The crypto market has had a week full of events — from another Bitcoin purchase by Metaplanet and rising whale activity to Ethereum’s major upgrade and a new NEAR ETF filing. Here’s what it all means for the market.
Metaplanet Doubles Down on Bitcoin
Japanese public company Metaplanet, inspired by MicroStrategy’s strategy, continues to aggressively invest in Bitcoin. This week, it announced the purchase of another 555 BTC, bringing its total BTC holdings to 5555 BTC. The average purchase price was $86,672 per coin, meaning the company has invested over $480 million in the leading cryptocurrency.
This strategy signals strong confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term growth and its role as a hedge asset amid economic instability. Metaplanet is betting not only on BTC’s price appreciation but also on its institutionalization, viewing the cryptocurrency as a form of “digital gold.”
Crypto Whales Intensify Accumulation: 81,338 BTC in 6 Weeks
According to analysts, over the past six weeks, major Bitcoin holders — wallets with balances between 10 and 10,000 BTC — have accumulated 81,338 BTC, worth over $7.8 billion at current prices. This indicates growing trust from institutional and high-net-worth investors.
Such whale activity could signal expectations of a price increase, especially in light of limited supply and upcoming macroeconomic shifts — including potential Federal Reserve rate cuts and growing inflows into crypto ETFs.
Ethereum Successfully Activates Pectra Upgrade
While Bitcoin remains a store of value, the Ethereum network continues to advance technologically. Developers announced the successful activation of the Pectra upgrade, which introduced several important improvements:
* Fee payments in various tokens (not just ETH) — enhancing user flexibility and transaction convenience.
* Batch transactions, allowing multiple operations to be bundled into one, easing network load.
* Increased validator limit from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH, which may improve staking efficiency and node management.
* Lower fees on Layer 2 networks (L2) like Optimism and Arbitrum, making DeFi products more accessible.
The Pectra upgrade strengthens Ethereum’s position as the leading platform for smart contracts and decentralized applications, paving the way for better scalability and user experience.
Bitwise Eyes ETF for NEAR
Investment firm Bitwise, one of the largest crypto fund providers in the U.S., has filed with the SEC to launch a NEAR ETF — an exchange-traded fund tied to the price of NEAR Protocol’s native token.
If approved, this initiative could mark a major milestone for the NEAR ecosystem, providing institutional investors with easy access to the asset through traditional markets. It may also boost demand and liquidity for the token.
With rising interest in altcoins and high-performance blockchain platforms, NEAR is seen as a promising project thanks to its fast transactions, low fees, and active Web3 development.
Taking all these developments together, a clear trend emerges: growing institutional interest, continuous technological upgrades, and the integration of crypto products into the traditional financial infrastructure. Bitcoin continues to serve as a digital reserve, while Ethereum and NEAR act as the tech frameworks for the next-generation internet.
With whales and companies like Metaplanet actively participating, the market shows signs of maturing fundamentals. Meanwhile, protocol updates and new ETFs only enhance the legitimacy and appeal of crypto to a broader audience.
In the coming months, investors should closely watch SEC decisions — especially regarding new ETFs — as well as the effects of Ethereum’s upgrade, which may trigger a new wave of growth in the DeFi and Layer 2 sectors.
