The United States of America Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has raised fresh concerns about inflation and signaled a shift in focus toward digital assets, stablecoin regulations, and banking rules. In his recent Speech, he addressed key issues affecting the U.S. economy, including trade changes, labor pressures, and the rise of digital currencies.
Jerome Powell on Inflation and Policy Changes
Per the latest update, Jerome Powell warned that a mix of recent and upcoming policy changes could put upward pressure on inflation in the months ahead. According to the X post, he pointed to tariffs, immigration adjustments, and fiscal and regulatory policy shifts as potential triggers.
While the full effects are uncertain, the Fed Chair noted that these changes might also slow economic growth.
Referencing earlier remarks made in an April 4 report from CNN Business, the Republican leader mentioned that the US-China tariff war could keep inflation higher than expected.
At the same time, he made it clear that the Federal Reserve would likely keep interest rates steady for now. The central bank will monitor how these developments affect both inflation and employment.
Powell acknowledged the Fed’s challenge when inflation and unemployment do not move in the same direction. He said the Fed would have to judge how far these indicators drift from their targets and how long it may take to restore balance.
The Big Take on Stablecoin and Bank Regulation
Speaking on cryptocurrency, Jerome Powell said stablecoins are digital currencies linked to the U.S. dollar’s value. He explained that these coins are becoming more common in the financial system.
As reported by CoinGape, Tether is contemplating launching a US-only stablecoin driven by President Donald Trump’s crypto policies. Drawing on this broad expansion, the Fed Chair said a clear set of rules needs to be established to manage stablecoin as its use grows.
Citing insights from the U.S. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Powell pointed out that stablecoins can make transactions more efficient and help support the dollar’s international strength.
He also noted that regulations for banks handling cryptocurrencies could be loosened in some areas. This indicates a broader shift toward accepting crypto assets within traditional financial systems.
Bitcoin Price and Market Reaction
While Jerome Powell’s Speech made the headlines, market data shows that Bitcoin held steady above $84,000. As of this writing, the coin has pared off its losses and is up 0.37% in 24 hours.
Other assets, including Ethereum, Solana, and Dogecoin, have also jumped by 2.2%, 4.23%, and 0.96%, respectively. These altcoins are riding on BTC’s boost per their higher correlation trend.
Japanese company Metaplanet added optimism by issuing $10 million zero-interest bonds to buy more Bitcoin. Despite uncertainty in traditional markets, Bitcoin’s price remained steady, with some analysts watching for a possible long-term push toward the $100,000 mark.
Solana has emerged as a powerful presence in the crypto industry. Since its inception in 2020, the network has dominated the market, demonstrating remarkable levels of user engagement and practical utility, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi). Many in the industry view it as the next natural contender to receive an ETF approval in the United States.
However, others are more cautious in their evaluations. BeInCrypto spoke with representatives from Gravity, Variant, and OKX to understand the areas where Solana is still lacking. Industry leaders referred to centralization, network reliability, and excessive regulation as points of contention for Solana’s ETF approval.
Bitcoin and Ethereum’s Precedent
The availability of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for prominent cryptocurrencies has grown over the past year. These funds offer investors diversified investment opportunities and act as a bridge between traditional finance and the increasingly mainstream cryptocurrency market.
Meanwhile, the deadline for some filings, including Grayscale’s, was extended until October. Nonetheless, posts on X and some analytical reports suggest yesterday’s deadline as a date of interest for an initial or consolidated SEC response to several applications.
2025 Predictions and Market Expectations
The tentative approval of a Solana ETF has generated much debate across social media platforms. ETF President Nate Geraci formally predicted that 2025 would be the year of crypto ETFs and that Solana would receive its approval this year.
Per previous reports, former Trump White House Secretary Anthony Scaramucci expressed that, with a Trump reelection, Solana ETFs could gain approval during Q1 of 2025. According to his predictions, Solana would receive the SEC’s green light during the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, the prediction market Polymarket estimates an 82% chance that a Solana ETF will get approved in 2025.
According to a Polymarket poll, Solana has an 82% chance of getting an ETF approval in 2025. Source: Polymarket
Several factors make an imminent Solana ETF approval seem plausible. Less than five years after the network launched, Solana quickly became a major player in the crypto industry, attracting users for its high transaction speeds and low gas fees.
“From a network perspective, Solana’s performance has been remarkable, now driving nearly 50% of all global DEX volume– a dominance that fundamentally reshapes the DeFi landscape. The blockchain is not just handling unprecedented transaction volumes… it’s transforming our understanding of blockchain scalability at scale,” Lennix Lai, Global Chief Commercial Officer at OKX told BeInCrypto.
Solana has established itself as a dynamic force in the crypto industry following a successful 2024.
A Messari report detailed particular growth in Solana’s final quarter across DeFi, liquid staking, NFTs, and institutional involvement. The total value locked (TVL) in Solana’s DeFi sector increased substantially, growing by 64% to $8.6 billion, which placed it behind Ethereum as the second-largest network based on TVL.
Solana’s positive performance, coupled with Donald Trump’s reelection to the US presidency, further amplified the crypto industry’s optimism over an ETF approval.
However, some industry experts have expressed more tempered expectations.
Experts Offer Tempered Expectations
A few days before Trump assumed the presidency, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart said Solana ETFs may not be launched in the US until 2026. He cited the SEC’s precedent of taking a lot of time to review filings as the cause for delay.
In another post, Bloomberg Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said that ETF approvals for other cryptocurrencies were more likely to occur before Solana.
“We expect a wave of cryptocurrency ETFs next year, albeit not all at once. First out is likely the BTC + ETH combo ETFs, then prob Litecoin (bc its fork of btc = commodity), then HBAR (bc not labeled security) and then XRP/Solana (which have been labeled securities in pending lawsuits),” Balchunas said.
Balchunas further explained that complex legal issues around Solana, relating to its status as a security, need to be resolved before it can gain ETF approval. Consequently, he deemed the approval of Litecoin or Hedera ETFs more likely.
Uncertainty over whether Solana classifies as a security is a major driver fueling doubts over its ETF approval.
Security Classification Concerns
Martins Benkitis, co-founder and CEO of Gravity, explained that Solana’s regulatory classification complicates its path to approval.
“It’s no secret there’s currently a lack of precedent for Layer-1 blockchains beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum in the ETF space, this suggests cautious optimism but with higher regulatory hurdles. Bitcoin, being a commodity in the SEC’s eyes, and Ethereum’s gradual transition to PoS had different legal considerations. Solana, on the other hand, faces concerns over potential classification as a security due to its token distribution and foundation’s involvement,” Benkitis told BeInCrypto.
The SEC identified Solana as a security in lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase over the past two years, although these lawsuits have since been dropped. The SEC argued that these tokens could be considered investment contracts under the Howey Test.
While some interpreted the SEC’s lawsuit withdrawal as a softening stance on Solana’s security classification, others quickly challenged this assumption.
“There is no reason to think [the] SEC has decided SOL is a non-security. That they don’t want to do discovery on a dozen tokens in the Binance case appears to be a litigation tactic, not a change in policy,” said Jake Chervinsky, Chief Legal Officer at Variant, following the Binance lawsuit withdrawal in July 2024.
Others believe that a pro-crypto administration should be enough to influence the SEC to consider Solana as a non-security. Lai disagrees.
“The changing political landscape, particularly with Trump’s victory and pro-crypto stance, could create a more constructive environment for innovative blockchain platforms like Solana. However, the technical and market structure considerations will remain crucial regardless of administration changes,” he said.
In the meantime, there are several other requirements Solana must meet.
On his part, Lai added other aspects to the list of considerations.
“While Polymarket shows high odds for 2025 approval, several critical factors suggest a more complex pathway: Solana’s technological architecture presents unique challenges with its PoS mechanism; The absence of CME futures raises liquidity and risk management concerns; Historical network downtime incidents need addressing; Centralization questions relative to BTC and ETH remain unresolved; Institutional interest hasn’t matched BTC and ETH levels despite the network driving 48% of global DEX volume; [and] the temporary nature of trending themes suggests caution in using current volumes as primary indicators,” Lai told BeInCrypto.
Concerns about centralization and scalability have long been discussed regarding Solana, even outside of discussions over an ETF approval.
Since 2021, Solana has suffered over a dozen network outages varying in severity. These outages have jeopardized the network’s reputation as stable and reliable– two strongly considered characteristics during the ETF approval process.
“From a market making standpoint, network reliability is crucial as any downtime or congestion can significantly impact trading operations and order execution,” Benkitis affirmed.
However, Solana has successfully curbed the number of outages it has experienced. Once notorious for the frequency of its shutdowns, the last time Solana experienced one was in February 2024.
Meanwhile, developers designed Solana’s upcoming Firedancer validator client to improve network stability and transaction processing. Its distinct codebase offers greater resilience against widespread outages and will enhance Solana’s performance.
Yet, Solana must also mitigate centralization concerns to improve its chances of obtaining ETF approval.
Centralization Concerns
Solana’s validator node requirements, which demand significant hardware investments, can create barriers to entry. These obstacles can potentially concentrate power within the network among those capable of affording the necessary infrastructure.
In turn, the protocol’s limited number of validators compared to other networks raises concerns over centralization. For context, while Solana currently has around 2,000 active validators, Ethereum passed the one million benchmark last year—the largest number recorded by any blockchain network.
Though Solana’s hardware reliance speeds up the network, it also raises decentralization concerns. Benkitis factored this aspect into his evaluation of an ETF approval.
Its currently underdeveloped futures market infrastructure further complicates Solana’s viability as an ETF candidate.
Its filings were unprecedented because the network did not have a previously established futures market. This factor was crucial in determining an ETF approval for Bitcoin and Ethereum.
“The lack of CME futures and institutional frameworks comparable to BTC/ETH could influence [the SEC’s] evaluation,” Lai said.
He added that the proliferation of meme tokens minted on Solana could present themselves as a potential roadblock.
“Market reactions reflect Solana’s emergence as the primary driver of this cycle, with DEX volumes exceeding $100 billion and dominating major aggregators. However, I believe the temporary nature of trending themes suggests continued volatility. While technological advancement and growing institutional adoption may provide stronger foundations, we need to maintain perspective on the cyclical nature of crypto trends,” Lai said.
This more recent development in Solana’s attraction also brings its set of downsides.
Meme Coin Influence and Regulatory Concerns
The expanding meme coin market on Solana partially explains its popularity. Platforms like Pump.fun allow anyone to launch their tokens, and this design has even led to celebrities launching their tokens on the platform.
More recently, political figures like Donald Trump and Argentine president Javier Milei have also launched meme tokens on Solana platforms. Yet, these activities have proven to be high-risk. In many cases, meme coin investments have caused smaller retailers millions of dollars in losses.
Benkitis said that the SEC might frown upon the speculative nature of these trading activities.
“While an ETF approval could unlock liquidity opportunities, the market’s heavy dependence on speculative sentiment calls for a measured and cautious approach,” he said.
With so many considerations, approving a Solana ETF in 2025 is far from guaranteed. The SEC’s eventual decision will be a defining moment for the network and the broader crypto industry.
Bitcoin (BTC) has reclaimed the $99,000 mark for the first time in over two months, igniting optimism among analysts who anticipate a price breakthrough above the $100,000 mark soon.
Notably, BTC’s performance over the past month has been quite remarkable. Its value has appreciated by 31.8%, representing a strong comeback from its Liberation Day lows in early April.
Is Bitcoin on Track to Reach $100,000?
In the early Asian trading hours, the largest cryptocurrency reached $99,388, marking its highest price since February 21, 2025. At press time, Bitcoin’s price had adjusted to $98,874. BeInCrypto data showed that the coin experienced a slight 0.3% dip in the past hour.
Yet, this increase has fueled optimism that a rise to $100,00 is inevitable. Market participants on X (formerly Twitter) have echoed the positive outlook.
“Bitcoin is knocking on the door of $100,000 again. Tick, tock…,” Anthony Pompliano wrote.
Previously, a Bitfinex forecast suggested that if Bitcoin holds above $95,000, a revisit to its all-time highs becomes likely. This prediction appears to be materializing as Bitcoin now trades above this threshold.
Furthermore, several market indicators and developments support the bullish sentiment. An analyst revealed that Bitcoin has moved past a price range where many traders were holding short positions with high leverage.
“There is no significant resistance until around $100,000,” the analyst stated.
In their weekly newsletter, Glassnode also noted that Bitcoin’s realized cap has reached a record high of $889 billion, growing by 2.1% over the past month. This increase reflects rising investor confidence and capital inflows.
The firm pointed to signs of renewed market strength, with significant capital flowing back into Bitcoin, particularly through ETFs. Over the last two weeks, more than $4.6 billion has entered Bitcoin ETFs.
“The total AUM held within the US spot ETFs has now climbed to over 1.171 million BTC, which is just 11,000 BTC shy of the 1.182 million BTC ATH,” the newsletter highlighted.
This surge in inflows has largely reversed the earlier period of outflows, further indicating strong demand for Bitcoin.
“Strong ETF inflows, alongside improved investor confidence, helps to paint a picture of stronger tailwinds supporting the Bitcoin market,” Glassnode added.
Meanwhile, CryptoQuant highlighted that over the past three days, the amount of stablecoins sent to Binance has grown substantially. The peak was on May 6, when the inflow reached nearly $1 billion, making it the largest single-day deposit since April.
“Stablecoin inflows typically reflect investor readiness to enter the market, as these assets are often sent to exchanges in anticipation of buy-side activity,” the post read.
In addition, Binance’s latest reserve disclosure showed a decline in the holdings of several major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), BNB (BNB), and Solana (SOL). In contrast, the 2.6% increase in Tether (USDT) reserves stands out.
This uptick in stablecoin holdings suggests a rise in liquidity. This signals that traders are positioning themselves for future market transactions.
Adding to the optimism, Tether dominance (USDT.D) has experienced a downtick. A decline in USDT.D typically indicates that investors are moving funds from stablecoins into other crypto assets, further fueling the rally.
Legislative progress is another tailwind for Bitcoin. Two Bitcoin-reserve bills have been enacted, and multiple more continue to advance through the legislative process. This implies that there is increasing institutional and governmental acceptance of Bitcoin.
As Bitcoin approaches the $100,000 threshold, investors are closely monitoring whether this rally will sustain its momentum or face resistance. With market conditions aligning favorably, the crypto community remains on edge for what could be a milestone for BTC.
Recent analyses by crypto experts acknowledge that Bitcoin (BTC) price movements closely correlate with the global M2 money supply. Based on this, they predict potential bullish momentum for the crypto market in late March.
With global liquidity expanding, analysts predict that Bitcoin and other digital assets could experience a significant rally, starting around March 25, 2025, and potentially lasting until mid-May.
Global M2 and Its Influence on Bitcoin
The M2 money supply represents a broad measure of liquidity, including cash, checking deposits, and easily convertible near-money assets. Historically, Bitcoin has demonstrated a strong correlation with M2 fluctuations, as increased liquidity in financial markets often drives demand for alternative assets like cryptocurrencies.
Colin Talks Crypto, an analyst on X (Twitter), highlighted this correlation, pointing to a sharp increase in global M2. He described it as a “vertical line” on the chart, signaling an imminent surge in asset prices.
According to his prediction, the rally for stocks, Bitcoin, and the broader crypto market is expected to commence on March 25, 2025, and extend until May 14, 2025.
“The Global M2 Money Supply chart just printed another vertical line. The rally for stocks, Bitcoin, and crypto is going to be epic,” he suggested.
Vandell, co-founder of Black Swan Capitalist, supports that global M2 movements directly influence Bitcoin’s price. He notes that declines in global M2 are typically followed by Bitcoin and cryptocurrency market downturns about ten weeks later.
Despite the potential for short-term dips, Vandell believes this cycle sets the stage for a long-term uptrend.
“As seen recently, when global M2 declined, Bitcoin & crypto followed roughly 10 weeks later. While further downside is possible, this drawdown is a natural part of the cycle. This liquidity shift will likely continue throughout the year, setting the stage for the next leg up,” Vandell explained.
“Bottom line is: Inflation isn’t the prime topic, likely to go down. FED rate cuts. The dollar to weaken massively. Yields to fall. M2 Supply to significantly expand. And as this process started, it’s just a matter of time until altcoins and crypto pick up. Bull,” he stated.
Historical Context and Projections
The correlation between Bitcoin’s price and global M2 growth is not new. Tomas, a macroeconomist, recently compared previous market cycles, particularly in 2017 and 2020. At the time, significant increases in global M2 coincided with Bitcoin’s strongest annual performances.
“Money supply is expanding globally. The last two major global M2 surges occurred in 2017 and 2020—both coincided with mini ‘everything bubbles’ and Bitcoin’s strongest years. Could we see a repeat in 2025? It depends on whether the U.S. dollar weakens significantly,” Tomas observed.
Tomas also highlighted the impact of central bank policies, pointing out that while major banks are cutting rates, the strength of the US dollar could be a limiting factor. If the dollar index (DXY) drops to around 100 or lower, it could create conditions similar to previous Bitcoin bull runs.
Macro researcher Yimin Xu believes that the Federal Reserve might halt its Quantitative Tightening (QT) policies in the latter half of the year. Such a move, Yimin says, could potentially shift toward Quantitative Easing (QE) if economic conditions demand it. This shift could inject additional liquidity into the markets, fueling Bitcoin’s upward trajectory.
“I think reserves could get too thin for the Fed’s liking in the second half of the year. I predict they will terminate QT in late Q3 or Q4, with possible QE to come after,” Xu commented.
Tomas agreed, stating that the Federal Reserve’s current plan is to increase its balance sheet slowly, which is in line with GDP growth. He also articulates that a major financial event could trigger a full-scale return to QE.
These perspectives suggest that uncertainties remain, including the strength of the US dollar and potential economic shocks. Nevertheless, the broader consensus among analysts points toward an impending bullish phase for Bitcoin.
Investors must conduct their own research as they continue to watch macroeconomic indicators in the coming months, anticipating whether the predicted rally will materialize.
