The Crypto Market Experiences Another Roller-Coaster Week, as Traditional Financial News and Emerging AI Technologies Lead to Significant Shifts in Sentiment

With pro-crypto policies pushed by the Trump administration, regulatory updates, and a major AI breakthrough shaking up the US market, the crypto landscape witnessed significant fluctuations.

Bitcoin dropped below the critical $98,000 level on Monday as both traditional financial news and emerging AI technologies led to another roller-coaster week in the crypto market.

Bitcoin experienced a sharp drop early in the week, falling below the critical $98,000 level. This sell-off, which saw nearly $900 million wiped out in a single day, was largely attributed to the爆発的なDeepSeekの成功, a Chinese AI app that became the top free app on Apple’s App Store. Despite having a budget of under $10 million, DeepSeek surged in popularity, shaking up the traditional markets. As Bitcoin continues to experience volatility, the entry of this new AI player highlights the growing influence of technological advancements within the digital financial ecosystem.

While the market experienced its ups and downs, MicroStrategy continued its aggressive accumulation of Bitcoin. The business intelligence firm purchased 10,107 BTC for $1.1 billion, paying an average of $105,596 per coin. Now holding 461,000 BTC, which is roughly valued at $29.3 billion, MicroStrategy remains undeterred by any market dips, further cementing its strong belief in Bitcoin as a long-term asset.

On the traditional finance front, a survey of 45 experts revealed that 56% of them expect the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates to 0.75% by July, with some predicting a rise to 1.5% within two years. This sentiment regarding rate hikes has caused ripples across global financial markets, leading experts to keep a close eye on the potential impact as interest rates increase in traditional markets and may influence crypto adoption.

Despite the market turbulence, Ripple’s XRP saw impressive inflows, garnering $2.1 million in weekly investments and surpassing both Bitcoin and Ethereum. This bullish sentiment towards XRP comes as Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is advocating for XRP to be included in national crypto reserves—a stance that has caused some controversy within the Bitcoin community, which largely champions Bitcoin-only reserves.

Meanwhile, Ondo Finance also announced plans to offer tokenized treasuries on Ripple’s XRP Ledger, further boosting XRP’s credibility as a platform for serious financial applications. Ripple also integrated clawback features to enhance liquidity for its stablecoin RLUSD.

The stablecoin sector continued to thrive this week, driven by Tether (USDT) and others, collectively amassing a market cap of $200 million. However, Tether may face challenges maintaining its dominance in Europe as Kraken announced plans to delist USDT and four other stablecoins in response to the MiCA regulations. Previously, Coinbase and Crypto.com announced similar moves, impacting Tether’s presence in the European market.

In a high-profile legal development, Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) parents are seeking a presidential pardon for their son, drawing inspiration from Trump’s pardon of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. This move is part of an ongoing saga surrounding the FTX founder’s legal battles, further adding fuel to the fire of crypto’s uncertain legal landscape.

Robert Kiyosaki, a renowned financial expert, made a bearish prediction, warning of a sharp Bitcoin price dip due to Trump’s proposed tariffs. Similarly, Arthur Hayes, a prominent crypto analyst, predicted a short-term drop in Bitcoin’s price, which could see it drop as low as $70,000. These cautionary predictions have left many traders on edge, especially considering Bitcoin’s volatile price behavior.

Despite broader market drops, the market saw some altcoins rise. Notably, the top gainers include:

* GARI (+165%)

* GRT (+86%)

* GTC (+78%)

* GNS (+75%)

* GFT (+73%)

On the other hand, Pudge Penguins (PENGU) took a major hit, dropping by 42%, and Virtual Protocol fell 35.6%. The Official Trump token (TRUMP) also lost 33%, now priced at $20.83.