Institutional Bitcoin, AI Crypto Sector & Solana Innovations: Top 12 Crypto Developments

BlackRock Recommends 2% Bitcoin Allocation

A senior BlackRock executive urged investors to allocate 2% of their portfolios to Bitcoin, positioning it as a defensive asset akin to gold. This recommendation highlights growing institutional acceptance of cryptocurrency as a strategic diversification tool.

Grayscale Establishes “Artificial Intelligence Crypto Sector”

Grayscale introduced the AI Crypto Sector, its sixth core category, spotlighting 20 tokens—including TAO, NEAR, RENDER, FET, WLD, VIRTUAL, IP, THETA, and more—underscoring the rising role of AI-focused projects within the broader crypto market.

Starknet Unveils Asset Runes for Native BTC Assets

Starknet launched Asset Runes, a framework for 1:1–backed native Bitcoin assets on its L2. Initial support covers USDC, with plans to expand to additional stablecoins, NFTs, and real-world assets—bridging Bitcoin liquidity into the Starknet ecosystem.

GENIUS Act Enters Final Senate Debate

The bipartisan GENIUS Act on stablecoin regulation has reached the final Senate stage. If enacted, it would be the first major crypto law to clear the Senate Banking Committee in eight years, setting federal standards for USD-pegged tokens.

Proposals to Grow U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

• VanEck digital assets head Matthew Sigel proposed expanding the U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve via tax incentives for miners and government acquisition of newly mined BTC.

• White House crypto adviser David Sacks stated the U.S. could purchase additional Bitcoin without increasing debt, noting that groundwork laid in the first four months could yield significant treasury holdings over three years.

Moderate FOMO at $110K, Bearish Alerts Loom

Santiment reports tempered FOMO as Bitcoin nears $110,000, with euphoria waning. 10x Research identified 10 bearish signals—including declining ETF inflows, lower institutional interest, and retail pullback—warning of a potential correction and advising caution.

ETH Options Market Shows Cautious Optimism

Ethereum’s options traders display guarded bullishness: retail bets target $3,000 by month’s end, institutions eye $3,500 by June, and there’s a 12% probability of reaching $5,000 by December. Open interest is climbing, underpinning measured confidence.

Square to Roll Out Bitcoin Payments

Jack Dorsey’s Block (formerly Square) announced plans to enable Bitcoin payments through its Square platform in H2 2025, aiming for full merchant rollout by 2026 and further integrating BTC into mainstream commerce.

Bio Protocol Delays Token Unlock

The Bio Protocol community voted to postpone the unlocking of 4.23% of its tokens from May to November 2025, followed by a six-month linear distribution, to better align incentives and reduce sell-pressure.

Canadian Solana Accelerator Launched

Astra Fintech and Korea’s MixMarvel launched AMS, the first Canadian accelerator for the Solana ecosystem, backed by a $100 million fund to support Web3 and gaming startups.

SolStrategies Targets $1B for Solana Investments

SOL Strategies Inc. filed a prospectus to raise $1 billion in capital for deploying across the Solana ecosystem, signaling significant institutional betting on L1 growth and DeFi innovation.

Robinhood CEO Sees AI Driving Tokenized Startups

Robinhood co-founder Vlad Tenev predicted that AI will enable “one-person companies”, akin to Satoshi’s solo creation of Bitcoin. He foresaw these ventures being tokenized and traded on blockchain with minimal resource requirements, democratizing startup creation.

Conclusion:
From bold institutional endorsements and specialized crypto sectors to layer-2 asset bridges and regulatory milestones, these 12 developments illustrate the maturing and diversification of the cryptocurrency landscape. Stakeholders should watch the GENIUS Act’s passage, U.S. reserve expansion plans, and emerging tech—AI, Solana, Starknet—that will shape the next phase of Web3 adoption.