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Bitcoin Warms up to Climate Goals and Ethereum’s Next Milestone: What Happened in Crypto This Week?
• European Economy Booms while Regulators Consider Adopting Crypto
• Bitcoin’s Growing Fundamentals and Institutionalization
• Ethereum’s Next Leap Forward: A Glimpse at the Upcoming Upgrade
European Economy Booms while Regulators Consider Adopting Crypto
Europe’s economy has exceeded expectations, with Germany’s gross domestic product (GDP) for Q1 2024 increasing by 0.2%, compared to the previous quarter’s reading of -0.5%. Additionally, France, Italy, and Spain are also seeing progress, picking up the bloc’s GDP from -0.1% to 0.3%. This is a good sign that Europe is on the right track away from a recession. Matching the positive outlook, regulators appear receptive to including new alternative assets within the EU’s most established regulatory framework.
Namely, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is considering cryptoassets, among other asset classes like commodities and precious metals, in its Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS). Similar to mutual funds in the U.S., UCITS funds can be registered and sold in any country in the EU using unified regulatory and investor protection requirements. These funds are considered safe, well-regulated investments, hence their €12T market valuation and popularity among pension funds and risk-averse investors.
On May 7, ESMA invited investors and trade associations, among others, for a consultation to assess possible benefits and risks of UCITS gaining exposure to the selected 19 asset classes, having until August 7 to gather input. This is important since UCITS accounts for 75% of all collective retail investments in the EU. Thus, if the conclusions of this consultation are in favor of adopting crypto, it would attract an influx of investors and bring more regulated accessibility to this asset class. Moreover, although still under consultation, ESMA’s deliberation adds more credibility to crypto, considering the regulator’s renowned strict regulatory standards.
Further, the EU’s inflation is inching towards the 2% target, overshooting by only 0.4% in the past month, a level the U.S. is yet to achieve, with March’s inflation hitting 3.5%. Later today, a strong gauge for inflation is coming out, the Producer Price Index (PPI), measuring the change in the price of finished goods and services sold by producers. With the last consumer price index (CPI) disappointing, all eyes are on the CPI print coming out this Wednesday, along with data on retail sales. Although optimism seems to have checked out, a cooled inflation rate would recover investors’ appetite for risk-on assets like crypto, instigating more flows into Bitcoin spot ETFs, which have been especially quiet over the past week, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: US Spot Bitcoin ETFs Flows
Source: Glassnode
Nevertheless, Bitcoin’s narrative has been growing beyond its primary use case as a store of value, with companies and governments alike leveraging Bitcoin mining to reduce their negative impact on the environment, ironically something Bitcoin is often scrutinized for.
Bitcoin’s Growing Fundamentals and Institutionalization
On May 7, Genesis Digital Assets and Argentina’s state-owned YPF Luz, the country’s largest producer of oil and gas with a ∼40% share in 2021, announced their opening of a Bitcoin mining facility. The data center takes ‘stranded gas,’ a byproduct of oil and gas production that would otherwise be flared and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, to power the mining operation with the potential to reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 25-63%. Notably, 50 major oil and gas companies, representing over 40% of global petroleum production, signed the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), thereby committing to end gas flaring by 2030. The Argentinian project serves as a prime example of how companies can achieve the goals outlined in the OGDC, an approach likely to be replicated by others potentially using Bitcoin.
Aside from the obvious environmental benefits, projects like these actually strengthen Bitcoin’s network! More miners joining the fray means greater computing power, reflected by the growing hash rate in Figure 2. This results in a more secure network, as 51% attacks become more costly to execute successfully. The development comes at a crucial point in time, calming fears over miners exiting the network to cover costs, a dynamic often witnessed post-halving and one we explored in our Bitcoin Halving Report.
Figure 2 – Bitcoin Growing Hash Rate
Source: 21co on Dune
On a more familiar note, institutions continue to gobble up Bitcoin as an investment opportunity. The recent 13F filings mentioned last week revealed a growing appetite for Bitcoin as investment managers continue to disclose their U.S. equity holdings to the SEC. Quantitative trading firm Susquehanna holds over $1B in Bitcoin ETFs, with Boston-based hedge fund Bracebridge disclosing their $380M position too. Furthermore, in Japan, a weakened yen and government debt reaching 250% of GDP confirms sustained economic pressure, which has led early-stage investment firm Metaplanet to adopt Bitcoin as a strategic reserve. They have acquired over $7M since April, another testament to Bitcoin’s value proposition as a safe haven. The continuous adoption of Bitcoin is no surprise, given the accessibility of Bitcoin ETFs to traditional institutions through a regulated and familiar investment vehicle.
The positive Bitcoin sentiment is amplified by continuous innovation on the network itself. Bitcoin’s prime scaling solution, the Lightning Network, has taken a significant leap forward. By leveraging the Taproot Asset Upgrade, the Lightning Network successfully tested a protocol for issuing stablecoins directly on Bitcoin. This underscores the trend of Bitcoin’s growing use cases following the launch of Runes, which unlocked the ability to launch fungible tokens on Bitcoin. The recent surge in on-chain activity is reminiscent of the ERC-20 explosion in Ethereum’s early days, and stablecoins would truly unlock Bitcoin’s DeFi potential. They facilitate a wide range of transactions, shown below by Ethereum stablecoins amassing $3.8T in 2024 processed volume so far.
Figure 3 – Ethereum Stablecoin Volume
Source: 21co on Dune
While still in the early stages, this development would also significantly boost miner revenue, offering them a much-needed additional income stream through transaction fees, following the halving of block rewards last month. The potential of stablecoins on Bitcoin will be monitored going forward, as they have clear implications for the network’s potential on-chain footprint.
Ethereum’s Next Leap Forward: A Glimpse at the Upcoming Upgrade
More information is finally starting to come out regarding Ethereum’s next major upgrade, slated for late this year or early next year. Known as Pectra, the upgrade promises to introduce a range of enhancements aimed at bolstering the network’s stability and refining user experience. For example, the upgrade will raise the maximum stake per validator from 32 to 2,048 ETH, streamlining the management process for large validators who spread their stake across multiple wallets. Moreover, Pectra will tackle the problem of empty accounts, those with zero assets or funds, by removing them from the network. This action reduces the network’s state size, which effectively leads to lighter transaction processing.
Although the upgrade will incorporate various Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), one in particular stands out. Referred to as EIP 7702, Vitalik Buterin’s new proposal aims to expand upon the advancements made in Account Abstraction (AA) on Ethereum by refining certain concepts introduced in an earlier proposal, EIP 3074. As a quick recap, AA transforms users’ wallets, externally owned accounts (EOAs), into more sophisticated accounts resembling smart contracts, enhancing security, flexibility, and simplified user management. That said, EIP 7702 addresses some of EIP 3074 criticisms by steering clear of dependencies on EOA-specific functionalities. It aims to establish a versatile system capable of meeting the evolving needs of the Ethereum ecosystem while helping to reduce technical debt for the network
However, EIP 7702 proposes several other enhancements, including batched transactions, which could enhance transaction efficiency and even reduce fees by consolidating multiple user actions. Another exciting feature is the introduction of s sponsored transactions, which allow third-party applications to cover transaction fees for consumers, an ideal solution for onboarding new users. Finally, the upgrade could make users’ accounts resistant to threats from quantum computing. That said, with the proposal’s introduction of a new transaction type enabling EOAs to temporarily transition into smart accounts, concerns arise regarding the heightened risk of malicious actors’ ability to swiftly drain user wallets. Nevertheless, Vitalik’s proposal is intriguing as it charts a more pragmatic course toward realizing the AA vision. This is pivotal because it echoes our thesis at 21Shares that crypto won’t onboard millions of more users without providing them with an intuitive interface resembling the user-friendly experience they are familiar with across Web2.
Now, while Ethereum’s long-term prospects remain promising, its status as a deflationary network has come under threat in recent weeks, as seen below in Figure 3. This decline is primarily attributed to decreasing on-chain activity, which peaked at the end of March. Furthermore, the DenCun upgrade, implemented in March, significantly reduced the costs L2s incurred for storing their data on Ethereum by 90%.
Figure 4 – Ethereum’s Inflation
Source: 21co on Dune
It is worth noting that while it is currently more cost-effective for L2s to operate on Ethereum, these reduced costs will eventually onboard a larger user base. This will make it more feasible for applications, especially those requiring a high volume of interactions, to operate within the Ethereum ecosystem, which was previously economically unviable. A pivotal piece of evidence supporting this perspective is Arbitrum’s recent milestone, onboarding approximately 600K daily active users, as depicted in Figure 4. This likely influenced Securitize’s decision to propose deploying Blackrock’s BUIDL on Arbitrum, considering its position as the pioneering L2 platform with such a vibrant user base, alongside being the first L2 to process over $150B in swap volume on Uniswap, putting Arbitrum as the leading Ethereum scaling solution. Nevertheless, readers shouldn’t be wary, as we expect a broader spectrum of applications to arrive at the Ethereum network, helping to fill in the gap for Ethereum’s lost revenue while expanding the universe for what is possible within its ecosystem.
Figure 4 – Daily Active Users of Ethereum’s Leading Solutions
Source: GrowThePie
This Week’s Calendar
Source: Forex Factory, 21Shares
Research Newsletter
Each week the 21Shares Research team will publish our data-driven insights into the crypto asset world through this newsletter. Please direct any comments, questions, and words of feedback to research@21shares.com
Disclaimer
The information provided does not constitute a prospectus or other offering material and does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction. Some of the information published herein may contain forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. The information contained herein may not be considered as economic, legal, tax or other advice and users are cautioned to base investment decisions or other decisions solely on the content hereof.
• $TRUMP & $MELANIA: The launch of both memecoins dominated headlines, with $TRUMP reaching a $73B fully diluted valuation. These launches are indicative of a late-stage bull market, often characterized by speculative exuberance.
• Solana Continues to Outperform: Solana reached an all-time high of $286, cementing its role as the leading blockchain for retail activity due to its high performance, low costs, and user-friendly ecosystem.
• Solana Remained Robust: Despite congestion and the rate of failed transactions rising by 20%, the network remained stable compared to prior years, avoiding outages even under unprecedented demand.
• Bitcoin Quietly Hits ATH: Ahead of the inauguration, Bitcoin surged to a new ATH just shy of $109K, largely under the radar amidst the memecoin frenzy.
• DeFi Momentum Builds: Trump’s World Liberty Fund continued its aggressive crypto accumulation, totaling $350M in cryptoasset holdings. This signals potential regulatory leniency for DeFi under the new administration.
• A New Crypto Era Dawns: With crypto-friendly cabinet nominees, initiatives such as the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve (BSR), a Presidential Crypto Council, an SEC-driven crypto task force, and moves to simplify regulations, the administration signals its intent to foster innovation while solidifying the U.S.’s leadership in the cryptoasset industry.
The crypto market surged in anticipation of Trump’s inauguration, especially following the launch of his official memecoin, $TRUMP, in the early hours of Saturday. The token’s fully diluted valuation soared to $73B, attracting around 850K holders and significantly boosting Trump’s net worth in Solana-based assets. Following this, First Lady Melania Trump introduced her own memecoin, $MELANIA, on Sunday. It briefly reached a market cap of approximately $2B before experiencing a 75% retracement, as seen below in Figure 1. The frenzy surrounding these tokens propelled Solana to reach an ATH of around $286 as investors rushed to buy the asset and participate in the ecosystem. However, it’s important to remember that this level of market exuberance typically signals the late stages of a bull market, warranting a more strategic approach from investors. Nevertheless, while vigilance is called for, it’s crucial to recognize that markets still have room for growth, particularly as asset prices often exhibit explosive upside movements in the latter stages of a bull market.
Figure 1: TRUMP & MELANIA Price Performance
Source: 21Shares, Dune
Despite $TRUMP’s questionable tokenomics and potential risks for inexperienced investors, its launch likely signals a shift toward a more crypto-friendly regulatory environment under the new administration. Further, the token’s controversial success highlights memecoins’ role as an effective tool for onboarding crypto newcomers. Unlike complex blockchain projects, memecoins offer a simpler entry point into the crypto world. They can serve as a ”trojan horse,” attracting retail investors with their accessibility and cultural appeal. This initial engagement can then potentially lead users to explore more sophisticated aspects of the crypto ecosystem, including decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and AI-based projects.
That said, their extreme volatility poses significant risks as inexperienced traders may suffer losses from the tokens’ wild price swings, potentially discouraging them from further engaging with crypto.
Despite the mixed short-term and long-term effects, last week’s events revealed a clear beneficiary: Solana. Thanks to its high performance and low costs, the network has now cemented its position as the go-to platform for retail activity. Despite intense usage over the weekend, it avoided typical outages seen in 2022 and 2023, demonstrating improved stability. While some applications, like Coinbase and Phantom, faced challenges with unprecedented demand, causing temporary transaction failures to increase by almost 20%, as seen below, Solana’s network remained robust compared to previous years. What’s worth remembering is that Solana’s resilience during this surge of activity, marked by zero outages, bodes well for its ambitious goal of becoming the ”NASDAQ on the Blockchain.”
Figure 2: Solana Failed Transaction Rate
Source: 21Shares, Dune
It’s worth noting that Solana’s robust performance during this activity surge, handling up to $45B in transactions on January 20 without any outages, demonstrates the network’s progress towards their North Star of becoming ”NASDAQ on the Blockchain.” This feat is particularly impressive when compared to Nasdaq’s average daily volume of $120B, underscoring Solana’s growing capacity to handle significant financial throughput.
As depicted below, even with a significant fee increase, Solana maintains cost-effectiveness, reinforcing its appeal to retail users. However, it’s crucial to look beyond its association with speculative activities. The network is now making significant inroads in diverse sectors, demonstrating its versatility and real-world utility. Notable examples include Decentralized Physical Infrastructure (DePIN) projects like Helium, Render, and HiveMapper; AI initiatives such as Griffain and Ai16z; and tokenization efforts supported by traditional financial institutions, including Franklin Templeton, Hamilton Lane’s SCOPE, and Ondo Finance. This broad spectrum of applications underscores Solana’s potential as a robust platform for innovation across multiple industries.
Figure 3: Solana Transaction Fees
Source: 21Shares, Dune
Similarly, Trump’s endorsed DeFi initiative, World Liberty Financial, has steadily expanded its cryptoasset holding over the recent weeks. In its latest round of acquisitions over the weekend, the project added $47M in ETH and WBTC and $4.7M each in Aave, LINK, TRX, and ENA to its portfolio. This takes the total amount of World Liberty’s holdings up to $350M worth of cryptoassets. It is worth noting that the yet-to-launch protocol is staking ETH with Lido, further echoing the idea that Trump is bullish on DeFi and that the industry will likely grow under his administration.
In this context, despite widespread anticipation, crypto was not mentioned in President Trump’s inaugural address or a leaked Republican policy document outlining national priorities. This omission contrasts with earlier speculation that crypto would become a central focus of the administration. However, it’s crucial to maintain a long-term perspective: Trump’s administration remains one of the most crypto-friendly globally, as evidenced by key pro-crypto appointments and proposed policies. In the following sections, we will explore these initiatives and their potential impact on the digital asset industry.
Bitcoin Strategic Reserve
While it may have gone under the radar, BTC also reached a new ATH, just shy of $109K, ahead of Inauguration Day. Relatedly, Trump’s administration has proposed creating a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve (BSR) to position Bitcoin as a critical financial and strategic asset, similar to gold reserves. The reserve would utilize approximately 80K Bitcoin seized by the U.S. Marshals, redirecting these assets into national holdings rather than auctioning them. Expanding the reserve to a rumored 1M BTC would require Congressional approval for market purchases or over-the-counter acquisitions, potentially funded by U.S. gold reserves.
Figure 4: Theoretical Bitcoin Strategic Reserve If 1M BTC Held Since 2016
Source: 21Shares, Coingecko
The BSR would classify Bitcoin as a strategic asset, held for at least 20 years and only sold to address U.S. debt. Advocates argue this could hedge against inflation, stabilize the dollar, and leverage Bitcoin’s appreciation to reduce national debt. Additionally, it could trigger a global race among nations to accumulate Bitcoin, driving its price higher and positioning the U.S. as a leader in the emerging digital economy. However, such a move would require significant regulatory changes and face challenges like volatility and opportunity costs.
Presidential Crypto Council
Trump’s administration plans to form a presidential crypto council of about 20 industry leaders, including CEOs and founders of major crypto companies. This advisory group would provide insights into the digital asset landscape and help shape innovation-friendly policies while addressing regulatory concerns. Rumored members include Michael Saylor (MicroStrategy), Brian Armstrong (Coinbase), Jeremy Allaire (Circle), Charles Hoskinson (Cardano/Ethereum), and Brad Garlinghouse (Ripple). The council aims to ensure crypto regulation reflects real-world challenges and opportunities, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to industry engagement and positioning the U.S. as a global blockchain leader.
SEC Repeal of SAB 121
A key rumored executive order from Trump’s administration involves repealing SAB 121, an SEC accounting rule requiring companies to treat client cryptoassets as balance sheet liabilities. This repeal would:
- Reduce operational risks for firms
- Encourage broader institutional participation
- Accelerate crypto service adoption in finance
- Signal a business-friendly regulatory approach
By easing regulatory friction, this move could enhance U.S. crypto firms’ competitiveness and position the country as a global leader in cryptoasset custody and management.
SEC and CFTC Joint Collaboration on Crypto Market Structure
Another key executive order reportedly under consideration by Trump’s administration involves directing the SEC and CFTC to collaborate on a crypto market structure bill, building on the foundation laid by the FIT21 framework. This initiative aims to establish a unified regulatory framework for digital assets, addressing long-standing jurisdictional ambiguities that have left cryptoassets caught between classifications as securities or commodities. The bill would create clear and consistent rules by fostering cooperation between these two agencies, reducing regulatory uncertainty, and fostering innovation.
Ending Operation Chokepoint 2.0: Restoring Banking Access for U.S. Crypto Companies
Trump’s administration plans to address the FDIC’s debanking of crypto companies and end ”Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” a controversial initiative that restricted banking access for the crypto industry with the likes of Kraken, Coinbase, Signature Bank, Paxos, and Binance.US all sharing a similar experience. The administration aims to restore fair treatment and financial access for crypto companies by instructing federal agencies to cease discriminatory practices. This move would provide stability, attract institutional players to the U.S. crypto market, and reaffirm the administration’s commitment to fostering a competitive financial environment.
SEC’s Shift in Stance Could Pave the Way for Expanded Crypto Spot ETPs
A revamped SEC under the new administration is set to redefine crypto regulations, legitimizing the industry and fostering innovation. Clear and fair rules would signal that the U.S. is open for business, attracting top talent and projects. This regulatory clarity is expected to unlock institutional capital as traditional finance gains the confidence to invest in digital assets with legal protections. The SEC’s progressive stance increases the likelihood of approving multiple spot crypto ETPs, enabling broader adoption and integration into traditional investment portfolios. This shift validates the crypto industry and positions the U.S. as a leader in financial innovation. Further, the newly established crypto-focused task force led by Commissioner Hester Pierce is designed to establish clear regulatory guidelines, practical registration paths, and sensible disclosure frameworks for crypto companies. Thus, this new body could help approve a broader range of ETPs.
Trump Cabinet Members
While Trump’s proposed appointees are yet to go through Senate approvals, here’s a quick overview of key pro-crypto members.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Secretary of Health and Human Services): A Bitcoin advocate who views it as the ”currency of freedom” and hedge against inflation, with most of his net worth invested in Bitcoin.
• David Sacks (Crypto and AI Czar): Early Bitcoin investor and backer of projects like Solana and dYdX, bringing deep expertise to blockchain innovation.
• Paul Atkins (Chair of the SEC): Former SEC commissioner with extensive experience helping crypto-native companies navigate regulatory compliance.
• JD Vance (Vice President): A Bitcoin supporter and venture capitalist with investments in blockchain startups and a crucial advocate for pro-crypto legislative initiatives.
• Elon Musk (Co-Head of D.O.G.E): A vocal supporter of blockchain innovation, holding Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin, with Tesla’s $1.5B Bitcoin investment under his leadership.
• Vivek Ramaswamy (Co-Head of D.O.G.E): A vocal crypto advocate and co-founder of Strive Asset Management, Ramaswamy launched the Strive Bitcoin Bond ETF, proposed backing the U.S. dollar with Bitcoin, and champions clear regulations and wallet protections to drive innovation and financial freedom.
• Howard Lutnick (Secretary of Commerce): CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, managing Tether’s U.S. treasury portfolio while acquiring a 5% stake, and holds personal Bitcoin investments worth hundreds of millions.
• Scott Bessent (Secretary of the Treasury): Founder of Key Square Group, Bessent advocates for balanced crypto regulations and has made sizable personal investments of $250K–$500K in Bitcoin ETPs.
For a deeper dive into their backgrounds and potential impact, check out our full breakdown on our latest blog.
All in all, while Trump did not address crypto in his inauguration speech or through executive orders, he has already begun appointing key figures supportive of the industry. Thus, he is starting to follow through with his promises. It seems he’s headed towards fostering a pro-crypto environment that provides a clearer path for companies to operate within the U.S.
Nevertheless, with the exuberant market activity we’ve seen in the last few days, it’s an opportune time for investors to stay mindful and ensure their positions remain aligned with their long-term objectives and risk tolerance.
What’s happening this week?
Research Newsletter
Each week the 21Shares Research team will publish our data-driven insights into the crypto asset world through this newsletter. Please direct any comments, questions, and words of feedback to research@21shares.com
Disclaimer
The information provided does not constitute a prospectus or other offering material and does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction. Some of the information published herein may contain forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. The information contained herein may not be considered as economic, legal, tax or other advice and users are cautioned to base investment decisions or other decisions solely on the content hereof.
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