Crypto Market Roundup: From U.S.–China Relationship Reset to New Records and Regulatory Moves Lead:
At a recent Switzerland summit, the U.S. and China agreed to fully reboot their economic ties, giving risk assets a fresh boost. Bitcoin surged back to $103,800 in just one month, Ethereum topped $300 billion in market cap, and memecoins and Layer-1 networks posted double-digit gains. Meanwhile, institutional investors—from Abraxas Capital to Goldman Sachs—are accumulating positions, and regulators (and even former UFC champion Conor McGregor) are proposing new Bitcoin reserve laws. Here’s a deep dive into the key developments and what they mean for the market.
Full Reboot of U.S.–China Relations
– Productive Talks: Donald Trump hailed “big progress” after U.S.–China discussions in Switzerland, announcing a “full reboot” of trade and investment relations in a friendly yet constructive spirit.
– Opening Markets: Both sides aim to ease U.S. business access to China, a powerful tailwind for risk-on assets, including cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin’s Comeback from the “Bleed”
– Rapid Rebound: After four months of relative consolidation, Bitcoin rocketed back to its January highs, smashing through $103,800 in just one month.
– Altcoin & Layer-1 Rally: At the same time, memecoins, liquid-staking tokens, and major Layer-1 protocols all saw significant market-cap gains, driven by FOMO and improved macro sentiment.
Ethereum’s $300 Billion Milestone & Institutional Accumulation
– Top 40 Global Asset: Ethereum’s market cap topped $300 billion, vaulting it ahead of Coca-Cola and Alibaba to become the 39th largest asset worldwide.
– Abraxas Capital Accumulates: Over the past three days, Abraxas Capital has withdrawn 185,309 ETH from centralized exchanges, signaling a growing long-term stake.
Memecoin Mania & Altcoin Action
– Dogecoin Buying Spree: Whales snapped up 600 million DOGE in the last 48 hours, marking renewed interest in memecoins.
– Forbes on Memecoins: Despite controversy, Forbes argues that memecoins can actually foster healthier overall market development.
Legal Battles & Legislative Proposals
– BSV vs. Binance Lawsuit: BSV investors revived a £10 billion claim against Binance, alleging the 2019 delisting severely crushed BSV’s price.
– Revised GENIUS Act: The updated stablecoin bill expands U.S. regulatory authority over foreign issuers—Tether included—and tightens rules for digital-asset providers.
– McGregor’s Bitcoin Reserve Idea: Conor McGregor, now a presidential candidate in Ireland, proposed a national Bitcoin reserve as “power to the people,” despite his campaign being dogged by legal scandals and a failed $REAL token raise.
Institutional & Corporate Moves
– Goldman Sachs & Bitcoin ETF: In Q1, Goldman increased its stake in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF by 28%, investing $1.4 billion for 30.8 million shares—while Fidelity’s position remained essentially unchanged.
– Jump Crypto Investment: Jump Crypto took a stake in Securitize to broaden client access to tokenized assets.
– Rumble & Tether Wallet: Rumble announced a joint Bitcoin and stablecoin wallet with Tether, slated for a Q3 launch.
Fed Balance Sheet & Macro Outlook
– Quantitative Tightening Slows: The Fed’s balance sheet fell by $17 billion last month to $6.7 trillion—the lowest since April 2020—and is down $2.3 trillion (25%) since April 2022.
– Asset Composition: The Fed now holds $4.2 trillion in Treasuries and $2.2 trillion in mortgage-backed securities, tapering QT from $60 billion to $40 billion per month.
Upcoming Events
– SEC Tokenization Speech: On May 12, SEC Director Paul Atkins will keynote “Where TradFi Meets DeFi,” joined by executives from Fidelity, Nasdaq, Invesco, and BlackRock.
– VP at Bitcoin Conference: Vice President J.D. Vance is set to speak at a Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas on May 28.
CONCLUSION
The U.S.–China reboot has ignited a powerful bull run: Bitcoin and Ethereum are setting new milestones, institutions are deepening their allocations, and fresh legal and regulatory proposals are reshaping the landscape. Investors should blend long-term conviction with tactical hedges and closely monitor key technical levels, macro signals, and legislative developments to navigate the next phase.