Bitcoin Rallies as ETFs Surge, SEC Chair Sets New Crypto Course, and Institutional Bitcoin Bets Grow

Bitcoin heads for its strongest weekly gain since Trump’s 2024 election, with $2.7B in ETF inflows.
New SEC Chair Paul Atkins promises a "rational, coherent" regulatory framework for digital assets.
ARK Invest raises its 2030 Bitcoin price target to $2.4 million in a bullish scenario.
Cantor Fitzgerald, SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex launch a $3B Bitcoin venture.
U.S. Fed, OCC, and FDIC withdraw anti-crypto warnings for banks, signaling regulatory softening.
Galaxy Digital swaps $100M of ETH for SOL amid concerns over Ethereum’s declining market share.

Bitcoin heads for biggest weekly gain since Trump's victory as ETF inflows surge

Bitcoin pushed higher on Friday, holding around $95,000 as it heads for its strongest weekly performance since Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory. BTC has gained over 11% this week, buoyed by $2.68 billion of net inflows into U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs — the largest since December, according to SoSoValue data.

Ethereum’s ether also climbed, rising 2% to hover above $1,800, while SUI, Bitcoin Cash, and Hedera led gains in the CoinDesk 20 Index. Analysts noted bitcoin’s growing decoupling from traditional macro assets like U.S. equities and gold, suggesting a maturing role as a store-of-value asset. Coinbase Institutional's David Duong pointed to this week’s divergence as a potential “regime shift” in bitcoin’s perception among investors.

Meanwhile, corporate adoption continues to expand. Following Strategy’s model, new firms like Twenty One Capital — backed by Tether, Bitfinex, SoftBank, and Cantor Fitzgerald — are moving to add bitcoin to their treasuries. However, experts warn that liquidity in the spot market remains thin, increasing the risk of sharp price swings. While volatility persists, many see this rally as the start of bitcoin’s next major uptrend.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins reaffirms crypto as priority

New SEC Chairman Paul Atkins emphasized his commitment to building a “rational, coherent, and principled” regulatory framework for digital assets during his swearing-in ceremony this week.

Atkins, a former SEC commissioner and longtime supporter of capital markets innovation, vowed to end the agency’s previous “waywardness” and refocus on its original mission: protecting investors and fostering fair, orderly markets.

Since Trump’s inauguration, the SEC has already begun charting a new direction — establishing a Crypto Task Force and engaging with the industry to shape future oversight. Atkins’ appointment cements the SEC’s shift toward embracing crypto as a vital part of modern financial markets.

ARK Invest raises 2030 bitcoin price target to $2.4 million in bull case

ARK Invest has raised its bullish 2030 price projection for bitcoin to $2.4 million, citing stronger assumptions around active supply and adoption. The firm’s updated analysis forecasts a base case of $1.2 million and a bear case of $500,000 for BTC by the end of the decade.

The revised targets represent a 60% increase over January’s estimates, with a projected 72% compound annual growth rate under the most optimistic scenario. ARK’s model factors in bitcoin’s expanding role across institutional portfolios, emerging markets, nation-states, corporate treasuries, and financial services built atop the Bitcoin network.

Recent market behavior supports this bullish outlook. Data shows declining bitcoin balances on exchanges — falling from 3 million BTC in November 2024 to 2.6 million — signaling stronger long-term holding behavior among investors.

Cantor Fitzgerald, SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex team up for $3B BTC venture

Brandon Lutnick, Chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald and son of U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is launching a $3 billion bitcoin-focused venture named 21 Capital, alongside SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex, according to the Financial Times.

Funded partly by a January SPAC raise, the venture will receive $1.5 billion in bitcoin from Tether, $900 million from SoftBank, and $600 million from Bitfinex. Additional capital will be raised via a $350 million convertible bond and $200 million private placement.

21 Capital mirrors Strategy’s aggressive bitcoin acquisition strategy, aiming to build significant holdings amid a friendlier U.S. regulatory environment. The move marks Cantor’s deeper push into digital assets after advising on Tether’s $775 million Rumble investment.

Fed reverses crypto warnings, leaves oversight to banks

The U.S. Federal Reserve has officially withdrawn its previous guidance warning banks about crypto involvement, joining the OCC and FDIC in rescinding prior crypto policies.

The decision shifts responsibility for managing crypto risks to individual banks and their compliance teams, with the Fed stating that it will supervise crypto activities “through the normal supervisory process” instead of requiring special approvals.

The move underscores growing regulatory openness under the Trump administration, although the banking industry still awaits new legislation from Congress to establish comprehensive crypto frameworks.

Galaxy Digital swaps $100M in ETH for SOL amid Ethereum challenges

Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital has shifted $100 million from Ethereum’s ether into Solana’s SOL, according to blockchain analysis cited by Wu Blockchain.

Galaxy transferred 65,600 ETH (approximately $105 million) to Binance and withdrew 752,240 SOL (~$98 million), signaling a major portfolio adjustment. The move follows a bearish note from Standard Chartered, which downgraded its ETH outlook and warned of structural challenges facing Ethereum’s dominance.

Recent data shows Solana outpacing Ethereum across decentralized exchange volume and active addresses. Meanwhile, nearly $600 million has flowed out of Ether ETFs over the past two months, highlighting the growing market shift.