The 95% Overnight Rally That Just Took Everyone by Surprise

Hello and welcome to Crypto Intel, the twice-weekly newsletter covering the latest updates, breaking news, and exciting opportunities in the crypto world.

This week's signals aren't screaming—they're stacking. Quietly. Persistently. In filings, fund flows, and boardroom decisions. They're not chasing the charts. They're reshaping the base layer beneath them.

It's not about hype anymore—it's about weight. Institutional weight. Corporate weight. The kind of quiet confidence that doesn't announce itself with a tweet, but with a balance sheet. If you're only watching the candles, you're missing the foundation forming underneath them.

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Market-Moving News

The shift is slow—but seismic.

Capital is flowing. Cap tables are evolving. And corporate treasuries are doing things they weren't built to do. These aren't one-off bets—they're coordinated signals that the old guard is entering the new game.

Look closely. Because what's moving now isn't just price—it's positioning.

ETFs

US Crypto ETFs Smash New Record Amid 4-Week Inflow Streak

Crypto investment products raked in $882 million last week, marking the fourth consecutive week of net inflows and pushing total year-to-date (YTD) inflows to $6.7 billion. That's just shy of the $7.3 billion record set in early February. Bitcoin dominated again, attracting $867 million in inflows, while Ether and Sui saw smaller gains. Solana, however, posted weekly outflows of $3.4 million, continuing a broader cooling trend for the token.

US-based crypto ETFs hit a new cumulative net inflow high of $62.9 billion, eclipsing February's $61.6 billion peak. BlackRock's iShares products are leading the pack, pulling in $1 billion in just the past week—more than the entire industry's YTD total.

Despite the inflows, momentum has cooled compared to prior weeks. The last week of April saw $3.4 billion flood into crypto ETPs, while early May brought in $2 billion. This week's lower figure could indicate short-term investor hesitation amid price resistance levels or macro caution. Still, total crypto AUM now sits at $169 billion—just 2.5% below January's historic high of $173.3 billion.

CoinShares attributes the bullish streak to macro tailwinds: an expanding M2 money supply, stagflation fears, and US states embracing Bitcoin as a reserve asset. As Bitcoin hovers near $104K and the crypto market cap edges close to $3.5 trillion, sentiment is turning decisively optimistic—at least for now.

For investors, these inflows signal sustained institutional conviction, especially in Bitcoin. But the decelerating pace reminds us that bull trends move in waves—not straight lines. Watch for whether ETH and altcoins begin to share more of the spotlight.

Ethereum

Ethereum Flips Coca-Cola and Alibaba as ETH Gains 42% in 5 Days

Ethereum's recent rally pushed its market cap past $308 billion, overtaking blue-chip giants Coca-Cola and Alibaba. The catalyst? The long-awaited Pectra upgrade, which launched successfully on May 7 after months of testing and setbacks. In just five days, ETH surged from around $1,786 to over $2,550—a 42% gain that elevated it to the world's 39th-largest asset by market cap.

The Pectra upgrade introduced major changes: EOAs (user wallets) can now act like smart contracts, Layer-2 scalability improved via more data blobs per block, and validator limits were raised from 32 to 2,048 ETH—making staking more flexible for institutions. These updates target gas fee management, staking efficiency, and Layer-2 growth.

Originally slated for March, Pectra faced multiple delays after bugs disrupted its testnet rollout. Developers even launched a new testnet ("Hoodi") to ensure mainnet stability.

That extra caution appears to have paid off—early network performance suggests the upgrade has landed smoothly. However, some security researchers have warned of potential vulnerabilities related to off-chain signatures and wallet controls.

ETH's momentum may also be catching macro tailwinds, including renewed ETF speculation and improving on-chain metrics. But not all institutional investors are convinced—some ETH products are still seeing mild outflows.

For investors, Ethereum's surge feels more like a foundation being laid than a flash rally. Pectra gives ETH better tools to scale and compete with alt L1s. If security concerns are contained, this could be Ethereum's breakout chapter for 2025.

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Adoption

Tokyo's Beat Holdings Deepens Bitcoin Bet, Joins Metaplanet in Treasury Shift

Tokyo-listed Beat Holdings has increased its Bitcoin ETF investment cap to $34 million, mirroring a rising trend among Japanese companies treating BTC as a strategic treasury asset.

The firm disclosed it already holds 131,230 units of BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, with unrealized gains of over $681,000. The new purchases will be partially funded through a $2.8 million credit facility.

Beat's move follows closely behind Metaplanet, another publicly traded Japanese firm that recently revealed plans to grow its BTC holdings to 10,000 coins.

Currently, Metaplanet holds over 5,500 BTC, valued at more than $570 million. The company frames this strategy as a hedge against inflation, currency devaluation, and global instability.

This wave of corporate adoption in Japan resembles the earlier moves by US firms like MicroStrategy (now "Strategy"), which holds more than 555,000 BTC. These treasuries aren't just PR stunts—they're becoming long-term inflation hedges and strategic capital buffers in a volatile macro environment. Beat itself cited trade wars, de-globalization, and liquidity injections as drivers of Bitcoin's appeal.

Bitcoin hovered near $104,000 on the announcement, continuing its strong recovery after a sharp April correction. ETF exposure also offers companies liquidity and compliance advantages, compared to direct BTC holdings.

For investors, this is a signal—not a fad. When listed companies use balance sheet capital to buy Bitcoin, it reinforces BTC's role as more than just a speculative asset. Expect more firms—especially in Asia—to follow suit if macro risks persist.

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⏩ Future Forward

The biggest moves don't trend—they whisper through filings, firmware, and quiet boardroom shifts. Stay tuned long enough, and you'll see them before the market even knows they're there.

Crypto Conferences:

💎 The National Fintech Summit 2025 (May 13, 2025)

💎 Blockchain Futurist Conference Toronto 2025 (May 13, 2025)

💎 ETHWomen 2025 (May 13, 2025)

Upcoming Airdrops:

🎁 Beincom (BIC) Airdrop (May 15, 2025)

🎁 SANCHO Airdrop (May 16, 2025)

🎁 Gomble (GM) Airdrop (May 16, 2025)

Upcoming Token Launches:

🚀 GamersXP (GMXP) TGE and Distribution (May 14, 2025)

🚀 Iceberg (ICEBERG) IDO on Spores (May 14, 2025)

🚀 Emmet Finance (EMMET) IDO on Spores (May 15, 2025)

Which event are you most excited for? Let us know!

🧠 Crypto Know-How: What's a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve?

A strategic Bitcoin reserve is when a company or country holds Bitcoin as part of its treasury—just like gold or foreign currency. Instead of just storing cash, they keep some value in BTC.

The idea is that Bitcoin acts as a hedge. If inflation rises or a local currency weakens, that Bitcoin might hold its value—or even go up. It's a long-term play on Bitcoin's strength and scarcity.

We're seeing more companies and even governments treat Bitcoin like digital gold. For investors, this trend matters: the more BTC is locked into reserves, the tighter the supply—and the stronger the case for long-term price appreciation.

That's it for today—if we missed a signal, send it our way. Appreciate you riding along. Same feed, same pulse, next round.

Everything Else

• BitGo secured a MiCA license from German regulator BaFin, allowing it to offer digital asset services across the EU to both crypto-native and TradFi institutions.

• Uniswap became the first decentralized exchange to surpass $3 trillion in all-time trading volume, as it also prepares to roll out support for Ethereum's new smart account standard.

• Three teens were charged in a $4 million crypto kidnapping case in Las Vegas, highlighting the growing threat of offline attacks targeting crypto holders.

• Metaplanet purchased 1,241 more BTC—surpassing El Salvador's stash—and now holds nearly 6,800 Bitcoin as part of its aggressive treasury accumulation strategy.

• Malaysia's largest energy provider reported a 300% surge in electricity theft tied to illegal crypto mining, with property owners facing bills over $278,000.

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