Discord . The post HTX：Macro Dislocation and Crypto Re-Pricing – How Fed Revaluation and “Project Crypto” Are Resetting the Playing Field first appeared on HTX Square .

5 Aug 2025, 07:07

Bitcoin's Long-Term Bullishness Evaporates From Options Market as Inflation Concern Rises

The bitcoin (BTC) bull, once confidently gazing into the future, is reconsidering its long-term bullish conviction. That's evident from the 180-day skew, measuring the difference in implied volatility (pricing) between Deribit-listed out-of-the-money call and put options. The metric has recently retreated to zero, according to data source Amberdata, indicating that long-term market sentiment has shifted from bullish to neutral. The shift comes as some analysts warn of a bear market in 2026. A similar reset occurred at the onset of the previous bitcoin bear market, according to Griffin Ardern, head of options trading and research at crypto financial platform BloFin. "I've noticed a rather worrying sign with the recent market pullback. Bitcoin's bullish sentiment for the far-month options has vanished, and it is now firmly neutral," Ardern told CoinDesk. "This means the options market believes it's difficult for BTC to establish a long-term uptrend, and the likelihood of new highs in the coming months is decreasing." "A similar situation last occurred in Jan and Feb 2022," he added. A put option offers insurance against price drops in the underlying asset, while a call provides an asymmetric bullish exposure. A positive skew implies a bias towards calls, indicating bullishness in the market, whereas a negative skew suggests the opposite. The neutral shift in the 180-day skew could be partly driven by structured products selling higher strike call options to generate additional yield on top of the spot market holdings. The popularity of the so-called covered call strategy could be driving the call implied volatility lower relative to puts. Macro jitters BTC fell over 4% last week, nearly testing its former record high of $11,965, as the core PCE, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, rose in June, while nonfarm payrolls disappointed, stoking concerns about the economy. The price drop has pushed short-term skews below zero, a sign of traders seeking downside protection through puts. According to Ardern, the inflationary effects of "supply chain impulses" are already showing up in economic data. "Although falling auto prices in the last CPI report offset rising prices for other goods, one thing is undeniable: the impulse from the West Coast of the Pacific has reached the East Coast, and retailers are already trying to pass on tariffs and a host of associated costs to consumers. While wholesalers and commodity trading firms are working to smooth supply chains, price increases will still occur, albeit more moderately or "delayed by several months," Ardern noted, explaining the renewed neutrality of the long-term BTC options. According to JPMorgan, President Donald Trump's tariffs are likely to elevate inflation in the second half of the year. "Global core inflation is projected to increase to 3.4% (annualized rate) in the second half of 2025, largely due to a tariff-related U.S. spike," analysts at the investment bank noted, adding that cost pressures will likely be concentrated in the U.S. An uptick in inflation could make it harder for the Fed to cut rates. Trump has repeatedly criticized the central bank for keeping rates elevated at 4.25%. Traders will receive the ISM non-manufacturing PMI later Tuesday, providing insights into inflation in the service sector, which accounts for a significant portion of the U.S. economy. It will be followed by July CPI and PPI releases later this week. Read more: Bitcoin Still on Track for $140K This Year, But 2026 Will Be Painful: Elliott Wave Expert

5 Aug 2025, 07:02

Capital B Acquires 62 Bitcoin, Boosting Total Holdings to 2,075 BTC

Capital B (The Blockchain Group), an artificial intelligence and bitcoin treasury company listed on Euronext Growth Paris, has confirmed the acquisition of 62 BTC for approximately $7.2 million (about €6.2 million). Following this acquisition, the company now holds a total of 2,075 BTC. Additionally, Capital B reported a remarkable Bitcoin yield of 1,446.3% year-to-date (YTD),

5 Aug 2025, 06:51

Bitcoin Struggles to Hold $115K; Solana, Dogecoin Show Relative Strength as Risk-Off Sentiment Lingers

Bitcoin (BTC0 remains stuck below $115,000 after a sharp weekend drop that erased nearly $6,000 from local highs and triggered over $1 billion in liquidations across leveraged long positions. While markets have stabilized somewhat since Monday, sentiment remains fragile amid a fresh round of Donald Trump-issued tariffs and another week of choppy ETF flows. BTC traded near $114,200 in the Asian afternoon hours on Tuesday, remaining flat on the day but still below the key $115,000 – $118,000 range that had acted as short-term support over the past two weeks. Ether (ETH) fared slightly better, recovering toward $3,650 after dipping under $3,550 over the weekend, supported by sustained institutional interest and resilient flows. “Although Bitcoin has not managed to regain ground past $115,000, Ethereum has nearly recovered this week’s dip,” said Nick Ruck, director at LVRG Research, in a note to CoinDesk. “Treasury strategies, IPOs, and the hunt for the next MicroStrategy are fueling demand. We remain positive the bull run can continue,” Ruck said. Altcoin season over? Altcoins, meanwhile, have struggled. Solana (SOL) is down nearly 20% from last week’s highs, and XRP (XRP) is flatlining near $3 despite broader market stabilization. A colloquial narrative that “altseason” is imminent has weakened, with traders rotating capital back into majors or moving to the sidelines entirely. Part of the risk-off tone stems from Friday’s U.S. jobs report, which came in weaker than expected, and a fresh round of trade tensions from Washington. The result is a broad flight to safety in global markets, with crypto caught in the crossfire. Friday also marked the second-largest outflow day for bitcoin spot ETFs, and the fourth-largest for ether, dimming hopes that institutional flows would offer short-term price support. Still, not all desks are turning bearish. QCP Capital noted in a Monday note that the broader structure remains bullish. “The recent drawdown appears more corrective than capitulatory,” the firm said in a client note. It highlighted growing activity in BTC options markets — specifically 29AUG25 call flys targeting $124,000 — as a sign that sophisticated players are positioning for a rebound. Put skew remains elevated but is not yet flashing panic. A move back above $115,000, combined with a rebound in ETF inflows and compressing implied volatility, could flip sentiment quickly, QCP said. Until then, traders are closely monitoring ETF flow data. If institutional demand stabilizes and macro jitters subside, this week’s consolidation could set the stage for a renewed push toward new highs. However, if outflows persist and risk appetite continues to fade, especially in alternative assets, markets may face another wave of de-risking before finding a true floor. Read more: Bitcoin's Long-Term Bullishness Evaporates From Options Market as Inflation Concern Rises