The crypto market continues to evolve rapidly, even amid a cooling price environment. This week brought key updates on market movements, on-chain metrics, major investments, and influential voices shaping the future of digital assets. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the most important developments from May 23 to May 29, 2025.
Market Overview: Price Trends & Key Insights
Weekly Crypto Performance Snapshot
- BTC: $29,468 (–2.73%)
- ETH: $1,813.6 (–11.23%)
- BNB: $305.8 (–4.26%)
- ADA: $0.48 (–11.6%)
- SOL: $44.98 (–14.2%)
- DOGE: $0.082 (–3.73%)
Despite macro volatility, investor sentiment remains cautiously optimistic. While most major assets posted weekly losses, underlying fundamentals suggest growing resilience in the ecosystem.
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BTC Dips for Ninth Consecutive Week
Bitcoin has now declined for nine straight weeks—from $48,189 on March 28 to $29,468 on May 29—a drop of 38.8%. This marks one of the longest bearish streaks in BTC’s history.
Notably, traditional markets like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose about 10% since May 20, while both BTC and ETH continued their downward trajectory. Analysts at QCP Capital suggest this divergence may reflect short-term risk-off behavior, but could also present a strategic entry point for long-term holders.
Despite the downturn, confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term value remains strong—especially among corporate treasuries.
MicroStrategy Stands Firm on Bitcoin
Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, reaffirmed the company's unwavering commitment to Bitcoin during a recent Fox News appearance. He confirmed that MicroStrategy has not sold a single BTC and will continue buying with any available capital.
Saylor emphasized a counterintuitive strategy: "We plan to buy at the top—always." This long-term accumulation approach reinforces Bitcoin’s role as a digital treasury reserve asset, even during market corrections.
Ethereum Upgrade Confirmed for August
Vitalik Buterin confirmed that Ethereum’s next major upgrade is scheduled for August 2025. The upcoming "Merge" will fully transition Ethereum from Proof-of-Work (PoW) to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), replacing miners with validators who stake ETH to secure the network.
This shift is expected to reduce daily ETH issuance by up to 90%, potentially turning ETH into a deflationary asset under certain conditions.
Vance Spencer, co-founder of Framework Ventures, called this upgrade "the most significant event in crypto this year." With improved scalability and sustainability, Ethereum aims to solidify its dominance in DeFi and Web3 infrastructure.
Key On-Chain Metrics: What the Data Reveals
+139% Growth in Bitcoin Hashrate
Since July 6, 2021—when Bitcoin’s hashrate hit a two-year low of 87.8 EH/s—the network has seen massive growth in computational power. As of May 2025, the total hashrate stands at 209.89 EH/s, with mining difficulty reaching 31.25T, both all-time highs.
This 139% increase since mid-2021 signals stronger network security and sustained miner confidence, despite falling prices.
51% of Global Blockchain Funding Comes from U.S.
In 2025, 51% of global blockchain investment originated from American firms, followed by China (18%), Switzerland (5%), and the UK (4%). This underscores the U.S.’s leading role in shaping the regulatory and technological future of crypto.
The global blockchain market is projected to grow from $7.18 billion in 2022 to **$67.4 billion by 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 68.4%**—a clear sign of accelerating institutional adoption.
Tron’s TVL Soars by 46.46%
Driven by high yields on USDD—an algorithmic stablecoin launched on Tron—the network’s Total Value Locked (TVL) surged 46.46% month-over-month, with a 14.7% weekly gain. Tron is now the only top-10 blockchain to report positive TVL growth this month.
Top public chains by TVL:
- Ethereum
- BNB Chain
- Tron
AVAX and FTM saw the steepest declines in May.
Solana Leads in User Activity
Solana recorded 6.45 million active addresses over seven days—an 11% increase week-on-week—and now leads by a wide margin. It outpaces BNB Chain by nearly 98.5% in weekly activity.
Ethereum follows in third place with 1.71 million active addresses—a 10% decline—reflecting reduced DeFi engagement during the market dip.
Celo emerged as a surprise performer, with weekly active addresses rising over 46%, signaling growing traction in emerging markets.
NFT Market Shows Selective Strength
Despite broader market weakness, some NFT projects are thriving:
- Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) retains its #1 spot with a $2.09 billion market cap, though both price and volume dipped slightly.
- Otherdeed leads in whale ownership concentration.
- Most notably, Goblintown.wtf saw its floor price surge over 300% in just one week, driven by viral community engagement and scarcity dynamics.
Weekly Investment Roundup: $856M Across 47 Deals
The crypto sector closed 47 funding rounds this week, raising a total of $856 million—slightly down from the previous week.
Top Investment Categories
- Web3: 17 deals (36%)
- NFTs: 14 deals
- Infrastructure: 12 deals
- DeFi & CeFi: Minimal activity
Major Funding Highlights
- StarkWare, an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution, raised **$100 million** in a Series D round at an $8 billion valuation. Led by Greenoaks and Coatue, the funds will accelerate development of StarkNet.
- Babel Finance, a crypto financial services provider, secured **$80 million** in Series B funding at a $2 billion valuation. Backers include Jeneration Capital, 10T Holdings, and Dragonfly Capital.
These investments highlight continued confidence in scalable infrastructure and regulated financial services within crypto.
Top Industry News: Milestones & Movements
- ✅ Record number of addresses now hold at least 1 BTC.
- ✅ ENS domain revenue exceeded $8 million in May—its highest monthly total ever.
- ✅ African crypto startups attracted 11x more VC funding in 2025 compared to last year.
- ✅ Coinbase became the first crypto company listed in the Fortune 500, ranking #437.
- ✅ SpaceX is launching the first dedicated crypto satellite, “Crypto1,” into orbit.
- ✅ Uniswap surpassed $1 trillion in cumulative trading volume.
- ✅ FTX founder SBF named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list.
- ✅ Bitcoin’s market dominance reached 45%, its highest since October 2021.
- ✅ STEPN announced it will terminate GPS and IP location services for mainland Chinese users by July 15.
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Voices from the Industry
“Bitcoin is beginning to take up space in my portfolio.”
— Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates“Digital assets have replaced real estate as the preferred alternative investment class.”
— JPMorgan Chase Report“Regulation in crypto will happen faster than most expect.”
— SEC Commissioner“STEPN’s death spiral has officially begun.”
— Founding Partner, A&T Capital
These statements reflect shifting perceptions—from skepticism to strategic inclusion—across traditional finance and venture capital circles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is Bitcoin dropping for nine weeks straight?
A: Multiple factors contribute: macroeconomic tightening, risk-off investor sentiment, and profit-taking after earlier gains. However, strong on-chain fundamentals—like rising hashrate and accumulation by institutions—suggest this may be a healthy correction rather than a collapse.
Q: Is Ethereum’s August upgrade safe?
A: Yes. Extensive testing on testnets has shown high stability. The core development team has learned from past upgrades, implementing gradual rollouts to minimize risks.
Q: Why is Tron’s TVL growing while others fall?
A: Tron offers some of the highest yields for stablecoin staking via USDD and leveraged lending protocols. In bear markets, yield-seeking behavior often drives capital to high-reward ecosystems—even if they carry higher risk.
Q: Can NFTs rebound during a bear market?
A: Yes—niche communities like Goblintown.wtf show that strong narratives and scarcity can drive demand regardless of broader trends. Utility-focused NFTs (e.g., access passes, identity layers) are likely to lead the next wave.
Q: What does Coinbase’s Fortune 500 entry mean?
A: It marks mainstream validation of crypto as a legitimate financial sector. Being ranked alongside banks and tech giants boosts credibility and may encourage more traditional investors to enter the space.
Q: How can I stay safe during volatile times?
A: Focus on projects with strong fundamentals, avoid leverage, diversify holdings, and use secure wallets. Consider dollar-cost averaging instead of timing the market.
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