Bitmine ‘s Tom Lee has predicted that the Ethereum price could reach $10,000 before the end of 2025. The bullish outlook comes as Ethereum ETF inflows surge well ahead of Bitcoin’s. This suggests a shift in institutional preference toward the altcoin. Tom Lee Sets $10,000 Ethereum Price Target Tom Lee, alongside Fundstrat’s Head of Digital
Coinbase and PayPal have expanded their partnership to offer free conversions between PayPal’s stablecoin, PYUSD, and US dollars.
This is to enhance the utilization of stablecoins in digital payments, which is a positive development both for firms in their attempt to adopt blockchain technology within the conventional financial markets.
Coinbase Partners with PayPal to Support Stablecoin Usage
PayPal and Coinbase have teamed up to offer zero-fee conversions for PYUSD on Coinbase’s platform. So, from now on, it is possible to buy, sell, and trade PYUSD without fees on the platform. Furthermore, Coinbase users will be able to exchange their PYUSD 1:1 for US dollars. This arrangement seeks to demystify the stablecoin and ensure that its use is feasible in day-to-day activities.
PayPal’s president and CEO, Alex Chriss, also praised the partnership, saying,
“We are thrilled to advance new, exciting, and innovative use cases with Coinbase and the broader crypto ecosystem, with PYUSD at the core of it and focusing on adding value and more utility to Digital currencies for developers, customers, and other consumers.”
The move also includes more support for the merchants. PayPal also plans to bring PYUSD to its global network of merchants, which could expand the utility of stablecoins in real-world transactions. Amid these developments, the crypto exchange Coinbase filed with the CFTC to launch XRP futures earlier this month, offering a regulated way for investors to gain exposure to XRP.
Increased Utility for Coinbase Customers
Coinbase’s involvement is invaluable since it provides a direct gateway to millions of potential customers. With this new partnership, the crypto exchange plans to incorporate PYUSD into its services to provide users with a quick means of exchanging USD for PYUSD without incurring a fee. This zero-fee applies to Coinbase’s retail usage and also applies to institutional clients.
Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, highlighted the benefits of this partnership for the broader cryptocurrency community, stating,
“Their more than 430 million consumer and merchant accounts offer an unprecedented opportunity to increase stablecoin adoption globally.”
This will also serve institutions which have already embraced crypto to get more out of PYUSD, thus making stablecoin make more rounds in business-to-business transactions.
Expanding DeFi and Digital Payments Applications
While PayPal and Coinbase are working on enhancing the fiat to stablecoins gateway, they are also considering expanding in decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain payments. These two firms have agreed to develop new applications for PYUSD within these sectors to ensure that the digital currency is not restricted to just the financial sector alone.
According to Lauren Abendschein, Global Head of Institutional Sales at Coinbase,
“This is a partnership that is all about advancing the future of global payments, taking stablecoins mainstream, pushing forward this technology.”
As PayPal explores more decentralized exchanges (DEXs), it hopes to offer users the ability to make payments directly in PYUSD, without relying on traditional intermediaries.
Coinbase Expansion and Legal Challenges
Furthermore, the development of its business relationship with PayPal is just one of the many fronts on which Coinbase has been active. The exchange is continuing with the process to expand in different markets.
This includes opening a new office in Charlotte North Carolina and employing hundreds of people from that area. Such actions would show how Coinbase is expanding its operations in the United States and blending with the community.
Despite the expansions, the crypto exchange is still navigating regulatory hurdles, including a lawsuit concerning its staking services and a lawsuit by Oregon AG Rayfield. However, adding to the list, Alabama has dropped its enforcement action against the company related to its staking program.
Paul Atkins, the newly appointed Chair of the SEC, is going to make a public appearance at the next Crypto Roundtable. This meeting concerning crypto custody will take place on Friday.
At his swearing-in ceremony, Atkins described his key priority as providing regulatory clarity for digital assets. In practice, this might mean more institutional products based on cryptocurrencies, wider adoption, and greater flexibility for US-based projects.
Atkins to Speak at the Crypto Roundtable
Starting today, Paul Atkins officially started his role as the SEC Chair and pledged to take a “principled approach” to crypto regulation.
“Paul Atkins is set to speak on Friday at the SEC’s Roundtable on crypto trading — his first public remarks on digital assets since becoming Chair,” Eleanor Terrett claimed.
This discussion will largely concern crypto custody, which may limit the scope of his answers, but it may signal his willingness to appear more regularly.
Regardless of what Atkins says at the Roundtable, the crypto community has a pretty good idea of his biggest concerns. For example, the Ripple vs SEC suit is almost resolved, but a final settlement needs his official approval.
The Commission will also need to decide on 72 altcoin ETF proposals, which will likely give Atkins plenty to do.
As far as a specific vision goes, it’s hard to say how he might distinguish himself. Trump’s Presidency has imposed a clear outlook on crypto regulation: a laissez-faire approach. Any pick for the office will likely align with these values.
A New Look for the SEC
In his acceptance speech, Atkins discussed the SEC’s “waywardness” under Gary Gensler, “keeping [ing] politics out of securities laws,” and his desire to make the US a global crypto capital. These have all been clear priorities for crypto regulation under Trump.
However, Atkins’ commitment to this approach has also engendered a little apprehension from investors. He previously served as the SEC Chair in the lead-up to the 2008 financial crash, resigning shortly beforehand.
Over the next few years, he vocally opposed regulations constructed in the aftermath. Atkins also blamed the US government for the FTX collapse. Some parts of the community worry that he’ll be too hands-off with bad actors.
Ultimately, Friday’s Crypto Roundtable will be the first of Atkins’ many industry-related actions. Regardless of his personal beliefs, the SEC has a few pressing issues that it needs to resolve.
The securities debate is still at large, and it remains to be seen whether the commission completely abandons crypto enforcement or takes a back seat. As the new SEC chair tackles these issues, the community will get a chance to study Atkins’ outlook and crypto ethos.
Low Market Cap Tokens are gaining momentum as May 2025 begins, with Dragonchain (DRGN), ZORA, and Housecoin (HOUSE) leading the way. DRGN surged 115% after the SEC dropped its lawsuit, reigniting interest in the project.
ZORA gained traction after its Coinbase listing, riding the viral Content Coins trend. Meanwhile, HOUSE exploded over 250% in 24 hours.
Dragonchain (DRGN)
Dragonchain (DRGN) is a hybrid blockchain platform built for businesses, enterprises, and developers. It was originally developed inside The Walt Disney Company in 2014.
After becoming independent, the project launched the DRGN token, which briefly hit a $1.3 billion market cap in early 2018. However, a SEC lawsuit in 2022 saw the token’s market cap fall below $20 million.
If momentum holds, DRGN could soon test resistance at $0.090 and $0.107, possibly breaking above $0.11 for the first time since 2021.
However, DRGN may correct back toward $0.044 if buying pressure weakens.
A deeper drop could push the token toward $0.035 or even $0.031. For now, optimism has returned to one of the earliest enterprise blockchain platforms.
ZORA
ZORA is the native token of the Zora platform, a marketplace built around tokenizing digital content. It launched on April 23 through an airdrop and was immediately listed on several major exchanges, including Binance Alpha, Bybit, and KuCoin.
ZORA gained even more momentum after Coinbase officially listed it with an “Experimental” label, warning users about potential volatility. With a market cap close to $46 million, it’s currently one of the most interesting Low-Market-Cap Tokens to watch.
The platform is based on Base chain, Coinbase’s Layer-2 network, and supports the rising “Content Coins” trend — where users mint digital content like memes, images, and posts as tradable tokens.
ZORA recently tested and held support at $0.016, showing resilience after its volatile launch. If the uptrend continues, the token could test resistance at $0.0198, potentially moving toward $0.023 and $0.027.
ZORA could climb further to challenge the $0.034 mark if the broader Content Coins narrative gains traction. It remains one of the early leaders in this emerging sector.
Housecoin (HOUSE)
Housecoin is a new Solana token launched on Pumpfun, built around the idea of letting users “hedge against the housing market.” It has quickly gained attention, reaching a market cap of around $48 million.
HOUSE recently crossed above $0.050 for the first time, setting a new all-time high.
Over the last 24 hours alone, the token has surged by more than 250%, highlighting the growing hype around new meme and niche sector tokens on Solana.
If the strong momentum continues, HOUSE could soon test resistance around $0.058, and a breakout could push it above $0.060 and even $0.070 for the first time.
However, if the trend reverses, HOUSE could return toward support at $0.0189. If that level fails to hold, deeper drops toward $0.0124, $0.008, and even $0.0069 could follow.