Goldman discloses BTC holdings, Mastercard launches crypto card, as markets move sideways

Crypto markets continue to move sideways amid consolidation, with bitcoin (BTC) remaining flat at exactly 0.0%, ether (ETH) up 2.4%, and Solana (SOL) dropping 2.1%. The Nasdaq Crypto IndexTM (NCITM) rose 0.7% for the week.

Goldman Sachs discloses $418M in Bitcoin ETF holdings

Goldman Sachs disclosed over $400 million in Bitcoin ETF holdings, reflecting growing institutional acceptance of Bitcoin. With $20.5 billion in net inflows to Bitcoin ETFs this year, rising interest from traditional financial institutions could drive adoption, liquidity, and confidence in the crypto market.

Mastercard launches debit card linked to Ethereum wallets

MetaMask and Mastercard have launched the MetaMask Card, allowing users in the EU and UK to pay with crypto anywhere Mastercard is accepted. The card converts crypto to fiat at purchase, potentially boosting adoption and driving demand for assets like USDT, USDC, and WETH. Movements like this highlight a trend we’ve been seeing for some time: traditional companies are increasingly integrating crypto assets into their business models.

Singapore’s largest bank launches a blockchain-powered ”treasury tokens” pilot

DBS Bank has launched a pilot of “DBS Treasury Tokens” in collaboration with Ant International. It’s powered by DBS’ permissioned blockchain, which supports multi-currency treasury and liquidity management across various markets for Ant International entities. DBS Bank’s blockchain pilot demonstrates how traditional finance can leverage blockchain to reduce settlement times from days to seconds, showcasing its real-world utility and signaling increasing institutional adoption that could bridge traditional finance and decentralized technologies.