Bitcoin pierced the $111,000 threshold for the first time in history on May 22, printing an intraday high of $111,867 on Binance, giving the asset a market capitalization of roughly $2.22 trillion, or two-thirds of the entire crypto market. The latest leg of the rally is being propelled by a tight confluence of catalysts that span institutional flows, corporate balance-sheet accumulation, and mounting macro-economic stress. #1 Spot Bitcoin ETF Inflows From Wall Street to BlackRock’s vaults, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have turned into a one-way conduit of fresh capital. Farside Investors tallied $607.1 million of net subscriptions on 21 May, of which a blockbuster $530.6 million flowed into BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). That pushed the 11-day haul to more than $2.7 billion and lifted cumulative net inflows across the complex past $42 billion—an unprecedented pace for a six-month-old asset class. Related Reading: Bitcoin Breakout Narrative Explodes As Japan’s Bond Market Collapses “Over $500mil into iShares Bitcoin ETF…Nearly $2 bil just over past week or so. Inflows 26 of past 27 days. *$7+bil* in new $$$ overall. Given trading volume today, expect these inflow numbers to increase,” ETF Store president Nate Geraci posted on X. Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas added that IBIT is posting “its 2nd biggest volume day ever today. Classic feeding frenzy in effect, new ATHs will do that, e.g. last time traded this much was 1/23 (last ATH). All the btc ETFs are elevated, most gonna see 2x their average. Flows incoming.” #2 Bitcoin Treasury Companies Parallel to the ETF torrent, a new cohort of listed companies is adopting Bitcoin as a primary treasury asset. Besides Strategy and Metaplanet, these companies bought billions of dollars in Bitcoin in recent weeks. Cantor Fitzgerald’s $3.6 billion SPAC deal will take Twenty One Capital public with more than 42,000 BTC on its books, backed by Tether, Bitfinex and SoftBank. Strive Asset Management is merging with Asset Entities on Nasdaq to create what it calls the first publicly traded asset-manager-led Bitcoin treasury company, equipped with a live $1 billion shelf to keep buying coin. Battery-tech firm KULR Technology Group lifted its stack to 800 BTC this week after a fresh $9 million purchase. Elsewhere, India’s Jetking Infotrain, Indonesia’s DigiAsia Corp, Brazil’s fintech Méliuz, France’s state lender Bpifrance and David Bailey’s Nakamoto Holdings, now merging with KindlyMD to build “the first decentralised Bitcoin treasury network,” among others, all unveiled accumulation strategies within the past month. Collectively these firms represent billions of dollars in spot, largely price-insensitive demand. #3 The New Narrative: A Brewing Macro Storm The macro backdrop is pouring fuel on the fire. Japanese super-long government bonds—once synonymous with near-zero yields—have gone bid-less, sending the 30-year JGB yield to a record 3.14 %. The move tightens the feedback loop linking Tokyo and Washington: Japanese institutions have been among the largest foreign holders of US Treasuries, and analysts warn that disorderly JGB liquidations could force sales of US debt just as the Treasury must refinance roughly $8 trillion this year. Related Reading: Bitcoin All-Time High Propels It Past Amazon, Google To 5th Place Among Global Assets With the WSJ Dollar Index down more than 10% from its January peak and CFTC data showing the biggest speculative short position since mid-2023, investors are casting around for alternatives to sovereign paper. Macro guru Raoul Pal said: “Bond yields are going up. Normally that’s not a good thing… But inflation is falling all the time. The story is liquidity. There’s a lack of liquidity in the bond market, and when yields get too high the government’s reaction function is always and in every case to print more money.” Global liquidity dynamics add to the case. Global M2—aggregating the money stock in the US, euro-area, China and Japan—bottomed late last year and has risen 3–4 % year-to-date, according to multiple trackers. Bitcoin price inflections typically lag global-M2 turns by about three months; the current rally arrived almost on schedule. As crypto analyst Kevin (@Kev_Capital_TA) observed on X, “Dollar goes down, global liquidity rises, BTC goes higher.” For some market veterans, the price action signals a deeper behavioural shift. “We are watching BTC transform from a risk-on asset to a risk-off asset,” Multicoin Capital co-founder Tushar Jain wrote after Wednesday’s bond rout and dollar sell-off. “Today we saw further proof that the government cannot cut the budget deficit. The market reacted by selling US treasuries, selling USD, selling equities, and buying BTC. The transformation is not yet complete. It will take more days like this to convince the market that BTC is a risk off asset. Like most big changes, this will happen slowly and then suddenly,” Jain added. At press time, BTC traded at $ Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

2025-05-22 14:00

Following its launch by the Shiba Inu team back in August 2023, the Shibarium network has been subject to the highs and lows of the market. Despite coming from a team with a large community, the Ethereum Layer 2 network has struggled to stay relevant in the fierce competition among Ethereum Layer 2 networks. After the initial run fueled by the anticipation of the launch, the Shibarium network is dealing with low participation as new account numbers flatline. New Accounts On Shibarium Fall Below 100 The new account metric tracks the total number of brand new accounts that are created on the Shibarium network daily. This is different from the total daily users as it only tracks new accounts and not existing accounts. It also helps to show the adoption rate as more new accounts signing up shows adoption is rising and the number falling means the opposite. Related Reading: Did Cardano Founder Steal $619 Million? Hopkinson Makes Shocking Revelation Presently, the Shibarium network is falling behind as the total number of new accounts signing up have fallen below the 100 mark. This comes after a major spike at the beginning of May 2025 when a total of 5,111 new accounts were created on May 6th alone. Since then, the number has crashed by over 99%, dropping first to just above 200 new daily accounts, before bottoming out below 100. Data from ShibariumScan shows that in the last four days, fewer than 100 new accounts have been recorded daily. This also coincides with a sharp decline in the active accounts on the network, going from over 21,000 daily at the start of May to less than 15,000% by the middle of the month. New transaction figures have also fallen with 1.87 million recorded on Tuesday compared to the 3 million average at the start of the month. Related Reading: Bitcoin Weekly Closes Above Range High Despite Crash From $107,000, Why The Bulls Are Still In Charge Shiba Inu Follows Bearish Trend The trend of low adoption recorded on the Shibarium blockchain has also been felt in other areas such as the total addresses holding the Shiba Inu token. According to IntoTheBlock, the total addresses holding Shiba Inu have seen a decline over the last couple of days. This metric went from above 1.4 million to 1.39 million addresses. A small decline, but nonetheless pointing to an exit from the cryptocurrency by investors. At the same time, the Shiba Inu price has also struggled to stay afloat at this time. Caught in a power struggle between the bears and the bulls, Shiba Inu has seen its price constrained to a tight range of $0.000014 and $0.000017. If the sell-offs continue, then the meme coin could break below the support currently being established at $0.000014. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com

2025-05-22 12:30

Bitcoin (BTC) has hit a new all-time high (ATH) after a 4% daily breakout above the $109,000 mark. As the flagship crypto nears the next barrier, some analysts suggest that this cycle’s top isn’t in yet. Related Reading: SUI Preparing For Another Leg Up – Is $5 The Next Target? Bitcoin Hits New All-Time High On Wednesday, Bitcoin hit a new ATH of $109,800 after breaking out of the $107,000 short-term resistance, eyeing the $110,000 barrier as its next target. The cryptocurrency has significantly recovered over the last seven weeks, surging around 47% from its five-month low of $74,000 toward its current levels. Amid its May rally, BTC couldn’t break the crucial $106,000 resistance, trading between the $102,000-$105,000 range for nearly two weeks. However, its consolidation ended over the weekend as Bitcoin Weekly Closed above this barrier for the first time in history. Since reclaiming this crucial level on Monday, Analyst Ali Martinez pointed out that the flagship crypto appeared to be forming an ascending triangle pattern in the lower timeframes, which suggested a rally toward the $115,000 level once the price broke above the $107,000 mark. In the early hours of Wednesday, BTC’s bullish breakout saw it retest the $108,000 barrier, facing rejection toward the $106,000 support before bouncing and smashing this barrier and rallying toward its new ATH. Rekt Capital affirmed that the Second Price Discovery Uptrend is ahead for the cryptocurrency, as its First Price Discovery Correction is finally over. The analyst previously highlighted that Bitcoin would rally to a new ATH after Weekly Closing above its re-accumulation range and post-breakout retest. BTC Preparing For Another 20%-30% Jump? Analyst crypto Jelle suggested that BTC’s news target is around the $140,000 mark, pointing to a Power of Three (PO3) setup on Bitcoin’s chart. The pattern divides the price action into three phases: accumulation, manipulation, and distribution. In the first phase, a consolidation near the recent high occurs after a strong price performance. This is followed by a token’s price falling below the accumulation phase’s support level in the second phase, trading within a range below the recently lost zone. Lastly, the distribution phase consists of a strong price breakout, with momentum building and participants entering the market. Based on this setup, the flagship crypto started the accumulation phase during the Q4 2024 rally, entering the next phase during the March-April retraces. Amid its late April-May rally, Bitcoin has arrived at the setup’s final phase, with the analyst forecasting $140,000 as the next target after breaking above the $108,500 mark. Related Reading: Solana Rejected From Key ‘Inflection Point’, But Multi-Year Trend Suggests New Highs Similarly, Sjuul from AltCryptoGems highlighted the same Po3 pattern on BTC’s chart, affirming that investors could expect a “strong expansion” toward the $125,000-$130,000 levels after breaking out of its previous ATH levels. He previously pointed out that “BTC is clearly repeating the summer 2021 price action and trading in a perfectly bullish structure on high time frame,” which could suggest that the cycle’s top isn’t in yet. As of this writing, Bitcoin trades 1.8% below its new ATH, at $107,502. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

2025-05-22 11:00

Bitcoin continues to show upward momentum as it has now finally reclaimed a critical price mark. As of the latest data, BTC briefly traded above $109,000; however, it has since retraced, now trading at $108,959, marking a 3.5% increase over the past 24 hours. This puts the asset less than 1% away from its all-time high of $109,958 recorded in January. The rally builds on weeks of gradual price appreciation, suggesting persistent bullish sentiment among investors. However, while price action appears strong on the surface, market metrics suggest a more nuanced picture underneath. New data from CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn sheds light on a shift in trading behavior, particularly on Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume. Related Reading: Is Bitcoin Ready For New ATHs? What The Charts Say Bitcoin Futures Activity Surges as Spot-to-Futures Ratio Hits 1.5-Year High In Maartunn’s recent QuickTake post titled “Spot to Futures Ratio (Binance) Hits 1.5-Year High,” the analyst pointed out that the ratio between spot and futures volume has reached 4.9, its highest level in 18 months. On May 12, Binance recorded $30.17 billion in spot trading volume versus $115.56 billion in futures trading. This 4.9x difference indicates that speculative interest, often driven by leverage, currently far exceeds direct buying pressure seen in spot markets. The Spot to Futures Ratio provides insight into the balance between actual asset purchases and derivative-based speculation. A higher ratio means that trading is more heavily concentrated in futures markets, where traders bet on price movements without owning the underlying asset. This pattern often reflects short-term sentiment and positioning rather than long-term conviction. While elevated futures activity can amplify market moves in either direction, it may also signal caution, as traders hedge rather than accumulate. The sustained gap between spot and futures volumes indicates that speculative leverage is playing a central role in Bitcoin’s current rally. Balanced Profitability Suggests Market Stability Meanwhile, on-chain metrics presented by another CryptoQuant analyst, Crazzyblockk, further contextualize the broader market sentiment. According to his data, profitability across investor cohorts remains high: wallets holding BTC for less than one month are up 6.9% in unrealized gains, while short-term holders (less than six months) are seeing 10.7% gains. Despite these elevated profit margins, there has been no significant sign of mass profit-taking or distressed selling. The Unrealized Profit/Loss (UPL) Ratio reveals that while the majority of the network is in profit, the distribution of gains across different investor groups remains relatively balanced. Related Reading: This Bitcoin Level Could Be To Watch In The Short Term, Glassnode Says This type of evenly distributed profitability has historically been associated with reduced volatility and a lower risk of sudden corrections. Crazzyblockk noted that, in previous cycles, extreme profit concentration among one group, typically short-term holders, often preceded major selloffs. However, the current structure appears more stable, with no signs of excessive selling pressure. Although macroeconomic risks and external volatility remain factors to watch, the combination of strong price action, steady accumulation, and limited distribution suggests that the market may be preparing for a new phase, potentially leading to a breakout beyond Bitcoin’s existing all-time high. Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView

2025-05-22 09:30

The Bitcoin Network Value to Transactions (NVT) Golden Cross could indicate that the asset isn’t overheated yet, despite its price marching to a new all-time high (ATH). Bitcoin NVT Golden Cross Still Outside Of Overbought Zone In a CryptoQuant Quicktake post, an analyst has talked about the latest trend in the NVT Golden Cross for Bitcoin. The NVT Ratio is an on-chain indicator that keeps track of the ratio between the BTC market cap and transaction volume. If the utility of the network (measured in terms of the transfer volume) is considered as a reflection of its ‘true’ value, then this ratio can be used for judging whether the price is undervalued or overvalued. Related Reading: $3.8 Billion In Capital Inflows Behind Ethereum’s Post-Pectra Surge, Data Shows When the value of the indicator is high, it means the value of the network (that is, the market cap) is high compared to its ability to transact coins. Such a trend may be a sign that the asset is becoming overpriced. On the other hand, the indicator being low could imply room for growth in the cryptocurrency’s market cap, as its value is low when compared to the transaction volume. In the context of the current topic, a derivative form of the NVT Ratio is the indicator of interest. This metric, known as the NVT Golden Cross, is a signaling indicator for the NVT Ratio similar to the Bollinger Bands, telling us about whether the ratio’s value is near a top or bottom. The NVT Golden Cross compares two moving averages (MAs) of the NVT Ratio in order to determine this: the 10-day MA to gauge the short-term trend and the 30-day MA for the long-term one. Now, here is a chart that shows the trend in the Bitcoin NVT Golden Cross over the last few months: As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin NVT Golden Cross has been on the rise recently as the cryptocurrency’s price has rallied to a new ATH. At present, the indicator is sitting at a value of 1.5. In the chart, the quant has highlighted two zones for the metric that have been of significance in the past. The region beyond 2.2 (shaded in red) corresponds to the territory where tops generally occur for BTC and that under -1.6 (green) to the bottoming zone. Related Reading: Is Bitcoin Ready For New ATHs? What The Charts Say Clearly, despite the recent uptrend, the NVT Golden Cross hasn’t yet broken into the red zone, a potential sign that the cryptocurrency may still not be too overpriced. Naturally, this could allow room for the run to continue further. BTC Price Bitcoin set a new record earlier today as its price briefly went to $109,400, surpassing the previous ATH around $109,200. Featured image from Dall-E, CryptoQuant.com, chart from TradingView.com

2025-05-22 08:30

Solana started a fresh increase from the $165 zone. SOL price is now gaining pace and might aim for more gains above the $180 zone. SOL price started a fresh increase above the $170 level against the US Dollar. The price is now trading above $172 and the 100-hourly simple moving average. There is a connecting bullish trend line forming with support at $170 on the hourly chart of the SOL/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair could start a fresh increase if it clears the $180 resistance zone. Solana Price Rises Above $172 Solana price formed a base above the $165 support and started a fresh increase, like Bitcoin and Ethereum . SOL gained pace for a move above the $170 and $172 resistance levels. The bulls even pushed the price above the $175 level. A high was formed at $177.50 and the price is now consolidating gains above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $165 swing low to the $177.50 high. Solana is now trading above $172 and the 100-hourly simple moving average. There is also a connecting bullish trend line forming with support at $170 on the hourly chart of the SOL/USD pair. On the upside, the price is facing resistance near the $178 level. The next major resistance is near the $180 level. The main resistance could be $185. A successful close above the $185 resistance zone could set the pace for another steady increase. The next key resistance is $192. Any more gains might send the price toward the $200 level. Another Decline in SOL? If SOL fails to rise above the $180 resistance, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $174.50 zone. The first major support is near the $172 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $165 swing low to the $177.50 high. A break below the $172 level might send the price toward the $170 zone and the trend line. If there is a close below the $170 support, the price could decline toward the $162 support in the near term. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for SOL/USD is gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly Hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for SOL/USD is above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $172 and $170. Major Resistance Levels – $178 and $180.

2025-05-22 08:08

On May 21, Bitcoin (BTC) achieved a remarkable milestone, reaching a new all-time high (ATH) near the $110,000 mark. This surge was fueled by significant buying pressure, elevating Bitcoin’s market capitalization to over $2.1 trillion. As a result, the market’s leading cryptocurrency has now positioned itself among the most valuable assets globally, ranking fifth in market capitalization and surpassing major firms like Amazon and Google. Will Bitcoin Surpass Gold? According to the Companies Market Cap web page, Bitcoin’s price surge pushed its market capitalization to approximately $2.182 trillion. Currently, Bitcoin trails only behind tech giants Apple, NVIDIA, and Microsoft, as well as the traditional safe-haven asset, gold, which holds a staggering capitalization of over $22 trillion. Rob Nelson from The Street reported insights from Gracy Chen Chen, Bitget’s Managing Director on a roundtable discussion back in February, highlighting the transformative nature of the cryptocurrency market. Related Reading: Shiba Inu Bulls Roar To Life After Breakout—Next Price Targets With increasing institutional adoption, evolving regulations, and new real-world applications, Chen expressed optimism about Bitcoin’s future. “Bitcoin will definitely surpass gold in terms of market cap, at least for a while, maybe this year or in the upcoming few years,” she stated, suggesting that Bitcoin has the potential for another two to threefold increase in price. Historically seen as “digital gold,” Bitcoin’s role has evolved significantly. Initially perceived as an anti-risk asset, it has become more correlated with traditional financial markets, especially following the anticipated approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2024. “In the early days, Bitcoin was much considered as digital gold. Right now, it’s still digital gold in my opinion, but now it’s more like a risky asset,” Chen explained, noting its increased correlation with the US stock market. Analysts Predict Potential Surge To $150,000 Positive regulatory developments in the US have further bolstered investor sentiment, fueling expectations for price discovery phases for BTC. Antoni Trenchev, co-founder of the digital asset trading platform Nexo, commented on the current market landscape: Now that January’s high has been surpassed—and the 50 percent upside from April’s lows has been achieved—Bitcoin enters blue sky territory with tailwinds in the form of institutional momentum and a favorable US regulatory environment. Related Reading: Litecoin Eyes $117.50 As Price Rebounds From Key Support – Analyst Trenchev also emphasized that the market’s still in the fourth year of Bitcoin’s price cycle, traditionally seen as a pivotal period following a halving event—when miner rewards are cut in half. Historically, this phase has led to significant price increases. “While macro uncertainty and the threat of further volatility remain, a target of $150,000 in 2025 is still very much on the cards,” he concluded. At the time of writing, BTC is trading at $109,570, which is up by 3% and 25% on the 24-hour and 30-day time frames, respectively. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

2025-05-22 07:32

XRP price started a consolidation phase above the $2.320 zone. The price is now rising and might aim for an upside break above $2.450. XRP price started a decent increase above the $2.3650 zone. The price is now trading above $2.380 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a connecting bullish trend line forming with support at $2.3580 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken). The pair might start another increase if it clears the $2.450 resistance. XRP Price Eyes Steady Increase XRP price started a fresh downside correction in a range and traded below the $2.380 zone, unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum . There was a move below the $2.3650 and $2.350 levels. The price tested the $2.3350 zone. A low was formed at $2.33360 and the price is now moving higher. There was a move above the $2.350 and $2.3650 levels. The price cleared the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.4315 swing high to the $2.3360 high. The price is now trading above $2.38 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is also a connecting bullish trend line forming with support at $2.3580 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. On the upside, the price might face resistance near the $2.410 level. It is close to the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2.4315 swing high to the $2.3360 high. The first major resistance is near the $2.4320 level. The next resistance is $2.450. A clear move above the $2.450 resistance might send the price toward the $2.50 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $2.550 resistance or even $2.5650 in the near term. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be $2.650. Another Decline? If XRP fails to clear the $2.450 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2.3650 level. The next major support is near the $2.3580 level and the trend line If there is a downside break and a close below the $2.3580 level, the price might continue to decline toward the $2.320 support. The next major support sits near the $2.2650 zone. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $2.3580 and $2.320. Major Resistance Levels – $2.420 and $2.450.

2025-05-22 07:08

The broader cryptocurrency market has been on an upward trajectory over the past few weeks, partly driven by improving global macroeconomic conditions. Recent policy shifts between the United States and China, two of the world’s largest economies, have helped fuel investor sentiment. Both countries have agreed to temporarily reduce tariffs: the US cut rates from 145% to 30%, while China lowered its own from 125% to 10%, each over 90 days. These decisions have been interpreted by some as a step toward easing global trade tensions, supporting risk-on assets such as Bitcoin. In response to the broader bullish environment, Bitcoin has seen a steady rise, currently trading at $106,574, up 1.7% in the last 24 hours. The price earlier reached a 24-hour high of $107,844 before retreating slightly. Despite the pullback, Bitcoin remains just 2% below its all-time high of $109,000, recorded in January 2025. The consistent climb has led analysts and traders to monitor on-chain metrics more closely to gauge market behavior and possible future movements. Related Reading: Binance Bitcoin Outflows and MVRV Ratio Point to Sustained Bullish Setup, Analyst Reveals Realized Capitalization Surges as Accumulation Phase Strengthens A recent analysis from CryptoQuant contributor Carmelo Alemán has brought attention to Bitcoin’s realized capitalization, a metric that measures the total value of Bitcoin based on the price at which each coin last moved on-chain. According to Alemán, the realized cap jumped by more than $3 billion in a single day, marking a 0.33% increase in the total capital invested in Bitcoin. This significant uptick signals renewed capital inflows, and more importantly, it points to a recurring pattern of accumulation and consolidation. Alemán identified a repeating cycle beginning in April, where Bitcoin has shown sharp price increases followed by sideways movements lasting 8 to 10 days. These lateral phases, supported by rising realized cap, form a staircase-like chart structure with each step building upon the previous one. From an on-chain perspective, the steady climb in realized cap suggests buyers are entering the market at higher levels, lifting the network’s aggregate cost basis and demonstrating long-term confidence in the asset. On-Chain Trends Suggest Investors Are Positioning for Continuation Alemán also highlighted that the behavior of realized capitalization in the current market mirrors patterns seen in previous bull cycles. Historically, spikes in this metric during consolidation phases have preceded large-scale price movements. The current rise indicates that capital entering the market is doing so with a long-term view, rather than speculative short-term intent. This positions the market for a potential continuation, especially as accumulation appears to intensify around the psychological $106,000–$109,000 range. Related Reading: $3.8 Billion In Capital Inflows Behind Ethereum’s Post-Pectra Surge, Data Shows The analyst concluded that tracking realized cap in the days ahead will be essential to confirm whether the current phase evolves into another upward price impulse. If the trend persists, it could support another leg higher, reinforcing the view that Bitcoin remains in a broader accumulation structure. Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView

2025-05-22 06:30