Michael Saylor and MicroStrategy are again setting the standard for other companies to follow in terms of adopting a Bitcoin Strategy. Saylor recently revealed the company’s plans to raise up to $84 billion to buy more Bitcoin.
MicroStrategy To Raise $84 Billion To Buy More BTC
In an X post, Michael Saylor announced that MicroStrategy has doubled its capital plan to $42 billion in equity and $42 billion in fixed income to purchase more Bitcoin. The company has also announced a BTC yield of 13.7% and a BTC gain of $5.8 billion year-to-date (YTD). Meanwhile, it plans to increase its BTC yield target from 15% to 25% and BTC gain target from $10 billion to $15 billion for 2025.
The company, now known as Strategy, currently holds 553,555 BTC, which it acquired at a total cost of $37.90 billion and at an average price of $68,459 per bitcoin. As Coingape reported, Strategy acquired 15,355 Bitcoin for $1.42 billion last week at an average price of $92,737 per BTC.
MicroStrategy ramped up its Bitcoin Strategy towards the end of last year, regularly purchasing BTC every week from November to the end of the year. The firm has continued the buying streak this year, having purchased BTC almost every week since the start of 2025.
As a result, Saylor and his company currently hold over 2% of Bitcoin’s total circulating supply and are the public company with the largest BTC holdings. BlackRock is the only other institutional investor that ranks ahead of Strategy. The world’s largest asset manager currently holds around 570,000 BTC in assets under management (AuM).
As part of its $84 billion capital raise, Strategy has announced a new $21 billion at-the-market (ATM) common stock equity offering. The company has already raised about $6.6 billion through the issuance and sale of its Class A common stock.
Ethereum price hits 60-day peaks above $1,860 driven by institutional interest in Bitcoin, UK regulators proposed ban on DeFi loan markets highlights major risks ahead
Ethereum (ETH) Taps New 60-Day Peaks as Institutions Amplify Bitcoin Demand
Ethereum (ETH) extended its bullish momentum on Friday, surging to a fresh 60-day high above $1,865. The rally comes as institutional demand from Bitcoin ETFs reach historic-peaks.
Ethereum price action, May 2, 2025 | Source: Coingecko
Much of the upside pressure is traced to unprecedented inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, which recorded over $4 billion in cumulative acquisitions during nine consecutive days of buying.
This development has spread bullish tailwinds towards the broader altcoin sector, with ETH price evidently benefitting indirectly from renewed investor interest on Friday.
Further fueling sentiment, MicroStrategy announced plans to raise additional capital for Bitcoin accumulation, reinforcing market expectations for sustained institutional engagement.
While Ethereum’s own use case differs, its market value has historically responded positively to macro crypto inflows, as traders anticipate secondary momentum into Layer-1 altcoins.
UK Regulators Move to Ban Crypto Loans with Credit Cards
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) unveiled a proposed ban on crypto-backed lending, signaling a regulatory shift that could have deep repercussions for decentralized finance (DeFi).
The policy targets the growing practice of issuing loans against crypto assets, citing systemic risks to consumer protection and the broader financial system.
The proposal follows closed-door consultations with the Bank of England and other global financial regulators. At the heart of the crackdown is concern over under-collateralized loans and opaque decentralized credit systems. The FCA’s framework would prohibit UK-based platforms from offering loans secured by crypto assets, including stablecoins and major tokens like Bitcoin and Ether.
The draft legislation is currently open for public feedback, with a 90-day comment window preceding final parliamentary review scheduled for Q3 2025.
DeFi Crackdown Could Further Erode Ethereum’s Market Share
The FCA’s proposed ban threatens to deliver a significant blow to the DeFi ecosystem—an area where Ethereum remains the dominant platform.
As of Friday, total DeFi lending and staking value locked (TVL) reached $101.7 billion, with Ethereum accounting for $51.9 billion, or 52% of total market share. This is notably down from its 71% peak during the 2021 bull market, according to DeFiLlama.
DeFi Total Value Locked as of May 2, 2025 | Source: DeFillama
Should the UK’s ban proceed, major Ethereum-hosted protocols like Aave, Compound, and Lido may see declining user activity and capital inflow from the region. In particular, UK-based liquidity providers and institutional platforms may reduce exposure to DeFi entirely, weakening the ecosystem’s depth.
Staking rewards, which depend heavily on borrowing volume and token utility, are also at risk. Lower lending activity could compress yields, potentially triggering a cascading withdrawal effect across Ethereum’s staking protocols. In this scenario, Ethereum’s overall cryptoccurrency market share could decline further.
Ethereum Price Forecast Today: ETH Targets $1,920 as Bullish Structure Strengthens
Ethereum price is gradually carving out a bullish structure as it continues to pressed the $1,865 barrier on Friday. The ETH price action has shown resilience in recent sessions, holding firmly above the 20-day exponential moving average at $1,754—a level that has quietly become a foundation for this uptrend.
As seen below ETH candles have grown tighter near the top of their daily ranges, suggesting mounting pressure from buyers, even as broader market sentiment remains cautious.
Etheruem price forecast today
The Ethereum price forecast today points to a cautiously optimistic outlook. With the Relative Strength Index rising to 58.02, momentum is building but not yet overextended. The Parabolic SAR has shifted firmly beneath the price since late April, reinforcing the narrative that upward momentum is becoming more entrenched. Meanwhile, the Bollinger Band Percent at 140.12 indicates growing volatility, a common precursor to breakout activity when paired with narrowing consolidation.
If Ethereum can push cleanly above the 50-day EMA resistance around $1,858, bulls could find enough conviction to propel prices toward the $1,920 zone. But the structure remains vulnerable to a pullback if this momentum stalls, with $1,754 likely to act as the key support threshold where sentiment could pivot once more.
Amid global economic volatility, the United States has again raised its debt ceiling to avert a default and ensure the government’s operations continue smoothly.
The US debt ceiling is a legal limit on the amount the federal government can borrow to meet its financial obligations, including pension payments, social welfare programs like Social Security and Medicare, and interest on government bonds.
US Debt Ceiling Increase
Raising the debt ceiling remains contentious, often sparking heated debates between Congress and the White House. Negotiations over spending and budgets are typically prolonged and complex.
According to data from the Senate Joint Economic Committee (JEC), the US national debt has surpassed $36.2 trillion as of April 2025. This marks a significant rise from $22 trillion in March 2019, highlighting the rapid escalation of national debt in recent years.
Historically, raising the debt ceiling is not uncommon. According to NPR, since 1960, Congress has acted 78 times to increase, temporarily extend, or revise the debt ceiling definition—49 times under Republican and 29 times under Democratic presidents. This reflects the recurring need to adjust the ceiling to maintain government functionality, but it also raises questions about the long-term sustainability of US fiscal policy.
Under President Donald Trump’s administration, bold economic policies are being implemented, including using tariff revenues to service debt. Trump has imposed a 125% tariff on Chinese goods, prompting retaliatory 84% tariffs from China on the US. imports.
Consequently, the Chinese yuan (CNY) has hit an 18-year low, with the USD/CNY rate reaching 7.394. The yuan’s depreciation escalates trade tensions and ripple effects across cryptocurrency markets.
Impact on Crypto
The increase in the US debt ceiling has multifaceted implications for the crypto market, both in the short and long term.
Raising the debt ceiling helps the US avoid default, preventing a potential global financial crisis. This often reassures investors, boosting confidence in traditional financial markets like stocks and US Treasury bonds. As a result, demand for safe-haven assets like Bitcoin—usually viewed as a hedge during economic uncertainty—may decline.
Historical trends support this. During past debt ceiling crises, such as in 2021, Bitcoin prices surged as investors feared a US default. However, the pressure eased once the ceiling was raised, prompting some investors to shift capital back to traditional assets. This can create downward price pressure on Bitcoin and other altcoins.
Additionally, a weaker yuan due to US policies could drive capital from China into cryptocurrencies, potentially providing a positive push for the market.
Continually raising the debt ceiling allows the US government to borrow more to fund spending, often leading to increased money printing or issuance of Treasury bonds. This process expands the money supply, fueling inflation and eroding the US dollar’s value.
Cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, are often regarded as an “inflation hedge” due to their fixed supply and decentralized nature. Investors increasingly turn to alternative assets to preserve wealth as the dollar weakens. Bitcoin, often dubbed “digital gold,” has proven its resilience during past economic instability.
The increase in the US debt ceiling has a complex impact on cryptocurrencies. In the short term, it may reduce demand for safe-haven assets like Bitcoin as confidence in traditional markets grows.
However, in the long term, persistent debt ceiling hikes could drive inflation and weaken the dollar, positioning cryptocurrencies as a compelling hedge and alternative asset class.