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Jeffrey Gogo

Features writer

Jeffrey Gogo

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Jeffrey Gogo is a journalist with 20 years of experience in business, finance, cryptocurrency, and climate change news and analysis.

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Last updated: 

September 15, 2025

Key Takeaways:

• Vitalik Buterin tested Hinkal’s “Invisible Wallet,” a new tool that hides wallet activity to protect users from hacks.
• Crypto hacks surged to $163 million in August, rising for the third month a row.
• Analysts say privacy wallets can reduce exposure for high-net-worth holders, but warn they’re not a silver bullet against determined tracking.
• While zero-knowledge proofs allow for privacy-preserving compliance, experts say legal alignment remains uncertain.

Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin has been testing Hinkal’s new ‘Invisible Wallet,’ a privacy tool that could mark a breakthrough at a time when wealthy wallets are increasingly targeted by hackers.

It comes as losses from crypto hacks soared to $163 million in August, rising for the third month in a row, according to PeckShield. In the last five years alone, crypto investors have lost over $4 billion in targeted attacks.

Web3 firm Hinkal says its wallet allows users to hide their on-chain activity. It claims that users, especially those with big balances, can use the wallet to deter attacks without compromising regulatory compliance.

Hinkal CEO Giorgi Koreli described crypto’s in-built transparency as a “bug”. He says it is not “normal” that over $4 trillion in crypto assets on public blockchains “can be monitored and potentially weaponized by others.”

“Privacy-preserving wallets are the future, because free surveillance and tracking can’t be,” Koreli argues.

In his test transfer in late August, Buterin sent 0.01 ETH ($44) from his wallet to an address owned by Hinkal using its invisible wallet, according to Etherscan data. Buterin’s wallet address is publicly labeled vitalik.eth.

As seen in the image below, Hinkal kept track of the Ethereum founder’s activity but did not share any more of his internal transactions for privacy reasons. Even his well-known address is obfuscated in the transaction record.

“If your assets can be watched, your transaction can be mapped and traced at every interaction,” Koreli wrote in an article posted on X. “It’s not freedom. It’s additional exposure.”

Hinkal’s Invisible Wallet ‘Is Not a Silver Bullet’

The blockchain is, by design, a public ledger that broadcasts wallet activity. As Koreli puts it, every transaction, position, and trading strategy is visible to competitors, as well as cybercriminals.

He says crypto’s “radical transparency” has been a major obstacle, discouraging privacy-focused institutions in traditional finance from investing in the “$50 billion” decentralized finance (DeFi) market.

Slava Demchuk, CEO of blockchain analytics firm AMLBot, said tools like Hinkal’s invisible wallet can raise the bar for personal security by shielding wallet balances and transaction histories from opportunistic attackers.

“For high-net-worth holders, that additional layer of privacy reduces the risk of targeted hacks, phishing attempts, or even physical threats,” Demchuk told Cryptonews, adding:

“Of course, as with any system, ultimate protection depends on adoption, decentralization, robustness of the cryptography behind it, and, most importantly, on users’ own caution.”

Invisible wallets, like Hinkal’s, act as cloaking devices. Transactions can still be validated on-chain, but sensitive details, such as wallet addresses, amounts, or counterparties, remain hidden from public scrutiny, experts say.

Yury Serov, head of investigations at analytics firm Global Ledger, lauded the privacy wallet for removing the most obvious exposure points, namely the appearance of a public address in swaps, lending and routine DeFi use.

But this “invisible” must not be conflated with “invulnerable.” For example, he says, if someone moves unusually large amounts when the liquidity pool is thin, bad actors may easily correlate deposits and withdrawals.

“Timing patterns, transaction sizes, and even metadata from relayers can give away more than users expect,” Serov tells Cryptonews, adding:

“In practice, this means Hinkal makes it much harder for casual observers or opportunistic attackers to track big wallets, but it won’t make a whale completely disappear from a determined investigation.”

According to Serov, Hinkal’s Invisible Wallet “is best viewed as a layer of risk reduction, not a silver bullet.”

Can Privacy and Compliance Coexist?

Hinkal insists that its wallet can be both private and compliant at the same time. Experts aren’t so sure. According to AMLBot CEO Demchuk, it is technically feasible for the wallet to comply with the rules while private.

“Yes, users do pass KYC requirements, and zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs allow them to demonstrate eligibility without exposing personal data,” he noted. “However, from a legal standpoint, it’s not entirely compliant yet.”

Under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, service providers may still be required to act as data controllers, creating “a gap between technical compliance and regulatory obligations,” he said.

The blockchain analyst brought up PureFi as an alternative framework that verifies compliance checks on-chain while ensuring that service providers retain the role of data controller.

“So, while Hinkal’s approach is innovative, there are still open questions about full regulatory alignment,” said Demchuk.

Global Ledger’s Serov concurred with Demchuk, saying that with ZK proofs, users can prove they have already passed (know your customer) KYC verification with a regulated exchange or that they are not on the sanctions list, to participate.

He explains:

“Historically, regulators and policymakers have sometimes seen privacy as being in direct opposition to financial crime compliance. But today, technological advances are moving so quickly that it may no longer be necessary to sacrifice one goal to achieve the other.”

But not everyone is entirely convinced. Didier Lavallée, CEO of Canadian crypto firm Tetra Trust, says Hinkal’s compliance model is “unclear”.

“You would need some kind of token or verification system to confirm it is compliant,” Lavallée told Cryptonews. Still, the service might be useful for institutions that continue to use permissioned blockchains, he said.

Vitalik Wants Privacy Wired Into the Blockchain

Vitalik Buterin has occasionally revisited the question of privacy in his blogs. He usually breaks down the “moon math” that is required to code privacy protocols such as zero-knowledge proofs into Ethereum.

His simple solution is to wire privacy into the blockchain itself rather than add it on top of the blockchain in the form of a wallet, for example.

“Up until now, making private transfers on Ethereum has required users to explicitly download and use a ‘privacy wallet’, such as Railway (or Umbra for stealth addresses),” Buterin explains in one blog entry.

“This adds great inconvenience and reduces the number of people who are willing to make private transfers. The solution is that private transfers need to be integrated directly into wallets.”

One of his proposed implementations would have wallets store a portion of a user’s assets as a “private balance” in a privacy pool.

“When a user makes a transfer, it would automatically withdraw from the privacy pool first,” says Buterin. “If a user needs to receive funds, the wallet could automatically generate a stealth address.”

Invisible Wallet: Transparency vs. Privacy

Hinkal’s privacy tool challenges crypto’s core ethos of transparency. After all, blockchain was built to let “everyone see everything.” However, some crypto analysts argue the wallet reframes crypto transparency rather than ends it.

“Instead of putting every detail of a user’s balance and trades on-chain, it uses zero-knowledge proofs to make only the necessary facts verifiable,” said Serov, the Global Ledger head of investigations, adding:

“In other words, it tries to preserve the trustless auditability of crypto while reducing the personal exposure that comes with full transparency. Hinkal reflects a shift from ‘everyone sees everything’ to ‘everyone can verify what matters.’”

AMLBot’s Demchuk spoke about balancing transparency with privacy. “Transparency has always been core to blockchain, but privacy is equally fundamental, especially when financial security is at stake,” he detailed.

“Public ledgers can remain auditable, while individual users gain choice over what information they reveal.”

Meanwhile, Hinkal could face much bigger problems. Privacy tools have historically drawn sharp reactions from regulators.

In 2022, for example, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Ethereum-based mixing service Tornado Cash on allegations of facilitating billions in laundered funds. Its cofounder, Roman Storm, was indicted in the U.S. for money laundering.

“There are some legitimate use cases of the (Hinkal) app, like payroll or protection from dusting attacks,” Serov noted. “But this innovation is likely to attract regulators’ attention in advanced regulatory regimes, like the EU.”

Without a MiCA license, or Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation, Hinkal will not be able to offer its privacy-enhanced crypto custody solution in the European Union, according to Serov.

“Under the new AMLR, crypto asset services providers will not be allowed to facilitate transactions with privacy coins or anonymous accounts from July 2027. Such privacy-enhancing solutions will be effectively outlawed.”

Analysts say Hinkal’s wallet will likely be pushed out into jurisdictions that don’t yet have similar regulations in place.

“Unlike mixers, which anonymize flows without checks, Hinkal integrates privacy-preserving KYC and access tokens,” said Demchuk. “That gives regulators a framework to distinguish it from ‘black box’ laundering tools.”

Data from Global Ledger shows that Tornado Cash received roughly $1.5 billion worth of ETH between Jan. 1 and Sept. 5 this year (see image above).

Serov said around 36% of the funds are “high-risk” and come from hacks, such as the Cork Protocol hack and Bybit hack, as well as sanctioned entities like Garantex and other risky sources. “The mixer poses significant AML risks,” he added.

Prediction market Polymarket is pursuing new funding that could boost its valuation to $10 billion, as Business Insider reported on Sept. 12.

Two people with knowledge of the matter said the valuation discussions represent at least a threefold increase from the $1 billion Polymarket achieved in a funding round that closed this summer.

According to one source, at least one investor offered a term sheet valuing the company at $10 billion. A Polymarket spokesperson declined to comment on the funding talks.

Strategic developments

The reported valuation surge follows a series of strategic developments positioning Polymarket for a US comeback.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission granted regulatory approval for the platform to resume US operations through a no-action letter issued Sept. 3 to QCX LLC, Polymarket’s regulatory partner, acquired for $112 million in July.

The regulatory greenlight enables Polymarket to operate event contracts while maintaining compliance with federal derivatives regulations. It also marks a return after the platform ceased US operations in 2022 following a $1.4 million CFTC settlement over unregistered derivatives trading.

Additionally, Donald Trump Jr. joined Polymarket’s advisory board in August as his venture capital firm 1789 Capital made a strategic investment in the platform.

The partnership adds political expertise as Polymarket prepares for US market entry. Trump Jr. recently praised the platform for cutting through “media spin and so-called expert opinion.”

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Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan characterized the 1789 Capital partnership as reinforcing the company’s role as a trusted information source, while the firm’s founder, Omeed Malik, praised Polymarket’s intersection of financial innovation and free expression.

Slump in user growth

Polymarket operates as a prediction market where users place bets on outcomes ranging from political elections to cultural events, generating market-driven predictions.

Data from a Dune dashboard by Varrock founder Richard Chen shows that Polymarket crossed $8.5 billion in year-to-date trading volume as of Sept. 12, surpassing last year’s total volume.

The trading volume increase occurs despite a slump in active and new users. Polymarket’s monthly active traders peaked in January at 454,664, gradually falling to reach August’s 226,442 after a 20% fall from July.

Meanwhile, new users plunged 33% between July and August, reaching 66,160, the lowest level in a year.

The platform’s regulatory preparations and high-profile advisory additions position it for a potential pivot in these numbers with a US expansion.

Mentioned in this article

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Forward Industries, known for making protective casing for medical devices, has announced a massive $1.65B private placement to go big on Solana ($SOL).

Backed by big names like Galaxy Digital and Multicoin Capital, the move shows tremendous institutional confidence in Solana’s future.

Forward Industries’ stocks shot up by 6% right after the announcement and have continued to rise steadily overall, indicating the market took it well.

With Solana looking good, now is the perfect time to look at Snorter Token ($SNORT), the Swiss-army knife you need for trading everything Solana-based.

Why the Enthusiasm? Understanding Solana’s Momentum

Why are the big players piling into Solana right now? The technical indicators could hold the answer. Solana’s price chart is showing what traders call a bull pennant pattern.

Think of it as a pause in the middle of a major run-up. The price surged over 70% from June to August, and now it’s catching its breath before a potential big move. If the pattern plays out, some analysts predict the price could hit $300 in the near term, with some even eyeing $1K down the road.

Beyond the charts, the network itself is thriving. Solana’s Total Value Locked (TVL) has skyrocketed to $12.987B, a massive 109% jump since April, driven by increased activity on popular dApps like Raydium and Jupiter.

The combo of strong technical signals and real-world growth is what makes Solana such an attractive bet for big investors and companies alike. Projects like Snorter Token ($SNORT), which amplify real-world growth by making Solana-based trading easier, can only strengthen the network.

Snorter Token ($SNORT): A New Class of Utility-First Meme Coin

Lots of tokens pop up based on a funny joke or meme, but Snorter Token ($SNORT) is a different beast. It combines meme coin vibes with advanced tools for traders.

$SNORT is the official token for the Snorter Bot, a trading bot in its beta phase built directly on Telegram. It’s not a promise of future utility; this is a token with a working product.

Holding $SNORT allows you to access various premium features that help you navigate volatile meme coin markets. These include lightning-fast sniping, copy-trading to learn from the best, and rug-pull detection to keep you safe from malicious projects.

In addition to the trading tools, you also benefit from reduced trading fees, paying 0.85% compared to 1.5% for non-holders. The incentive directly rewards platform engagement, creating sustainable demand for the token.

The Vision: Building a Community on a Foundation of Value

Snorter Token ($SNORT) has raised over $3.8M in its presale so far, which shows investors are paying attention. It’s also been professionally audited by firms like SolidProof and Coinsult, which builds trust and credibility.

$SNORT isn’t just a hype-driven meme coin; it’s the key to a set of tools designed to give retail traders the edge over bots and whales.

This is also just the beginning. The project’s roadmap points to continuous expansion and value creation. After launching on Solana and Ethereum, the team plans to expand to other major blockchains like BNB Chain and Polygon.

Time to get your nose to the ground and sniff up some $SNORT? Join the presale now.

Remember, this is not intended as financial advice, and you should always do your own research before making any financial investments.

Authored by Ben Wallis, Bitcoinist — https://bitcoinist.com/solana-rally-after-$1.68B-treasury-purchase-snorter-soars/

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

The cryptocurrency market recovered quite well on Sept. 11, pushing new boundaries of the bearish market further and potentially making even more progress than anticipated. The surge in RLUSD volume could suggest more careful positioning, though. In our most recent market prediction, we broke down how bulls started coming back.

RLUSDT volume spike

Around $200 million have moved through Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, in the past day, marking a huge spike in trading volume. This spike is garnering attention throughout the cryptocurrency market, for a token that normally keeps a low-key, stable profile as a USD-pegged stablecoin.

There could be a number of causes for this kind of movement. In order to protect themselves from the volatility of more risky assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum, institutional players may be moving their money into RLUSD. Stablecoins are probably being used as a safe haven by some traders due to recent volatility in altcoins and significant inflows into exchanges.

• The volume might indicate early activity from payment corridors opening up behind the scenes, given Ripple’s continuous push for adoption in cross-border payments and settlements. The main lesson learned from the spike is that RLUSD remains steady, bolstering trust in its peg mechanism.

• If the volume rise continues, it may signal the start of a larger uptake of Ripple’s stablecoin on payment and trading platforms. Investors should monitor whether the higher demand results in deeper liquidity across exchanges in the near future, as this would make the RLUSD a more dependable trading pair.

In general, speculation is less important than the overall positioning of the cryptocurrency market when it comes to RLUSD’s $200 million volume surge. In a way, it draws attention to the rising need for stability on an unpredictable market and suggests that Ripple’s stablecoin might become more significant in future global liquidity flows.

How good can DOGE be?

Dogecoin has performed surprisingly well, breaking through the $0.24 mark, which few had predicted given its slow performance in recent months. DOGE — which was once thought to be a meme-driven asset vulnerable to hype cycles — is now exhibiting resilience, defying general market uncertainty and proving its capacity to surprise both ardent supporters and doubters. 

The 100-day and 200-day EMAs of Dogecoin have been a solid base for buyers, and the cryptocurrency has continuously respected important support zones in the $0.21-$0.22 range in recent weeks. With bulls intervening at pivotal points, the recovery from these levels and the break above short-term moving averages suggest that momentum is improving. 

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Additionally, there has been a slight increase in trading volume, which could indicate that fresh market interest is emerging. The RSI, which is close to 59, indicates that bullish pressure is increasing without being overbought. This allows for more upside before reaching harsh circumstances.

If DOGE stays above $0.24, the next logical resistance is located between $0.27 and $0.28, where earlier rallies this summer were capped. A run toward $0.30, which would represent a major psychological milestone, might be possible if that zone is successfully broken. The fact that this rally coincides with a decline in the enthusiasm surrounding meme coins is what makes it so intriguing. 

It appears that technical strength and accumulation rather than speculative mania were the driving forces behind DOGE’s move. Dogecoin may start to establish a reputation as a reliable mid-cap cryptocurrency with steady investor support if this trend keeps up. In summary, Dogecoin has resurfaced as a contender in the current market cycle after its unexpected breakout above $0.24 has dispelled bearish expectations.

Ethereum too quiet

With price action settling in the $4,300 range and volatility at all-time lows, Ethereum is exhibiting an unusual calm. The second-largest cryptocurrency believes that this quiet time is misleading and could be a risky prelude to a storm.

With tight candles and little volume, ETH has been trading sideways on the charts for more than a week. The market seems to be losing liquidity, which suggests that traders are holding off until something clear happens. In the past, these periods of inaction frequently came before violent outbursts.

Ethereum is holding at high levels without either buyers or sellers controlling the market, which is more concerning than just the lack of movement. This implies that it might release a surge strong enough to destroy everything in its path when momentum eventually returns.

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The thesis is supported by technical indicators. There is still plenty of opportunity for growth as the RSI is neutral but balanced at 51. Ethereum, meanwhile, is still trading above its 50-day EMA, indicating that the bullish structure is still in place even in the absence of any immediate action.

Failure to hold current levels could result in a retest of $4,100 or even $3,800, while a clean breakout above $4,500 could pave the way to the eagerly anticipated $5,000 mark. Because there is less liquidity, there is a greater chance that a sudden surge in buying pressure will lead to a series of short liquidations, which would send ETH skyrocketing.

On the other hand, if bears take advantage of the situation, the same lack of liquidity may accelerate a sharp decline. Although Ethereum’s silence is unsettling, it also prepares the market for the next pivotal action.

The storm has the potential to propel ETH to new heights with $5,000 as the main target if bulls make a strong comeback. The calm should be interpreted as a warning rather than a sign of safety until that time.

The general state of the market is cautiously positive. With the comeback of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other grands, smaller assets are gaining more traction and might show us long-awaited recoveries. Unfortunately, if stablecoin volumes keep on growing, it would be a sign of a bearish shift.

The Shiba Inu community continues to gradually diminish the circulating SHIB supply by conducting regular burns. According to fresh data shared by the Shibburn portal, over the past week, a significant portion of these meme coins has been pushed out of circulation for good.

Meanwhile, over the past day, the SHIB price has displayed a mild decline after failing to continue the 1.9% rise on Friday.

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20.3 million SHIB dissolved from supply

In a recent tweet, the aforementioned blockchain tracker revealed that over the past seven days, the Shiba Inu community has managed to dispose of a substantial meme coin batch as 20,311,173 SHIB were transferred to unspendable blockchain addresses.

This helped to drive the weekly burn rate by 43.66%, while the daily one has gone down by 97.15% due to a very small amount of SHIB burned over the past 24 hours. Since last morning, the community has so far managed to burn 69,808 SHIB.

SHIB price crashes following Bitcoin drawdown

In the meantime, the price of the prominent meme-themed asset, SHIB, has dropped mildly, losing 1.67% today. This price decline was likely triggered by Bitcoin’s drawdown as BTC sharply fell by 2.4% on Friday, losing the $113,250 mark and landing at $110,560. It has been moving in that price range so far. The decline happened in a single mammoth red candle on an hourly chart.

SHIB’s price fall, also marked by a huge red candle, followed a similar rise of 3.83% as the meme coin strove to surpass the $0.00001248 resistance level. At the time of this writing, SHIB is changing hands at $0.00001225.

The Nasdaq’s surge in value is breaking records, with a market cap relative to the U.S. M2 money supply that has hit a record 176%. Global markets commentator The Kobeissi Letter summed it up in three words:

“This is insane.”

The Nasdaq’s ‘insane’ market cap

As of August 2025, the Nasdaq’s market capitalization shatters the previous Dot-Com Bubble peak by approximately 45 percentage points. Simultaneously, the ratio of Nasdaq’s market cap to U.S. GDP has reached a historic 129%, almost double the highs of March 2000. These levels are raising both eyebrows and alarm on Wall Street.

M2 money supply encompasses all cash, checking deposits, and easily accessible savings, essentially, the “liquid” funds in the U.S. financial system. When the Nasdaq’s total value dwarfs this pool, it means that market valuations are galloping far ahead of the base layer of money underpinning the economy.

In previous cycles, stock market rallies were ultimately anchored by available liquidity. Surpassing the M2 money supply by such a wide margin illustrates an unprecedented disconnect between financial markets and real-world cash or credit growth.

Comparisons with the Dot-Com Bubble are apt: in 2000, the Nasdaq’s meteoric gains ended with a collapse when excess speculation far outpaced money supply and economic fundamentals. Today’s ratios, however, are well beyond those former highs, stoking fears of an even larger asset bubble.

Implications: What could happen next?

When stock valuations become untethered from underlying money growth, markets are more susceptible to sharp and painful corrections. As history showed after the Dot-Com peak, sentiment can turn quickly, and the subsequent cascade can erase trillions in market value overnight.

Today’s surge is heavily concentrated in a handful of giant tech firms, especially those leading AI innovation. This means a downturn in just a few names could spill over into the entire market, intensifying volatility.

With stock values so far above liquid cash levels, any shift in risk appetite, interest rates, or a tightening of credit could drain liquidity from equities fast. Such mismatches magnify systemic risk, as market participants scramble for cash in a sudden downturn.

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Central banks may find themselves pressured to inject more liquidity or risk triggering a deep correction. However, with M2 already at record levels and inflation concerns still present, policy options are limited.

Broader implications for Bitcoin and crypto

A sharp correction in tech equities often sparks a search for non-correlated assets. Bitcoin, with its fixed supply and decentralized nature, is frequently seen as a “digital gold” hedge against both equity bubbles and financial system stress. After major equity shocks in the past, Bitcoin and gold have often seen inflows as alternative stores of value.

Crypto is not immune to market-wide shocks, however. During the COVID crash and after the Dot-Com bust, investors also sold Bitcoin and other risk assets in the initial wave of panic. Thin crypto market liquidity can amplify these sudden swings.

If a market meltdown forces funds and institutions to raise cash, there could be short-term selling pressure for Bitcoin and crypto, especially given recent inflows and speculative positions in ETFs. However, each major crisis tends to inspire renewed interest in alternative financial systems and decentralized assets in the recovery phase.

As the Nasdaq outpaces the real economy, regulators are watching for imbalances. Both securities and crypto market rules could be tightened in response to market volatility or perceived excess.

Never before has the market value of America’s top tech stocks so dramatically outstripped both the money supply and the size of the economy itself. Investors should proceed wth caution and remember the lessons of bubbles past.

Solana (SOL) is back in the spotlight after whale investors injected more than $1 billion into DeFi protocols, sparking a dramatic 500% surge in transaction activity across the network.

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Data from CoinShares shows that inflows in Q3 2025 reached $177 million, pushing year-to-date totals above $1.2 billion. This sharp rise has positioned Solana as one of the most liquid ecosystems for staking, lending, and DEX activity.

One notable whale moved 20,000 SOL from Kraken into Kamino Finance, later borrowing $3 million in USDC for leveraged positions on OKX. This reflects how institutional-scale players are increasingly using Solana’s DeFi ecosystem without selling off their core holdings, adding both liquidity and credibility to the market.

SOL's price trends to the upside on the daily chart. Source: SOLUSD on Tradingview

Why Transactions Are Surging

Analysts point to multiple factors behind Solana’s record-breaking DeFi inflows and transaction growth. A key driver is the Alpenglow consensus protocol upgrade, which gained 99% validator approval. The upgrade slashes transaction finality to just 150 milliseconds, making Solana one of the fastest public blockchains.

This speed advantage has already lured investors away from Ethereum, where congestion remains a problem. One whale address, previously known for high-value Hyperliquid trades, shifted $7.6 million from ETH into SOL, citing throughput efficiency as the decisive factor.

Beyond technical upgrades, Solana has also attracted institutional interest through ETFs and tokenization initiatives, further strengthening its role as a preferred option for DeFi growth in 2025.

What This Means for Solana’s Future

With whales fueling inflows and Solana’s ecosystem achieving record adoption, market confidence in SOL’s long-term trajectory is strengthening. Transaction surges of this scale often precede deeper liquidity growth and sustained developer activity, two pillars of a healthy DeFi network.

However, analysts caution that network activity needs to translate into consistent user adoption to maintain momentum. While speculative capital is accelerating short-term gains, the broader test for Solana will be sustaining real-world use cases beyond whale-led inflows.

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Currently, Solana stands out as one of the fastest-growing ecosystems in crypto, backed by institutional confidence, whale capital, and groundbreaking technical upgrades. If these trends continue, analysts believe Solana could be at the path of the much anticipated $1000 mark.

Cover image from ChatGPT, SOLUSD chart from Tradingview

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Ethereum (ETH) adoption shows no signs of slowing down, as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap continues to attract firms looking to diversify their corporate treasury strategies.

Yunfeng Financial Buys $44 Million In Ethereum

According to an announcement earlier today, Hong Kong-listed Yunfeng Financial Group is the latest entity to invest in Ethereum. The firm purchased 10,000 ETH worth approximately $44 million.

The announcement states that the ETH purchase was primarily funded through internal cash reserves. Notably, on July 14, the firm disclosed plans to expand into areas such as Web3, Real World Assets (RWA), and artificial intelligence (AI).

For the uninitiated, Yunfeng Financial Group is a Hong Kong-based publicly-listed firm offering investment and financial services. Notably, Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is a key associate of the group.

Regarding the ETH acquisition, the company explained that Ethereum was chosen over other digital assets to support infrastructure for RWA tokenization. The company added:

This measure will also facilitate the Group’s technological innovation in the Web3 field, and realize the comprehensive and organic integration of finance with technology for its clients, which will effectively enhance client’s service experience and financial autonomy. On the other hand, the Company will explore the potential applicable models of ETH in the Group’s insurance business, as well as innovative business scenarios compatible with Web3.

The announcement also noted that Yunfeng Financial Group intends to classify ETH as an investment asset on its balance sheet. Holding ETH will help diversify its asset base and reduce reliance on traditional fiat currencies. 

The Jack Ma-linked firm plans to leverage ETH in insurance operations and decentralized finance-based (DeFi) business scenarios. This could include using ETH as collateral for DeFi loans or using it to provide liquidity.

In similar news, Ethereum-focused firm Ether Machine announced that it had raised $654 million worth of ETH in private financing, ahead of its highly-anticipated Nasdaq listing later this year.

To recall, the Ether Machine was formed via a merger between the Ether Reserve and Dynamix Corporation earlier this year. The firm is expected to go public with almost 500,000 ETH, worth $2.16 billion.

Will ETH Flip Bitcoin?

Although Bitcoin (BTC) remains the largest cryptocurrency with a market cap exceeding $1 trillion, ETH is steadily catching up. Recent data shows that Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are already outshining their BTC counterparts.

One major factor driving ETH adoption is its broad range of use cases. VanEck CEO Jan van Eck recently dubbed ETH the “Wall Street token.” At press time, ETH trades at $4,299, down 1.4% over the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Unsplash.com, chart from TradingView.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.