Summer is when most markets slow down and many of us step away to recharge. But in crypto and Web3, the pace never really stops. If you took a break, here’s a recap of the key developments from our UDA Weekly Briefs this summer:
Market Highlights
🔹 Bitcoin (BTC)
-Swung between $124,000 highs and $112,000 lows earlier this summer, facing sharp corrections.
-Despite ETF outflows and occasional sell pressure (including a historic 80,000 BTC transfer from a Satoshi-era wallet), the market showed resilience.
-In the final week of August, BTC fell -6.57% to close at $107,866, with market cap at ~$2.14T. Analysts flagged $100K as a key support zone.
-Institutional flows remained mixed: U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs added $440.8M while August still closed with $301M in outflows.
🔹 Ethereum (ETH)
-Stole the show earlier this summer with rallies to all-time highs above $4,900 and surges nearing $4,000.
-ETF inflows set new records — BlackRock’s ETHA led multi-billion allocations, even outpacing BTC inflows in some weeks.
-By September 1, ETH closed at $4,398 (-4.6%) after a volatile week, with ~$530B market cap.
-On-chain activity hit its highest since mid-2021, with August volumes surpassing $320B. Analysts point to $4,000 support, with potential to retest $5,000 if momentum holds.
🔹 Broader Market
-Total crypto market cap at $3.71T, BTC dominance at 58.23%.
-Weekly inflows hit $2.48B, driven not only by BTC and ETH ETFs but also Solana ($177M) and XRP ($134M), fueled by U.S. ETF optimism.
-Stablecoin supply reached a record ~$283B, cementing their role as the liquidity backbone of crypto markets.
Top Developments You Should Know
🌍 Stablecoins Gain Global Traction
-MetaMask unveiled mUSD, a wallet-native stablecoin with Stripe integration.
-Tether brought on a former White House crypto advisor to drive U.S. strategy and just announced USDT rollout on Bitcoin via RGB, unlocking new DeFi possibilities on the Lightning Network.
-Anchorage & Ethena Labs launched USDtb, the first GENIUS-compliant U.S. stablecoin, federally regulated with full 1:1 backing.
-China is weighing offshore RMB stablecoins via Hong Kong to power global trade.
🏛 Regulation & Policy Moves
-The SEC launched Project Crypto to modernize securities rules for digital assets.
-In-kind ETF creations aligned Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs more closely with traditional markets.
-A Trump executive order paved the way for crypto allocations in 401(k) retirement plans — opening doors to a $12.5T market.
-The CFTC expanded its FBOT framework, opening a pathway for Americans to legally trade on offshore crypto exchanges, balancing innovation with investor protection.
-The U.S. Department of Commerce tapped Chainlink and Pyth to publish GDP and other macroeconomic data directly on-chain, embedding decentralized infrastructure into government data flows.
🏦 Institutions Embrace Tokenization
-DBS Bank issued tokenized structured notes on Ethereum.
-BNY Mellon & Goldman Sachs launched the first tokenized U.S. money market fund, reducing settlement from days to near-instant.
-Binance & BBVA partnered on institutional custody.
-JPMorgan & Coinbase rolled out a roadmap to connect Chase accounts and credit cards directly to crypto.
-Aave Labs launched Horizon, enabling institutional stablecoin borrowing against tokenized U.S. Treasurys and funds — bridging DeFi with traditional finance.
💳 Payments & Adoption Expanding
-PayPal introduced “Pay with Crypto,” enabling U.S. merchants to accept 100+ tokens with instant stablecoin conversion.
-Ethena’s USDe surged 75% in circulation, becoming the third-largest stablecoin.
-Institutional-grade rails are positioning crypto as a mainstream settlement layer.
-Circle taps Mastercard and Finastra to push USDC into global payments
Why This Matters?
This summer confirmed two clear trends:
Stablecoins and tokenization are going mainstream — governments, banks, and fintech leaders are not just experimenting, they’re building.
Ethereum is rising as the institutional favorite, with massive inflows and real-world pilots, while Bitcoin remains the liquidity and confidence anchor despite recent volatility.
As we step into autumn, the integration between digital assets and traditional finance is accelerating — with government adoption, new institutional platforms, and ETF inflows shaping what could be a transformative end to the year.