The crypto space delivered major milestones this week, marked by historic price action, big corporate expansions, and strong institutional flows.
From political developments fueling Bitcoin optimism to banks deepening retail access, these are the key stories in crypto this week.
Bitcoin sets new all-time high above $118,000
Bitcoin surged past $118,000 today, setting a new all-time high and cementing its dominance as the top digital asset, pushing its market cap to $2.31 trillion.
The move came amid a broader risk-on shift in global markets and strong spot buying momentum, pushing total crypto market capitalization back to $3.47 trillion.
Analysts at Bitfinex told Cointelegraph that the combination of on-chain accumulation and shrinking exchange reserves is driving this breakout.
Meanwhile, Sygnum Bank research head Katalin Tischhauser said Bitcoin’s role as a hedge against fiat debasement and inflation is gaining traction with large investors.
With reserves dropping below 3 million BTC, a potential supply crunch may accelerate upward momentum even further in the coming weeks.
Ethereum reclaims $3,000 as BlackRock’s ETF posts record inflows
Ethereum surged above $3,000 for the first time since February, lifted by robust institutional buying through BlackRock’s spot Ethereum ETF, which set a daily inflow record of $300 million.
According to The Block data, inflows surpassed $620 million over five days, underlining renewed institutional confidence despite ETH still trading 38% below its all-time high.
NovaDius Wealth Management president Nate Geraci shared the record on X, receiving a response from Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, who shared an earlier analysis predicting the future outcome.
Called it https://t.co/JWoPIuK5mQ
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) July 11, 2025
The move signals a possible shift back to risk-on sentiment in altcoins, while staking upgrades and Layer 2 innovations continue to strengthen ETH’s appeal among both retail and institutional players.
Crypto venture funding hits $10 billion, highest since 2022
Venture capital investment in the crypto sector hit $10 billion in Q2 2025, the highest since early 2022.
June alone saw $5.14 billion deployed, highlighting a surge in confidence after months of caution.
Coinbase Ventures, the investment arm of leading crypto exchange Coinbase, led with 25 deals and remained aggressive even amid market swings.
Galaxy Digital, a crypto financial services firm, secured $175 million for its first external fund focused on DeFi and tokenization.
Analysts say Ethereum’s stability and network upgrades have been a magnet for this capital, further fueling growth in decentralized finance and blockchain infrastructure.
BBVA expands retail crypto trading in Spain
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Spain’s second-largest bank, rolled out Bitcoin and Ether trading for retail clients this week via its mobile app, making crypto more accessible to mainstream investors.
The move builds on BBVA’s earlier efforts in Switzerland and Turkey and reflects a broader shift among major banks embracing digital assets.
Executives cited the clarity offered by Europe’s MiCA regulation as a key enabler, ensuring secure and compliant access.
The launch signals BBVA’s commitment to capturing growing demand for crypto among traditional banking clients, reinforcing its role as an innovation leader within European finance and setting an example for other large financial institutions.
Robinhood adds ETH and SOL staking for U.S. users
Robinhood, a major U.S. trading platform known for simplifying retail investing, introduced Ethereum and Solana staking services for American users with a $1 minimum requirement.
The launch aims to make blockchain participation more accessible, though it will exclude certain states due to regulatory restrictions.
Robinhood also announced plans to implement a 25% commission when getting rewards on staking coins, starting in October.
The rollout comes after Robinhood’s aggressive expansion, including acquisitions of crypto exchanges Bitstamp and WonderFi, signaling its intention to establish a strong presence in global crypto and DeFi ecosystems.
Ark Invest trims Coinbase stake amid crypto rally
Ark Invest, led by Cathie Wood, sold $6.5 million in Coinbase shares and $5.8 million in Robinhood shares as both stocks surged alongside Bitcoin’s record highs.
Filings show that the Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) sold 16,627 shares of Coinbase and 58,504 shares of Robinhood, along with approximately $1.7 million worth of Block Inc. stock.
Coinbase closed the week at $388.96, up 4%, while Robinhood finished at $98.70, gaining 4.4%.
In parallel, Coinbase revealed a new data partnership with AI startup Perplexity AI to expand its product ecosystem and strengthen its tech footprint.
Robinhood, meanwhile, is advancing talks with European regulators to launch blockchain-based stock tokens.
Musk unveils new America Party as Trump signs “Big Beautiful Bill”
Before reaching the recent all-time high, Bitcoin’s rally gained extra fuel from political headlines as Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the formation of his new America Party, which will promote Bitcoin adoption.
Fiat is hopeless, so yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” raising the U.S. debt ceiling by $5 trillion and making his 2017 tax cuts permanent, stoking inflation concerns.
Analysts say these moves have reinforced Bitcoin’s narrative as a hedge against fiscal instability and government overreach.
Bitwise Head of Research Ryan Rasmussen maintained his bold $200,000 price target for Bitcoin in 2025, citing strong institutional inflows and growing corporate treasury allocations as key drivers behind this optimism.
