Ethena Labs is officially closing its German branch and EU operations after a previous MiCA application rejection. For the past month, the firm has been preparing to withdraw from this market.
Although the exit was anticipated, ENA reacted notably, with the altcoin falling over 7% after today’s announcement.
At the time, the firm suggested that this was a minor setback and that it would focus on other markets. Today, it announced that its German branch is winding down altogether.
“We have agreed with BaFin to wind down all activities of Ethena GmbH and will no longer be pursuing the MiCAR authorization in Germany. All whitelisted… users previously interacting with Ethena GmbH have at their request been onboarded with Ethena (BVI) Limited instead. As a result, Ethena GmbH no longer has any direct customers,” it claimed.
The statement further claimed that Ethena GmbH, the German branch, “has not conducted any mint or redeem activity” since the regulators’ MiCA ruling.
Specifically, regulators banned all sales of the USDe stablecoin, putting serious restrictions on the firm. In other words, this outcome is fairly expected. Ethena (BVI) Limited has taken over the German branch’s users.
The network’s governance token, ENA, has seen notable price swings around its MiCA efforts. In Early March, when Ethena Labs was reportedly on track to receive regulatory approval, ENA broke out of multi-month lows and nearly reached $2.5 billion in mark cap.
However, since the rejection, ENA saw continued bearish pressure, which was exacerbated by the macroeconomic conditions across the market. Today’s announcement drove further decline.
Cardano (ADA) is up 4% on Monday, trying to hit $0.65, showing signs of renewed bullish momentum. Technical indicators are beginning to align in favor of buyers, with the BBTrend turning positive for the first time in days and the DMI signaling strengthening upward pressure.
ADA is also nearing a potential golden cross formation on its EMA lines, which could further support a breakout if resistance levels are cleared. With momentum building and key levels in sight, Cardano is entering a critical zone that could define its short-term direction.
Cardano Shows Early Signs of Recovery as BBTrend Turns Positive
Cardano BBTrend has just flipped back into positive territory at 0.11, following four straight days in the negative zone. This shift, though subtle, may be the first sign of momentum stabilizing after recent weakness.
BBTrend, or Bollinger Band Trend, is a technical indicator that gauges the strength and direction of a trend based on how wide or narrow the Bollinger Bands are.
When the bands begin to expand and BBTrend moves into positive values, it often suggests growing volatility in favor of an emerging bullish trend. On the other hand, prolonged negative readings typically signal fading momentum and a lack of directional strength.
While a BBTrend of 0.11 is still low and not yet signaling a strong uptrend, the fact that it turned positive marks a potential inflection point.
It suggests that selling pressure may be fading and the price could be entering a recovery phase if buying activity increases. This early uptick in BBTrend often precedes a broader move.
Traders will likely be watching closely to see if this positive shift is sustained in the coming sessions, as continued gains in BBTrend could indicate the beginning of a more defined upward move for ADA.
Cardano Buyers Regain Control as Uptrend Shows Early Strength
Cardano Directional Movement Index (DMI) is showing a notable shift in momentum, with its Average Directional Index (ADX) climbing to 17.79, up from 13.77 yesterday.
The ADX measures the strength of a trend, regardless of its direction, on a scale from 0 to 100. Values below 20 suggest a weak or non-existent trend, while readings above 25 typically confirm that a trend is gaining strength.
ADA’s ADX is still below the 20 threshold but rising steadily—indicating that momentum is building and a stronger directional move could soon take shape.
Looking deeper, the +DI (positive directional indicator) has jumped to 26.38 from 16.30 just a day ago, signaling increased buying pressure. Although it has slightly pulled back from an earlier peak at 29.57, it remains firmly above the -DI (negative directional indicator), which has dropped significantly from 22.72 to 13.73.
This widening gap between the +DI and -DI suggests a clear shift in favor of bulls, with buyers regaining control after a brief period of selling pressure.
If the ADX continues to rise alongside a dominant +DI, it could confirm a strengthening uptrend for Cardano.
Cardano Nears Golden Cross as Bulls Eye Breakout—but Key Support Still in Play
Cardano price is approaching a potentially bullish technical development, as its EMA lines suggest a golden cross may form in the coming sessions.
A golden cross occurs when the short-term moving average crosses above the long-term moving average, often signaling the start of a stronger uptrend.
If this crossover is confirmed and ADA manages to break above the resistance at $0.668, the next upside targets sit at $0.709 and $0.77—levels not seen since late March.
However, if ADA fails to maintain its upward trajectory and the momentum fades, downside risks remain in play.
A drop back toward the $0.594 support would be the first sign of weakness, and a breakdown below that level could expose the asset to deeper losses, with $0.511 as the next key support zone.
Price action around the $0.668 resistance will likely be the deciding factor.
The week was notably bullish for the crypto market, with Bitcoin (BTC) reaching record highs of $111,980 and more optimistic predictions emerging. US states’ investment trends and regulatory developments dominated the spotlight, while Pi Network’s price surge also drew attention.
The following is a roundup of some of the most important developments in the crypto market this week.
14 US States Disclose $632 Million Stake in MSTR
One of the most notable developments this week in crypto was the revelation of US states’ $632 million holdings in Strategy’s MSTR stock. BeInCrypto reported that in Q1 2025, the holdings increased by an average of 42%.
“14 US states have reported $632 million in MSTR exposure for Q1, in public retirement and treasury funds. A collective increase of $302 million in one quarter,” Bitcoin Laws founder Julian Fahrer posted.
US State MSTR Stock Holdings. Source: Data Curated by BeInCrypto
California, through its state teachers and public retirement fund, led the pack with $276 million in MSTR shares, followed by Florida, North Carolina, and New Jersey. Despite a recent veto on a Bitcoin reserve bill, Arizona also increased its MSTR holdings.
Other states like Utah and Colorado showed substantial growth in MSTR investments, with the former’s holdings growing by 184% in the last quarter. On the other hand, while boosting its MSTR position by 26%, the Wisconsin Investment Board sold off its entire $300 million stake in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF.
Pi Network has been widely discussed since its open network launch in late February 2025. This week, Pi Coin (PI) dominated headlines due to its 11% price appreciation. BeInCrypto highlighted that the catalyst behind this uptick was an 86 million withdrawal from the OKX exchange.
This reduced OKX’s PI token balance to just 21 million. This mass movement suggested investors were holding rather than selling. This bullish signal is often associated with confidence in future price appreciation.
“This isn’t just a withdrawal—it’s a POWER MOVE by the Pi community. Scarcity is kicking in, and the market is feeling the heat!” a Pioneer posted on X.
Nonetheless, the high was fleeting. After the rise, more declines followed. Over the past day alone, Pi Coin’s value depreciated by 4.7%.
Along with its underwhelming price performance, Pi Network has faced significant criticism due to its inability to secure a listing on major exchanges like Binance or Coinbase. Concerns regarding its lack of recognition on price tracking platforms, token distribution, node centralization, and migration challenges further add to the growing list of issues.
Blum Co-Founder Vladimir Smerkis Arrested in Moscow
Another crypto-related incident this week involved the co-founder of the Telegram-based crypto project Blum. On May 18, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow arrested Vladimir Smerkis, who previously managed Binance’s operations in Russia. Smerkis allegedly committed ‘large-scale fraud.’
“The Zamoskvoretsky District Court granted the investigator’s petition for the preventive measure of detention for Vladimir Smerkis, who was arrested in connection with a case of large-scale fraud (Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation),” local media reported.
In response to the arrest, Blum quickly distanced itself from Smerkis and his involvement in the project.
“We would like to inform our community that Vladimir Smerkis has stepped down from his role as CMO and is no longer involved in the development of the project or in any co-founder capacity,” Blum’s official statement read.
Fred Krueger Predicts Bitcoin Could Reach $600,000 by October 2025
This week in crypto, Bitcoin took center stage with its impressive rally. BeInCrypto was the first to report that Bitcoin reclaimed its all-time high of $108,900 after four months. However, the rally didn’t stop there, as the price continued to climb.
Yesterday, BTC peaked at a new record of $111,980, a high yet to be surpassed. Yet, analysts are increasingly optimistic about Bitcoin’s prospects moving forward.
Mathematician and analyst Fred Krueger predicted that Bitcoin’s price could surge to $600,000 by October 2025. His forecast hinges on a series of speculative developments that will begin on July 21, with BTC priced at $150,000.
“THE FINAL RUN: BITCOIN TO $600,000. Timeframe: 90 days — from Monday, July 21, 2025. Starting BTC: $150,000, Ending BTC: $600,000. Final Gold: $10,400. DXY: Collapses from 96 → 68. US 10Y Yield: Spikes to 9.2% before being “frozen” by the Fed. SPX: Collapses 50%,” Krueger stated.
The supposed catalysts for Bitcoin’s rise to $600,000 include a failed US Treasury auction, BRICS nations launching a Bitcoin-backed payment system, countries shifting reserves to Bitcoin, rising Treasury yields, a collapse in US real estate, tech companies adopting Bitcoin, and a potential restructuring of the US dollar at an October summit.
The bill, which aims to create a state-level Bitcoin Reserve, now only requires Governor Abbott’s signature to be finalized. Notably, as BeInCrypto pointed out, Governor Abbott is pro-crypto.
In fact, he posted an article about the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve on his X account today, which signals a likely approval.
“It’s happening. Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, will sign Texas’ Bitcoin Reserve into law. One of the richest states will be buying Bitcoin. Get ready!!!” crypto commentator Kyle Chassé remarked.
With the Texas Senate session ending on June 2, Governor Abbott has until then to make a decision. If signed into law, Texas will become the second US state to establish its own Bitcoin Reserve, following New Hampshire.
Hedera’s native cryptocurrency, HBAR, has seen a 4.7% price increase over the past 24 hours after replacing Polkadot (DOT) in the Grayscale Smart Contract Platform Fund (GSC Fund). The fund consists of the industry’s top smart contract platforms.
This move has significantly boosted the token’s visibility, sparking optimism among investors and highlighting growing confidence in Hedera’s prospects.
“Grayscale has adjusted GSC Fund’s portfolio by selling Polkadot (DOT) and existing Fund Components in proportion to their respective weightings,” the statement read.
The proceeds from the sales were reinvested into HBAR and other assets in the fund, again based on their proportional weight. HBAR now makes up 5.80% of the GSC fund.
Meanwhile, Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) remain the fund’s dominant assets, accounting for almost 60% of the total holdings. ETH has 30.22% weight in the fund, while SOL accounts for 29.87%.
Notably, the inclusion added further momentum to HBAR’s latest recovery rally. BeInCrypto data showed that the altcoin gained 10.7% over the past week after experiencing a two-month-long downtrend.
At the time of writing, HBAR’s trading price was $0.16. This represented gains of 4.7% over the past day alone.
Besides price, Grayscale’s move has also impacted HBAR’s visibility. According to CoinMarketCap, HBAR has emerged as the most visited real-world asset (RWA) cryptocurrency on the platform, reflecting growing investor interest.
Additionally, Google Trends data revealed that search interest for ‘HBAR’ peaked at 100 today, signaling heightened public curiosity.
Meanwhile, Metal Pay today announced that HBAR is now available on its platform. Metal Pay allows users to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies. Thus, HBAR’s inclusion further increases its accessibility.
That’s not all. HBAR may benefit even further from upcoming developments. The altcoin will launch on Kraken Exchange on July 10. This could likely provide additional exposure and liquidity for the token, possibly driving further interest and adoption.
Industry figures have also endorsed HBAR’s potential. Businessman and investor Kevin O’Leary recently expressed confidence in HBAR and even disclosed that he holds the asset.
“I think HBAR is going to be big, I really do,” he said in an interview.
With these developments, HBAR’s future looks promising. However, while the current momentum paints a bullish picture, how the altcoin will actually perform in the coming time remains to be determined.
