Latest Crypto News | Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoin Updates

Liquidity traps are deliberate price moves by smart money—banks and large institutions—that hunt retail stop-loss orders to fill sizable positions. This guide for crypto traders outlines the five key liquidity traps in today’s markets, starting with liquidity pools and zones, where clustered stop orders create predictable targets. By understanding how smart money exploits market liquidity through stop-hunts, false breakouts, and order-book squeezes, traders can refine stop-loss placement, avoid common pitfalls, and adopt a professional mindset. This focus on liquidity traps empowers retail traders to anticipate smart money tactics and improve their trade execution.

Bear market crypto strategies focus on treating cash and stablecoins as dry powder. Smart money holds 20–30% of their portfolio in USDT or USDC to buy quality assets at discounted prices. Deep research is another pillar. Traders analyze project teams, roadmaps, tokenomics, and community engagement to filter out hype. Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) helps accumulate positions without timing the bottom. By buying in ranges, investors lower their average entry price. Building skills during downturns is equally vital. Seasoned players network, develop smart contracts, and deploy trading bots to prepare for the next bull run. Diversification beyond coins—into NFTs, DeFi protocols, and crypto-related stocks—spreads risk. Strategic profit-taking on mini-cycles preserves capital and reduces emotional trades. Clear stop-losses and profit targets ensure discipline. These bear market crypto strategies enable traders to manage risk, seize discounted opportunities, and position themselves for long-term growth.

The crypto market has paused after Bitcoin’s all-time high, entering a consolidation phase that often precedes an altcoin season. The Bitcoin Dominance Index has fallen since July, signaling a shift of capital into alternative tokens. New catalysts are strengthening this rotation: approval and inflows into Ethereum spot ETFs, growing interest in AI-based protocols, DeFi and tokenized real-world assets, and bullish retail sentiment on small-caps. Key altcoins to watch include Ethereum (ETH) with its Layer-2 expansion, Cardano (ADA) amid its Hydra upgrade, Solana (SOL) driven by a vibrant DeFi ecosystem, and XRP as it rebounds post-legal clarity. Meanwhile, emerging projects like MAGACOIN FINANCE have seen rapid fundraising rounds and 50x price predictions ahead of major exchange listings. Traders should note that historical cycles in 2017 and 2021 saw similar market rotations fueling explosive altcoin rallies. As Bitcoin consolidation continues, positioning for the coming altcoin season could offer substantial upside.

LD Capital founder Jack Yi forecasts an ETH price surge above $10,000, potentially challenging the ETH/BTC exchange-rate peak. He highlights recent breakouts and recommends disciplined trading strategies: avoid shorting in uptrends, accumulate on pullbacks as ETH price dips, limit leverage, and focus on capital preservation. Yi also advises monitoring macro drivers — notably interest-rate trends and liquidity — and rebalancing portfolios across Ethereum ecosystem leaders, layer-1 networks, and DeFi projects. These risk-management principles aim to help traders navigate volatility without relying on unverified price targets.

Stellar XLM is trading in a narrow range between $0.4102 and $0.4284, forming the right shoulder of an inverted head-and-shoulders pattern. Daily volume of around $416 million supports liquidity and reduces swing risk. A sustained daily close above the short-term resistance at $0.43, confirmed by rising volume, could trigger a move toward $0.44–$0.50. Conversely, a break below the $0.41 support may expose lower levels at $0.405 and $0.398. Longer-term neckline resistance sits at $0.49–$0.50, validating a larger bullish reversal if cleared. With a market cap near $12.9 billion and 31.35 billion XLM circulating, traders should monitor these key levels and volume metrics for near-term and extended trading opportunities.

Cardano ADA price is at $0.88, up 4.57% in 24 hours, consolidating above key support. Traders are eyeing a breakout toward $1.30 amid rising network activity and staking growth. Meanwhile, Mutuum Finance’s presale is in Phase 6 at $0.035, with the next round price set to jump 14.29% to $0.04. The project has raised over $14.75 million from 15,550 investors and holds a 95/100 CertiK trust score. Mutuum Finance offers a dual peer-to-contract and peer-to-peer DeFi lending model and plans a USD-pegged stablecoin launch. It also runs a $50,000 CertiK bug bounty and a $100,000 token giveaway. Traders should monitor ADA price consolidation for potential upside. Early participation in MUTM presale may yield higher growth.

BlockDAG presale has raised over $380 million, selling 25.3 billion BDAG tokens at $0.0276 in batch 29. The BlockDAG presale highlights the project’s ability to secure 20 exchange listings—including MEXC, BitMart, Coinstore, LBank and XT.com—ensuring robust liquidity at launch. Global sports partnerships with the Seattle Seawolves and Seattle Orcas, plus daily gamified Buyer Battles, are driving engagement. Sales of 19,350 miners have generated $7.8 million, underscoring real mining capability and delivering a 2,660% ROI from batch 1 to 29. Meanwhile, a 900 million DOGE whale transfer valued at nearly $208 million landed on Binance, stirring speculation over potential sell pressure. DOGE remains in a $0.22–$0.24 range, with support at $0.20 and resistance at $0.26–$0.28. Litecoin is testing a key demand zone after tapping liquidity and trendline spots three times, suggesting a possible short-term rebound. Traders are watching these setups for entry points, while long-term accumulation remains favored.

PEPE surged 10% over 24 hours as whale wallets increased their holdings. The memecoin now trades at $0.00001157 inside a symmetrical triangle formed since May, signalling ongoing consolidation. Top 100 PEPE addresses boosted their balances by 1.5% this month, while a key whale withdrew $2 million in PEPE from Binance and now holds 1.31 trillion tokens at an average cost of $0.00001683, reflecting a $7.25 million paper loss. Spot trading drove the recent pump, with Futures Taker CVD remaining neutral over three months. Volume is insufficient for a decisive breakout; a move above $0.00001366 could trigger a bullish rally, but higher derivatives participation is needed to sustain gains.

Major Bitcoin holders have shifted over 100,000 BTC (approx. $642 M) into Ethereum, driving notable ETH buying and futures long positions. On-chain analysis from Lookonchain reveals one seven-year dormant wallet moved 100,784 BTC to acquire 62,914 ETH and open a 135,265 ETH long, while another investor used Hyperliquid for similar transfers. A separate whale still controlling 83,585 BTC ($9.4 B) has also reallocated capital. These reallocations come amid recent declines in Bitcoin and Ethereum prices, though Ethereum has shown relative resilience. Analysts warn that significant capital flows by market makers and long-term investors could increase market volatility and fuel an Ethereum rally. Traders should monitor on-chain data and ETH price action closely, as these trends may impact both short-term trading and longer-term investment strategies.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse reminded traders that XRP once held the position of the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, trailing only Ethereum, before U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) intervention. His comments coincided with the official end of Ripple’s nearly five-year legal battle when Ripple and the SEC withdrew appeals in the Second Circuit on August 7, 2025. Although the district court’s rulings remain—imposing a $125 million civil penalty on Ripple and injunctive limits on institutional sales—Judge Analisa Torres confirmed in July 2023 that XRP’s secondary market trading is not a securities transaction. The legal clarity sparked an immediate XRP price rebound of 4–13% across major exchanges. Analysts expect renewed listings, stronger institutional confidence, and potential inclusion in future crypto ETFs. With regulatory overhang removed, Ripple can now focus on expanding adoption, partnerships, and cross-border payment solutions, setting the stage for a possible market recovery.

Aave founder Stani.eth has affirmed the validity of a proposed WLFI token allocation involving the Aave protocol and Treasury. According to media reports, the Aave Treasury may receive WLFI tokens worth about $2.5 billion, representing 7% of WLFI supply plus 20% of protocol fees on WLFI Aave v3. Stani.eth’s retweet of “The art of the deal” aimed to calm governance concerns after rumors fueled AAVE price volatility. An alleged WLFI Wallet team member later denied the 7% allocation claim, triggering increased trading activity. Traders are advised to await official governance disclosures before making decisions. This development highlights the critical roles of governance and token allocation in DeFi balance sheets. Monitoring formal Aave proposals will be key for market participants.

XRP futures open interest on the CME Group reached a new all-time high of over 6,000 contracts on August 18, reflecting growing institutional demand for XRP futures. Since launching in May, CME XRP futures have traded 251,000 contracts worth $9.02 billion, with July’s one-day volume peaking at $235 million. Concurrently, Coinglass reports XRP derivatives volume surged 142% to $16.46 billion and open interest rose 8% to $8 billion. The record futures open interest suggests strong anticipation for upcoming spot XRP ETFs, supported by recent S-1 amendments. Technical analysis by CasiTrades points to a bullish continuation, targeting $3.21 as the next resistance after a brief consolidation, with XRP trading around $3.02 (+5% in 24h).

Investors face a choice between stability and explosive growth: a $1,000 stake in Ethereum could reach $3,000–$4,000 if ETH hits $8,000, while the Ozak AI presale offers up to 100x returns. Ethereum remains the backbone of DeFi and Web3, benefiting from Ethereum 2.0 upgrades and widespread adoption. Analysts predict ETH’s price could double to $8,000 in the next bull run, making it a solid, lower-risk option. In contrast, the Ozak AI presale token is trading at $0.01 in Stage 5, with $2.2 million raised and 800 million tokens sold. If Ozak AI reaches $1, early investors could turn $1,000 into $100,000. Even modest price gains to $0.25 or $0.50 would deliver outsized profits compared to Ethereum. Traders often split portfolios—allocating a core position to Ethereum for security and risking a small portion on crypto presale projects like Ozak AI for asymmetric upside. While Ethereum offers reliable 3-4x growth, the Ozak AI presale presents a once-in-a-cycle opportunity for 10x–100x returns. Investors should weigh the risk-reward dynamics and consider their risk tolerance before allocating funds between Ethereum and high-potential presale altcoins.

Katana has launched the “Samurai’s Call” campaign in partnership with Turtle Club to attract Bitcoin holders to new DeFi vaults. Since its April 2024 debut, Turtle Club has matched over $2.3 billion in liquidity, and this campaign has quickly driven its TVL past $100 million. The program supports deposits in USDC, WETH, WBTC, USDT, and partner vaults like weETH and LBTC. A dedicated Bitcoin Katana Vault, built with Turtle Clubhouse and Veda Labs and powered by Morpho and Sushi, will go live on Katana’s mainnet. The Samurai’s Call offers risk-aware yield slots, tapping multi-protocol infrastructure to enhance liquidity and returns. This initiative underscores Katana’s drive to grow its ecosystem and highlights Turtle Club’s role as a key DeFi distribution layer.

Ethereum (ETH) hit a new all-time high (ATH) just shy of $4,900, delivering double-digit gains over the past 24 hours and a 220% surge since April lows. The ETH ATH rally was fueled by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole address, which signaled that interest rate cuts could come later this year and squeezed leveraged shorts. In a surprise move, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown voiced support for cryptocurrencies, marking a rare bipartisan endorsement that may influence future regulation. Traders are also gearing up for the imminent launch of spot XRP ETFs. Approval of Spot XRP ETFs is expected to drive fresh institutional inflows into the XRP market and could reshape altcoin portfolios. Key takeaways: - ETH ATH near $4,900 underscores strong momentum for Ethereum. - Jackson Hole comments revive dovish Fed outlook and boost risk assets. - Sherrod Brown’s pro-crypto stance may ease regulatory concerns. - Spot XRP ETFs on the horizon point to significant XRP demand. - Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) remains a resilient strategy amid volatility. As ETH ATH levels climb and Spot XRP ETFs approach approval, traders should monitor macro cues, regulatory developments, and ETF filings to position for continued upside.

XRP surged 8.56% during Aug 22–23, climbing from $2.83 to $3.03 after Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s dovish comments at Jackson Hole. The XRP rally saw a breakout above $3 trigger a five-fold volume spike on the XRP Ledger, with on-chain settlement volumes up 500%, indicating rising institutional adoption despite whale distributions. Resistance near $3.10 capped the surge, while support consolidated around $2.97–$3.00. Traders watch for a confirmed breakout above $3.10 to target $3.25 or a retrace to $2.95. Fed policy signals ahead of the September meeting remain key drivers for risk assets. The on-chain volume surge underscores growing institutional flows and sets the stage for the next XRP surge.

Crypto contract liquidations surged to $403 million in 24 hours, up from $261 million reported earlier, highlighting extreme volatility in the derivatives market. Long positions accounted for $236 million of the liquidations, while shorts added $166 million. Bitcoin saw $45.07 million in forced closures, and Ethereum led with $197 million, signaling intense leverage unwinds. The spike in crypto contract liquidations underscores heightened trading risks: cascading liquidations may fuel further price swings. Traders should monitor funding rates, open interest and leverage levels to anticipate liquidity squeezes and adjust risk controls accordingly.

On August 23, Aave founder Stani.eth confirmed that the WLFI token allocation agreement remains valid. The WLFI proposal designates Aave as the lending ecosystem partner with a 7% share of the total WLFI token supply. Community members on X questioned the status of the token allocation agreement, to which Stani.eth responded simply “Yep” and noted that rumors are “the art of trading.” This clarification removes uncertainty and underscores the solid terms of the Aave–WLFI partnership.

Cardano’s price briefly reached $1 in mid-August but failed to hold, retreating below the key level. Bulls attempted multiple breakouts, stalling at the $0.90–$0.99 resistance range. A macro sell-off early this week triggered long-liquidations, pushing Cardano down to $0.8215. The token then rebounded to $0.9415 after Fed Chair Powell signaled that rate cuts may not await perfect inflation data. Technical indicators show the daily RSI flipping positive, offering a mild bullish bias. However, Cardano faces strong resistance near $0.93–$0.99. A decisive move above $1 requires substantial buying pressure, while support lies at the 50-day SMA around $0.79. Traders should monitor the resistance zone and macro updates for potential triggers.

In a volatile cryptocurrency market session, Ethereum (ETH) and Binance Coin (BNB) outperformed major tokens by rallying on positive network developments and increasing DeFi activity, while Bitcoin (BTC) saw a modest pullback amid profit-taking. ETH’s surge was driven by anticipation around upcoming protocol upgrades, and BNB benefited from growing demand on the BNB Chain. Conversely, BTC dipped as traders reallocated funds into altcoins, testing key support levels. Overall market capitalization rose slightly as altcoins led gains, signalling increased rotation from Bitcoin into select tokens.

Morpho token has surged over 245% from its March low, climbing to $2.85 and a market cap of $867 million. Robust platform metrics underlie this rally: total deposits topped $10 billion, issued loans exceeded $3.6 billion and TVL reached a record $7 billion, up from $2.5 billion in April. Growth accelerated after Morpho’s Coinbase integration and the launch of The Base App, expanding user access. Technical indicators reinforce further upside: price has cleared key resistance at $2.25, trades above the 50-day EMA and displays bullish Supertrend and oscillator readings. Analysts project a potential 60% gain to the $4.17 year-to-date high, underlining a bullish outlook for Morpho within the DeFi lending sector.

Bitcoin Swift (BTC3) has surged into the spotlight with its Stage 6 presale raising over $1 million from more than 4,000 investors. The token is priced at $6, offering a 166% APY through programmable Proof of Yield (PoY) rewards. Early participants benefit from tiered bonus tokens—25% for $100–$1,999, 50% for $2,000–$4,999 and 100% for $5,000+ contributions—amplifying potential returns. The project’s tokenomics allocate 50% of the 45 million supply to PoY rewards, 30% to presale, 15% to liquidity pools and 5% to team reserves. An early mainnet launch is set for August 30, ahead of schedule, following robust demand. Bitcoin Swift has completed Cyberscope, Solidproof and Spywolf audits and secured full KYC, bolstering its security profile. By contrast, Ethereum (ETH) shows steadier, slower growth while meme-driven Layer Brett (LBRETT) faces high volatility. BTC3’s blend of high APY, presale bonuses, audited security and accelerated launch positions it as a leading DeFi presale event this summer.

Lombard Finance, a key player in Bitcoin liquid staking, has launched the Liquid Bitcoin Foundation and its governance token, BARD, to expand Bitcoin’s role in DeFi. The move aims to mobilize idle BTC liquidity and integrate digital gold into on-chain capital markets. The $BARD token underpins the new foundation. A $6.75 million community sale is open to over 260,000 LBTC holders and broader Bitcoin users. BARD will grant holders voting rights, staking privileges, and access to research grants, boosting governance of the LBTC protocol. Liquid staking transforms Bitcoin into a yield-bearing asset. Users stake BTC via protocols like Babylon and receive LBTC, a 1:1 token that can be deployed across Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain and other networks. LBTC holders can lend, borrow, and provide liquidity on platforms such as Aave, Pendle and Morpho. Bitcoin liquid staking remains nascent at $2.5 billion compared with Ethereum’s $38 billion stETH market. Lombard’s LBTC accounts for $1.4 billion, around 40% of the sector. The launch of BARD token and foundation is expected to accelerate the adoption of Bitcoin liquid staking and deepen BTC liquidity in DeFi. Traders should watch $BARD listing events and foundation governance proposals. The protocol’s growth could open fresh yield strategies and market opportunities in Bitcoin DeFi.

At the SALT Wyoming conference in Jackson Hole, key US officials voiced broad support for cryptocurrency, marking a notable shift in crypto policy. Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott forecast “12 to 18 Democrats” backing market structure legislation, and Senator Cynthia Lummis predicted the bill would reach the President’s desk before Thanksgiving. Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson highlighted the transparency benefits of blockchain transactions. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman called for a clear, strategic crypto policy framework to govern emerging technologies, while Fed Governor Chris Waller dismissed fears around smart contracts and tokenization. Representative Angie Craig recommended that any crypto holdings by a sitting president be placed in sealed trusts. The event underlines ongoing momentum in US crypto policy and sets the stage for federal regulatory action in late 2025.

A suspected WLFI Wallet team member, known as Dylan_0x, took to X to deny rumors that Aave would receive 7% of WLFI’s total token supply under a governance proposal. The claim had driven bullish sentiment for AAVE, as traders anticipated both the token allocation and 20% of protocol fees from Aave v3. Crypto influencer @Luyaoyuan1 initially supported the narrative, citing AAVE/ETH price movements and prior WLFI announcements, but now warns of potential defaults, referencing SPK’s past reduction from 10% expected fees to only 1%. With Dylan_0x’s identity unverified, the rebuttal highlights the risk of unconfirmed disclosures. Traders should await official WLFI communications before adjusting positions. The denial removes a key bullish catalyst for Aave and may temper AAVE’s near-term price momentum.

Crypto traders are eyeing Mutuum Finance (MUTM) as it enters presale phase 6 at $0.035 after a 16.17% gain in the previous stage. The project has raised over $14.75 million from 15,550 investors and offers a 300% ROI target at token launch. Incentives include a $100K giveaway (10 winners receiving $10K each) and a $50K bug bounty, underpinned by a P2P and P2C lending protocol executed via smart contracts. Meanwhile, Shiba Inu (SHIB) trades at $0.00001267 with a 24h volume of $207 million and a $7 billion market cap. Despite a 9.2% weekly dip and a bearish “death cross,” technical analysis points to a possible 156% rally, supported by a new Chainlink (LINK) token-burning mechanism. Traders may leverage these developments to inform short-term positions and long-term portfolio strategy.

Crypto analyst Xaif (@Xaif_Crypto) captured an unprecedented XRP volume surge on August 23, 2025, showing $27 million traded in a single minute via the fiatleak platform. This one-minute XRP volume spike far exceeds normal flows and points to institutional buying, whale accumulation or algorithmic trading driving concentrated market activity. Such a level of interest is rarely seen from retail traders alone and signals robust liquidity. Fiatleak’s live exchange feed highlights real-time order intensity that routine summaries smooth over. Historically, outsized XRP volume bursts have preceded strong price rallies. The timing follows a US court’s approval to dismiss Ripple’s lawsuit with the SEC, further boosting investor confidence. Traders should watch for similar XRP volume spikes as potential entry points and indicators of sustained upward momentum in price.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz has announced that his XRPL hub update may enter production next week after three days of stable tests. The XRPL hub update, a personal initiative, aims to strengthen XRP Ledger connectivity. It reserves Unique Node List slots and uses high-end hardware (multi-core CPU, large memory, NVMe storage, 10 Gbps link). The update is designed to reduce sync issues and boost network reliability. Traders should monitor performance metrics post-launch for latency, peer stability, and throughput improvements.

Cryptocurrency analyst Joao Wedson warns of a new critical phase for the Ethereum price after its all-time high, predicting a potential rally to the $7,000–$7,500 zone driven by algorithmic trading. He expects ETH to absorb significant capital inflows from Bitcoin about 28 days post-record, with open interest climbing to Bitcoin-like levels. High volatility around ETH price creates trading opportunities but also risks of sharp pullbacks in derivatives markets over the next two months. Wedson suggests this period may mark a phase of reaccumulation before a bear market emerges in November–December 2025. Traders should monitor volatility indicators, manage risk carefully, and prepare for both near-term upside and longer-term downside in ETH.