Citigroup has placed a $4,300 year-end 2025 target for Ethereum (ETH), a level that looks cautious given ETH just hit an all-time high of $4,955 only last month. The bank cites macro uncertainty, regulatory pressure, and risk of correction after a strong rally as reasons for its conservative call.
But when we shift focus from Wall Street forecasts to Ethereumâs on-chain data, a stronger story emerges.
đš Staking Surge
According to CryptoQuant, ETH staking inflows are running near record highs. More investors are locking up their ETH, shrinking liquid supply and showing strong conviction in Ethereumâs long-term growth. This steady flow into staking makes Citiâs $4,300 call look more like a downside safety net than a fair reflection of network momentum.
đš Exchange Balances Drying Up
ETH reserves on centralized exchanges have fallen steadily since 2020, and now sit at fresh multi-year lows. With less ETH available for instant selling, supply pressure weakens. Historically, such trends often align with bullish price moves.
đš What Analysts Are Saying
While Citi remains cautious, several crypto analysts believe ETH could push far higher if current demand continues. Projections between $6,000â$7,000 by year-end 2025 are being floated, especially if staking, tokenization, and stablecoin adoption keep accelerating.
â The Takeaway
Citiâs cautious stance reflects institutional risk management, but on-chain fundamentals point to growing strength. Rising staking inflows, shrinking exchange reserves, and growing network adoption suggest Ethereumâs upside potential may be underestimated.
In simple terms: $4,300 might be the floor, not the ceiling.
Ethereum (ETH) is experiencing its largest wave of staking activity in over two years, signaling stronger validator confidence and renewed long-term trust in the network.
đ Between August 14 and September 4, 2025, Ethereum staking inflows grew consistently, approaching levels not seen since June 2023. The biggest spike came on August 24â25, when inflows hit 308k ETH in a single day. By August 30, the 7-day average stood at around 150k ETH, showing not just a one-off event, but sustained momentum.
đš Why This Matters
Reduced Supply: With more ETH locked into staking, circulating supply on the market shrinks. Less liquid ETH often means reduced selling pressure, which can help stabilize or even lift prices.
Validator Confidence: Large inflows suggest that validators are confident enough to lock up ETH at current prices, reflecting strong belief in Ethereumâs long-term future.
Market Psychology: Data showing such inflows often boosts sentiment among retail investors, encouraging them to stake or accumulate ETH themselves.
đš Bigger Picture
Ethereum staking is not only about rewards. It also reinforces the security and decentralization of the network. Each new validator adds resilience, while large-scale inflows highlight Ethereumâs continued dominance as the leading smart contract platform.
The timing is also important. In a market that has been uncertain, these staking trends suggest that both institutional and individual players are increasing their commitment to ETH rather than cashing out.
đ Bottom line: Ethereumâs latest staking surge is the strongest since 2023, reducing available supply and sending a powerful message of validator confidence. If this trend continues, ETH could benefit not just technically, but also psychologically, as trust in the ecosystem strengthens further.
Pepe (PEPE) has been showing strong performance this week, recording a 16% surge to trade around $0.00001145. The token is holding steady above its important support at $0.00001143, a level closely watched by traders.
Over the last seven days, PEPE also gained 8.1% against Bitcoin and 6.6% against Ethereum, signaling increasing investor confidence and steady capital inflows. This outperformance against major assets highlights PEPEâs growing market strength, even as broader crypto sentiment remains mixed.
đš Support and Trading Range
The current support at $0.00001143 has helped limit downside pressure. For the past 24 hours, PEPEâs price has been moving between $0.00001143 (support) and $0.00001251 (resistance). Price action remains centered in this range, suggesting a balanced battle between buyers and sellers. The defense of this support level shows that traders are keen to protect PEPEâs short-term momentum.
đš Resistance Test Ahead
The next major hurdle lies at $0.00001251, where upward moves have been capped. Trading volume suggests another retest of this zone is possible. A breakout above resistance could open the way for further momentum, while failure to hold support at $0.00001143 might invite short-term corrections.
đš Market Sentiment
PEPEâs ability to outperform both BTC and ETH is attracting market attention. Each gain reinforces its growing profile across multiple trading pairs, making the token more visible in the broader market. The stable structure also reflects that PEPE is not just driven by hype but by consistent buying interest.
đ Bottom line: As long as PEPE stays above $0.00001143, bulls remain in control. A clean move above $0.00001251 could extend its rally, while consolidation within the current range keeps the market in balance.
Pakistanâs foreign-currency credit rating has been upgraded by S&P Global Ratings from âCCC+â to âB-â with a stable outlook. This move shows confidence in the governmentâs fiscal reforms and improving economy. After the news, Pakistanâs dollar bonds rose, according Bloomberg.
S&P said Pakistanâs efforts to raise revenue, plus softer inflation, are helping reduce budget pressures. The new rating now puts Pakistan next to countries like Nigeria and Egypt on S&Pâs list.
đ Rate cuts likely as inflation cools
Bloomberg Economics forecasts GDP growth at 4.1% in FYâŻ2026. The State Bank of Pakistan has already cut its policy rate from 22% to 11%, and analysts expect another 50â100 basisâpoint cut by year-end. A Topline Securities survey shows most experts predicting a cut at the next meeting on JulyâŻ30.
Lower oil prices and easing inflation (down to 3.2% in June) support further rate cuts. Shankar Talreja from Topline sees average inflation at 5â7% in FYâŻ2026, which could allow the rate to drop to around 10% by DecemberâŻ2025.
đ Growth target & IMF support
The government targets 4.2% GDP growth this year, backed by a $7âŻbillion IMF deal. The current account also turned positive, recording a $328 million surplus. Falling inflation helped the central bank cut rates sharply from last yearâs highs.
Shahid AliâŻHabib (ArifâŻHabib Ltd.) notes that lower rates could reduce borrowing costs, boost business, and speed up recovery after FYâŻ2025âs modest 2.68% growth.
â Market view
Talreja warns markets may not react strongly since treasury bills already price in these cuts, trading around 10.7%. But the upgrade still reflects stronger fundamentals and policy reforms.
With inflation easing, reforms ongoing, and rates falling, Pakistan could see growth and more investor confidence ahead.
On July 23, Solana activated upgrade SIMD-0256, raising its block computing unit (CU) limit from 50 million to 60 million â a 20% increase.
â This means each block can now handle more transactions, which boosts network throughput and speed.
The change was shared by crypto KOL MartyParty and is part of Solanaâs push to keep improving scalability as demand grows.
Why it matters: Bigger block capacity can help Solana handle higher traffic without slowing down â making it more efficient for users and developers.
⏠Mara Holdings, a major Bitcoin miner, plans to raise up to $1 billion through convertible senior notes to boost its Bitcoin treasury. The plan includes $850 million offered to institutional buyers, plus an option for another $150 million â with notes maturing in 2032.
Mara says itâll use:
Up to $50 million to buy back part of its 2026 notes.
Funds to cover cappedâcall fees.
And to buy more Bitcoin at around $118,487 per coin.
These new notes wonât pay interest and remain subject to market conditions before the sale is finalized.
⏠Bitcoin remains core to Maraâs strategy Mara says BTC is central to its longâterm growth. The company now holds around 50,000 BTC, ranking it as the second-largest corporate holder behind Strategy, which holds 607,000 BTC.
Earlier this year, Mara also invested in Two Prime, an adviser managing $1.75 billion, to increase its Bitcoin exposure. In June, Mara reported a 35% rise in monthly BTC production and set a record annual mining revenue of $752 million.
⏠Trump Media joins the crypto treasury trend At the same time, Trump Media â parent of Truth Social â bought about $2 billion in BTC and related assets this week. The firm also plans to invest another $300 million in Bitcoinâlinked securities and may convert more of its options into BTC as market conditions allow.
CEO Devin Nunes said holding Bitcoin protects the company from financial discrimination and supports future plans for a utility token on Truth Social.
Shares of Trump Media rose over 7% on the news, though its stock remains down about 45% in 2025.
â Big picture: Both Mara and Trump Media are doubling down on Bitcoin as part of their treasury strategy â showing how corporate crypto adoption keeps growing, even in a volatile year.
Active loans across lending protocols on Ethereum have now hit $30 billion, marking a huge jump of about $27 billion since January 2023.
This rise shows how fast on-chain lending and internet-scale capital markets are growing â with more users and institutions tapping into DeFi to borrow, lend, and earn.
â Why it matters: It highlights renewed confidence and activity in Ethereumâs DeFi space, as lending demand surges alongside the broader crypto market recovery.
XRP price is holding near $3.45 after a recent surge â and massive whale transfers are sparking fresh speculation. In the past two days, over 400 million XRP (â$1.4B) moved between wallets linked to Ripple, catching tradersâ attention.
đ Whatâs really happening?
According to @XRPwallets, Ripple shifted 200 million XRP from a wallet opened in 2020 to a newly created subwallet â and repeated the same move shortly after.
Some see this as Ripple reshuffling treasury funds rather than dumping, but the timing keeps traders alert.
Big transfers can mean:
â Whales preparing OTC deals or liquidity events
â Setting up new operational wallets
â ď¸ Or hedging ahead of market swings
đ Technical outlook: next targets & key support
⢠Current price: $3.453 ⢠Analyst Dark Defenderâs targets: $5.85 and $9.76 (Fibonacci) ⢠Strong support: $3.39 and $3.52 â if these hold, bulls could test higher levels
A break above $3.50â$3.55 could open the path to $5+.
đ ETF buzz adds momentum
XRP was added to Bitwiseâs planned spot crypto ETF alongside BTC, ETH, and SOL. Although the SEC paused the approval, it still shows growing institutional demand â a longer-term bullish sign.
â Summary: Big whale moves, bullish chart targets, and ETF inclusion keep XRP in focus. If support holds, traders see upside â but watch whale wallets and SEC headlines for whatâs next.
Tether, the issuer behind USDT, has shared details of its growing investment and venture capital portfolio â revealing it has invested in over 120 companies worldwide.
Key names in Tetherâs portfolio include: â CityPay â a payments company aiming to expand crypto-friendly payment networks â Bitdeer â a major Bitcoin mining firm â Crystal Intelligence â a blockchain analytics platform
Tetherâs move shows its ambition to go beyond stablecoins and become a broader player in crypto, fintech, and blockchain infrastructure. While it remains the biggest stablecoin issuer, this VC push hints at a longer-term strategy to diversify and shape the future of the digital asset space.
đ Why it matters: This shows how big stablecoin issuers arenât just passive players â theyâre actively funding projects that could change the ecosystem.
The US government is moving to seize $7.1 million in crypto linked to a worldwide oil and gas investment scam that tricked investors out of millions.
According to the Seattle US Attorneyâs Office, Homeland Security seized the funds in December 2024. This is part of a larger fraud that allegedly raised $97 million from June 2022 to July 2024 by promising high returns from oil tank storage investments â but after investors paid, the fraudsters disappeared.
⏠How the scam worked
â Victimsâ money was turned into BTC, ETH, USDT, and USDC, then moved through accounts tied to people in Russia and Nigeria.
â A large chunk of the crypto ended up on Binance, the worldâs biggest exchange.
One man, Geoffrey Auyeung, was charged in August 2024 for receiving most of the stolen funds and converting them into crypto. US officials also seized $2.3 million from his bank accounts at that time.
⏠More victims & more money tracked
So far, prosecutors have identified about $17.9 million in losses, but expect more victims to come forward. If the court approves the $7.1M seizure, the total recovered would rise to $9.4 million, which could help pay back those harmed.
⏠Part of wider crackdown
This isnât the only case making headlines:
Promoters of OmegaPro were charged in a $650 million fraud.
Ex-rugby player Shane Donovan Moore was sentenced for a $900,000 Ponzi scheme.
In Hong Kong, four arrests were made in a $382,000 investor scam, though the main suspect fled.
â Takeaway: Old scams find new life in crypto â but global enforcement is catching up fast. Always research before investing, and be cautious with offers promising big returns!
A viral claim is spreading that SWIFT has officially approved Ripple and XRP for all cross-border payments, saying $650 trillion will flow into the XRP Ledger, plus a huge token burn in 72 hours. Letâs see whatâs real and whatâs just hype.
⏠Where did this come from? It started with posts like:
âSWIFT AGREEMENT WITH RIPPLE TO USE XRP FOR CROSS BORDER PAYMENTS HAS BEEN APPROVED!!â
Some added that billions of XRP will be locked or burned to push prices higher.
⏠Fact check: No official deal
â SWIFT has not announced using XRP for all cross-border payments.
â Rippleâs CEO only predicted XRP might handle up to 14% of SWIFTâs volume in 5 years â but thatâs just an estimate.
â SWIFT is currently focusing on upgrades like ISO 20022, with no sign of moving all payments to XRP.
⏠Will $650 trillion move to XRPL?
â No evidence supports this. SWIFT does handle huge annual volumes, but thereâs no sign all that money will suddenly run through XRP.
â Some banks already use XRP, mostly for remittances in developing markets, but on a much smaller scale.
⏠Is a big XRP burn coming?
â No official plan or announcement of a massive burn. XRPâs supply changes are controlled by Ripple and are not announced like this.
â In summary:
SWIFT has not approved XRP for all payments.
The $650 trillion claim is exaggerated.
No big token burn is planned.
â ď¸ Conclusion: Thereâs no official SWIFTâRipple deal to use XRP globally. Some tests and discussions may happen, but nothing is confirmed.
Pudgy Penguins got huge attention after Coinbase, Binance.US, OpenSea, VanEck & OKX changed avatars to Pudgy Penguins. VanEck even featured them at the NASDAQ bell ceremony, bridging NFTs and mainstream finance.
The buzz pushed $PENGU token up 216% in a month, hitting $2.8B market cap, and NFT trading volume jumped to $13.7M, up 111%.
⏠Beyond NFTs: toys & games
Pudgy Penguins built a real ecosystem:
Pudgy Toys sold in 10,000+ Walmart stores, over $10M sales. Holders share revenue.
Games: Pengu Clash on TON got 60K+ players fast; new game Pudgy Party (launching summer 2025) already nears 100K followers.
⏠Own Layer 2 & MEME tokens Parent company built Abstract, a ZK-rollup Layer 2 with 2.5M users & $42.6M TVL. Itâs user-friendly â no seed phrases.
Also includes:
Abster: MEME coin, now worth $37.6M.
Polly: Used for NFT lotteries on PollyPrize.
⏠Whatâs next?
ETF: Canary Capital applied to list the first ETF backed by $PENGU , which could bring big funds.
Abstract token launch: Expected by end of 2025 to boost ecosystem growth.
Pudgy Party game: Likely to add MEME characters like Abster, deepening brand stickiness.
â In short: Pudgy Penguins grew from NFTs into toys, games, MEME coins & blockchain â showing how Web3 IP can become a global brand even in a weak NFT market.
âş Synapse (SYN) jumps 43.89% in 24h after rebranding to Cortex Protocol (CX) âş Holders migrate at a generous 1 SYN â 5.5 CX ratio, boosting trader interest
âş Big volume surge: Spot volume: 50.08M SYN Futures volume: 48.93M SYN Total daily volume: â $152 million
âş Current price on Binance: $SYNUSDT trading at $0.1840, up from $0.1294
âş Why it matters: Rebrands + migration often create momentum, higher volumes, and short-term bullish sentiment.
Pi Network isnât just trending for price this time â real adoption is surging:
â 21,000+ live apps built through Pi App Studio by over 34,800 Pioneers, making Pi one of the busiest blockchain ecosystems.
â Simple no-code tools and AI features make it easy for anyone to build, unlike many projects that stay developer-only.
đ Staking shows real user confidence
During Pi2Day 2025, Pi launched Ecosystem Directory Staking, letting users stake Pi to boost favorite apps. ⢠Over 37.7 million Pi staked so far ⢠Backed by 16,000+ users, supporting around 1,450 apps
đ Big whale moves spark speculation
Large holders have shifted huge amounts recently: ⢠One wallet moved 11.6M Pi (â$5M) in 24h ⢠Two others transferred over 3M each This fueled talk of possible exchange listings, partnerships, or bigger price swings.
đ Price outlook & what traders should watch
Pi price dropped from over $0.50 to below $0.43 last week, but recovered to about $0.455. ⢠24h trading volume jumped +68% to $67.7M showing fresh interest ⢠Key technical level: a break above $0.53 could push price toward $0.70, and if momentum keeps building, long-term eyes are on $1 ⢠Support to watch near $0.42â$0.43
Summary for traders: Piâs ecosystem is getting real traction, whales are active, and volume is rising. For now, momentum depends on breaking resistance at $0.53 â if that happens, Pi could head to $0.70 next.
Conflux (CFX) stunned the market with a +100% move, now trading around $0.217.
đ Why price exploded
â A short squeeze wiped out over $1M in short positions, flipping market sentiment bullish. â Conflux team announced major upgrades:
Boost to 15,000 TPS
Real-world asset integration
Possible yuan-backed offshore stablecoin, boosting Chinese investor interest
â Trading volume surged 374%, showing real buying momentum.
đ§ What on-chain & derivatives say
Open interest up +109% â new money entering long trades
Funding rates turned positive â more traders betting on price rise
Spot supply on exchanges fell â holders moving tokens off exchanges (bullish sign)
Active addresses & transactions jumped â real network use, not just speculation
đ Key technical levels
Price broke & held above the old $0.10 resistance â new support around $0.145
Fibonacci targets:
$0.21 â now tested
$0.235 â next challenge
$0.2736 â historical resistance zone
Moving Averages: 50 & 200-day lines are heading for a Golden Cross, often a strong bullish signal.
RSI is overbought â shows strong momentum, but watch for cooldowns.
đ What traders should do next
â Watch if CFX holds above $0.18â$0.21 on daily/weekly close â confirms strength. â If bulls keep control â possible push to $0.235 and $0.27 next. â ď¸ If price drops below $0.145 â risk of deeper pullback to $0.12 area before next leg up. â Volume & open interest staying high = likely continuation.
đ Bottom line
CFXâs rally is backed by real demand and ecosystem news, not just hype. If price keeps closing above support & the Golden Cross confirms, the path to $0.27â$0.30 looks real. But traders should manage risk: overbought RSI means quick dips remain possible.
âŹď¸ â Current Check: â Price: $0.1573 â 24h high: $0.1583 â 24h low: $0.1461 â MA(7): $0.1518 â near-term trend base â MA(25): $0.1542 â important support zone â MA(99): $0.1333 â deep trend base
âŹď¸ đ Entry Zone (safer idea): â Wait for price to hold above $0.1560â$0.1580 with steady volume â Better to avoid chasing large green candles; look for a small pullback bounce near $0.1550â$0.1560
âŹď¸ đŻ Profit Targets â TP1: $0.1680 â upper band area; take partial profit â TP2: $0.1850 â if strong buyers continue (near +17%) â Stretch TP3: $0.2050 â only if volume keeps building and sentiment holds (
âŹď¸ đĄ Support & Stop Plan: â Soft support: $0.1520â$0.1540 â EMA/MA cluster â Hard stop idea: if price closes below $0.1480 on 4H â trend breaks â better to exit & wait
âŹď¸ â Risk & Timing Tips (easy words): â Fast rise â pullbacks normal; donât panic â Use stop-loss; lock profits on spikes â Itâs a long signal â no rush; targets can be reached over days, not forced into 24h
⨠Quick Summary: â Enter only above $0.1560â$0.1580 after retest â First target near $0.1680; next $0.1850; stretch $0.2050 â Exit if close below $0.1480 â Hold patiently; let trend do the work
đš USDT Dominates the Market Tether (USDT) is the worldâs most traded stablecoin, covering 73% of all stablecoin activity. Itâs deeply integrated into everyday crypto transactions across the globe.
đš Everyday Use Keeps Growing USDT is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, helping users avoid crypto volatility. â Over 165 million on-chain wallets hold USDT. â Active stablecoin wallets jumped by 50% in a year, from 19.6M to 30M.
đš Strong Demand in Asia About 45% of USDT volume comes from Asia, where itâs often used to hedge against local currency risks or limited banking services.
đš The Trading Backbone USDT pairs like USDT/BTC and USDT/ETH account for over 35% of global trading volume. ⥠Used in 900+ trading pairs on top exchanges like KuCoin & MEXC. ⥠Makes up 65% of all stablecoin trades.
đš Scrutiny & Transparency Efforts Tether faced criticism over its reserves and settled with the CFTC in 2021. Now, it shares quarterly independent audit reports to boost trust.
đš Stronger Reserves Tether holds nearly $120 billion in US Treasuries (direct & indirect) and keeps a $5.6 billion reserve buffer â putting it in solid financial shape.
đš Regulation Ahead Proposed US laws like the STABLE Act could bring stricter rules. Supporters say it increases trust; critics fear it might hurt big players like Tether.
đš Competition Exists, But Canât Match Scale Rivals like USDC and DAI are growing but still far behind in usage and global reach.
â In short: USDT isnât just a stablecoin â itâs a vital tool connecting millions worldwide to stable value and crypto trading. Despite challenges, Tether remains the leader shaping this space.
⏠Litecoin (LTCUSDT) soared nearly 10% in 24 hours, now trading at $115.95 on Binance.
⏠The surge follows Nasdaq-listed MEI Pharmaâs move to allocate $100 million into LTC as a treasury reserve â making it the first public firm to do so.
⏠Adding to the excitement, Litecoin founder Charlie Lee has joined MEI Pharmaâs board, boosting market confidence.
⏠Traders also point to growing optimism for Proof-of-Work assets and speculation around a future Litecoin ETF as extra fuel for the rally.
⏠In numbers: 24h trading volume hit $1.58B, market cap climbed above $8.6B, placing LTC firmly among the top 20 crypto assets.
âĄď¸ A major milestone that could reshape LTCâs role in corporate finance!