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- Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos and more Week 5 2025
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos and more Week 5 2025
Keeping you updated on crypto, web3 and blockchain
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TL;DR
Trump's Order Could Push Bitcoin to $200K
Czech Bank Proposes €7B Bitcoin Reserve
Venice Launches VVV Token on Ethereum
Ethereum Community Backs Danny Ryan for EF Leadership
Injective Unveils Native EVM for AI-Enabled Finance
Injective Leads in Liquidity Growth Among Top Chains
DeepSeek Triggers Sell-Off in Crypto and Tech Markets
Binance Faces French Money Laundering Probe
and much more!
Market, Airdrop & Memecoin Update
Before we dive in, make sure to check out our recent Market, Airdrop and Memecoin updates:
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Bitcoin Highlights of the Week
Trump’s January 23 crypto executive order may alter Bitcoin’s four-year boom and bust cycle, according to Bitwise’s Matt Hougan. The order, combined with changes at the SEC, allows Wall Street to move aggressively into crypto.
While Hougan believes the industry will not fully escape the four-year cycle, future pullbacks are expected to be shorter and less severe. He also noted that a more diverse range of investors has matured the market. Despite these changes, Hougan maintains a $200,000 Bitcoin price prediction by 2025, with or without a strategic Bitcoin reserve.
The Czech National Bank, led by Governor Aleš Michl, is proposing to invest up to 5% of its €146 billion reserves—approximately €7.3 billion—into Bitcoin, potentially making the Czech Republic one of the first major economies to hold cryptocurrency in its reserves.
This bold move contrasts with the European Central Bank’s stance, as ECB President Christine Lagarde has ruled out Bitcoin inclusion in EU reserves, citing concerns over liquidity, security, and criminal risks. The proposal highlights a growing divide in how nations view Bitcoin’s role in financial strategies, sparking debate over its legitimacy in mainstream finance.
Bitcoin surged to $105K following the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates at 4.25%-4.50%, despite President Trump’s push for cuts to stimulate growth. The Fed cited progress on inflation and labor market stability as reasons for its cautious stance. Bitcoin initially experienced volatility but rallied post-announcement, reflecting its sensitivity to monetary policy.
The Fed’s resistance to political pressure highlights its focus on measured economic strategies. For crypto investors, this underscores the critical role of central bank decisions in shaping market dynamics, as Bitcoin continues to react to broader financial policy shifts.
Nuvve Holdings Corp., a green energy company specializing in EV charging, announced plans to allocate up to 30% of its excess cash—approximately $325,425—into Bitcoin and accept it as payment for services. This move aligns with a growing trend of companies like MicroStrategy and Tesla adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets.
Nuvve’s CEO, Gregory Poilasne, highlighted Bitcoin’s potential to reduce transactional friction and expand payment options. While the initial investment is modest, the announcement boosted Nuvve’s stock by 1.42%. The company aims to balance operational needs with Bitcoin’s benefits, reflecting cautious optimism toward the volatile yet increasingly mainstream digital asset.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is pushing for XRP’s inclusion in a proposed U.S. digital asset reserve, alongside Bitcoin, emphasizing diversification and regulatory clarity. Speaking at the CfC St. Moritz conference, he highlighted the need for a “multichain” approach.
However, Bitcoin maximalists oppose the move, citing XRP’s centralized nature as contrary to Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos. President Trump’s recent executive order calls for a “national digital asset stockpile,” potentially opening the door for multiple cryptocurrencies. Garlinghouse’s efforts, combined with XRP’s recent price surge, underscore the ongoing debate over which digital assets will shape U.S. crypto policy.
Ethereum Highlights of the Week
Venice, a privacy-focused AI platform founded by Erik Voorhees, has launched its VVV token on Ethereum’s Layer 2 Base network. The token, designed to combine blockchain and AI, enables decentralized, uncensored AI inference via Venice’s API.
Of the 100 million VVV tokens created, 50% were airdropped to Venice users and AI community projects, while 35% were allocated to Venice’s team and operations. The token offers no governance rights but allows stakers to access Venice’s API capacity indefinitely. Venice, which has grown to 450,000 users since its May launch, aims to provide private, open-source AI tools, challenging centralized AI platforms.
Ethereum community members have shown strong support for Danny Ryan to lead the Ethereum Foundation (EF) through an informal on-chain vote. Over 300 wallets holding more than 50,000 ETH participated in the vote on votedannyryan.com, reflecting a desire for leadership changes amid concerns over Ethereum’s progress and performance.
While the EF has not commented on the vote, Vitalik Buterin recently emphasized his sole authority to appoint leadership. The vote highlights the growing use of on-chain signals to gauge community sentiment and could pressure the EF to address calls for leadership reforms.
SSV Network has announced its SSV 2.0 upgrade, enabling "based apps" (bApps) to connect directly to Ethereum’s layer-1 chain. This infrastructure leverages Ethereum validators for security, supporting use cases like layer-2 networks, data oracles, and fraud proofs.
The upgrade introduces a new coordination layer for cross-chain compatibility with blockchains like Solana and Avalanche, alongside updated tokenomics with staking rewards and burning mechanisms. SSV Labs CEO Alon Muroch called it a "transformative leap" for Ethereum security. The move aims to address fragmentation in Ethereum’s ecosystem, with Coinbase’s Base network head Jesse Pollak endorsing the approach for enhanced connectivity and security.
Crypto VC firm Paradigm has called for Ethereum to accelerate its protocol updates to deliver on its "ambitious roadmap" without compromising its core values of decentralization and neutrality. In a Jan. 25 blog post, Paradigm argued that Ethereum’s current pace of one major change per year is insufficient and urged more frequent, parallel development efforts.
The firm highlighted the need for native rollups for layer-2 security, improved wallet infrastructure, and scaling solutions without raising the block gas limit. The Ethereum Foundation recently pledged $160 million in ETH to support DeFi and announced organizational changes to boost developer support and transparency.
Ethereum layer-2 leaders, including Base’s Jesse Pollak and Optimism’s Ben Jones, are rallying behind "based" and "native" rollups to enhance Ethereum’s security and reduce fragmentation. Based rollups, proposed by Ethereum developer Justin Drake, decentralize transaction sequencing by leveraging Ethereum validators, while native rollups improve base-layer execution.
Despite sacrificing significant revenue from centralized sequencers—Arbitrum and Base have earned 210million and 96.2 million, respectively—the shift aims to strengthen Ethereum’s base layer and potentially boost ETH’s value. Taiko CEO Daniel Wang also supports the FABRIC standard, which facilitates based rollups, to address Ethereum’s interoperability challenges.
Cosmos Highlights of the Week
Injective has introduced its native EVM layer, seamlessly integrating it into the chain’s core as part of its Multi-VM initiative. This upgrade enables AI-powered agents to optimize DAO treasuries and rebalance portfolios in real time. Developers gain access to a MEV-resistant CLOB, shared liquidity, and an RWA module for asset tokenization.
Injective also streamlines cross-chain interactions with Single Token Representation, eliminating inefficiencies. Positioned for institutional onboarding and next-gen applications, Injective's EVM is now live on beta testnet, setting a new standard for Web3 development and DeFAI-driven finance.
Story Protocol is rewarding Odyssey Badge holders with a special commemorative NFT celebrating community contributions during the Odyssey Testnet. Featuring over 100 pieces of community-created IP, the NFT recognizes members' involvement and creativity. Badge holders can sign up by connecting their wallets before the February 3rd deadline, with no gas fees required.
The NFTs will be distributed after the sign-up period ends. Story Protocol emphasizes its commitment to genuine community engagement, rejecting airdrop farmers and automated activity. This limited-time offering marks a milestone in the project’s journey while hinting at future engagement opportunities for active participants.
Injective is emerging as a top blockchain for liquidity net flow, outperforming major chains like Aptos, Avalanche, and Sui in liquidity attraction relative to market value. The Net-Flow/Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV) ratio highlights Injective’s strong liquidity growth and network adoption.
A higher ratio indicates a thriving ecosystem, while a lower one suggests stagnation. Despite a lower FDV than competitors, Injective maintains a superior liquidity ratio, signaling increasing momentum. With consistent liquidity gains, the blockchain is positioning itself for accelerated adoption, reinforcing its growing influence in the Layer 1 sector.
Pell Network has raised $3.5 million in a strategic funding round to advance its omnichain BTC restaking network and AI-driven DeFi infrastructure (DeFAI). Backed by investors like D11 Labs, Web3Port Labs, and ArkStream, Pell aims to enhance Bitcoin’s utility in cryptoeconomic security.
By integrating restaking, cross-chain technology, and AI-driven services, the network is building a seamless, interoperable DeFi ecosystem. This funding will accelerate development, positioning Pell as a key player in Bitcoin’s evolving financial landscape. The project continues to push innovation in BTCFi, reinforcing its role in decentralized finance expansion.
WhiteWhale has updated its DEX bonding contracts to introduce a configurable "take-rate," which applies to DEX buybacks. The initial take-rate is set at 10%, with the funds directed to a wallet controlled by the Migaloo Foundation. The bought-back $WHALE tokens can be used to support both WhiteWhale and Migaloo, including options for burning, creating incentives, and other strategic uses.
This feature gives flexibility in managing the liquidity and token supply, further enhancing the sustainability of the ecosystem. The move strengthens the connection between WhiteWhale and Migaloo in their ongoing development.
Other Highlights of the Week
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has sparked a massive sell-off in both crypto and tech markets. The open-source AI, which outperforms OpenAI’s ChatGPT while being more cost-effective, triggered a decline in Bitcoin, briefly dipping below $100K, as whales liquidated positions.
GPU-heavy tokens fell up to 40%, and major tech equities, including Nvidia, saw a 10% drop. This sell-off is compounded by broader market uncertainties, including tariff threats and the FOMC meeting. Despite concerns, DeepSeek may serve as a catalyst for decentralized AI, offering a powerful open-source model for the crypto space.
Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of Truth Social, has ventured into the financial services sector with the launch of Truth.Fi, a crypto-focused fintech platform.
The company plans to invest up to $250 million through Charles Schwab into ETFs, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, offering "America First" investment options as an alternative to traditional financial institutions. While the move highlights Trump's expanding business interests, its success will hinge on execution, regulatory challenges, and establishing a distinct presence in the competitive fintech and crypto markets.
French authorities have launched an investigation into Binance, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, over alleged money laundering involving illicit funds linked to drug trafficking and other illegal activities.
Despite Binance’s statement denying the charges and asserting that they relate to old allegations, the exchange's past settlement with U.S. regulators and CEO CZ's prior prison sentence raise concerns about its ability to navigate ongoing global regulatory scrutiny. Binance has vowed to vigorously defend itself against the allegations.
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