Dig Deeper, Invest Smarter
Robinhood has launched its Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) staking services in the US, allowing users to earn rewards by staking their digital assets. The feature, which was previously available to Robinhood’s European customers, now brings the ability to stake ETH and SOL directly through the platform for US users. Robinhood Staking Process and Rewards
The post Breaking: Robinhood Ethereum and Solana Staking Goes Live for US Customers appeared first on CoinGape.
Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee as we analyze Standard Chartered’s Bitcoin (BTC) price projections. According to the bank, Bitcoin price could hit $500,000 as global institutions accumulate Strategy’s MSTR stock for indirect exposure to Bitcoin.
Bitcoin was trading for $105,178, up by a modest 2.27% in the last 24 hours. In recent developments, the pioneer crypto market capitalization has ascended to an all-time high of $2.09 trillion.
To some extent, macro factors such as PBOC rate cuts and Moody’s US credit downgrade provide tailwinds.
However, analysts hold that institutional interest has much to do with Bitcoin’s value surge. Firstly, Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds), which offer Traditional Finance (TradFi) players indirect exposure to BTC, drive institutional interest.
In the same way, institutions are gaining indirect exposure to Bitcoin via Strategy’s MSTR stock. A recent US Crypto News publication indicated that Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) held 576,230 BTC as of May 19.
Holding a significant amount of Bitcoin on its balance sheet, Strategy’s MSTR stock price correlates closely with Bitcoin’s price movements.
Analysts ascribe this correlation to a dynamic where Bitcoin is the base layer while MSTR operates as a vehicle with different risks, mechanics, and rewards.
Against this backdrop, BeInCrypto contacted Geoff Kendrick, Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered. According to Kendrick, Bitcoin is still on course to hit $500,000 before the end of Trump’s second administration.
Kendrick ascribes this to deepening institutional adoption, particularly through indirect exposure via MicroStrategy’s MSTR shares.
Newly released Q1 2025 13F filings from the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) support the bank’s bullish thesis. Specifically, Strategy saw increasing allocations to MSTR by a range of global sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities.
“As more investors gain access to the asset and as volatility falls, we believe portfolios will migrate towards their optimal level from an underweight starting position in Bitcoin,” Kendrick said in an email to BeInCrypto.
While direct holdings of Bitcoin ETFs declined slightly overall, largely due to the State of Wisconsin Investment Board selling its entire 3,400 BTC-equivalent position in BlackRock’s IBIT ETF, other entities quietly increased exposure via MSTR, which Kendrick described as a “Bitcoin proxy.”
“Government entities increased their holdings of Strategy Incorporated (MSTR), which typically trades like a Bitcoin proxy. Entities in Norway, Switzerland, and South Korea reported significant MSTR increases, and Saudi Arabia added a very small position for the first time,” Kendrick told BeInCrypto.
The Standard Chartered executive emphasized that while Bitcoin ETF flows were “unexciting,” the MSTR accumulation trend was the real story this quarter.
“The MSTR ownership detail was where the excitement was,” he added.
Geoff Kendrick went further, detailing Standard Chartered’s analysis of the filings. Based on their analysis:
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s quasi-sovereign wealth fund Mubadala added 300 BTC equivalent via ETF holdings, increasing its position to 5,000 BTC equivalent.
“SEC 13F data for Q1 supports our thesis that Bitcoin is attracting a wider range of buyers. While data on Bitcoin ETF holdings was disappointing, MSTR – a Bitcoin proxy – saw increased buying. Overall sovereign positions were unchanged due to the Wisconsin pension fund selling its ETF holdings,” Kendrick concluded.
BeInCrypto reported how the MicroStrategy effect is spreading worldwide, with TradFi companies building Bitcoin war chests.
The data reinforce Standard Chartered’s outlook that institutional and sovereign flows—both direct and indirect—will be a key driver of Bitcoin’s ascent to $500,000 in the coming years.
This chart illustrates the total government holdings of Bitcoin ETFs and MicroStrategy’s MSTR stock from Q4 2023 to Q1 2025, measured in ‘000 (thousands) BTC equivalents. Based on the chart, holdings have grown steadily, peaking in Q1 2025 at around 18,000 BTC.
The chart shows that key contributors include Abu Dhabi (ETFs), Norway, Sweden, South Korea, France, New York, Wisconsin (ETFs), Michigan (ETFs), Switzerland, Liechtenstein, California, North Carolina, Saudi Arabia, and Kentucky, with varying contributions across quarters.
Here’s a summary of more US crypto news to follow today:
| Company | At the Close of May 19 | Pre-Market Overview |
| Strategy (MSTR) | $413.42 | $412.95 (-0.11%) |
| Coinbase Global (COIN) | $263.99 | $267.22 (+1.22%) |
| Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY.TO) | $31.49 | $32.44 (+3.01%) |
| MARA Holdings (MARA) | $16.32 | $16.37 (+0.31%) |
| Riot Platforms (RIOT) | $8.97 | $9.02 (+0.56%) |
| Core Scientific (CORZ) | $10.85 | $11.06 (+1.94%) |
The post Standard Chartered Predicts Bitcoin to Hit $500,000, Here’s Why | US Crypto News appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Arkham Intelligence has unveiled a new feature allowing users to track the wallets of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) on X (formerly Twitter).
This development comes amid a flurry of new meme coins, capitalizing on token launchpads for easy launches.
The update, announced in a recent post, introduces the “Key Opinion Leader (KOL) Label.” It tracks the wallets of influencers with over 100,000 followers on X.
“Influencers with more than 100K+ followers on Twitter/X are now tagged on Arkham with a new label: Key Opinion Leader,” read the announcement.
This means investors can monitor whether influencers genuinely back the tokens they promote or if their endorsements are merely paid advertising. The move has sparked widespread debate within the crypto community, particularly concerning its impact on influencer-endorsed meme coins.
“Biggest scammer on top! Now everyone can watch your wallets. But they should know y’all have multiple ones,” one user wrote.
The introduction of Arkham’s KOL Label comes amid increasing concerns over the reliability of influencer-backed tokens. A recent report revealed that 76% of influencer-endorsed tokens fail to deliver.
Specifically, their value plummeted by more than 90% within just three months.
As BeInCrypto reported, the research suggested earning up to $399 per promotional tweet, incentivizing certain influencers to prioritize financial gain over credibility.
It also showed that many promoted tokens lack fundamental utility and community engagement, leading to inevitable crashes.
“Influencers with over 200,000 followers tend to have the worst performance. The larger the influencer’s following, the lower the performance of the meme coins they promote,” the report claims.
Similarly, blockchain investigator ZachXBT recently exposed 16 influencer accounts on X that coordinated pump-and-dump schemes, leaving their followers to absorb the losses. This fueled debates about the ethical responsibilities of influencers in crypto markets.
With Arkham’s new tracking feature, investors can now scrutinize whether influencers hold the tokens they endorse. This could provide greater transparency in an industry plagued by misinformation and deceptive marketing tactics.
“Interesting move—transparency meets influence,” a user on X remarked.
The pattern mirrors previous crypto fads, where early investors profit while latecomers bear the brunt of financial losses. Arkham’s new tool could expose questionable practices, distinguishing genuine endorsements from misleading promotions.
By tracking influencers’ wallet activities, users can identify whether influencers hold the tokens they promote, indicating a true conviction. They could also spot red flags, such as influencers dumping tokens shortly after promoting them.
Experts, including Tron founder Justin Sun, emphasize the importance of fundamentals, tokenomics, and risk management for investors within the volatile meme coin market.
“I will check on the real social engagement. Are those likes real, or it’s just general bullshit? Do they have lots of influence, and the people really believe them? Also, I will see the founders, see their material, and see the memes they made and the videos they made. I will see if this is the right video and the right social engagement,” Sun elaborated.
These approaches reflect the importance of caution and due diligence instead of relying solely on influencer endorsement.
The post Arkham’s New Feature Can Trouble Crypto Influencers and Celebrity Meme Coins appeared first on BeInCrypto.
The number of publicly traded companies buying and holding Bitcoin (BTC) has surged to 80 in 2025, a 142% increase from just 33 companies in 2023.
This trend reflects the growing acceptance of Bitcoin as both a strategic reserve asset and a hedge against inflation.
Digital asset brokerage firm River revealed that 80 public companies hold Bitcoin, up from just 33 two years ago.
“80 public companies are now buying Bitcoin. Two years ago there were 33. Two years from now there will be…?,” River posed.
The companies embracing Bitcoin span multiple industries, with a strong concentration in technology and finance. The technology sector accounts for half of the public companies holding Bitcoin. Bitcoin Treasuries data shows firms like MicroStrategy (now Strategy), Tesla, and Block stand at the forefront of integrating Bitcoin into their financial strategies.
Financial institutions comprise 30% of the total, including Fold Holdings and Coinbase Global, which have indirect exposure via ETFs (exchange-traded funds). The cryptocurrency mining industry represents 15%, with mining giants such as Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms holding significant Bitcoin reserves.
The remaining 5% comprises companies from other sectors, including retail and energy. These firms experiment with Bitcoin holdings for transactions and balance sheet diversification.
Several key factors are driving the adoption of Bitcoin among public companies. Inflation hedging has become a major consideration as firms look for alternative stores of value beyond traditional assets.
“Bitcoin is the currency of freedom, a hedge against inflation for middle-class Americans, a remedy against the dollar’s downgrade from the world’s reserve currency, and the off-ramp from a ruinous national debt. Bitcoin will have no stronger advocate than Howard Lutnik,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said recently.
Many companies have also adopted Bitcoin as a treasury reserve strategy, betting on its long-term appreciation. On this matter, firms like Strategy lead the way.
Additionally, investor pressure has played a role as institutional investors and shareholders increasingly push companies to diversify into digital assets. Regulatory clarity and pro-crypto policies in some regions have further encouraged corporate adoption.
Meanwhile, public companies have been accumulating Bitcoin at an unprecedented rate. Between 2020 and 2023, they collectively held approximately 200,000 BTC. In 2024 alone, an additional 257,095 BTC was acquired, doubling the total from five years ago.
In the first quarter of 2025, an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 BTC has already been added. Noteworthy, MicroStrategy and Fold Holdings lead the acquisitions. Coinbase’s recent institutional investor survey also indicated that 83% of institutions plan to increase their crypto asset allocation by 2025.
The surge in Bitcoin adoption by public companies coincides with a new wave of crypto-related IPOs (initial public offerings). Notable firms, including Gemini and Kraken, plan to go public, highlighting increased institutional confidence in the digital asset space. These IPOs provide fresh capital inflows and further legitimize the broader crypto market.
Bitcoin has also become a financial lifeline for struggling companies seeking to boost their stock prices. Some firms with declining revenues have turned to Bitcoin investments to attract new investors and strengthen their market position. As a result, Bitcoin is playing an increasingly significant role in corporate strategies.
Despite the impressive growth in corporate Bitcoin adoption, public crypto companies still represent only 5.8% of the total crypto market capitalization, according to a CoinGecko report. This suggests that there is still significant room for expansion.
Beyond corporate treasuries, Bitcoin’s rising adoption also influences financial planning in other areas. Parents increasingly choose Bitcoin as an alternative to traditional college savings plans, betting on its long-term growth potential to fund education expenses.
With 80 public companies now holding Bitcoin, the trend shows no signs of slowing. If the current growth trajectory continues, institutional adoption will deepen as more companies turn to Bitcoin.
The post The Bitcoin Boom: 80 Public Companies Are Betting Big on BTC in 2025 appeared first on BeInCrypto.