Bitcoin’s price may surge above $200,000 next year, according to recent analysis by X account Apsk32. He warns that the familiar four‑year cycle for BTC often lines up with fresh highs. Short swings have hit traders hard before. This time, bulls say Bitcoin could even top $250,000 in 2025.

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Bitcoin Gold Link

According to Apsk32, Bitcoin often trails gold by a few months. Gold hit a record $3,500 per ounce earlier this year. If Bitcoin follows that path, it could surge. He measures Bitcoin’s market value in ounces of gold instead of dollars. That way, money printing and inflation don’t skew the view.

Power Curve Model

Apsk32 uses what he calls a “power curve” tool. It fits Bitcoin’s market cap in gold ounces to a smooth curve. The tool stretches back to the 2017 high near $20,000. When plotted, it suggests a 2025 bull‑market peak above $200,000. He told X followers that “if Bitcoin’s position relative to gold keeps improving, returns could top expectations.”

Bitcoin’s position relative to gold has improved considerably since April. This is the indicator that gives me hope for higher than expected returns later this year.

BTC-USD is close to extreme greed, which sounds scary, but it’s also where we would expect to be if Bitcoin… pic.twitter.com/CY1Qxy4Hdi

— apsk32 (@apsk32) May 16, 2025

Realistic Price Targets

While some models push for $444,000 this year—what Apsk32 credits to “five years ahead of support”—he thinks a more realistic goal is $220,000. He added there’s a “decent chance” BTC hits $250,000, but he doesn’t see that as the most likely outcome. The $220,000 level would still mark a 10× jump from Bitcoin’s low near $22,000 in late 2022.

Gold Market Scenarios

Other market experts ran a different test. They looked at how much Bitcoin could be worth if it claimed part of gold’s total value. If gold reaches, say, $5,000 per ounce by 2030 and Bitcoin grabs half of gold’s market cap, BTC could hit a price of more than $920k. But then, these figures are scenario‑based, not firm predictions.

Supply And Demand Factors

Bitcoin’s supply is capped at 21 million coins. Every block halving makes new BTC rarer. These events come roughly every four years. The next one is expected in 2024. After that, miner rewards fall from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC per block. Scarcity has driven prices up in past cycles. But demand could shift if big investors pull back.

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Risks And Opportunities

Volatility in both gold and Bitcoin could upend these models. Gold can face sudden drops when traders take profits. Bitcoin has swung 20% or more in a single day before. Regulatory moves, geo‑political events, and tech upgrades all play a part. Still, setting clear price scenarios helps investors plan.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Data from DeFiLlama showed USDT expanded by roughly $830 million in the past week and more than $5.5 billion since mid‑April. The headline total matters on its own, but the real insight lies in how the tokens are distributed: nearly half now sit on Tron, while Ethereum holds a slightly smaller share, leaving every other network, including BNB Chain, Solana, and Avalanche, with only single‑digit crumbs.

Tron’s grip on USDT has never been stronger. Data puts $73.7 billion of USDT on the network, equal to 46.8 % of all outstanding supply, up 2.47% in the past seven days. Low fees, simple account creation, and deep exchange support have kept Tron at the core of over‑the‑counter settlements and emerging‑market remittance corridors, where cents matter more than smart‑contract flexibility and network effects.

During the past week, Tron’s entire stablecoin base (including USDC, Dai, and smaller tokens) grew by $1.79 billion to $73.74 billion, showing that new flows head straight for the cheapest rails available.

Ethereum still hosts $66.22 billion in USDT, or 42.1% of the float, but the chain recorded a $1.38 billion net outflow across all stablecoins over the past three weeks and $746.5 million in the most recent seven‑day window. Elevated gas prices above two gwei seldom deter DeFi power users, yet they remain a hurdle for retail exchanges and cross‑border desks with thin profit margins.

Even so, Ethereum’s ecosystem continues to provide the deepest liquidity pools, the most active derivatives market, and critical integrations with tokenized real‑world assets, giving USDT holders a reason to stay en masse despite cheaper alternatives.

The split between the two chains creates a stark contrast in issuer concentration. USDT accounts for 99.25% of all stablecoins on Tron, meaning almost every dollar on the network relies on Tether’s banking relationships and risk controls. Ethereum, by comparison, offers more redundancy: USDT covers 51.23% of its $123.74 billion pool, while USDC, Dai, Ethena’s USDe, and a patchwork of newcomers share the rest. That mix cushions Ethereum users if any single issuer hits turbulence and explains why sophisticated DeFi strategies keep a large presence on the chain despite higher fees.

Circle’s USDC remains the second‑largest stablecoin at $60.79 billion. The gap between the two majors is now close to $90  billion, widening from $80 billion only a month ago as Tether continued minting faster and USDC plateaued. Weekly USDC issuance slipped 1.58%, and its one‑month expansion stands at a modest 1.23%. Europe’s incoming MiCA regime may hand Circle a compliance edge later this year, but the numbers show that regulatory clarity in Europe has yet to convince traders to switch.

Smaller stablecoins paint a mixed picture. DAI jumped 8.97% in seven days and 12.07% in a month to $4.48 billion after MakerDAO voters raised the Savings Rate and attracted capital with an on‑chain yield north of 11% at one point. Ethena’s synthetic USDe nudged up 1.08% on the week yet sits 5.19% below its April reading at $4.65 billion, showing a slightly reduced hedge demand after funding spreads on perpetual futures compressed. BlackRock’s pilot BUIDL, with a tokenized US Treasury backing, rose 19.30% in a month to $2.89 billion; still tiny by Tether standards but notable for its speed.

BNB Chain appears to be the only secondary network making material progress on the USDT front. It absorbed a 5.79% daily influx worth roughly $300 million, lifting its tether stash to $5.48 billion, the largest single‑day addition since February. Solana’s $2.39 billion hoard was flat, and Avalanche gave back 2.74% of its $1.87 billion supply despite a double‑digit monthly increase. All told, networks outside Tron and Ethereum hold slightly more than $10 billion of Tether, less than the total minted in April alone, showing how deeply liquidity has clustered on the two leading chains.

The preference for Tron stems from straightforward math. At half a cent per standard transfer, a desk moving $100 million pays only $50 in fees on Tron versus roughly $30,000 on Ethereum at 50 gwei. Bridges and wrappers allow near‑instant migration to exchanges that list TRC‑20 USDT pairs, notably Binance, OKX, and HTX, reducing the need for costly and sometimes slow L1 settlements. Ethereum cannot match that cost profile, but its entrenched position in DeFi, institutional custody, and high‑value NFTs keeps large balances anchored even when idle capital seeks cheaper homes.

Concentration carries well‑known hazards. Should regulators target Tron, throttle Tether’s access to it, or restrict US banks from servicing exchanges that rely on TRC‑20 liquidity, nearly half of all USDT could become harder to redeem or move. That risk explains why some treasurers follow a barbell approach, parking working capital on Tron while holding strategic reserves on Ethereum or even in staked T‑Bills such as BUIDL. This approach mirrors fiat treasury segmentation, with checking accounts for day‑to‑day flows and separate custody for longer‑term allocations.

Another question concerns the pace of issuance. Tether added almost $19  billion in the first four months of 2025, sprinting past the entire 2024 print run before May even began. If that tempo holds, USDT could finish the year north of $200 billion, a level that would equal roughly 20% of Bitcoin’s current market value. Such a scale will force exchanges, prime brokers, and insurers to revisit counterparty exposure limits, upgrade collateral policies, and map dependency scenarios across chain failures or banking interruptions.

For now, the data shows liquidity is concentrating on the cheapest venues, and traders accept the single‑issuer exposure because the alternative is slower settlement or higher fees. USDC offers a compliance‑first path, DAI provides a fully collateralized model, and newer tokens experiment with yield or real‑world backing, yet none capture share at a pace that dents Tether’s lead. The $150 billion milestone is not just a big, round number; it represents a market structure where two chains and one issuer set the tempo for crypto‑denominated commerce.

The post Tron strengthens grip on USDT, claiming nearly half of its $150B supply appeared first on CryptoSlate.

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After a prolonged period of reduced activity, the Solana network and ecosystem have regained traction once again with network activities surging to new levels. SOL’s price may be struggling with heightened volatility, but its network has displayed resilience, painting a bullish future for SOL.

TVL On Solana Surges To 22-Month High

The Ethereum network‘s strongest rival and contender, Solana, is gradually claiming the spotlight in the broader DeFi sector as a result of its recent milestone. With the SOL ecosystem surging again, it continues to cement its position as a leading blockchain in the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrencies.

Informative platform IC News stated that the Solana network is experiencing notable growth as its Total Value Locked (TVL) surges despite SOL’s downturn of 9% between March 28 and April 4. The platform stated that SOL’s TVL spiked to its highest level since June 2022, marking a 22-month high. 

SOL’s TVL rose by an additional 53.8 million SOL, reflecting an over 14% monthly rise since June 2022. This milestone signifies increased activity throughout the network’s DeFi protocols, robust ecosystem participation, and a fresh wave of investor confidence. 

Even with SOL’s price bearish performance, IC News highlighted that the Solana network consistently outperforms other networks like BNB Chain in terms of trading volume and deposits. Presently, SOL’s TVL is valued at $6.5 billion, putting the network ahead of the BNB Chain by over $780 million.

Furthermore, its Decentralized Exchange (DEX) volumes demonstrated remarkable resiliency as Total Value Locked (TVL) reached its highest level since June 2022. The Solana network currently dominates the DEX market share by about 24%, outperforming the BNB Chain and BASE networks, which control 12% and 10% of the DEX market share, respectively.

Should the network growth continue, it could lead to a price recovery for SOL in the upcoming weeks since heightened investor participation and DeFi activities often influence short-term price spikes. 

New Make-Or-Break Zone For SOL’s Price

SOL’s network performance may have improved, but its price continues to struggle to regain upward momentum, causing it to revisit key support levels. Technical expert and trader, Ali Martinez, delving into the altcoin’s action, has revealed a new make-or-break zone as volatility intensifies.

Ali Martinez highlighted that the $120 level is a make-or-break zone for SOL, urging investors to observe its next move. This is due to the major trend shifts that have happened at this level in the past.

Data from CoinMarketCap shows that Solana’s price has taken a significant hit, falling below the $100 mark with a nearly 18% drop in the last 24 hours. Despite this sharp decline, investors are demonstrating remarkable confidence, capitalizing on the recent drop as indicated by a more than 257% increase in trading volume in the past day.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview.com

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Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, acquired 8,888 Bitcoin in the first quarter of 2025.

According to crypto analytics firm SpotOnChain, the purchase is worth approximately $735 million and raises Tether’s total Bitcoin holdings to 92,647 BTC, valued at around $7.64 billion.

The firm’s Bitcoin holdings now place it among the top six largest BTC wallets, and according to SpotOnChain, its estimated unrealized profit is $3.86 billion.

Tether has maintained a consistent Bitcoin acquisition strategy since May 2023, when it committed to allocating 15% of its quarterly profits to the top digital asset.

These purchases are typically made throughout the quarter and settled at the end. Onchain data reveals the firm has acquired the same amount, 8,888 BTC, each quarter since that announcement.

This strategy is part of a broader effort to diversify its reserves, which include gold, cash equivalents, and other short-term assets.

Tether’s expansion

Beyond growing its crypto reserves, Tether is also actively expanding into other industries.

On March 31, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino revealed that the company is scaling its operations in artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and data infrastructure. According to him, the firm is currently hiring across these sectors.

Ardoino stressed that Tether aims to challenge legacy Web2 companies by building decentralized consumer-facing products powered by peer-to-peer technologies.

He stated:

“Tether’s portfolio of upcoming projects and products is gonna disrupt many legacy Web2 businesses. We focus on real world consumer apps decentralization through peer-to-peer technology.”

Last month, Tether acquired nearly 50 million shares in Adecoagro, a Latin American agribusiness, increasing its ownership to 70%. The firm operates in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay and focuses on sustainable agriculture and food production.

In addition, Tether secured a 30.4% stake in Italian media company Be Water through a €10 million investment involving both capital infusion and equity purchase.

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