Momentum Builds as Crypto Eyes New Highs
The total cryptocurrency market cap has surged to a new all-time high of $4.2 trillion, marking a major milestone and reflection in the strength and resilience of this cycle despite the constant threats such as tariffs and geopolitical tensions. Bitcoin and Ethereum are now only a few percent shy of reclaiming their own record highs of $122K and $4.8K respectively, setting the stage for potential new milestones in the days ahead.
Weekly Price Update
US CPI and Trump’s Tariffs: What This Means for The Markets?
The latest CPI data came in at 2.7% year-over-year, below the expected 2.8%, signaling that inflation isn’t accelerating, despite Trump’s ongoing tariffs. Many had anticipated these tariffs, especially on Chinese imports, would raise consumer prices by increasing costs for businesses. But so far, that impact hasn’t shown up. Companies may be absorbing the costs, shifting supply chains, or benefiting from offsetting factors. This suggests the expected inflationary impact of the tariffs has yet to materialise and may have been overstated.
This data also contrasts with Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s stance back in June, when he emphasised the uncertainty surrounding tariff-induced inflation. At the time, Powell stated that “every forecaster” was expecting a significant rise in inflation over the coming months and signaled no intention of cutting rates until the situation became clearer. Today’s CPI data challenges that view and puts pressure on the Fed now. Following the release, the probability of a rate cut at the September 17th Fed meeting jumped from 84.5% to 94.2%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. While long-term effects from tariffs and delayed trade deals remain uncertain, this current data offers relief to both consumers and markets.
September Rate Cut Odds
Harvard Joins the Bitcoin Club: $120M ETF Purchase
Back in 2018, a Harvard economist claimed that “the likelihood of Bitcoin prices falling to $100 is greater than that of trading at $100,000 a decade from now.” Fast forward to 2025, and Harvard, one of the most prestigious and influential universities in the world, has just purchased $120M worth of BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, a clear signal of how drastically institutional sentiment has shifted.
This move doesn’t just validate Bitcoin in the eyes of traditional finance, it also sets an example that could ripple through the entire education sector. If the top 50 U.S. colleges, whose combined endowments exceed $450B, were to follow Harvard’s lead and allocate even BlackRock’s conservative 1–2% Bitcoin recommendation, that would represent $4.5–$9B of potential Bitcoin buying power. Beyond the numbers, Harvard’s backing sends a cultural signal to its vast network of alumni and current students, normalising Bitcoin within elite academic circles and potentially influencing attitudes in boardrooms, governments, and investment firms for decades to come.
The Global Race to Accumulate BTC and ETH
BitMine launched its ETH treasury on June 30th and, in just ten weeks, has become the largest ETH holder in the world. Its holdings now exceed 1.2 million ETH, roughly 0.95% of total supply, with stated ambitions to acquire 5% of all ETH over time. This rapid accumulation highlights the growing view of Ethereum as a strategic reserve asset. The impact has been visible in price action too, with ETH rallying more than 200% from its April lows.
Institutional demand is also surging through ETFs. On Monday, August 12th, U.S. ETH ETFs recorded their largest daily inflow on record, topping $1B in net buys and nearly 6.5x Bitcoin’s inflows on the same day. ETFs now hold more than 5% of Ethereum’s supply and are on track to reach 10% by the end of 2025.
With institutions, treasuries, and sovereign-scale buyers moving aggressively into both Bitcoin and Ethereum, it is becoming clear we are in a global accumulation race for the world’s two most important digital assets. Supply is finite, conviction is rising, and every new entrant is competing for a shrinking pool of available coins.
ETH Reserve Tracker Chart
Base Rolls Out DEX Trading Within Coinbase Apps
Base, one of Ethereum’s leading Layer 2 networks, has now integrated direct DEX trading within the Coinbase app, granting millions of users seamless access to on-chain token markets without leaving the Coinbase ecosystem. This move meaningfully lowers the barrier to entry for everyday investors, potentially unlocking a massive wave of new liquidity and user activity across the Base ecosystem.
From an investment perspective, the most direct beneficiaries are protocols positioned at the heart of this new flow, most notably Aero, the leading DEX on Base and a high-conviction pick of ours this cycle. Aero has already surged over 70% this week, and with Ethereum’s current outperformance drawing even more attention to its Layer 2s, this integration serves as a powerful catalyst that could further accelerate Base’s adoption curve and fuel sustained momentum for its native projects.
Aerodrome All-Time Volume
UpTrade Alpha Builds Momentum Ahead of Platform Launch
UpTrade Alpha’s recent altcoin calls have been performing strongly, with several of our mentions from Monday’s video and last week’s coverage. LINK, Fartcoin, SOL, AERO, PUMP, RAY, and DEEP make up all of today’s top 7 gainers in the top 200 market cap rankings. Every single one of these coins has been covered in our content over the past two weeks. It’s a great burst of momentum as we head toward the launch of our new platform.
Top 200 Gainers 24h%
Our foundational tier was met with unprecedented demand and sold out very quickly. As we prepare to launch our new website, we’re still encouraging registrations of interest via[this link]. While these won’t be foundational spots, you will be first to know about any future opportunities.
7 Day Sector Performance
Ethereum took clear leadership this week, surging +25% and decisively pulling the broader market with it. Its strength is fuelling a wave of capital rotation into the Ethereum ecosystem, lifting DeFi (+20.8%) and Layer 2s (+19.2%) as investors chase utility and network effects. As ETH gains in value, more liquidity is circulating through applications, utility tokens, and ecosystem layers, reviving interest in protocols that had lagged for months.
This altcoin surge has coincided with a continued drop in Bitcoin dominance, now looking structurally weaker after another week of relative underperformance from BTC (+4.5%). Ethereum’s dominance is climbing, and the shift toward higher-beta assets reflects a clear return of risk-on sentiment, likely driven by renewed expectations for Fed rate cuts. Speculators are front-running liquidity expansion across the board, with Memecoins, RWA, and DePIN all seeing double-digit gains. Even AI, Gaming, and Layer 1s are showing solid traction as momentum builds.
The rotation into altcoins, paired with Ethereum’s breakout, is the clearest signal yet that the next leg of this cycle may be ETH-led, and we’re entering a phase where ecosystem-specific plays could vastly outperform majors.
