Crypto Writer

Arslan Butt

Crypto Writer

Arslan Butt

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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

The investigation points to $71.9 million taken from 1,539 victims through a mix of storefront operations, fraudulent claims, and cash collection machines.

Prosecutors requested the seizure of NT$1.275 billion (about $39.8 million), along with 640,000 USDT
USDT


$0.9883

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About $3.13 million in bank deposits has already been frozen, with more recoveries expected.

According to investigators, the accused collected money in cash, converted it into foreign currency, and used it to purchase USDT through BiXiang Technology, a local exchange.

The main suspect, Shi Qiren, was arrested in April together with thirteen associates. Reports indicate Shi could face up to 25 years in prison for leading the operation and for refusing to plead guilty. Prosecutors alleged that starting in 2024, Shi, his wife, and a business partner named Yang opened forty outlets under the names “CoinW” and “CoinThink Technology Co., Ltd”.

Officials claimed the group pretended to be the only company approved by Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission, which helped them attract more than 1,500 customers. By combining franchise fees and machine collections, they allegedly gathered nearly $72 million.

On August 11, police in Phú Thọ Province, Vietnam, shut down the largest cryptocurrency scam recorded in the country. How? Read the full story.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM 0.24%) may not design artificial intelligence (AI) chips, but it’s a company that every AI chipmaker relies on. The AI giants rely on TSMC to manufacture their number-crunching chip designs. That’s why TSMC is the safest long-term play in the AI infrastructure space.

Let’s look at what makes the company so special.

The foundry leader

TSMC is the world’s most advanced semiconductor foundry, and it counts the world’s leading chip designers among its top customers, including Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom, and Apple. It has the scale and technological leadership that rivals can’t match. Intel has been burning cash trying to establish its foundry business, while Samsung’s yield issues continue to be an issue. That has given TSMC a huge market share lead in the advanced node market, and it’s not particularly close.

Nodes refer to the size of the transistors used on a chip, measured in nanometers. The smaller the node, the more transistors can be packed onto the chip, which boosts performance and power efficiency. Smaller nodes are becoming a bigger part of TSMC’s mix. Chips made on 7nm and smaller nodes made up 73% of its revenue in the first quarter, up from 65% a year ago. Its 3nm node accounted for 22% of revenue, and Apple has booked much of its 2nm supply for future products. Even Intel has been using TSMC’s 3nm tech for some of its most advanced chips. That says a lot.

TSMC’s clear leadership in the space has also given the company strong pricing power. Between increasing demand and higher prices, this is driving both strong revenue growth and improved gross margins. Last quarter, its revenue jumped 35% to $25.5 billion, led by growth in high-performance computing (HPC). That continued in Q2, with the company reporting preliminary revenue growth of 39% to $31.9 billion, as estimated by Reuters.

Margins remain strong despite new fabs ramping. Gross margin rose 190 basis points to 58.8% in Q1 despite its Arizona and Japan fabs still ramping up and weighing on profitability. TSMC expects these newer facilities to dilute margins by 2 to 3 percentage points this year, but the company is already raising prices to offset the pressure. According to reports, TSMC will increase AI chip prices this year, with Arizona-made chips potentially commanding a 30% premium.

TSMC’s business risks

TSMC is not entirely without risks. Geopolitical tensions around Taiwan will always be part of the story, and it’s not immune to tariffs and policy shifts in the U.S. However, TSMC is already addressing both by expanding its footprint globally. The company has been building new fabs in the U.S., Japan, and Europe in partnership with its largest customers.

However, what makes TSMC the safest AI semiconductor stock is its position in the semiconductor value chain. It ultimately doesn’t matter which company wins the AI chip race. TSMC’s success is tied to overall AI chip demand, not any one company’s products.

AI chip demand isn’t slowing down, either. TSMC previously projected AI-related revenue to grow at a mid-40% compounded average growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years, starting in 2024. It’s also working closely with customers to time its capacity expansion accordingly. With its top customers booking future supply, it has solid visibility into future growth.

Meanwhile, it could see a tailwind beyond AI with autonomous driving. Robotaxis are beginning to take off and gain traction, and all of those vehicles will need to be fitted with advanced chips. It’s still early, but if robotaxis and autonomous driving become commonplace, TSMC will be a big beneficiary.

A semiconductor wafer being manufactured.

Time to buy the stock

In the AI chip battle, TSMC is essentially the AI arms dealer. It doesn’t need to bet on who will dominate the chip market, because it sells manufacturing services to all of them. For investors who want exposure to AI semiconductors without betting on a single chipmaker, TSMC is the safest way to play it.

The stock is also attractively valued, trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24 times based on analysts’ 2025 estimates and a price/earnings-to-growth ratio (PEG) of less than 0.7. Stocks with PEG ratios below 1 are typically considered undervalued.

Taken all together, TSMC is one of the best and safest stocks to buy in the semiconductor space right now.

Mainland China chipmaking capacity is accelerating, now poised to become the world’s leading semiconductor foundry hub by 2030, and overtaking Taiwan in total capacity, according to the latest projections from Yole Group. Chinese dominance in this field is fueled by the country’s push to manufacture its own tech as U.S. export restrictions continue to ramp up.

China’s rapid rise in semiconductor manufacturing

Yole Group forecasts that China’s share of global foundry capacity will rise to 30% by 2030, up from 21% in 2024. In contrast, Taiwan, the current leader, held a 23% share last year. China’s foundry expansion has already propelled it past South Korea (19%), Japan (13%), and the U.S. (10%) in capacity rankings.

According to the South China Morning Post, the acceleration is fueled by massive state investment in China chipmaking notably through the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund (“Big Fund”), which has nurtured national champions like SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor.

In 2024 alone, China’s monthly wafer production jumped 15% year-on-year, with local chipmakers accounting for 15% of global foundry capacity, a figure set to rise substantially by the decade’s end. The construction of new semiconductor fabrication plants, such as Huahong’s 12-inch facility in Wuxi, compounds the scale and speed of China’s manufacturing ramp-up.

Geopolitical tensions and Taiwan’s export crackdown

China’s doubling down in this area comes at a time of rising geopolitical pressures. Just three weeks ago, Taiwan imposed strict new export controls targeting Chinese firms like Huawei and SMIC, effectively blacklisting them from accessing advanced Taiwanese semiconductor technologies.

As CryptoSlate reported, this move aligns Taiwan more closely with U.S. policy and aims to close loopholes exploited by Chinese companies to circumvent existing sanctions. The updated rules require government approval for any high-tech exports to the blacklisted entities, further isolating China’s chip sector from cutting-edge global supply chains.

China chipmaking: implications for the AI and crypto sectors

The outcome of this capacity race impacts both the AI and crypto industries. Semiconductors are the backbone of AI model training and inference, as well as crypto mining operations. Despite export bans, Chinese firms like Huawei and SMIC are developing competitive AI chips, but the loss of access to leading-edge Taiwanese tech could slow their progress and increase reliance on domestic innovation.

For the crypto sector, chip supply constraints can directly impact mining efficiency and network security. U.S. and Taiwanese restrictions have already raised operational costs for Chinese mining firms. If China succeeds in scaling its foundry capacity and closing the technology gap, it could stabilize domestic supply for crypto miners and AI developers, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape for both sectors.

The headquarters, called “Constellation”, is planned for Taipei’s Beitou district. Huang explained during the Computex trade show on May 19 that the new building will serve as a central hub for the company’s growing operations in the region.

Nvidia also partners with the Taiwanese government and Foxconn’s Big Innovation Group to build a large AI supercomputer. The system will be installed at the National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC) and will use over 10,000 of Nvidia’s new Blackwell GPUs.

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According to Nvidia, this setup will deliver over eight times the performance of Taiwania 2, the current leading supercomputer in Taiwan.

The machine will include several types of Nvidia hardware, such as HGX H200 systems, Blackwell Ultra B300 units, and GB200 NVL72 racks. All components will be linked using the company’s Quantum InfiniBand network technology.

The supercomputer will be used by universities, research institutions, and Nvidia’s major partner, TSMC. According to NCHC Director General Chau-Lyan Chang, the system will help with AI development, quantum computing, and other advanced research areas.

Some of the first projects it will support include TAIDE, a government initiative to create large language models focused on Taiwanese culture and language. Another program, Taiwan AI RAP, will provide a platform for building generative AI tools.

On May 8, Apple announced it is developing new microchips for upcoming products, including smart glasses and AI tools. What did the company say about it? Read the full story.