Coin360 Weekly Dispatch | Crypto Market Updates & Highlights | August 24 - August 30, 2025

Crypto Weekly Market Update

Table of Contents

Market Movements and Trends

• Crypto Weekly Recap

Treasury and Institutional Strategies

• U.S. Commerce Department Launches On-Chain Economic Data Publishing via Chainlink and Pyth
• KindlyMD Launches $5 Billion Equity Program to Expand Bitcoin Treasury
• Trump Media Unveils $6.42B CRO Treasury Strategy with Crypto.com and Yorkville
• Institutional Solana Holdings Exceed $1.77B Amid Surge in Treasury Vehicles

Corporate and National Bitcoin Acquisitions

• Metaplanet Seeks $880 Million in Share Offering for Bitcoin Acquisitions
• 20 % Odds of Crypto Crushing by 2030, El Salvador Shields $678M BTC in 14 Wallets

ETF and Market Developments

• Bitwise, Amplify, 21Shares Spark Altcoin ETF Frenzy as Bitfinex Warns Altseason Hinges on Their Launch

Technology and Infrastructure

• Google Cloud Unveils Private Testnet for New Financial Blockchain, GCUL
• MetaMask Introduces Google and Apple Login for Simplified Crypto Wallet Access

Institutional Investments and Hedge Funds

• JPMorgan Invests $500M in AI-Driven Hedge Fund Numerai, NMR Surges

Crypto Weekly Recap

Total crypto market cap: 3.71T

Crypto Fear & Greed Index: 39 (Fear)

BTC.D: 58.23%

Bitcoin:

• Weekly performance: -5.56%
• US Spot BTC ETFs: +$440.71M
• BTC fell to $107,682 on Saturday from $115,453 at the beginning of the week.
• Jul PCE printed 0.2% m/m, 2.6% y/y; core 0.3% m/m, 2.9% y/y, reinforcing expectations for a Sep rate cut.
• Trump’s Aug 26 attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook and a court twist on Aug 29 heightened Fed independence concerns.
• A U.S. appeals court on Aug 29 ruled most Trump tariffs illegal; same day, the de-minimis exemption ended, fueling trade uncertainty.
• BTC dominance slipped to 57.56% by Aug 25, while stablecoin supply hit a record ~$283B on Aug 29, reflecting defensive flows.
• ~$530M crypto longs were liquidated on Aug 30, after positive funding mid-week signaled crowded long positioning.
• DXY fell 1.95% in August, boosting gold but failing to support BTC.
• Despite ETF inflows, risk sentiment turned defensive as investors rotated into stablecoins and reduced leverage.
• JPMorgan said current bitcoin price “too low,” seeing an upside to $126,000 by year-end.

Ethereum:

• Weekly performance: -7.48%
• US Spot ETH ETFs: +$1.08B
• ETH dropped to a weekly high of $4,955 (ATH, Aug 24) to a weekly low of $4,272 (Aug 30).
• ETH ETF inflows >2x BTC ETFs’ ~$441M and big whales moved BTC to exchanges while resuming ETH purchase, signaling rotation to ETH.
• CME ETH futures OI hit record ~$10B (Aug 28), showing institutional scaling.
• Ethereum onchain volume topped $320 billion in August, the highest since mid-2021.
• Altcoin ETF filings (LINK, XRP, SEI) reinforced ETF-led adoption narrative.
• ETH staked share ~29–30% of supply, continuing free float reduction.
• U.S. GDP Q2 revised to +3.3% (prev –0.5%), supporting risk bid.
• ETH tracked equities late week, correlation rose after PCE release.

Others:

• Strategy bought 3,081 BTC for $357M
• Tokenized alt funds jumped 47% to $1.7B in 30 days
• Blue chip NFTs dropped double digits as ETH fell from highs
• A Philippine lawmaker proposed a 10,000 BTC reserve
• Hyperliquid added safeguards after whale-driven XPL liquidations
• Aave Labs launched Horizon for institutional stablecoin loans on RWAs
• Pudgy Penguins entered mobile gaming with Pudgy Party
• Ethena’s USDe supply hit $12B on leveraged loops via Pendle and Aave
• Eliza Labs sued Elon Musk’s X for anticompetitive practices
• Musk’s lawyer chaired Dogecoin treasury raising $200M: Fortune

U.S. Commerce Department Launches On-Chain Economic Data Publishing via Chainlink and Pyth

The U.S. Commerce Department now publishes key economic data, including GDP and inflation, on public blockchains via Chainlink and Pyth Network. This initiative features six major indicators and marks the first official federal economic statistics recorded on-chain, enhancing transparency and access. Data is hosted across nine blockchains, with Chainlink as the main provider and Pyth managing GDP. Following the announcement, LINK traded at $25.1 and PYTH surged to $0.18. Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized this move as a landmark for U.S. leadership in blockchain, aligning with President Trump’s vision of integrating crypto into public policy.

KindlyMD Launches $5 Billion Equity Program to Expand Bitcoin Treasury

KindlyMD, a Nasdaq-listed healthcare firm, has launched a $5 billion at-the-market equity offering to expand its bitcoin treasury following its merger with bitcoin-focused Nakamoto Holdings. The company filed a shelf registration with the SEC, allowing flexible capital raises without repeated approvals. Proceeds will support general corporate purposes and cryptocurrency strategies. Recently, KindlyMD acquired 5,744 BTC, embracing corporate treasury practices championed by figures like Michael Saylor. This trend reflects a growing institutional interest in digital assets, with companies increasingly viewing bitcoin alongside traditional reserves, potentially impacting overall market sentiment and crypto price dynamics.

Trump Media Unveils $6.42B CRO Treasury Strategy with Crypto.com and Yorkville

Trump Media and Technology Group, in partnership with Crypto.com and Yorkville Acquisition, has announced a $6.42 billion initiative to establish a cryptocurrency treasury focused on Cronos' CRO tokens. This venture includes $1 billion in CRO tokens, $420 million in cash, and a $5 billion credit line. The entity, aiming to be the largest publicly traded CRO treasury, will operate a validator node to generate staking rewards and enhance CRO holdings. Despite scrutiny faced by Crypto.com over governance issues and the halted token burn, the strategy signals a significant shift in digital asset management within publicly traded companies.

Institutional Solana Holdings Exceed $1.77B Amid Surge in Treasury Vehicles

Institutional interest in Solana has surged, with 13 entities now holding 8.689 million SOL valued at $1.77 billion. Key holders include Sharps Technology (2.14 million SOL) and Upexi (2 million SOL). Staking has intensified, with 585,059 SOL locked, generating yields around 6.86%. Pantera Capital is preparing a $1.25 billion Solana treasury vehicle, while Galaxy Digital and others aim to raise $1 billion for another large-scale treasury. The aggregation of institutional SOL holdings signifies a shift towards strategic allocations and highlights Solana’s evolving role in the crypto market, emphasizing both investment and staking activities.

Metaplanet Seeks $880 Million in Share Offering for Bitcoin Acquisitions

Metaplanet plans to raise $880 million (130 billion yen) through an international share offering, primarily to fund bitcoin acquisitions. The company intends to invest ¥124 billion ($837 million) in bitcoin purchases from September to October 2025. Currently, Metaplanet holds 18,991 BTC, worth over $2.1 billion, making it one of Asia's largest corporate bitcoin holders. This initiative follows a larger $3.7 billion stock issuance plan extending to 2027. The growing trend of institutional bitcoin uptake showcases Metaplanet’s strategy of treating bitcoin as a long-term reserve asset among other public companies, collectively holding over 775,330 BTC.

Bitwise, Amplify, 21Shares Spark Altcoin ETF Frenzy as Bitfinex Warns Altseason Hinges on Their Launch

The race to launch altcoin-based ETFs in the U.S. is accelerating. Bitwise filed an S-1 to launch the first U.S. spot Chainlink (LINK) ETF, custodied by Coinbase, enabling in-kind creation/redemption, prompting a ~5% LINK price rebound. Amplify (AUM $12.6 billion) filed for an XRP Monthly Option Income ETF, offering synthetic exposure via options, listing on Cboe BZX, investing >= 80% in XRP-related instruments. 21Shares filed an S-1 for a SEI token ETF tracking CF Benchmarks with potential staking yields, second such filing after Canary. This came as Bitfinex analysts warn that altcoin season may be delayed until these altcoin ETFs launch and broader crypto ETF momentum returns.

20% Odds of Crypto Crushing by 2030, El Salvador Shields $678M BTC in 14 Wallets

Vitalik Buterin warns there is a 20% chance quantum computers could break modern cryptography by the end of 2030, citing forecasts like Metaculus and pointing to RSA/ECC vulnerabilities and “harvest-now, decrypt-later” attacks; meanwhile, nearly half of enterprises lack quantum readiness, even as NIST finalizes quantum-safe standards and post-quantum assets like Starknet and QRL gain funding and traction. At the same time, El Salvador redistributed its 6,274 BTC (~$678 million) across 14 new addresses, capped at 500 BTC each, with a public dashboard for transparency, aiming to limit quantum-attack fallout from exposed public keys.

Google Cloud Unveils Private Testnet for New Financial Blockchain, GCUL

Google Cloud is developing a blockchain for financial institutions, called Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL), currently in private testnet. Rich Widmann, the Web3 Head of Strategy, describes GCUL as a "performant, credibly neutral" platform enabling Python-based smart contracts. The blockchain focuses on compliance, operates as a private permissioned system, and aims for widespread accessibility via a single API. Although some community members question its decentralized nature, Google Cloud maintains that GCUL serves as a neutral infrastructure layer for various financial institutions. This initiative is notably in collaboration with the CME Group for wholesale payments and asset tokenization solutions.

MetaMask Introduces Google and Apple Login for Simplified Crypto Wallet Access

MetaMask has introduced Social Login, allowing users to access their crypto wallets using Google or Apple accounts, eliminating the need for complex recovery phrases. This innovation simplifies onboarding for beginners while maintaining user sovereignty, as wallets remain self-custodied. Access is secured through social credentials and a local password, with the Secret Recovery Phrase stored on the user’s device. This update aligns with MetaMask's strategy to encourage crypto adoption, complemented by the recent launch of MetaMask USD (mUSD) and partnerships to localize solutions. The change aims to reduce barriers and enhance user experience in the Web3 space.

JPMorgan Invests $500M in AI-Driven Hedge Fund Numerai, NMR Surges 

Numerai, an AI-driven hedge fund backed by Paul Tudor Jones, has secured a $500 million commitment from JPMorgan, potentially more than doubling its assets under management, which currently stands at approximately $450 million. In 2024, Numerai achieved over 25% net returns by leveraging crowdsourced AI trading models. Following JPMorgan's announcement, its cryptocurrency, Numeraire (NMR), surged over 38% to $11.40. This partnership underscores institutional interest in crypto-friendly managers while highlighting a growing convergence of AI and blockchain technologies across sectors, including Bitcoin mining, as firms pivot toward decentralized AI and high-performance computing demands.