WEBVTT 00:00:14.699 --> 00:00:17.219 Bitcoin's big spring from CIA Bitcoin to global 00:00:17.219 --> 00:00:19.940 trade wars. Hello again and welcome back to the 00:00:19.940 --> 00:00:22.660 Bitcoin Street Journal podcast I'm your host 00:00:22.660 --> 00:00:26.640 Anna and today's episode is pure fire a wild 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:30.280 high voltage ride across Bitcoin dominance Explosive 00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:33.200 institutional moves global regulation battles 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:35.939 market momentum and the kind of memes that wake 00:00:35.939 --> 00:00:39.399 the financial elite up at night Buckle up plebs 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:41.759 and power players. We're flying straight into 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:44.670 the molten core of the Bitcoin revolution Bitcoin's 00:00:44.670 --> 00:00:49.950 Best, April. Since 2020, a 14 .7 % surge. We 00:00:49.950 --> 00:00:53.469 start with a bang. Bitcoin soared 14 .7 % in 00:00:53.469 --> 00:00:56.329 April, doubling its historical monthly median 00:00:56.329 --> 00:00:58.649 and marking its best April performance since 00:00:58.649 --> 00:01:02.070 2020. The rally came in spite of, or perhaps 00:01:02.070 --> 00:01:04.769 fueled by, rising global tensions, trade wars, 00:01:05.090 --> 00:01:07.109 inflation fears, and regulatory uncertainty. 00:01:07.730 --> 00:01:10.340 The result? Institutional eyes are watching closely. 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:12.900 Retail enthusiasm is stirring, and Bitcoin's 00:01:12.900 --> 00:01:14.859 momentum continues to build at an accelerated 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:17.799 pace. And as at Bitcoin memes IRL so perfectly 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:19.980 stated, some people would rather grow old and 00:01:19.980 --> 00:01:22.599 bitter than admit they missed Bitcoin. Stay humble. 00:01:22.939 --> 00:01:25.659 Stack sats. Tether's power play profits in El 00:01:25.659 --> 00:01:28.420 Salvador oversight. Stablecoin juggernaut Tether 00:01:28.420 --> 00:01:31.219 dropped its Quone 2025 report, and it's nothing 00:01:31.219 --> 00:01:35.420 short of explosive. $143 .6 billion in USDT issued. 00:01:36.430 --> 00:01:39.909 $149 .3 billion in assets, $1 billion in quarterly 00:01:39.909 --> 00:01:43.250 profit, $5 .6 billion in excess reserves, $46 00:01:43.250 --> 00:01:45.650 million new wallets created. This is Tether's 00:01:45.650 --> 00:01:48.069 first attestation under El Salvador's Bitcoin 00:01:48.069 --> 00:01:51.090 regulatory regime, signaling an increasing embrace 00:01:51.090 --> 00:01:53.989 of crypto -first auditing. Whether you see Tether 00:01:53.989 --> 00:01:57.170 as a hero or a hazard, one thing's clear. They 00:01:57.170 --> 00:01:59.469 are setting the bar for stablecoin scale and 00:01:59.469 --> 00:02:02.510 operational profit. Wall Street Awakens, Sailor 00:02:02.510 --> 00:02:05.579 Schwab, Morgan Stanley. Michael Saylor's strategy 00:02:05.579 --> 00:02:08.819 has no chill. They've doubled down, raising their 00:02:08.819 --> 00:02:12.680 target fundraising from $1 .57 billion to a staggering 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:16.699 $1 .84 billion, all to buy more Bitcoin. Their 00:02:16.699 --> 00:02:21.680 holdings now stand at 553 ,555 BTC worth over 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:25.020 $1 .52 billion. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley has 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:27.060 announced they will integrate Bitcoin into E 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:30.759 -Trade by 2026, providing mainstream access to 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:34.460 over 5 million retail investors. Not to be outdone, 00:02:35.020 --> 00:02:37.240 Charles Schwab is preparing to offer crypto and 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:39.659 Bitcoin spot trading within the next 12 months. 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:41.840 Bitcoin isn't knocking anymore. It's kicking 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:44.259 the Wall Street doors wide open. State -level 00:02:44.259 --> 00:02:46.919 power plays the Bitcoin reserve bills. The North 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:49.120 Carolina Senate just passed a bill establishing 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:51.960 a state Bitcoin reserve following the House's 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:55.039 approval. The bill echoes a federal -level proposal 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:57.819 by Senator Cynthia Lummis, who confirmed that 00:02:57.819 --> 00:03:00.419 Donald Trump supports the initiative to buy 1 00:03:00.419 --> 00:03:03.759 million BTC for a U .S. strategic Bitcoin reserve. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.520 Contrast that with Arizona, where Governor Katie 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:09.060 Hobbs vetoed a similar bill, calling Bitcoin 00:03:09.060 --> 00:03:12.060 untested. In a world where sovereign Bitcoin 00:03:12.060 --> 00:03:14.639 accumulation is gaining steam, that decision 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:17.280 might age about as well as fiat. Japan's meta 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:20.310 -planet issues bonds to statsats. Tokyo -based 00:03:20.310 --> 00:03:22.729 MetaPlanet has taken a page out of Saylor's book, 00:03:23.189 --> 00:03:26.750 issuing yen 3 .6 billion in 0 % bonds to buy 00:03:26.750 --> 00:03:29.969 more Bitcoin. This kind of institutional borrowing 00:03:29.969 --> 00:03:32.349 to accumulate hard money is catching on around 00:03:32.349 --> 00:03:34.590 the world. Combine that with El Salvador buying 00:03:34.590 --> 00:03:37.770 another 9 BTC last week, and the message is clear. 00:03:38.349 --> 00:03:41.349 Sovereign stacking is the new normal. Brown University 00:03:41.349 --> 00:03:44.050 buys the dip in the narrative. In a move that 00:03:44.050 --> 00:03:46.430 stunned even the most seasoned market watchers, 00:03:46.689 --> 00:03:50.409 Brown University disclosed as $4 .9 million position 00:03:50.409 --> 00:03:53.729 in BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF. Higher Ed just got 00:03:53.729 --> 00:03:55.689 a lot harder to ignore in the Bitcoin space. 00:03:56.349 --> 00:03:58.629 It's not just tech bros and plebs anymore. Academia 00:03:58.629 --> 00:04:01.310 is on boarding. Norway heats homes with Bitcoin 00:04:01.310 --> 00:04:04.169 mining. Innovation alert. Engineers in Norway 00:04:04.169 --> 00:04:06.729 are now using heat from Bitcoin mining rigs to 00:04:06.729 --> 00:04:09.629 dry firewood and heat homes. This is what proof 00:04:09.629 --> 00:04:12.400 of work energy reuse looks like. It's clean, 00:04:12.740 --> 00:04:14.680 it's practical, and it's yet another nail in 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:17.279 the coffin for outdated criticisms of Bitcoin's 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:19.480 environmental footprint. Fold goes public as 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:22.379 dominance soars. Fold, the pioneering Bitcoin 00:04:22.379 --> 00:04:24.899 -native financial services company, has officially 00:04:24.899 --> 00:04:27.620 gone public and rang the opening bell on Nasdaq. 00:04:27.899 --> 00:04:30.300 On that same day, Bitcoin's market cap dominance 00:04:30.300 --> 00:04:32.759 hit a new four -year high. You don't need a crystal 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:34.879 ball to see where this is heading. Bitcoin -native 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:37.000 companies are here, and they're playing in the 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.839 big leagues. CIA eyes Bitcoin while ETH struggles. 00:04:40.170 --> 00:04:44.230 CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis says the agency 00:04:44.230 --> 00:04:47.269 views Bitcoin as a viable payments tool. This 00:04:47.269 --> 00:04:49.490 is a major acknowledgement from the heart of 00:04:49.490 --> 00:04:52.709 the U .S. intelligence world. Meanwhile, Ethereum 00:04:52.709 --> 00:04:55.230 suffered another red candle month, its fifth 00:04:55.230 --> 00:04:59.689 in a row, closing April down negative 1 .58 % 00:04:59.689 --> 00:05:04.949 and negative 36 .7 % Yo -Y. While DeFi infrastructure 00:05:04.949 --> 00:05:08.449 continues to develop, ETH is having a rough year. 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:10.959 Whale activity, exchange withdrawals, and ETF 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:14.399 firepower. Whales are on the move. Over 900 MXRP 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:17.379 and 410 ADA accumulated. A Bitcoin whale bought 00:05:17.379 --> 00:05:23.620 309 BTC at $70, 9K, now sitting on over $5M in 00:05:23.620 --> 00:05:28.139 unrealized gains. BlackRock added another 3 ,636 00:05:28.139 --> 00:05:34.100 BTC, bringing their ETF stash to 607 ,685 BTC. 00:05:34.519 --> 00:05:37.199 Exchange inflows to spot wallets hit their lowest 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:40.399 since 2017, suggesting holders are not planning 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:44.060 to sell anytime soon. An over $3 .1B in shorts 00:05:44.060 --> 00:05:46.680 could be liquidated if Bitcoin surges to $100 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:54.120 ,000. U .S. jobless claims surged to $241 ,000, 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:56.560 manufacturing dipped again, and global money 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:59.980 supply keeps inflating. Meanwhile, Trump is demanding 00:05:59.980 --> 00:06:02.560 lower interest rates, and Europe is preparing 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:05.420 a 50 billion euros trade package to avoid another 00:06:05.420 --> 00:06:08.639 tariff war. Overseas, China and the US are in 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:11.579 preliminary trade talks again, adding more volatility 00:06:11.579 --> 00:06:25.199 to an already unstable macro backdrop. Bitcoin's 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:27.379 bull score index is at its highest level since 00:06:27.379 --> 00:06:30.379 January, indicating heavy accumulation by long 00:06:30.379 --> 00:06:33.759 -term holders. 63 % of all crypto investors now 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:37.920 hold Bitcoin, up 15 % since January. Institutions 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:40.759 are averaging 2 .5 % portfolio allocation into 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:42.800 crypto. That's not a trend. That's a structural 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:45.660 shift. Altcoin momentum and smart contract explosion. 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:49.079 Altcoin surged in April, led by Solana, which 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:51.560 topped all chains in revenue. Ostium Dex with 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:55.220 a 1000 % TVL increase. RWA protocols, tangible 00:06:55.220 --> 00:06:58.519 and animoy, gaining institutional interest. Ethereum, 00:06:58.540 --> 00:07:01.399 meanwhile, saw a 20x increase in deployed contracts, 00:07:01.740 --> 00:07:05.920 up from 5k per day in January to over 100k. Only 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:09.439 0 .5 % of these are verified, raising questions 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:12.779 about security and transparency. Mimimania, AI 00:07:12.779 --> 00:07:15.379 projects, and Melania tokens. The meme coin sector 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:18.060 remains electric. Melania Trump's meme token 00:07:18.060 --> 00:07:21.199 raised $4 .65 million, Gork and House listed 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:25.379 on Binance Alpha. Curves CEO dumped over 343 00:07:25.379 --> 00:07:29.319 ,000 CRV. On the AI front, Sahara AI launches 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:32.439 its SciWay testnet May 19th, pushing the frontier 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:35.379 of crypto AI integration. Token unlocks whale 00:07:35.379 --> 00:07:38.079 wallets and strategic events. Major unlocks ahead. 00:07:38.540 --> 00:07:43.100 ENA 55 .7M May 5th. SPEC and 15 .4M May 6th. 00:07:43.259 --> 00:07:47.240 NEON 3 .3M May 7th. Altseason may be brewing. 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:51.579 Fractals from 2017 and 2021 are flashing again. 00:07:51.819 --> 00:07:55.339 Meanwhile, whales are long across BTC, ETH, LINK, 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:58.579 and SAAL, earning over $9 million in unrealized 00:07:58.579 --> 00:08:00.819 profits. Closing thoughts, there is no second 00:08:00.819 --> 00:08:03.600 best. From Ivy League endowments and Japanese 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:05.980 bond issuers to mining rigs, heating homes, and 00:08:05.980 --> 00:08:08.600 NASDAQ bells ringing, Bitcoin continues to lead 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:11.600 while others follow. Stay focused, stay sovereign, 00:08:11.939 --> 00:08:14.560 and as always, stay humble, stack sats. This 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:16.339 has been Anna for the Bitcoin Street Journal 00:08:16.339 --> 00:08:18.939 podcast. Until the next block, keep your keys 00:08:18.939 --> 00:08:21.339 safe, your energy high, and your eyes on the 00:08:21.339 --> 00:08:22.939 signal. See you next time.