Crypto Writer

Arslan Butt

Crypto Writer

Arslan Butt

About Author

Arslan Butt is an experienced webinar speaker, market analyst, and content writer specializing in crypto, forex, and commodities. He provides expert insights, trading strategies, and in-depth analysis…

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Last updated: 

August 23, 2025

Bitcoin (BTC/USD) is back in the spotlight, trading above $116,000 as multiple global catalysts shape its future. US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s rate cut hint has brought optimism, the Philippines is proposing a $1.1 billion Bitcoin reserve and Taiwan’s $72 million crypto crackdown has boosted regulatory trust.

Together, these developments highlight the maturing role of Bitcoin in global finance—both as a hedge and a growth asset. With technical charts also pointing to a potential breakout, traders now eye the path toward $130,000 with renewed confidence.

Taiwan’s $72M Crypto Laundering Case Boosts Market Trust

Taiwanese prosecutors have charged 14 individuals in what they call the country’s largest crypto money laundering case, worth around $72 million. Led by Shi Qiren, the group used unregistered exchanges “CoinW” and “CoinThink Technology” to scam over 1,500 people.

They deposited funds into machines, converted to foreign currency, bought USDT and then moved the money out.

Authorities seized millions in cash, luxury cars, and Bitcoin holdings. Prosecutors are pushing for a $39 million asset seizure, while CoinW denied involvement.

While the case exposed risks in loosely regulated markets, investors view the crackdown as a step toward stronger regulatory trust—likely supportive for Bitcoin in the long run.

Powell’s Jackson Hole Signal Fuels Crypto Rally

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reignited optimism during his Jackson Hole speech, hinting at an upcoming rate cut. He noted that shifting conditions may “call for adjusting policy,” leading markets to assign a 90% probability of a September reduction.

Bitcoin surged from $112,000 to above $114,700 within minutes, with Ethereum jumping 7% to $4,600. Altcoins including Solana, Dogecoin, and XRP all posted 6%+ gains. Investors had sold heavily earlier in the week but Powell’s dovish comments turned sentiment around.

Rate cuts have historically driven liquidity driven rallies across crypto and traders expect this to be no different.

Philippines Eyes 10,000 BTC National Reserve

Another major development came from Manila. Lawmakers in the Philippines have introduced a bill to create a 10,000 BTC strategic reserve worth $1.1 billion at current prices. The plan would see the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas purchase 2,000 BTC annually for five years, holding the coins in trust for 20 years.

Representative Migz Villafuerte framed Bitcoin as “digital gold,” arguing it would strengthen financial security. If approved, the Philippines’ holdings would rival Bhutan’s 10,565 BTC and exceed El Salvador’s 6,276 BTC, a move seen as a strong bullish signal by traders betting on institutional adoption.

Bitcoin Price Prediction – Technical Outlook

The short-term Bitcoin price prediction seems neutral as BTC’s chart below is shaping into a battleground between buyers and sellers.

After sliding into a descending channel in mid-August, BTC has bounced sharply from $112,000 support, reclaiming the 50-period EMA at $115,578. Price briefly tested $117,000, marking an attempt to break the channel’s upper boundary.

A completed harmonic pattern between $124,450 and $105,150 underscores the recent swings. Candlestick action near support produced a bullish hammer, followed by green candles that could evolve into a three white soldiers formation if momentum sustains. RSI has recovered to 55, while MACD shows a bullish crossover with a widening histogram—both reinforcing a constructive outlook.

If Bitcoin clears $117,000 and sustains above $119,000, upside targets emerge at $121,800 and $124,400. A breakout would likely push to $127,500 and possibly $130,000 in the coming months. On the downside $113,500 and $112,000 are key supports.

BTC Potential Trade Setup

A cautious entry above $116,200 with a stop under $112,000 aligns risk and reward. If confirmed BTC could rally to $124,400 and then $130,000 as bullish momentum builds into 2025.

New Presale Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) Combines Bitcoin Security With Solana Speed

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is positioning itself as the first Bitcoin-native Layer 2 powered by the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM). Its goal is to expand the Bitcoin ecosystem by enabling lightning-fast, low-cost smart contracts, decentralized apps, and even meme coin creation.

By combining Bitcoin’s unmatched security with Solana’s high-performance framework, the project opens the door to entirely new use cases, including seamless BTC bridging and scalable dApp development.

The team has put strong emphasis on trust and scalability, with the project audited by Consult to give investors confidence in its foundations.

Momentum is building quickly. The presale has already crossed $11.3 million, leaving only a limited allocation still available. At today’s stage, HYPER tokens are priced at just $0.012775—but that figure will increase as the presale progresses.

You can buy HYPER tokens on the official Bitcoin Hyper website using crypto or a bank card.

Click Here to Participate in the Presale

Bitcoin’s rally to $120,000 this week has sparked a broader breakout across major crypto assets, with ether (ETH), Solana’s SOL, XRP, and dogecoin

all posting high single-digit percentage gains.

However, this time, price action isn’t just about momentum, as traders claim that market structure is evolving under the weight of institutional influence.

“This isn’t a frenzied boom with no foundation,” said Seamus Rocca, CEO of Xapo Bank. “It’s a measured ascent, backed up by large institutional players with the long-term in mind.”

Rocca pointed to tight monetary policy and geopolitical volatility as reinforcing Bitcoin’s emerging role as a macro hedge, adding that “the momentum we’ve seen over the last 48 hours is clear. Bitcoin isn’t just growing in value, but also as a genuine asset class that is rivalling traditional finance.”

Ethereum, up over 17% on the week and briefly crossed $3,000, remains a primary beneficiary. “In Q2, corporate treasury purchases of BTC outpaced inflows into spot ETFs,” said the analytics team at Bitcoin yield protocol TeraHash in a note to CoinDesk.

“That points to strategic positioning. At the same time, custodians like Anchorage and Fidelity are scaling institutional pipelines, while OTC desks are tightening spreads.”

Solana, now trading around $163, gained over 11% on the week amid renewed demand across retail and memecoin ecosystems. The chain continues to act as a high-beta proxy for risk-on sentiment. XRP, meanwhile, jumped 25%, benefiting from both a technical breakout and rising speculation around regulatory resolution.

“Price action may grab the spotlight,” TeraHash added, “but the real breakthrough this summer is structural.”

The altcoin move is broad-based. Dogecoin has rallied 23% over the past week, driven by increased retail participation through platforms like Robinhood and Binance. XRP volumes have spiked on Korean exchanges, while Cardano, TRX, and AVAX are all trading firmly in the green.

Meanwhile, Bitpanda Deputy CEO Lukas Enzersdorfer-Konrad said that “strong bitcoin rallies are often followed by significant movements in altcoins with a slight delay — and a potential comeback of meme coins can’t be ruled out either.”

But not everyone sees a straight line up.

“Despite briefly touching this key milestone, BTC remains below a major resistance zone,” said Ruslan Lienkha, Chief of Markets at YouHodler, said in an email.

“A decisive breakout and sustained move above this level could trigger a sharp upward rally, potentially targeting the $130,000 range,” Lienkha added.

Bitcoin

traders are increasingly chasing higher-level call options on Deribit, signaling that they are preparing for renewed bullish price volatility.

“Vols remain pinned near historical lows, but a decisive breach of the $110,000 resistance could spark a renewed volatility bid. Some larger players appear to be positioning for just that,” Singapore-based QCP Capital said in a market update.

“They are continuing to add exposure to September $130,000 calls, while steadfastly holding September $115,000/$140,000 call spreads, underscoring a structurally bullish Q3 outlook,” QCP added.

A call option gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying asset at a predetermined price on or before a specific date. A call buyer is implicitly bullish on the market. In other words, buyers of the $130,000 strike call expect BTC’s spot price to rise above that level.

BTC’s price has been stuck between $100,000 and $110,000 for over 50 days as selling by wallets with a history of holding coins for the long term counteracts ETF inflows.

Volatility may pick up soon as the June Fed minutes are due for release on Wednesday. Further, the 90-day tariff pause for many U.S. trading partners has reportedly been extended to Aug. 1.

Tim Alper

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Tim Alper

About Author

Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked…

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Last updated: 

June 24, 2025

A Russian crypto mining firm executive has claimed Bitcoin (BTC) prices could climb to the $130k mark in the second half of summer 2025.

The claims came from Vasily Girya, the owner and CEO of the industrial player GIS Mining, the Russian Prime news agency reported. Girya said:

“The crypto industry remains attractive to market players. In a moderately positive scenario, the price of Bitcoin in the second half of summer could reach an all-time high of $115,000. It could target $130k”.

Bitcoin: $130k By End of Summer?

At the time of writing, Bitcoin prices are wavering around the $105k mark following a brief foray into $111,000 territory in mid May.

GIS Mining is one of Russia’s top 10 industrial miners, and mainly specializes in mobile units and mining hotel facilities. Per recent figures, the company’s mining capacity for Financial Year 2024 was 53 MW.

The country’s 10 biggest mining firms posted a collective total of $200 million in revenue in FY2024. Over half of this revenue came from the nation’s two biggest miners: BitRiver and Intelion.

Girya explained that the Russian mining sector is set for another burst of growth this year. He said that the sector was experiencing “record-breaking” demand for new crypto mining data centers with a capacity of up to 100 MW.

The mining chief added that demand for equipment capable of “energy-intensive blockchain computing” was also skyrocketing.

Insiders say that in the first half of 2025, demand for crypto mining hardware outstripped supply.

They claim that since Moscow legalized and began regulating crypto mining in 2024, more investors have entered the market.

The ruble’s rise against the dollar this year has also made crypto mining investment more viable for many.

Sandbox ‘Driving Russian Mining Investment’

Girya added that over the next two to three years, more of the coins mined in Russian jurisdiction will be used in the national economy.

He pointed to the Central Bank-run “experimental legal regime (ELR)” as evidence. The ELR is a crypto sandbox comprising exchange firms, cross-border trade companies, and Bitcoin miners.

The bank is using the ELR as a means of bypassing US, EU, and UK-led sanctions on Russia. The sanctions have effectively frozen Russian firms and banks out of dollar-denominated trade.

Central Bank officials want crypto miners to sell their coins to exchanges within the sandbox. These exchanges can then use their coins to facilitate cross-border trades conducted in BTC or other tokens.

Girya called the ELR a “powerful step toward the institutionalization of the crypto and digital currencies market.”

He said that it would help “increase the inflow of investments into this new class of assets.”

More Coal-powered Bitcoin Miners Heading to Siberia?

Meanwhile, the authorities in the Kuznetsk Basin, a major coal-mining region in Southwestern Siberia, have proposed a Bitcoin mining-themed solution to the problem of coal depreciation.

The news outlet Tsargrad’s Kemerovo Oblast branch reported that the region’s government is mulling a proposal to build crypto farms and greenhouse complexes near its coal mines.

The region’s Governor, Ilya Seredyuk, said the area’s coal could “be used to generate the energy needed to mine Bitcoin and other cryptoassets.”

Seredyuk said tests are now underway as miners conduct economic calculations to determine the profitability of the plan. He said the results would be published in around a month’s time.

The Governor said the BTC mining plan could help reverse a recent decline in coal mining. He also suggested that the heat released by burning coal could be used to heat greenhouses that house tropical plants – in one of the world’s most famously cold areas. He mused:

“Why not create a large botanical garden and cultivate plants that require warmth?”

Earlier this month, a Russian power firm announced the launch of the nation’s first bitcoin mining-focused closed-end mutual investment fund (CEF).