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- Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos and more Week 6 2025
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmos and more Week 6 2025
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TL;DR
Trump Media Launches Bitcoin ETF Under Truth.Fi
MicroStrategy Halts Bitcoin Purchases
Monochrome Brings BTC & ETH ETFs to Singapore
Franklin Templeton Plans BTC & ETH ETF Expansion
Berachain Mainnet Launches With Proof of Liquidity
Zerebro Becomes First AI Validator on Story Mainnet
SEC Reduces Crypto Enforcement, Reassigns Lawyers
FTX Bahamas Creditors to Receive Repayments Feb. 18
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 Media and Technology Group (TMTG) is entering the ETF market with Truth.Fi, launching products like the Truth.Fi Bitcoin Plus ETF, alongside funds focused on U.S. manufacturing and energy. Custodied by Charles Schwab and advised by Yorkville Advisors, the Bitcoin ETF faces stiff competition but highlights Trump’s growing crypto ambitions.
While this move could boost mainstream crypto adoption, it also raises concerns over potential conflicts of interest and brand dilution. As Trump balances regulatory influence and business expansion, the initiative underscores his strategic positioning in both politics and the financial sector.
MicroStrategy has temporarily paused its Bitcoin purchases after accumulating 471,107 BTC worth $30.4 billion at an average price of $64,511 per coin. The halt follows three months of aggressive buying, during which the company acquired over $20 billion in BTC. Despite this, MicroStrategy’s stock rose 0.89%, signaling investor confidence.
The pause raises speculation about a strategic shift, potential market concerns, or adjustments in treasury management. As the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, MicroStrategy’s next moves will be closely watched, especially amid increasing institutional interest and evolving market dynamics.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, fueling speculation that it could lead to government Bitcoin purchases. While the EO directs Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick to monetize U.S. assets, Bitcoin wasn’t explicitly mentioned.
Senator Cynthia Lummis hinted at BTC involvement, and industry advocates suggest pro-crypto officials could push for it. Trump’s previous crypto-friendly promises add to speculation, though legal challenges could arise. Bitcoin’s price briefly dipped below $100K amid tariff concerns but rebounded past $101K after news of the EO spread.
Maryland and Kentucky have introduced bills to explore Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset, joining a growing trend among U.S. states. Maryland’s "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act," proposed by Delegate Caylin Young, allows the state to invest in Bitcoin using funds from gambling violation enforcement.
In Kentucky, House Bill 376, introduced by Representative T.J. Roberts, seeks digital asset investments, limiting purchases to assets with a market cap of at least $750 billion—effectively favoring Bitcoin. These moves reflect increasing bipartisan interest in state-level Bitcoin adoption, following President Trump’s campaign promise to establish a national Bitcoin stockpile.
Binance CEO Richard Teng highlighted the growing role of institutional investors and regulatory clarity in driving Bitcoin adoption. The U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF market amassed $44.2 billion in its first year, with January 2025 alone seeing $5 billion in inflows. Despite retail investors comprising 80% of ETF demand, institutional interest is rising, with investment advisers and hedge funds leading.
Teng emphasized that institutional participation is making crypto integral to the financial system. Meanwhile, Trump Media filed trademarks for ETFs linked to Bitcoin and energy independence, signaling further mainstream financial integration of digital assets.
Ethereum Highlights of the Week
Franklin Templeton has filed an amended S-1 for its Franklin Crypto Index ETF, aiming to track Bitcoin (86.31%) and Ethereum (13.69%), with potential additions pending SEC approval. If greenlit, it will list on Cboe BZX, marking a shift toward diversified crypto ETFs. Experts see multi-asset ETFs as inevitable, boosting liquidity and institutional adoption.
The SEC recently fast-tracked approvals for similar funds, including Bitwise’s Bitcoin-Ethereum ETF. With pro-crypto Paul Atkins set to lead the SEC, analysts predict smoother approvals, signaling a more favorable regulatory environment for digital asset investment products.
Australian firm Monochrome Group has registered its Bitcoin (IBTC) and Ethereum (IETH) ETFs with Singapore’s Monetary Authority, allowing institutional investors access through a regulated framework. Partnering with Anadara Capital and BitGo Trust, the firm enhances security and institutional services.
CEO Jeff Yew emphasizes infrastructure over speculation, aligning with Asia’s growing role in crypto regulation. This expansion follows Monochrome’s launch of Australia’s first spot Ethereum ETF. Amid market turbulence, institutions increasingly view regulated crypto ETFs as portfolio hedges. The firm plans further regional expansion in 2025, reinforcing compliance and access to digital assets in Southeast Asia.
The SEC has postponed its decision on permitting options trading for BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) until April 2025. Nasdaq ISE filed the request in July, aiming to expand derivatives offerings for ETH ETFs, which have amassed $9 billion since launching in July 2024.
The move follows Bitcoin ETF options' success, which saw $2 billion in trades on day one. Institutional adoption is expected to grow with further regulatory approvals. President Trump’s pro-crypto stance has raised industry hopes for faster approvals, potentially accelerating the integration of digital assets into mainstream financial markets.
Ethereum developers have scheduled the Pectra upgrade for testing on Holesky (Feb. 24) and Sepolia (March 5). Key improvements include EIP-7702, enhancing wallet user experience with account abstraction, and EIP-7251, raising the validator staking limit from 32 to 2,048 ETH to boost network efficiency.
Following successful testnet trials, developers will meet on March 6 to finalize a mainnet launch, expected in early April. The upgrade aims to improve scalability and validator operations while addressing concerns from stakeholders like Paradigm, who have urged Ethereum developers to release updates more frequently.
Ethereum plunged 18% as President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China triggered market-wide liquidations. While reported liquidations totaled $2.3 billion, Bybit’s CEO estimated the real figure near $8 billion. ETH’s implied volatility surged past 180%, its sharpest drop since May 2021.
Bearish sentiment, concerns over Ethereum’s leadership, and ETH/BTC weakness fueled the downturn. Broader markets also suffered, with Dow futures falling 650 points. Though ETH rebounded to $2,850, it remains 10% down for the week, with uncertainty over macroeconomic conditions and Ethereum’s ecosystem weighing on future price recovery.
Cosmos Highlights of the Week
AI agent Zerebro has been announced as the first AI validator on Story Protocol’s Mainnet, marking a significant step toward integrating AI into crypto networks. Story Protocol, designed for programmable intellectual property (IP), aims to make IP dynamic and machine-readable, allowing seamless interaction with AI models and global markets.
Zerebro previously made history as an AI Ethereum validator and now plays a crucial role in securing and advancing Story’s vision of an agentic economy, where AI agents actively shape decentralized networks.
The Numia x Osmosis API is now live, enhancing onchain data accessibility for Osmosis DEX and the Cosmos ecosystem. This API allows developers to fetch real-time & historical prices, analyze asset volumes, track wallet balances, and dive into liquidity data.
Already trusted by CoinGecko, TradingView, and DeFiLlama, it empowers builders to create portfolio trackers, CL vault managers, and custom analytics tools. By opening its APIs, Numia is accelerating innovation across Cosmos DeFi, making onchain data more accessible, actionable, and developer-friendly.
Berachain, an EVM-equivalent Layer 1 blockchain, officially launches its mainnet on February 6, introducing its Proof of Liquidity (PoL) consensus model and tri-token economy. Originating from the Bong Bears NFT community, Berachain rewards liquidity providers with governance rights through its BGT token, which can be burned to mint BERA for gas fees.
The ecosystem also includes HONEY, a USDC-pegged stablecoin. With $142M in funding, including $42M from Polychain, Berachain’s launch serves as a key test for next-gen EVM chains like HyperEVM and Monad, competing with rising alternative VMs such as Solana and Sui.
Babylonchain has integrated with Union, a ZK-powered cross-chain settlement layer that verifies consensus without external validators. This integration, now live on Union Testnet 9, enables Babylonchain assets and liquid staking tokens (LSTs) to move across Union-connected chains, including EVM, Cosmos, and MoveVM ecosystems.
Union’s zero-knowledge verification ensures trustless and efficient cross-chain transactions. Babylonchain achievements will soon be visible on the Union Dashboard, with public testing opening soon. This development enhances interoperability, making Babylonchain more accessible across multiple blockchain networks while leveraging Union’s advanced settlement capabilities.
Phase One of Drop’s Droplets Program ends on February 12, securing 10% of the total DROP supply for participants. Phase Two begins the same day, offering an additional 5% airdrop, exclusive perks, and new earning mechanics. With 3.5M ATOM and 500K+ TIA staked, Drop dominates DeFi liquidity across Interchain LSTs.
Two new dAssets will enhance liquidity, while Drop Badges reward early contributors. The token generation event (TGE) will follow Phase Two, ensuring a strong market foundation. Drop continues to expand staking opportunities and introduce innovative mechanics for long-term growth.
Other Highlights of the Week
FTX Digital Markets will begin repaying Bahamas-based creditors with claims under $50,000, known as Convenience Class creditors, by Feb. 18. These creditors will receive a 9% per annum interest rate based on their claim value from Nov. 11, 2022. PwC, the liquidator, confirmed that non-Convenience Class creditors will see reimbursements in Q2 2025.
Last year, FTX estimated creditors with claims below $50,000 would recover approximately 118%. BitGo will handle repayments, distributing funds as USD fiat to eligible individual and institutional creditors. This marks a crucial step in FTX's restructuring and creditor repayment efforts.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a longtime crypto skeptic, has voiced concerns over banks unfairly cutting off crypto firms. Speaking with Anchorage Digital CEO Nathan McCauley, Warren stated, “I don't think for a second that you should be locked out of your bank account.”
Republican Senator Tim Scott echoed similar concerns, calling the issue “alarming and disheartening.” The remarks came during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on the real impacts of debanking in America. Warren’s stance signals a potential shift among Democrats toward clearer banking access for crypto firms, making debanking a key regulatory issue in the industry.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is scaling back its aggressive crypto enforcement efforts, reassigning over 50 lawyers from its crypto unit. This move aligns with political shifts, particularly Trump's push for reduced government interference and a more crypto-friendly environment.
While the SEC insists this is a routine reallocation, some affected staff view it as a demotion. The decision signals a potential shift toward clearer regulations and reduced litigation, which could boost institutional confidence and mainstream adoption of digital assets in the U.S.
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