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This week has been quite lively for Bitcoin (BTC) fans, as there were 42 exciting updates during those days. @btcNLNico on X has given an update that a total of 16 firms have adopted Bitcoin treasury strategies, among which five have already invested about $10.2 million in it. Investing A Huge Amount in Bitcoin Treasury
The post 16 Companies Announced A Bitcoin Treasury Last Week: Report appeared first on CoinGape.
Ethereum, the world’s leading blockchain platform, will deploy the Pectra upgrade on its mainnet, scheduled for rollout on May 7, 2025.
The Pectra upgrade enhances the network’s performance and scalability and introduces groundbreaking features, particularly with EIP-7702, making Ethereum more user-friendly and secure.
Tim Beiko, a key figure in Ethereum’s development team, announced on X that the Pectra upgrade will officially launch on the mainnet on May 7, 2025, at epoch 364032. Initially planned for April 30, the upgrade was delayed due to technical issues on the testnet.
This cautious approach shows Ethereum’s commitment to stability and security, ensuring seamless network operation post-upgrade. Coinbase has also begun preparations to support the upgrade, ensuring necessary updates are implemented promptly after Pectra’s launch.
Pectra is Ethereum’s most significant upgrade, incorporating 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). It builds on major upgrades like Dencun (March 2024), focusing on improving Layer 2 (L2) scalability, optimizing validator experiences, and enhancing user-friendliness.
These changes solidify Ethereum’s leadership while laying the groundwork for decentralized applications (dApps) to thrive.
Tim Beiko tweeted an overview of the upcoming Pectra update, with some notable highlights. One of Pectra’s standout features is EIP-7702, which extends standard Ethereum accounts (EOAs) with smart contract functionality.
“EIP-7702 enables use cases like transaction batching, gas sponsorship, or social recovery, all without migrating your assets” Tim tweeted.
Pectra also introduces several improvements for validators. Validators can increase their effective balance up to 2048 ETH, allowing them to accrue staking rewards directly without creating additional validators. Large validators can consolidate balances, reducing bandwidth strain on the P2P network.
“It also removes the pre-merge PoW follow distance, shortening the delay to process validator deposits, and introduces execution-layer triggerable withdrawals, which enable more trustless staking constructions.” Tim shared.
The Pectra upgrade will double the average number of blobs per block, from 3 to 6. This increase will enable L2 solutions to scale faster, meeting growing market demands. It’s a critical step in Ethereum’s scalability roadmap, especially as L2 platforms like Arbitrum and Optimism continue to grow.
“Raising this limit was in part possible due to another EIP (7623), which bounds the worst-case block sizes on the network!’ Tim tweeted.
Pectra is a strategic leap forward for Ethereum to maintain its dominance in the blockchain space. By increasing blob capacity and improving validator efficiency, Ethereum can handle more transactions per second, fostering dApp growth and attracting new users.
These changes will better position Ethereum to meet future demands while providing an infrastructure for developers.
The Pectra upgrade has garnered positive feedback from the Ethereum community. In Tim Beiko’s announcement, some X users expressed excitement. However, one user noted the need for better public education, stating, “Too bad 99% of people have no idea what that means.”
The post Tim Beiko Details Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade: Smart Accounts and L2 Scaling Ahead appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Several interesting developments happened this week in crypto, cutting across diverse ecosystems. Key highlights, however, centered on Bitcoin (BTC) and XRP ecosystems.
In case you missed it, here is a roundup of the top stories this week in crypto.
Starting the list of what happened this week in crypto, Bitcoin tested the $97,000 milestone for the first time since February 2025. However, as of this writing, the pioneer crypto pulled back shortly after and was trading for $96,731.
The pioneer crypto displayed significant volatility over the past several weeks and months, enduring most of President Trump’s tariffs. Trade chaos, ranging from temporary pauses and committed retaliations to de-escalation rumors, exacerbated the volatility.
However, amid these uncertainties, Bitcoin emerged as a hedge against traditional finance (TradFi) and US Treasury risks. Institutional interest in BTC has also grown, with Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds) recording increased inflows while Gold ETPs (exchange-traded funds) lagged.
Another key highlight this week in crypto concerned speculation of a possible collaboration between the Sui blockchain and Pokémon. Amidst these talks, the SUI price soared over 60% within the week.
These rumors sparked after a privacy policy update for Pokémon HOME featured Parasol Technologies, LLC, as a new developer. Parasol Technologies is a Web3 gaming infrastructure company that Sui’s developer, Mysten Labs, acquired in March 2025.
Nevertheless, changes in one of the circulating documents quelled the speculation, clarifying what had been a key driver for the SUI price this week.
“The official Sui Foundation blog confirmed (and removed) Pokémon NFTs. They seem to be developing a cloud infrastructure that uses blockchain technology to address bugs, hacks, and duping while enabling transfers between compatible games—something that is already possible with Pokémon Home,” another user highlighted.
Nevertheless, the correction did not quell speculation that Parasol may be involved in developing new features for Pokémon.
The SUI price has fallen almost 3% in the last 24 hours. As of this writing, it was trading for $3.47.
Adding to the list of speculation this week in crypto, rumors spread that the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) had approved a ProShares XRP ETF (exchange-traded fund).
However, BeInCrypto shut down these claims, articulating that the approval was for ProShares’ Leveraged and Short XRP Futures ETFs. ETF analyst James Seyffart also provided further clarity, deeming the allegations false.
“UPDATE: A lot of people posting/reporting that ProShares will be launching XRP ETFs on April 30th. We have confirmed that this is not the case. We do not have a confirmed launch date yet but we believe they will launch — and likely launch in the short or possibly medium term,” Seyffart explained.
ProShares launched three futures-based ETFs: the Ultra XRP ETF, the Short XRP ETF, and the Ultra Short XRP ETF. This development followed the launch of Teucrium’s 2x Long Daily XRP ETF in early April.
Meanwhile, the approval of ProShares XRP futures ETF sparked optimism, inspiring sentiment that a spot XRP ETF would be next.
According to forecasts by industry expert Armando Pantoja, the move could lead to substantial capital inflow into the altcoin.
“A spot XRP ETF could be next, unlocking real demand and sending prices soaring. $100 billion+ could soon flood into XRP,” he wrote.
Pantoja recognized that the approval marked a significant turning point for the industry, expanding XRP’s investor base.
This optimism came as ProShares XRP futures ETF had already attracted significant attention from Wall Street and institutional investors.
The approval cleared the runway for the XRP ETF, granting Ripple’s token a regulated and accessible avenue for major financial players to engage.
“Futures ETF = first domino. Spot ETF = the tipping point. XRP’s long-term setup just got way stronger,” Pantoja remarked.
Another analyst was more measured amid heightened optimism, noting that the futures ETF was not the game-changer many might expect.
“It’s not the silver bullet that will trigger mass adoption or massive price action. The real catalyst will come when a Spot XRP ETF gets approved. Real tokens. Real demand. Real market impact,” John Squire posted.
To add to the list of developments in the XRP ecosystem this week in crypto, the US SEC delayed its decision on a prospective XRP ETF until June 17.
Before this news broke, crypto market participants awaited the final decision of XRP, Dogecoin (DOGE), and Ethereum staking ETFs. However, these were all put off.
“These dates are all intermediate and we will likely see final decisions on a lot of the crypto ETPs in Q4. For the XRP spot ETF, [I am] eyeing mid-October, around the 18th, as a final decision deadline. It’s possible the SEC won’t take all that time to make its decision, but a lot will hinge on how actively they engage on the applications,” Seyffart explained.
For now, over 70 active ETF proposals await the securities regulator’s verdict. XRP ETF’s June deadline is not final, but the commission could still enact further delays until mid-October.
Meanwhile, data from Polymarket shows that bettors see a 34% chance that the financial instrument will be approved by July 31.
At the same time, they see a 79% chance this financial instrument will be approved by December 31 as of this writing.
The post This Week in Crypto: Bitcoin At $97,000, XRP ETF Talks, Sui Collaboration with Pokémon, and More appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed Senate Bill 1025, which would have authorized the state to create a Bitcoin reserve.
The decision, made on May 2, marks the first time a sitting US governor has rejected a state-backed strategic Bitcoin reserve (SBR) initiative, despite growing interest in such measures across several states.
In a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, Hobbs emphasized that the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) must continue to prioritize stable, well-vetted investments.
She described virtual currencies as “untested” and unsuitable for the retirement savings of Arizona residents.
“The Arizona State Retirement System is one of the strongest in the nation because it makes sound and informed investments. Arizonans’ retirement funds are not the place for the state to try untested investments like virtual currencу,” the governor stated.
Governor Hobbs’ stance reflects the broader skepticism within the Democratic Party toward crypto integration in state financial systems.
It also follows shortly after Arizona’s legislature made history as the first in the US to pass an SBR bill in both chambers—garnering bipartisan support.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1025 was one of two digital asset-related proposals forwarded to Hobbs’ desk this session.
The second, Senate Bill 1373, would give Arizona the authority to retain cryptocurrencies obtained through legal seizures. It would also empower the state treasurer to lend these assets to generate additional income.
The status of this bill remains unclear in the wake of Hobbs’ opposition to SB 1025.
Arizona now joins a group of states—including Oklahoma, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming—where efforts to formalize Bitcoin reserves have stalled or failed.
Nonetheless, momentum continues elsewhere. New Hampshire is nearing a potential breakthrough, with its SBR proposal advancing past committee review and now awaiting a full vote in the second legislative chamber. If approved, it will proceed to the governor for final consideration.
At the national level, Senator Cynthia Lummis has welcomed recent support from President Donald Trump for her plan to establish a federal Bitcoin reserve.
“The BITCOIN Act is the only solution to our nation’s $36T debt. I’m grateful for a forward-thinking president who not only recognizes this, but acts on it,” Lummis stated.
Lummis is pushing the BITCOIN Act bill, which will allow the US to acquire up to 1 million BTC over five years. The lawmaker claims such a move would help stabilize US fiscal policy and enhance the nation’s role in global financial innovation.
The post Arizona Bitcoin Reserve Bill Fails As Governor Vetoes Proposal appeared first on BeInCrypto.