Weekly Crypto Round-up for January 22 – January 28, 2025

A comprehensive overview of the week's events, updates and movements in the crypto space to stay up-to-date on the most important crypto stories and market-shaping events.

1. KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Bitcoin has dropped 21% from its all-time high, with $3 billion in outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs
• Texas moves closer to state-level Bitcoin adoption
• MetaMask announces new roadmap and features for 2025
• North Korean hack of staked ETH at Bybit dampens institutional confidence
• Stacks Asia Foundation successfully registers with ADGM
• Ripple is growing the XRP ecosystem with institutional DeFi initiatives

2. CONTENT

📈 Bitcoin has dropped 21% from its all-time high, with $3 billion in outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs over the past week. Analysts cite weaker institutional demand, tighter liquidity, and concerns over proposed Trump tariffs. Some predict a further decline to the $72,000–$74,000 range, but short-term support could hold at $82,000.

Despite this, there’s long-term bullish sentiment. The regulatory landscape is becoming more crypto-friendly, with government agencies and key policymakers embracing crypto. History shows that Bitcoin experiences major pullbacks in every bull run, often dropping 20–40% before continuing higher.

🌎 Texas Senate’s Banking Committee has officially passed the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Bill, which allows the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its reserves. The landmark decision reinforces Texas’s position as a leader in cryptocurrency adoption in the U.S. and signals growing institutional confidence in crypto as a legitimate asset.

The inclusion of Bitcoin in state reserves places Texas among the most pioneering states to hold a cryptocurrency reserve, encouraging broader governmental and institutional adoption. As the legislation proceeds to the Texas Senate for further review, other U.S. states are exploring similar proposals and are on track to clear regulations adding Bitcoin to their books.

️👝 MetaMask's 2025 roadmap focuses on improving Web3 with features like programmable accounts, gas-free transactions, and multichain support. Broader integrations with Solana and Bitcoin, multichain API, and a redesigned UI will simplify user interactions, and bolster transaction reliability.

MetaMask is also improving security and user control with new features like the MetaMask Delegation Framework for customizable permissions. By streamlining self-custody and decentralized application access, MetaMask will make self-custody and dApps more accessible to new and experienced crypto users.

🌐 The recent Bybit hack raises concerns about the security of institutional staking, sending shockwaves through the crypto space in 2025. The incident, which resulted in 401,000 ETH drained from the exchange’s cold wallet (worth approx. $1.5 billion), highlights ongoing risks in centralized platforms and could slow institutional adoption of staking services.

Bybit acted swiftly after the breach, implementing a multi-layered response plan, compensating users and investors. North Korea’s Lazarus Group was identified as the culprits behind the sophisticated heist involving multiple assets beyond regular ETH. As security remains a top priority, the event underscores the need for stronger safeguards and decentralized solutions to build trust in the sector.

🌍 The Stacks Asia DLT Foundation has officially registered with the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), further strengthening the UAE’s position as a blockchain innovation hub. This move aligns with ADGM’s DLT Foundations Regime, which has already attracted major blockchain projects like TON, Solana, Chainlink, and IOTA.

As the leading Bitcoin Layer-2 platform, Stacks has been expanding globally, previously securing $15 million in funding to drive adoption in key markets across Asia and the UAE. With its ADGM registration, Stacks aims to deepen its engagement with regional developers, infrastructure providers, and investors.

⛓️ Ripple is expanding the XRP ecosystem with two major developments: Bitflyer, a leading Japanese exchange, will introduce XRP leveraged trading via CFDs, while Ripple Labs has unveiled its institutional DeFi roadmap to enhance the XRP Ledger (XRPL). The 2025 roadmap of the company focuses on compliance-friendly DeFi solutions, including a permissioned DEX, a credit-based lending protocol, and a new token standard (MPT) for tokenizing real-world assets to position XRPL as a scalable and institution-friendly blockchain.

Meanwhile, speculation around XRP ETFs is growing, with major asset managers reportedly filing applications. A potential pro-crypto shift in US regulation could further accelerate institutional interest, benefiting Ripple’s broader strategy.

3. MARKET MOVES

📈 In the last 24 hours, Bitcoin's price moved -8.33% to $80.3k and trading volume moved +2.55% to $73.48b.

The crypto market remains as dynamic as ever, with new opportunities coming up every day. Whether you’re a seasoned trader, an investor or a beginner, this is your chance to stay ahead in the world of crypto.

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The information does not constitute financial advice or recommendation and should not be considered as such. All content, including opinions and analyses, is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as solicitation or recommendation for any investment decisions. We encourage you to conduct your own research prior to investing.