This week, Bitcoin's price surged above $95,000, driven by significant ETF inflows and institutional investments. At the same time, regulatory changes signaled a shift in the U.S. government's approach to cryptocurrency oversight.

Bitcoin ETF Flows: $2.7 Billion Week Caps Off With Strength

Bitcoin blasted through the $95,000 mark this week, notching one of its strongest rallies of the year. The move was backed by a flood of institutional demand, with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recording over $2.7 billion in inflows between April 21 and April 24. BlackRock’s IBIT alone brought in a massive $643.2 million on April 23, while consistent participation from Fidelity, Ark, and even Bitwise suggests broad-based accumulation. 

Ethereum ETF Flows: Return to Green After Weeks of Red

Ethereum ETFs, meanwhile, finally saw a shift in tone after weeks of persistent redemptions. On April 24, net flows flipped positive with a $63.5 million inflow, the first real green day in over two weeks. BlackRock’s ETHA led the move with $40 million added. Smaller inflows were also recorded across Bitwise, 21Shares, and VanEck products. While ETH has lagged BTC in both performance and sentiment, this week’s flows suggest growing confidence that Ethereum could catch up in the next leg of the cycle.

Cantor Fitzgerald Launches $3.6B Crypto Venture

Cantor Fitzgerald announced a $3.6 billion crypto venture named Twenty One Capital, in partnership with SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex. The venture aims to acquire over 42,000 BTC, positioning itself as the third-largest Bitcoin holder globally. Jack Mallers, founder of Strike, will serve as CEO. ​

U.S. Regulators Ease Crypto Banking Restrictions

In a major policy reversal, the Federal Reserve and FDIC withdrew previous guidance requiring banks to notify regulators before offering crypto-related services. The updated stance allows banks to proceed as long as they follow safety and soundness standards, signaling a friendlier regulatory environment for traditional finance entering digital assets.

Trump's $TRUMP Coin Promotion Sparks Controversy

​This week, former President Donald Trump promoted his $TRUMP meme coin by offering an exclusive gala dinner at Trump National Golf Club on May 22 for the top 220 token holders. The announcement led to a significant price surge, with the coin's value increasing by over 50% to approximately $14.70, before settling around $12.30. While supporters view this as an innovative engagement strategy within the crypto space, critics have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the ethics of monetizing access to a former president.

Want to expand the Decentralized Lending Markets on Metal X?

XPR holders are being asked to vote on a new proposal that would unlock trading and lending markets for Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and Stellar (XLM) on the Metal X DEX. If approved, users would be able to send their assets directly from Metal Pay into the DeFi ecosystem on Metal X and use the DEX and lending markets. This is a key step in expanding the multichain capabilities of the XPR Network and increasing TVL. You can read and vote on the proposal here.

Price action across our Metal Pay tracked assets reflected the renewed momentum. Hedera (HBAR) led the weekly gainers with a +20.9% move, followed by Dogecoin (DOGE) up 16.6%, and Solana (SOL) rising 15.0%. Ethereum gained 13.9% on the week, its strongest performance since early March, and Litecoin (LTC) wasn’t far behind at 13.7%. With major Layer 1s, memecoins, and blue-chip tokens all pushing upward, the market appears to be entering a renewed bullish phase driven by both institutional and retail flows.

These assets and more, available on Metal Pay.