institution

According to Jinshi reports, research institution CFRA stated that it has initiated coverage on SpaceX (SPCX.O) with a "Sell" rating; target price is $115.

a16z Crypto published an interpretation of the investment in Digital Asset, stating that the three major obstacles hindering institutional adoption of crypto technology in the past included blockchain performance, regulatory uncertainty, and privacy issues. Now, the blockchain performance issue has been largely resolved, with L1 and L2 networks meeting the scale, speed, and complexity required by institutions; the US GENIUS Act has come into effect to address regulatory issues.a16z Crypto believes that traditional public chains default to public transaction information, which facilitates verification, but institutional financial transactions need to meet requirements for selective disclosure, compliance, and multi-party collaboration. For example, when banks conduct treasury bond transactions or repurchase transactions, both parties need to share information but should not expose their positions, counterparties, and transaction sizes to all network participants. Therefore, privacy remains a core challenge for institutions entering the blockchain. Most blockchain projects attempt to make institutions adapt to the crypto system, while Digital Asset chooses to adapt crypto technology to institutional needs, and mature privacy technologies have become a key breakthrough to attract institutions to enter the market.

Thomas Eichenberger, Chief Strategy Officer of Swiss digital asset bank Sygnum, stated on Thursday that institutional clients are no longer waiting for a single stablecoin to prevail, but are instead demanding the integration of tokenized deposits, regulated stablecoins, and tokenized money market funds within the same infrastructure to achieve interoperability, allowing treasury departments to flexibly switch between permitted settlement, 24/7 cross-border flows, and on-demand liquidity yields.Sygnum has already launched a Swiss franc stablecoin testing project this year in collaboration with Swiss banking institutions such as UBS, PostFinance, Raiffeisen, and Zürcher Kantonalbank. At the infrastructure level, Eichenberger pointed out that most institutional discussions still default to using private chains, but actual operators are leaning towards a "public but permissioned" model, which combines public infrastructure with regulated access control.In addition, the Qivalis alliance, composed of 37 major banks from the European Union, plans to launch a digital euro by the end of this year, with the banking industry's autonomous push directly challenging European Central Bank President Lagarde's stance on central bank-led digital currencies.

According to research by CointelegraphMT, traditional financial markets are absorbing institutional capital at a pace that cryptocurrencies find hard to match by 2026. The main reason is that AI has clear and measurable returns, while cryptocurrencies currently lack a similar narrative.Data shows that the S&P 500 index rose only 3.5% after excluding AI stocks in 2026, while AI-related indices saw an increase of nearly 50%. The five major tech companies in the U.S. are expected to reach $72.5 billion in capital expenditures for AI infrastructure this year, with Nvidia's quarterly revenue reaching $81.6 billion.The research points out that AI spending can be directly validated through revenue, capital expenditures, and profit margins, while the value proposition of cryptocurrencies is difficult to quantify for traditional allocators. Currently, while the supply of stablecoins is at a historical high, more funds are flowing into tokenized government bonds rather than risk assets.Additionally, in May, the net outflow from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs was $2.3 billion, marking the worst single month of the year. However, long-term holders continue to buy in the over-the-counter market, with market makers like Wintermute reporting stable buying around $72,000. The research concludes that unless cryptocurrencies can provide a measurable and repeatable institutional-level return story similar to AI, they will be at a significant disadvantage in competing for the same institutional funds.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Citigroup will launch a blockchain platform that allows wealthy and institutional clients to trade tokenized shares of private company equity, initially open only to overseas investors. Citigroup stated that it has negotiated with several large private companies for participation. As star private companies like SpaceX and Anthropic delay their IPOs, Wall Street's demand for private equity allocation is rising. Citigroup previously predicted that by 2030, the market size for tokenized securities could reach approximately $4 trillion, and has already piloted the tokenization of customer deposits for cross-border settlements through Token Services. Recently, it also joined a tokenized deposit network alliance led by JPMorgan, aiming to achieve year-round settlement of large client funds.

According to The Block, cryptocurrency market maker GSR has received approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and has officially completed the acquisition of Portland SEC-registered broker-dealer Equilibrium Capital Services, which is now renamed GSR Securities. GSR CEO Xin Song stated that this acquisition will strengthen its compliance broker-dealer platform capabilities in the United States, focusing on serving institutional clients.GSR had previously disclosed plans to position its business as a "Web3 investment bank," and after the acquisition, it will further expand its tokenized financing business. Additionally, GSR has been active this year: in April, it launched the GSR Crypto Core3 ETF on Nasdaq, in March it acquired token consulting firms Autonomous and Architech, and invested in the tokenized platform Libeara under SC Ventures; last month, SC Ventures, the fintech investment arm of Standard Chartered Bank, became GSR's first external shareholder and completed its investment.

The institutional-level digital asset custody platform Zodia Custody announced that it has obtained a payment institution license issued by the Luxembourg financial regulator CSSF (Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier), allowing it to compliantly provide electronic money token (EMT, i.e., stablecoin) custody and transfer services across the EU.Zodia Custody stated that this approval is a further expansion based on its already obtained MiCA license, which will enhance its digital asset service capabilities for institutional clients. The company believes that as the application of stablecoins in payment settlement, liquidity management, and corporate fund operations continues to grow, the ability to custody and transfer stablecoins will become a core configuration for digital asset infrastructure providers.Founded in 2020, Zodia Custody focuses on the institutional client market, with shareholders including Standard Chartered Bank, Northern Trust, SBI Holdings, Emirates NBD, and National Australia Bank. Following the approval of the Luxembourg license, Zodia Custody has obtained relevant regulatory licenses in multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and the EU.

According to official news, Circle announced that cirBTC has launched on Ethereum, providing 1:1 Bitcoin-backed collateral for the institutional DeFi market. cirBTC is supported by native BTC held in custody by Circle at a 1:1 ratio, offering on-chain reserve transparency through Chainlink reserve proofs.cirBTC can be integrated into Circle Mint for minting and redemption, and it forms a unified operational model of dollar liquidity and Bitcoin collateral with USDC. In the future, cirBTC will also expand to multiple chains through Arc.

According to Bloomberg, Bitcoin fell below $60,000 last week, with a market value evaporating by about $235 billion within seven days, nearly halving from last year's peak. The market value of altcoins has shrunk from a peak of $431 billion in November 2021 to about $170 billion, with less than 1,700 of the tens of millions of tokens created in recent years still having substantial trading activity. However, in stark contrast to the price trends, the most commercially valuable businesses in the crypto industry are accelerating growth.The annual trading volume of stablecoins reached about $390 billion, with total trading volume soaring 72% to $33 trillion by 2025. Over $30 billion in assets have been tokenized, and BlackRock's tokenized money market fund BUIDL has an asset size of $2.4 billion. Visa and Mastercard are expanding stablecoin settlement capabilities, and Nasdaq is collaborating with Kraken to offer tokenized stocks.Bloomberg Intelligence's Mike McGlone stated that the most important technology is stablecoins; when you have stablecoins, you don't need XRP or Bitcoin to store value. We are experiencing a cleansing, and this has only just begun. EMJ Capital founder Eric Jackson pointed out that "the Bitcoin price chart used to be the entire crypto story, but it is no longer."

According to The Block, Coinbase's institutional strategy head John D'Agostino stated that despite Bitcoin recently dropping below $60,000, institutions are not panicking; instead, they are taking the opportunity to accumulate. He said, "Family offices, government funds, and sovereign funds that are trying to buy these assets can do so at a discount, and they are not discouraged by this. Lower prices are actually more favored."D'Agostino also pointed out that although the price of Bitcoin has fallen nearly 50% from its peak, Bitcoin ETFs still have about $100 billion in exposure, and retail interest has only decreased by about 15%, indicating that investors are not making large-scale withdrawals. He mentioned that large entities holding Bitcoin with leverage have the capacity to continue securing capital to buy, and no major institutions have been found to face serious leverage or liquidation risks.

Coinbase's Head of Institutional Strategy, John D'Agostino, stated that despite Bitcoin recently dropping below $60,000, large investors such as family offices and sovereign wealth funds did not panic, but rather viewed the decline as a buying opportunity at a discount. He mentioned that these institutions were optimistic when Bitcoin was at $125,000, remained interested at $100,000, and "liked it even more" around $65,000. Bitcoin fell to $59,200 last Friday, marking its lowest point since October 2024, down about 50% from its peak of over $126,000 in October 2025.D'Agostino believes that institutional confidence remains strong, investments in related market infrastructure continue, and Bitcoin ETF holdings are resilient. Currently, Bitcoin ETF exposure is still around $100 billion, even though the price has nearly halved from its peak, with retail interest retracting by about 15%. He also downplayed concerns about large institutional leveraged positions being forced to liquidate, stating that he is not aware of any major institutional Bitcoin holders being in a "severely over-leveraged" state.

According to The Block, a joint letter initiated by Stand With Crypto, the Blockchain Association, the Crypto Council for Innovation, and The Digital Chamber has been submitted to U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, urging a prompt full Senate vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (referred to as the CLARITY Act). More than 200 crypto companies, industry associations, and community organizations, including Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, a16z, Circle, and Binance.US, participated in signing.The joint letter points out that the CLARITY Act will establish a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for the digital asset market, clarify the division of responsibilities among regulatory agencies, provide feasible registration pathways, and protect software developers' innovation while encouraging more digital asset businesses to return to the U.S. market. The signatories stated that the act would help keep innovation, jobs, investment, and market activities in the U.S., further solidifying the country's leading position in global digital asset innovation.It is understood that the CLARITY Act received bipartisan support from the Senate Banking Committee last month and passed the committee's review. Senator Cynthia Lummis subsequently stated that the next step for the act will be to enter the full Senate review stage.Additionally, 160 former national security and law enforcement officials had previously signed in support of the act, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt have also publicly called for advancing the legislative process. However, the issue of the Trump family's interests in relation to the crypto industry is still seen as one of the main obstacles facing the advancement of the act.

In the past week, global crypto ETFs recorded net outflows for two consecutive weeks, with a cumulative outflow of $2.54 billion. Against the backdrop of adjustments in macro interest rate expectations, institutional risk appetite has contracted, but traditional financial assets such as stocks still maintain strong attractiveness.Data shows that the Gate TradFi Perp market exhibits significant asset rotation characteristics, with metals remaining the main trading sector, and daily trading volume once approaching $550 million to $600 million; meanwhile, the trading volume share of stock contracts continues to rise, indicating that the market's demand for allocation in U.S. stock-related assets is increasing. In the context of continued activity in AI tech stocks and U.S. stock indices nearing historical highs, TradFi Perp is gradually evolving from a single gold trading market to a dual-core structure of "gold + U.S. stocks."As institutional funds accelerate their allocation to stocks, ETFs, and other TradFi assets, Gate continues to promote the integration of TradFi assets and the construction of a multi-asset trading ecosystem, continuously strengthening its capability to provide institutional-level global asset allocation services, offering professional investors a more efficient one-stop cross-market trading solution.

Aleo released the privacy stablecoin white paper "Stablecoin Privacy," stating that the privacy layer is the key infrastructure missing for blockchain payment rails to be adopted by mainstream institutions. Aleo indicated that as the GENIUS Act provides opportunities for the widespread adoption of stablecoins, the issue of permanently public transaction information on public blockchains may still hinder institutions from using stablecoins in scenarios such as payroll, fund management, and vendor payments.Aleo claims that existing solutions do not adequately meet the needs of institutions in terms of privacy protection and risk management. The white paper proposes a permissionless private stablecoin architecture based on Aleo, which introduces programmable risk mitigation mechanisms while protecting transaction privacy through zero-knowledge technology and programmable smart contracts, allowing institutions to conduct private transactions without sacrificing compliance and risk control.It is reported that the team members behind this white paper have long been dedicated to research at the intersection of cryptography, policy, and financial systems. Aleo's Global Policy Director Yaya J. Fanusie, member of the Crypto Innovation Council and former Global Financial Crimes Compliance Officer at Coinbase Valerie-Leila Jaber, and cryptographer and Johns Hopkins University Computer Science Professor Matthew Green possess rare practical experience in private payments, financial regulation, and zero-knowledge cryptography.

CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju posted on the X platform that the sell-off by Bitcoin OG whales and long-term miners is essentially a large-scale transfer of holdings to traditional financial institutions, investors, and ETFs in the United States.He believes that the ultimate value of an asset depends on who is holding it. If the new holders are entities that can bring greater liquidity, the next round of price increases could come at any time. Traditional financial institutions may provide a stronger demand base than OG whales, although this may dilute the values of crypto-punk ideals. Ki Young Ju feels regret about this but still believes that Bitcoin will have its next bull cycle, which is worth waiting for.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan posted on the X platform, stating that institutions are like large oil tankers, which have now adjusted their course to support cryptocurrencies, tokenization, and stablecoins.He believes that this trend will not slow down, regardless of price performance.

According to BIT analysis, a significant feature of Bitcoin over the past four years is that most of the price increases are concentrated in a short period of rapid growth, followed by a prolonged period of sideways consolidation. The pullback phase also shows a similar pattern, where the price usually drops quickly at first, releasing most of the downward pressure in one go, and then gradually stabilizes.This round of pullback is mainly influenced by two factors: first, the U.S. April CPI announced in May was higher than expected; second, there are concerns in the market about Strategy selling Bitcoin and the subsequent potential selling pressure. As a result, the spot Bitcoin ETF quickly shifted from net buying to significant net selling, with a cumulative net sell of about $1.5 billion this year, creating noticeable pressure on the market.Currently, Bitcoin is still under pullback pressure, with $63,445 being a key support level to watch. Whether this level can hold will affect the market's judgment on the depth of this adjustment: if the price stabilizes near this area, this pullback will still be considered a phase adjustment; if it effectively breaks below, it may enter a deeper adjustment and consolidation.

FalconX stated that Hyperliquid's trading volume has exceeded Ethereum on certain trading days, and institutional funds are shifting from Bitcoin and Ethereum to HYPE tokens, primarily due to the weak performance of mainstream assets affected by ETF outflows and macroeconomic uncertainties.

The global stablecoin payment infrastructure platform WasabiCard today announced the completion of its Pre-A round of financing. Including previous funding, the total amount raised by the company has approached 10 million USD, with participation from four well-known institutions: Vernal Capital, Avenir Group, Vision Plus Capital, and 01VC.This round of financing will be used to build and improve the global payment infrastructure, compliance system, and key market business layout, enhancing cross-border payment service capabilities and global operational capabilities, further promoting the company's construction of a compliant, efficient, next-generation financial infrastructure aimed at the internet era.As stablecoins gradually move from trading scenarios to real commercial applications, the demand from enterprises for global payment, global card issuance, fund management, and cross-border settlement infrastructure continues to grow. WasabiCard currently serves over 500 enterprise clients globally, with a cumulative card issuance exceeding 500,000 cards and a total transaction scale surpassing 1 billion USD.In the future, WasabiCard will continue to expand its global payment network and multi-chain payment ecosystem, promoting the further implementation of stablecoin payments in global commercial scenarios.

According to CoinDesk, FalconX stated that on certain trading days, its trading volume on the decentralized derivatives platform Hyperliquid has surpassed that of Ethereum. Institutions and hedge funds are shifting from the range-bound Bitcoin and Ethereum to more volatile assets such as HYPE, Zcash, Venice, and AI concept tokens.FalconX pointed out that amid macro uncertainty and the outflow of funds from spot ETFs, the implied volatility of BTC and ETH is close to historical lows, and funds are seeking higher volatility targets. Hyperliquid attracts institutional funds looking to trade diverse assets in a 24/7 crypto-native environment by offering perpetual contracts for pre-IPO companies like SpaceX, tokenized stocks, commodities, and prediction markets. The platform's revenue is projected to be around $800 million in 2025.