🚀 Ethereum Surges as Altcoin Hype Builds

CONTENTS

• The Wrap Up
• Overview in This Market
• Movement in the Top 8
• This Week’s Narrative
• Key Advancements
• DeFi Brief
• Memes in Motion
• Fundraises
• Airdrop Buzz
• The Wrap Down

THE WRAP UP

Bitcoin closed the week up 5.55%, but Ethereum stole the spotlight again, jumping 13.47%. The total crypto market cap rose 6.43%, reaching $3.686T.
Liquidations were calm early in the week but spiked with Bitcoin’s breakout, triggering $1B in shorts in a single day. Funding rates began climbing modestly, hinting at renewed interest.

What This Means & The Impact
Crypto’s rally outpaced equities this week, suggesting investor confidence is shifting toward digital assets even amid global tariff concerns. A surge in ETH and a wave of altcoin outperformance shows momentum returning to the market.

OVERVIEW IN THIS MARKET

• Bitcoin (BTC): +5.55%
• Ethereum (ETH): +13.47%
• Total Market Cap: Up 6.43% to $3.686T
• Equities: S&P 500 +0.54%, Nasdaq +0.34%

What This Means & The Impact
Traditional markets are grinding upward, but crypto appears to be regaining its edge. Institutional accumulation of BTC and ETH adds weight to the bullish sentiment.

MOVEMENT IN THE TOP 8

What This Means & The Impact
‍ETH leads the majors decisively, signaling rotation back into Layer 1 narratives. TON’s strength shows Telegram-powered ecosystems gaining traction.

THIS WEEK’S NARRATIVE

Memecoins dominated discussion again with Pump.fun’s upcoming ICO and debates over fair distribution models.

• Pump.fun to launch its ICO on July 12, selling 33% of the token supply
• Airdrop hinted but details withheld
• Critics resurfaced founder tweets calling presales “a scam”

What This Means & The Impact
Love it or hate it, Pump.fun represents a shift in how attention and on-chain activity are monetized. It’s polarizing, but its success can’t be ignored. Expect memecoin volatility to spike.

KEY ADVANCEMENTS

• Metaplanet adds 2,205 BTC, total now 15,555 BTC
• SharpLink Gaming acquires 7,689 ETH for treasury, now holding 205,634 ETH
• Bit Digital exits BTC for ETH entirely
• Tether-backed L1 Plasma preps token sale for July 17
• MantleX launches to explore AI-blockchain innovation
• Ondo Finance acquires regulated broker-dealer Oasis Pro

What This Means & The Impact
Major strategic pivots show ETH is becoming the institutional favourite. With regulated bridges like Ondo forming, TradFi is stepping deeper into tokenization.

DEFI BRIEF

• Phantom launches Phantom Perps, powered by Hyperliquid
• GMX V1 exploited, $40M stolen
• Aevo introduces stock perps with up to 1000x leverage

What This Means & The Impact
GMX’s exploit is a blow to trust in established DeFi protocols. Meanwhile, Phantom and Aevo signal aggressive expansion into new formats, with Hyperliquid gaining strength from key integrations.

MEMES IN MOTION

• LetsBonk surpasses Pump.fun in launchpad market share

What This Means & The Impact
The memecoin scene remains hyper-competitive. Ecosystem tools like LetsBonk are beginning to take real market share, indicating growing user demand for niche launch platforms.

UNDRAISES

• Kuru Exchange raises $11.6M led by Paradigm
• Agora raises $50M, backed by Dragonfly
• Velvet Capital raises $3.7M for DeFi asset management

What This Means & The Impact
Capital continues flowing to infrastructure and stablecoin innovation. Paradigm’s backing of multiple early-stage projects this week shows confidence in long-term DeFi scalability.

AIRDROP BUZZ

• Eclipse L2 airdrop checker now live – based on the SVM stack

What This Means & The Impact
Airdrop hunters now have their sights set on Eclipse as another major L2 entry to the game. SVM-based innovations may carve a new layer narrative.

THE WRAP DOWN

Ethereum led the charge this week, but beneath the surface, we’re seeing a notable pivot in institutional interest and memecoin-driven user demand. With BTC and ETH both rising, stablecoin rails tightening, and altcoins reigniting, crypto may be building toward a broader Q3 breakout.

Your Trusted Crypto Research Team‍Crypto Research Australia – CRA
‍‍“The market doesn’t wait for clarity. It rewards those who act through uncertainty.”