XRP may face early-year pressure, prompting investors to diversify. 1Fuel, a presale star with $500k raised, eyes 2000% gains. #partnercontent

XRP faces market pressure as 1Fuel presale gains momentum with $500k raised

Bitcoin and US stocks jumped this week as a risk-on sentiment prevailed ahead 
of the US and China trade talks in Switzerland. Bitcoin (BTC) surged to 
$104,000 for the first time in months, while the Dow Jones Index peaked at…

Dow Jones vs Bitcoin: Which is the better buy in this bull market?

The cryptocurrency market continued to surge this past week as the overall 
digital asset market capitalization exceeded $3.27 trillion, an 8.6% increase 
over the previous week.
Bitcoin (BTC) reached a high of $103,600 on May 8 after reclaiming $100,000 
for the first time since January. Its market dominance also surged above 60%, 
reflecting more bullish BTC sentiment. This marked the third time BTC has 
broken through six figures since it reached the milestone on Dec. 5, 2024, and 
again on Jan. 20, ahead of US President Donald Trump&#8217;s inauguration.
The BTC rise coincided with Trump announcing a trade deal with the United 
Kingdom, which may include removing a 10% blanket tariff on all imports.
In the wider crypto space, Ethereum&#8217;s Pectra upgrade implemented much-needed 
improvements for the crypto ecosystem. The upgrade was followed by a 26% price 
surge for Ether (ETH), rising from $1,800 on May 7 to over $2,300 on May 9.
_Total crypto market cap, 1-year chart. Source: CoinMarketCap_
## Bitcoin DeFi sees surge in mining participation despite drop in TVL
Messari&#8217;s &#8220;State of Rootstock&#8221; report for 2025 showed that merged mining 
participation surged to an all-time high of 81% in Q1 2025, up from 56.4% in 
the previous quarter. The surge was attributed to onboarding major mining 
pools SpiderPool and Foundry.
The influx of mining support boosted Rootstock&#8217;s hash power above 740 
exahashes per second. This surpassed Bitcoin&#8217;s total network hashrate recorded 
in October 2024, marking a more mature phase for the platform&#8217;s merged mining 
growth.
The surge in merged mining participation came as Rootstock&#8217;s ecosystem faced 
headwinds. In Q1 2025, Rootstock&#8217;s total value locked (TVL) declined. Its 
Bitcoin TVL dropped 7.2%, while the dollar-denominated TVL fell by over 20% 
quarter-on-quarter.
_Rootstock overview for Q1 2025. Source: Messari_
This mirrored a broader downward trend across the DeFi sector, with Ethereum- 
based DeFi TVL showing a 27% decline in the same period.
_**Continue reading**_
## Hacken CEO sees &#8220;no shift&#8221; in crypto security as April hacks hit $357 
million
Crypto hacks in April saw nearly $360 million in assets stolen across 18 
incidents. This represented an almost 1,000% increase over the amount lost in 
March.
The largest loss came from an unauthorized Bitcoin transfer. On April 28, 
blockchain investigator ZachXBT reported a suspicious transaction of Bitcoin 
worth $330 million. He later confirmed that it was a social engineering attack 
that targeted an elderly American. 
_Source:__PeckShield_
In a Cointelegraph interview at the Token2049 event, Hacken CEO Dyma Budorin 
told Cointelegraph that the industry continues to rely on limited security 
measures even after the $1.4 billion Bybit hack incident. Budorin said that 
the space implements limited measures instead of deploying comprehensive 
strategies.
&#8220;Most of the projects think, &#8216;Okay, we did pentests. That&#8217;s enough. Maybe bug 
bounty. That&#8217;s enough.&#8217; It&#8217;s not enough,&#8221; Budorin told Cointelegraph.
_**Continue reading**_
## AI decentralized apps are coming for the Web3 throne: DappRadar
While gaming and DeFi held on to the top spot in the decentralized 
applications (DApps) ecosystem, artificial intelligence is slowly catching up.
Blockchain analytics platform DappRadar showed that Gaming and DeFi saw 21% 
DApp dominance in April. However, AI DApps climbed to 16%, up from the 11% 
recorded in the platform&#8217;s February data.
&#8220;As user interest in artificial intelligence tools grows across industries, 
AI-powered DApps are steadily carving out their place in the decentralized 
ecosystem,&#8221; DappRadar analyst Sara Gherghelas said.
_AI DApps have seen a jump in market dominance this month, while market 
leaders have declined slightly. Source: DappRadar_
Gherghelas added that if the trend continues, AI could challenge the dominance 
of DeFi and gaming, signaling a &#8220;new era&#8221; in the DApp landscape.
_**Continue reading**_
## Bitcoin-backed loans &#8220;obvious&#8221; next step &#8212; Xapo Bank CEO
Bitcoin holders are becoming more confident in using their BTC to borrow 
funds. In a Token2049 interview, Xapo Bank CEO Seamus Rocca told Cointelegraph 
that investors&#8217; moods have shifted from short-term speculation to a more long- 
term outlook on Bitcoin.
Rocca said that the confidence comes from broader institutional adoption and 
Bitcoin&#8217;s price levels that are &#8220;nowhere near&#8221; liquidation.
Rocca said Bitcoin-backed loans allow holders to stay exposed to the asset 
when facing unexpected expenses. The executive said the smart thing to do is 
not sell the asset when the price increases.
_Xapo Bank CEO Seamus Rocca at the Token2049 media lounge. Source: 
Cointelegraph_
However, when life gets in the way, Rocca said investors can avoid liquidating 
their Bitcoin by borrowing against the asset and paying interest. This way, 
they can hold on to the assets despite needing liquidity for their expenses.
_**Continue reading**_
## DeFi Market Overview
According to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, most of the 
100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the 
green.
The memecoin Pepe (PEPE) rose by over 53% as the week&#8217;s biggest gainer, 
followed by the Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) token, which was up by 47% during the 
past week. Ether (ETH) was the third-biggest gainer, showing an increase of 
35%.
_Total value locked in DeFi. Source: DefiLlama_
Thanks for reading our summary of this week&#8217;s most impactful DeFi 
developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education 
regarding this dynamically advancing space.

Bitcoin hits $103K but DeFi is a mixed bag: Finance Redefined

Ethereum has finally broken above the long-watched $2,000 resistance level—and 
it didn’t just edge past it, it blasted through with force. In under 48 hours, 
ETH surged more than 35%, reaching as high as $2,490 and sending a strong 
signal that a new phase may have just begun. The breakout, which comes after 
months of sluggish price action and uncertainty, has reignited bullish 
sentiment across the market. Related Reading: Cardano Approaches Critical 
Resistance – Break Above Could Trigger Move To $0.80 Top analyst Jelle 
described the move in dramatic terms, noting that Ethereum aggressively broke 
straight through a massive resistance level, &#8220;like it wasn’t even there.” More 
importantly, ETH has now made a higher high, flipping the market structure and 
confirming the strength of this rally. This is the kind of breakout that often 
marks a shift in trend, not just a temporary spike. With Bitcoin flirting with 
$100K and altcoins waking up across the board, Ethereum’s explosive move may 
be the start of something much bigger. The $2,000 level had been a significant 
psychological and technical barrier for months, and now that it’s gone, bulls 
are in control. All eyes are on whether ETH can hold these gains and continue 
leading the charge in the next leg of the crypto bull cycle. Ethereum Forms 
Bullish Structure As Momentum Shifts After months of relentless selling 
pressure and persistent bearish sentiment, Ethereum is finally showing signs 
of structural recovery. The market environment, long dominated by doubt and 
underperformance, is now shifting as ETH begins to establish a new, more 
bullish formation. This shift isn’t just about price—it’s being reinforced by 
meaningful developments on the fundamental side. One of the most important 
catalysts is the upcoming Pectra update, a major improvement designed to make 
Ethereum more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective. The update focuses on 
enhancing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and optimizing smart contract 
performance, key changes that could significantly improve network usability 
and reduce transaction costs. This technical progress renews investor interest 
and builds a fresh narrative around Ethereum&#8217;s long-term potential. The price 
action confirms the change in sentiment. Jelle highlights that Ethereum easily 
broke past the $2,000 resistance, as ETH surged more than 21% only yesterday, 
blasting through $2,200 and hitting a high near $2,490. More importantly, ETH 
has made a higher high, signaling a trend reversal. According to Jelle, 
holding the $2,200 level is now key—if this support holds, “ETH could actually 
be back.” Analysts are beginning to call for continued upside, pointing to the 
combination of washed-out bearish sentiment, fresh technical structure, and 
growing network optimism driven by the Pectra upgrade. With ETH now breaking 
out and flipping resistance into support, the conditions are aligning for a 
potentially massive recovery phase. If momentum holds and the $2,200 level is 
respected, Ethereum could be entering the early stages of a powerful and 
sustained rally. Related Reading: Ethereum ‘Extremely Undervalued Against BTC’ 
– Supply Pressure May Delay Recovery ETH Price Analysis: Bulls Take Over 
Ethereum (ETH) is trading at $2,334 after a stunning rally that saw it surge 
more than 35% in less than 48 hours. The daily chart shows a massive breakout 
above the long-standing $2,000 resistance level, with price reaching as high 
as $2,490 before pulling back slightly. This breakout decisively ends months 
of downtrend structure and signals the formation of a new bullish leg. This 
move came with substantial volume, validating the breakout and showing clear 
market conviction. ETH also printed a higher high for the first time in 
months, confirming a shift in trend. However, the price is now approaching the 
200-day EMA at $2,428 and remains below the 200-day SMA at $2,701—two levels 
that could serve as medium-term resistance. If ETH can hold the $2,200–$2,250 
zone as support, this breakout could turn into a full trend reversal. The 
recent volume spike suggests that both retail and institutional players are 
stepping back in, possibly driven by growing optimism around Ethereum’s 
upcoming Pectra upgrade and improving macro sentiment. Related Reading: 
Bitcoin Shows Impressive 4H Strength – A Shift Toward Upside Break Overall, 
the chart shows strength and momentum. If bulls maintain control and reclaim 
the 200-day SMA in the coming sessions, ETH could be set for a sustained run 
toward higher levels. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Ethereum Breaks Key Resistance In One Massive Move – Higher High Confirms Momentum

As the market recalibrates post-halving and post-tariff, which crypto could 
boom in 2025 as volatility, liquidity, and adoption collide? Which crypto 
could boom in 2025? The year 2025 is beginning to reflect a shift away from 
short-lived excitement and toward…

Which crypto could boom in 2025? A data-driven look at the contenders

Bitcoin&#8217;s price has continued its upward trend, and Google Trends data reveals 
intensifying interest in the leading crypto asset by market cap. Google Trends 
Figures Show Bitcoin Buzz Amid Price Rally Google data indicates that searches 
for “bitcoin” are on the rise. At its core, Google Trends quantifies a topic’s 
popularity — such as “bitcoin” […]