BTC holds $106K; analysts point to institutional integration, on-chain innovation

  • Bitcoin (BTC) regained its footing, trading around $106K after a tense weekend involving a US strike on Iran.
  • Bitcoin’s resilience is attributed to its growing integration into the broader macro-financial system via institutional infrastructure.
  • Bitcoin ETFs saw massive inflows ($1.1B last week, $350M one day), cited as a major bullish tailwind.

Bitcoin (BTC) has regained its footing, hovering around the $106,000 mark as the Asian trading week gets underway on Wednesday.

This resilient performance comes after a tense weekend that saw the US bomb an Iranian nuclear site, with Bitcoin now pushing past levels seen earlier this month when Israel first bombed Iran.

This stability, in the face of significant geopolitical turmoil, is increasingly being attributed to a fundamental shift in Bitcoin’s market structure and a renewed wave of innovation flocking to its blockchain.

Part of the reason why the crypto market has recovered so swiftly alongside traditional markets is the growing correlation between the two.

The days of Bitcoin operating in a vacuum appear to be over. “Bitcoin’s sensitivity to traditional asset classes and macroeconomic indicators has evolved markedly over the past few market cycles, reflecting its growing integration into the broader macro-financial system,” reads a recent report from Glassnode and Avenir Group.

This integration has been facilitated by the development of a robust institutional infrastructure. “Institutional infrastructure has reshaped how capital engages with bitcoin,” the report continues.

As a result, its market behavior is increasingly governed by structural liquidity, long-horizon positioning, and regulated access points.

This institutional backbone was clearly visible again this week. Semir Gabeljic, director of capital formation and investment strategy at Pythagoras Investments, highlighted the significant impact of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), citing them as a major tailwind.

“The huge recent capital inflows in Bitcoin ETFs of $1.1 billion last week and even $350 million today alone” are driving the positive trend, Gabeljic noted.

Spencer Yang, a Core Contributor to Fractal Bitcoin, added another perspective on Bitcoin’s ability to shake off the war jitters so quickly.

He argued that, fundamentally, nothing has changed about the asset class itself as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

The core metrics that long-term investors look to for Bitcoin remain intact. Furthermore, other bullish on-chain signals are potentially on the way.

“We’re seeing continued interest in protocols like BRC-20, especially with the recent upgrade, as well as Runes and Alkanes, which have been getting a lot of attention,” Yang added.

So overall, on‑chain activity across the board is increasing thanks to these types of assets.

The key takeaway seems to be that as Bitcoin’s market becomes increasingly defined by institutional demand and macroeconomic liquidity cycles, its price action is becoming less about knee-jerk reactions to headlines and more about long-term capital commitment.

It is this structural shift that appears to be anchoring Bitcoin firmly above the $100,000 level, despite the surrounding noise.

Tim Draper’s thesis

Adding to this long-term bullish outlook, legendary venture capitalist Tim Draper has argued that the Bitcoin blockchain is becoming the new epicenter for crypto innovation.

In a recent post on the social media platform X, Draper drew a compelling parallel, suggesting that Bitcoin is now absorbing ideas once exclusive to altcoins, much in the same way that Microsoft once consolidated the software revolution under its dominant operating system empire.

Draper pointed to Bitcoin’s rising dominance – a metric equivalent to its “market share” in the crypto world – as evidence.

This figure has risen to over 60%, up from 40% after the 2017 boom-bust cycle and 50% following the 2021 peak, signaling that Bitcoin is reasserting its control over the broader crypto ecosystem.

Much like how Microsoft integrated or cloned early software success stories like Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, and PowerPoint to create its powerful software suite, Draper says Bitcoin is now systematically incorporating innovations that were once the exclusive domain of altcoins.

These include functionalities like smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), ordinals (a form of on-chain digital artifacts), and low-cost layer 2 scaling solutions.

“All the successful innovations on other platforms are now being ported to Bitcoin,” Draper wrote, describing it as an “acceleration” that mirrors the consolidation phases seen in Big Tech.

He argued that developers are increasingly gravitating toward Bitcoin because it is the most secure and valuable blockchain.

Draper, who runs a Bitcoin-focused accelerator with Boost VC, stated that the next generation of entrepreneurs is building on Bitcoin not just for ideological reasons, but because the infrastructure and surrounding ecosystem are now mature and ready for this new wave of development.

“Smart entrepreneurs are always building on the platform with the strongest gravitational pull,” he wrote.

“That platform is Bitcoin.”

The post BTC holds $106K; analysts point to institutional integration, on-chain innovation appeared first on CoinJournal.

Bitcoin rallies to $106K on Mideast ceasefire news; Circle shares continue explosive climb

  • Bitcoin surged past $106K late Monday after Trump announced a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” between Iran and Israel.
  • The rally marked a sharp reversal from a plunge to $98,500 just 24 hours prior; oil prices tumbled to $65.
  • Stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) stock hit a record high near $299, up 750% since its IPO this month.

A tumultuous 72 hours of price action in the cryptocurrency market culminated in a sharp rally late Monday, as Bitcoin surged past the $106,000 mark.

The catalyst for this dramatic move was an announcement from US President Donald Trump, who took to his Truth Social platform to proclaim a “complete and total” ceasefire between Iran and Israel, offering a glimmer of de-escalation in the volatile Middle East conflict.

The market’s reaction to President Trump’s announcement was immediate and forceful. “It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now),” Trump wrote, sending a wave of relief through global markets.

Bitcoin, which had already been showing signs of a rebound in afternoon trading, jumped nearly another 3% on the news, decisively topping $106,000.

This represented a remarkable turnaround from just over 24 hours prior, when the leading cryptocurrency had plunged to as low as $98,500 amidst fears of a widening war.

At the time of this report, Bitcoin’s price had slightly pulled back from its peak to around $105,300, but held onto the majority of its gains.

The positive sentiment spilled over into traditional markets as well. US stock index futures posted gains of approximately 0.5% across the board.

The price of crude oil, which had soared to over $75 a barrel earlier in the day on supply disruption fears, tumbled further to just $65 per barrel following the ceasefire news.

The move in some major altcoins was even more pronounced, with Ether (ETH), XRP, and Solana (SOL) among those sporting impressive gains of 8%-10%.

While there was some initial confusion in the minutes following the president’s announcement regarding the validity of the ceasefire agreement, Reuters later reported that a senior Iranian official had confirmed Tehran’s agreement to a proposed ceasefire with Israel, lending credence to the market’s optimistic reaction.

Circle’s meteoric rise

In a parallel and equally dramatic market story, shares of stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) continued their explosive rally on Monday, soaring to a fresh record high.

The surge has brought the company’s market capitalization tantalizingly close to that of its flagship token, USDC, and puts it within striking distance of crypto exchange giant Coinbase (COIN).

Shares of Circle were up another 22% at one point on Monday morning, reaching a record high just shy of $299 before relinquishing some of those gains.

The stock ultimately closed at around $263, up a solid 9% for the session.

Since its Initial Public Offering (IPO) earlier this month, which priced at $31 per share, Circle’s stock has appreciated by a staggering 750%.

At its peak on Monday, Circle’s market capitalization reached roughly $60 billion.

This figure is nearly on par with the $61.3 billion supply of its USDC stablecoin, the second-largest dollar-pegged token in circulation.

This valuation also brings the firm remarkably close to that of crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN), which currently has a market capitalization of about $78 billion.

Circle’s phenomenal surge this month is a clear testament to the soaring investor appetite for the fast-growing stablecoin market, a sector of the crypto industry with very few publicly-traded “pure play” investment options.

USDC is widely used across cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and is gaining increasing popularity for payments and cross-border transactions.

A key catalyst that has helped fuel Circle’s rally was the US Senate’s passage of the so-called GENIUS Act last week.

This legislation, which advances a regulatory framework for the stablecoin asset class, has boosted investor confidence in the long-term viability and growth potential of the sector, which some analysts believe could reach a multi-trillion dollar valuation in the coming years.

Despite the bullish momentum, some analysts are beginning to warn that Circle’s rally may be running ahead of its underlying fundamentals.

The post Bitcoin rallies to $106K on Mideast ceasefire news; Circle shares continue explosive climb appeared first on CoinJournal.

Bitcoin price forecast: BTC holds above $105k ahead of FOMC

Key takeaways

  • BTC continues to trade above $105k despite the ongoing Middle East crisis.
  • Traders are focusing on today’s FOMC meeting results, which could move the markets.

The cryptocurrency market has been bearish since the Israel-Iran crisis began. However, Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies haven’t recorded heavy losses as many would have expected.

Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency by market cap, lost 1.4% of its value over the last 24 hours, and still trades around the $105k region. Over the past seven days, BTC has only lost 4% of its value, an impressive feat considering the scale at which conflicts affected Bitcoin’s performance in the past.

BTC holding around the $105k indicates that investors remain bullish despite the current market conditions. Even as BTC price continues to fluctuate, managing it in a secure bitcoin wallet is key for robust protection of your digital asset.

Traders shift attention to today’s FOMC meeting

While the Israel-Iran conflict continues to take centre stage, the major headline today is the FOMC meeting. The United States Federal Reserve will discuss the future path of interest rates, along with the impact that tariffs and Middle East turmoil will have on the economy.

Analysts expect the Fed to keep interest rates unchanged, but other important signals could move the market. Investors would be watching to see if the Fed will stick with its previous forecast of two rate cuts this year. If they do, expect Bitcoin’s price to soar higher in the short term.

While commenting on this, Bank of America economist Aditya Bhave said,

“The Fed’s main message at the June meeting will be that it remains comfortably in wait-and-see mode. Investors should focus on Powell’s take on the softening labour data, the recent benign inflation prints, and the risks of persistent tariff-driven inflation.”

BTC could rally to $108k amid institutional demand

Bitcoin’s price has been able to hold the $105k level thanks to growing institutional demand. So far this week, Metaplanet and Strategy have added thousands of bitcoins to their treasuries. Furthermore, US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded an inflow of $408.60 million on Monday, indicating strong demand among financial institutions.

After retesting its key support at $103,430 on Tuesday, the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) has held, and Bitcoin could rally towards the $108k level in the short term. 

BTC/USD chart

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) momentum indicator on the daily chart is hovering around its neutral level of 50, indicating indecision among traders. Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator is still within the bearish territory but could likely crossover if bulls hold their positions. 

If Bitcoin recovers and closes above its FVG level at $108,064, it could retest its all-time high price of $111k in the coming days.

The post Bitcoin price forecast: BTC holds above $105k ahead of FOMC appeared first on CoinJournal.

Bitcoin Pepe price to jump soon as another firm plans major BTC purchases

  • With institutional adoption increasing, major cryptos are becoming less attractive to investors seeking outsized returns.
  • These investors are increasingly looking toward early-stage tokens such as Bitcoin Pepe.
  • The project’s presale has raised over $15.3 million.

Bitcoin (BTC) dropped to a six-week low late Sunday, briefly falling below $98,500 after a US airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend heightened geopolitical tensions.

Risk assets came under pressure as markets responded to the escalation.

However, the dip below the $100,000 mark proved short-lived. BTC rebounded during early Monday trading, recovering to around $101,841 at the time of writing.

Bitcoin now trades near the key psychological threshold of $100,000. A decisive close below that level could signal further downside, with the next support near Sunday’s intraday low of $98,200.

In this volatile environment, institutional adoption remains a bright spot, with more firms looking to expand their exposure to digital assets.

As institutional participation increases, top-tier cryptocurrencies are becoming less attractive to investors seeking outsized, asymmetric returns.

This shift is drawing renewed interest toward early-stage tokens such as Bitcoin Pepe, which are capturing risk-on capital.

With traders pivoting to more speculative corners of the market, assets like Bitcoin Pepe are emerging as key beneficiaries of the current momentum.

Grant Cardone’s firm buys Bitcoin

Real estate mogul Grant Cardone has announced Cardone Capital’s first Bitcoin purchase, marking the firm’s entry into a digital asset treasury strategy.

Cardone Capital has added 1,000 Bitcoin (BTC), valued at approximately $101 million at current market prices, to its balance sheet.

“First ever real estate/Bitcoin company integrated with full BTC strategy,” Cardone said in a post on X, describing the move as a combination of “the two best-in-class assets,” real estate and Bitcoin.

He also indicated plans to add another 3,000 BTC to the firm’s holdings later this year.

With this initial purchase, Cardone Capital surpasses mining firms Core Scientific and Cipher Mining in terms of Bitcoin holdings, according to data from BiTBO.

Founded in 2017, Cardone Capital is a private equity real estate firm that pools investor capital to acquire multifamily residential properties.

The firm currently manages more than 14,000 units and has an estimated $5.1 billion in assets under management.

Bitcoin Pepe price outlook

While Bitcoin grapples with short-term volatility, its growing institutional adoption continues to underpin overall market sentiment.

At the same time, investors are rotating back into high-beta segments of the crypto market, with meme coins witnessing a renewed wave of inflows.

Among the most prominent is Bitcoin Pepe, which has set itself apart by blending meme-driven appeal with a Layer 2 infrastructure narrative.

Unlike conventional meme tokens that rely solely on viral traction, Bitcoin Pepe positions itself as the first meme-centric Layer 2 built on the Bitcoin network, seeking to deliver scalability and speed similar to Solana while anchored to Bitcoin’s base-layer security.

The project has also secured strategic partnerships with Super Meme, Catamoto, and Plena Finance, aimed at supporting the broader utility and adoption of its ecosystem.

Bitcoin Pepe’s presale has so far raised over $15.3 million, with its BPEP token priced at $0.0416.

A price increase is imminent, with the next tier triggered once the presale hits $15.54 million in total funding.

The token is slated for listing on MEXC and BitMart, with expectations that these will provide improved liquidity and visibility.

An additional listing announcement is expected to be announced on June 30, further fueling investor interest as the presale nears completion.

With risk appetite returning and meme coins back in focus, Bitcoin Pepe appears well-positioned to benefit from both speculative momentum and a more structurally grounded product narrative.

The post Bitcoin Pepe price to jump soon as another firm plans major BTC purchases appeared first on CoinJournal.

Best crypto to buy now as analyst sees BTC making a strong comeback

  • The Bitcoin Pepe presale has remained resilient, continuing to attract strong investor interest.
  • The project has raised over $15.3 million during its ongoing presale.
  • The BPEP token is currently priced at $0.0416.

Bitcoin (BTC) dropped to a six-week low late Sunday, briefly falling below $98,500 after a US airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend intensified geopolitical tensions.

Risk assets broadly came under pressure as markets reacted to the escalation.

The sub-$100,000 level, however, proved short-lived.

BTC rebounded during early Monday trading in Asia, recovering to around $101,841 at the time of writing.

Bitcoin now hovers near the psychologically significant $100,000 threshold.

A decisive close below that level could open the door to further downside, with the next target near Sunday’s intraday low of $98,200.

Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), and other major altcoins extended last week’s losses, reflecting continued risk aversion across digital assets.

In this volatile backdrop, investor interest in early-stage projects has not abated.

Bitcoin Pepe, a meme-centric Layer 2 project, continues to draw strong presale inflows despite the broader market uncertainty.

Arthur Hayes says BTC can bounce back

Bitcoin prices fell below the $100,000 mark for the first time since early May, but BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes believes the dip is temporary.

“The weakness shall pass,” Hayes posted on X, adding that Bitcoin will soon “leave no doubt as to its safe haven status.”

He attributed the eventual rebound to continued central bank money printing, which he says will support Bitcoin’s long-term bullish trajectory.

Bitcoin has been in a five-week consolidation phase, facing repeated resistance near the $110,000 level.

The top cryptocurrency has failed three times to break higher, as short-term macroeconomic shocks — ranging from renewed tariff concerns in May to the ongoing Israel–Iran conflict — have weighed on sentiment.

At the time of writing, most altcoins were in the red. Total market capitalization fell 0.8% to $3.12 trillion, according to CoinGecko data.

Bitcoin Pepe’s strong show

The crypto market has seen heightened volatility in recent months, characterised by sharp rallies, steep pullbacks, and shifting investor sentiment.

Against this backdrop, the Bitcoin Pepe presale has remained resilient, continuing to attract steady capital inflows.

The sustained interest suggests the project may be positioned to weather current market conditions, especially as Bitcoin is seen making a strong comeback.

As the first meme-centric Layer 2 built on the Bitcoin network, Bitcoin Pepe seeks to redefine meme tokens by combining the security of Bitcoin’s base layer with scalability features typically associated with networks like Solana.

This blend of technical infrastructure and cultural relevance differentiates it from other meme tokens that often lack functional utility.

The development team has also released infrastructure visuals to improve transparency and build investor confidence.

To support its Layer 2 ecosystem, Bitcoin Pepe has formed strategic partnerships with Super Meme, Catamoto, and Plena Finance.

The project’s presale has raised over $15.3 million so far, with BPEP tokens priced at $0.0416.

Listings on MEXC and BitMart are expected to enhance liquidity and visibility.

Another major listing announcement is scheduled on June 30, adding further momentum as the presale approaches its close.

The post Best crypto to buy now as analyst sees BTC making a strong comeback appeared first on CoinJournal.