- The Coin Block
- Posts
- Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos and more Week 11 2025
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos and more Week 11 2025
Keeping you updated on crypto, web3 and blockchain
In partnership with
TL;DR
Congress Pushes 1M BTC Reserve
REX Launches Bitcoin-Backed Convertible Bond ETF
Deutsche Boerse to Launch BTC and ETH Custody
Starknet to Unify Bitcoin and Ethereum
Akash Network Completes Mainnet 13 Upgrade
Injective Launches Onchain Tech Stock Index
Ripple Secures Dubai License for Crypto Payments
Russia Allows Limited Crypto Trading
and much more!
Market, Airdrop & Memecoin Update
Before we dive in, make sure to check out our recent Market, Airdrop and Memecoin updates:
Grab Your 7 Day Free Trial
You're invited to upgrade your subscription to our Premium membership with a 7 day FREE trial!
No catches. No strings attached. Just pure crypto alpha to get you ahead!
Upgrade now for:
Ad-Free Experience 🚫👀
Weekly News Summary 📰🔥
Weekly Market Summary 💸📈
Weekly Airdrop Summary 🎁💎
Weekly Memecoin Summary 💸📈
All for just $15/month after the trial.
Don't miss out! Get your FREE trial today 👇
Bitcoin Highlights of the Week
Senator Cynthia Lummis has reintroduced the BITCOIN Act, aiming to establish a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve by acquiring 1 million BTC over five years. The bill has bipartisan support, reflecting a broader effort to integrate cryptocurrency into national financial strategy.
The proposal aligns with the Trump administration’s plans, emphasizing Bitcoin’s role in economic sovereignty amid rising national debt concerns. This initiative could significantly impact Bitcoin’s market dynamics, fueling speculation about institutional adoption. While the bill’s passage remains uncertain, its reintroduction signals growing government interest in Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
StarkWare has introduced a 'Strategic Bitcoin Reserve,' reinforcing its role in bridging Bitcoin and Ethereum. The reserve will hold BTC in its treasury while integrating Bitcoin assets into Starknet’s ecosystem. Xverse, a Bitcoin wallet, is joining Starknet to enable BTC transactions, while 'BTCFi Season' will introduce Bitcoin holders to DeFi opportunities.
This initiative strengthens StarkWare’s position as a Bitcoin-standard company, expanding BTC’s role in decentralized finance. By integrating Bitcoin into Starknet, the company aims to drive broader adoption and create new financial applications leveraging both BTC and Ethereum networks.
Michael Saylor presented an $81 trillion Bitcoin strategy at the White House, advocating for BTC as a national asset. His plan proposes U.S. acquisitions of up to 25% of Bitcoin’s supply by 2035 to strengthen the dollar and reduce debt. The proposal aligns with Trump’s executive order converting $17 billion in seized BTC into a strategic reserve.
Saylor envisions Bitcoin as the foundation of a digital financial system, projecting BTC at $15 million per coin. While some expected more aggressive policies, Saylor insists this strategy could cement U.S. dominance in the digital economy.
REX Shares has introduced the Bitcoin Corporate Treasury Convertible Bond ETF (BMAX), offering investors exposure to companies using Bitcoin as a treasury asset. The ETF invests in convertible bonds from firms like MicroStrategy, MARA, and Metaplanet, enabling broader access to Bitcoin-backed corporate debt.
CEO Greg King highlights that BMAX simplifies institutional strategies pioneered by Michael Saylor. With state pension funds already holding MicroStrategy stock, the ETF provides indirect BTC exposure without self-custody risks. MicroStrategy remains a dominant BTC holder, with 499,096 BTC worth over $41.4 billion, continuing its aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy.
European lawmakers have yet to respond to Donald Trump’s executive order establishing a US Bitcoin reserve, reflecting the ECB’s long-standing opposition to BTC as a reserve asset. Instead, Europe is focused on launching the digital euro by October 2025.
ECB President Christine Lagarde assures it will coexist with cash, but concerns persist over privacy and infrastructure reliability. The EU’s centralized CBDC approach contrasts with the US embracing Bitcoin. Critics warn of potential government overreach, citing Brazil’s CBDC pilot, which revealed embedded control mechanisms that allow authorities to freeze or reduce funds in digital wallets.
Sponsor of the Week
Receive Honest News Today
Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.
Ethereum Highlights of the Week
Spain’s BBVA has received regulatory approval to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum trading under the EU’s MiCA framework. This marks the end of a multi-year effort, with BBVA initially considering Switzerland for its crypto services due to clearer regulations. In January, it launched trading in Turkey.
BBVA joins Deutsche Bank and Société Générale in integrating digital assets. With MiCA now in effect, European banks are increasingly adopting crypto, signaling growing institutional interest. This approval positions BBVA as a key player in the evolving financial landscape, bridging traditional banking with the expanding crypto economy.
Ethereum developers have introduced the Hoodi testnet to ensure a smooth rollout of the Pectra upgrade, expected on mainnet by April 25. Pectra aims to improve scalability, lower transaction fees, expand staking capacity, and enable flexible gas fee payments. This follows issues with earlier testnets, Holesky and Sepolia, which faced technical setbacks.
Hoodi serves as a final test before deployment, addressing prior challenges and refining the upgrade’s implementation. If testing proceeds without major issues, Pectra could significantly enhance Ethereum’s efficiency and usability, marking a key milestone in its ongoing development.
Deutsche Boerse’s Clearstream will launch Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) custody and settlement services for institutional clients in April 2025. The services, provided through Swiss subsidiary Crypto Finance AG, will later expand to staking, lending, and brokerage. This move aligns with Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), which took full effect in December 2024.
The expansion reflects growing institutional demand for regulated digital asset infrastructure. Meanwhile, concerns remain over MiCA’s potential overreach, with some experts warning of stricter compliance burdens for retail investors and possible regulatory-driven exits of crypto firms from Europe to more lenient jurisdictions.
A crypto whale lost $308 million after their 50x leveraged Ether (ETH) position was liquidated at $1,877. The trader had converted all Bitcoin holdings into ETH before the loss. Market volatility, fueled by global trade war concerns, contributed to the liquidation.
Ether has declined over 53% since December 2024 due to macroeconomic uncertainty and decreased developer activity on Ethereum. Analysts highlight $1,800 as a key support level. Meanwhile, US spot ETH ETFs have faced four consecutive weeks of net outflows, limiting upside potential. Broader market fears over tariffs continue to weigh on risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.
Starknet plans to settle on Bitcoin and Ethereum, aiming to make Bitcoin an execution layer with smart contract capabilities. The move could enable staking, lending, and other DeFi applications. StarkWare CEO Eli Ben Sasson highlighted OP_CAT’s role in unlocking Bitcoin programmability.
Starknet is also partnering with Web3 wallet Xverse, set for integration in Q2 2025. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin supports the initiative, emphasizing Bitcoin’s scalability challenges. The project seeks to enhance Bitcoin’s utility beyond storage, aligning with its original peer-to-peer payment vision while overcoming Lightning Network limitations for seamless asset flow between Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Cosmos Highlights of the Week
Akash Network has successfully upgraded to Mainnet 13, introducing major improvements in read performance for onchain queries. The upgrade, fulfilling AEP-61, enhances blockchain API efficiency by restructuring data storage, reducing query times, and implementing reverse indexes for faster access to bids and leases.
This optimization benefits Akash’s provider services and Console, streamlining order retrieval in a market store containing over 1.3 million records. Despite temporary fluctuations in network stats, normal operations are expected to resume soon. Akash’s roadmap continues progressing, reinforcing its position as a leading decentralized cloud platform.
Mars Protocol has received a major liquidity infusion of 175,000 ATOM, courtesy of Drop Protocol, which allocated its Cosmos Hub Hydro Round 4 winnings to strengthen the ecosystem. This boost has significantly lowered ATOM borrowing APR from 11.55% to 6.86%, enhancing accessibility for users.
Mars offers multiple DeFi opportunities, including leveraged staking, borrowing, yield farming, and perpetual trading. The added liquidity expands options for users to optimize returns while benefiting from lower borrowing costs, reinforcing Mars Protocol’s role in the Cosmos DeFi landscape.
Pell Network's $PELL token has officially launched on Bybit, MEXC, and Gate.io as of March 13 at 10 AM UTC. Shortly after, trading will also go live on xExchange, a MultiversX-based DEX. xLaunchpad participants can claim 44.45% of their allocation at TGE, with the remaining tokens unlocking over five months.
Deposits on centralized exchanges will use the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) standard due to integration delays with MultiversX. Pell Network remains committed to supporting MultiversX, ensuring future integration while facilitating smooth trading across platforms.
QuickNode has integrated with Injective, delivering enterprise-grade RPC infrastructure to the high-speed Layer 1 blockchain. Handling 200 billion+ API requests monthly with 99.99% uptime, QuickNode enhances Injective’s capabilities, including 10,000+ TPS, on-chain order books, and instant finality.
Injective supports cross-chain interoperability with Ethereum, Cosmos, and Solana, facilitating seamless DeFi, RWA, and AI-driven financial applications. With a growing ecosystem of 100+ projects and 150,000+ community members, Injective continues to solidify its role as a leading blockchain for finance.
Injective has introduced the TradFi Tech Stock Index, an onchain perpetual tracking $QQQ, which includes major NASDAQ-listed firms like Apple, Broadcom, Meta, and Netflix. This new product enables 24/7 trading with up to 25x leverage and is available on Helix, Injective’s premier DEX.
By bridging traditional finance with DeFi, Injective strengthens its position as the first blockchain built for finance, furthering its mission to bring global assets onchain.
Other Highlights of the Week
Ripple has obtained regulatory approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to offer crypto payment services in the UAE, making it the first blockchain-enabled payments provider licensed by the agency. The company has seen rising demand in the Middle East, with 20% of its global customer base in the region.
Ripple’s DFSA license adds to its over 60 regulatory approvals worldwide. The move is expected to boost stablecoin adoption, particularly for real-time settlements. XRP prices rose 4% amid reports of a nearing resolution in Ripple’s legal battle with the SEC.
Argentine lawyer Gregorio Dalbon has formally requested an Interpol Red Notice for Hayden Davis, co-creator of the LIBRA cryptocurrency, citing allegations of fraud linked to the token’s collapse. The legal action follows significant investor losses, with concerns that Davis may flee due to access to substantial funds.
Reports indicate that Argentina is actively pursuing the request, escalating the case internationally. The situation remains fluid, with further developments expected as authorities assess the claims against Davis and LIBRA’s financial downfall.
The Bank of Russia will permit select investors to trade cryptocurrencies under a three-year experimental legal framework. This initiative seeks to regulate digital assets while exploring their economic potential amid Western sanctions. The move marks a shift in Russia’s crypto policy, allowing controlled participation in digital markets.
Reports indicate that only qualified investors will have access, ensuring compliance with regulatory measures. This development could shape Russia’s stance on digital assets as it navigates financial restrictions and seeks alternative economic solutions.
Thanks for reading our newsletter!
Upgrade to get premium content below 👇