There's never a dull moment on the blockchain. Here's what you need to know this week

Bitcoin held steady after a pivotal Fed meeting. Also, BTC ETFs saw inflows for the first time in five weeks, and institutions said they’re planning to expand crypto exposure.

There’s never a dull moment on the blockchain. Here’s what you need to know this week:

* BTC held steady after a pivotal Fed meeting and BTC ETFs saw inflows for the first time in five weeks, while institutions signaled plans to expand crypto exposure.

* A new testnet launched for Pectra, a highly anticipated upgrade to Ethereum’s blockchain.

* The tokenized treasury market notched an all-time high.

* Plus, more key stats from around the cryptoverse.

79.006,19 €

1.863,75 €

2,29 €

0,92 €

122,56 €

0,92 €

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MARKET BYTES

Volatility eases as Federal Reserve takes ‘wait and see’ approach at latest meeting

Crypto markets, which have recently seen significant volatility, settled down this week, with BTC rising above $85,000 on Wednesday following the news that the Federal Reserve will continue to hold interest rates at current levels.

“While the regulatory headlines have been ostensibly supportive, many market players are concerned that the momentum for further crypto-specific catalysts has slowed considerably” noted a new report from Coinbase Institutional. “That’s left macro factors firmly in the driver’s seat.”

Here’s what you need to know …

Interest rates stay put as Fed signals concern over economic ‘uncertainty’

A major trigger for recent market volatility has been uncertainty around the impacts of President Trump’s economic agenda. While the White House has signaled comfort with a “period of transition” as tariffs take effect — suggesting that a short-term “disturbance” could lead to a longer-term boom for the U.S. economy — stocks and crypto have generally seen declines in recent weeks.

At their Wednesday meeting, The Federal Reserve’s Open Markets Committee (FOMC) held rates at current levels (between 4.25% and 4.50%), an expected move after the latest inflation data came in above the Fed’s 2% target. The committee also continued to forecast that two cuts totalling half a percent are likely for later in the year.

As one Goldman Sachs executive put it to CNBC, “For the time being the Fed is in wait and see mode.”

Hold steady … Even though Fed Chair Jerome Powell described the U.S. economy as “strong overall,” the central bank signaled growing concerns over inflation and slowing economic growth. “Looking ahead, the new administration is in the process of implementing significant policy changes in four distinct areas: trade, immigration, fiscal policy, and deregulation,” Powell said. “It is the net effect of these policies that will matter for the economy and for the path of monetary policy.”

After weeks of losses, BTC ETF inflows returned on Monday

Spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have now seen five straight weeks of outflows totaling around $5.4 billion, according to SoSoValue data.

But on Monday there was finally some good news, as daily flows turned sharply positive to the tune of $274.6 million. Factors that triggered the shift include “bitcoin’s price stabilization and renewed institutional interest,” an analyst told The Block.

Sui generous … Meanwhile, new crypto ETF applications continue to emerge, with Canary Capital announcing this week that it is seeking SEC approval to launch a spot Sui ETF. “Given the speed and efficiency of the Sui chain, we believe it will be a destination for many future projects,” said Canary’s CEO.

83% of institutional investors plan to increase crypto exposure

It wasn’t that long ago that the prevailing attitude around crypto on Wall Street was skepticism. But a new survey of decision makers at 352 firms (conducted by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon) shows how far things have come.

An overwhelming majority (83%) of surveyed investors plan to increase their allocations to crypto in 2025, driven by their view that cryptocurrencies represent the best opportunity to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns over the next three years, according to the data.

And 59% of surveyed firms plan to allocate more than 5% of their assets under management to crypto in 2025.

The bottom line … “Increased investor interest is driven in part by the belief that greater regulatory clarity will be the catalyst that unlocks a new wave of opportunities in digital assets, particularly with regard to custody,” notes a report based on the survey.

ETHVOLUTION

What to expect from Ethereum's next major upgrade

This week, Ethereum network developers launched a new test network for a highly anticipated upgrade to Ethereum’s blockchain called “Pectra,” which is supposed to significantly improve Ethereum’s usability, speed, and efficiency when it goes live this spring.

But after some technical hiccups while testing

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