Bitcoin Hits All-Time High as Ethereum Nears Record and Altcoin Searches Reach Highest Level Since 2021

Bitcoin Hits $122,882 All-Time High as Ethereum Nears Record With $25,000 Forecast From Standard Chartered

Bitcoin surged to a record $122,882 on Wednesday, up 30% year-to-date, as hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts and a favorable macro backdrop fuel risk-on sentiment. Stocks also hit fresh highs, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq setting records. Ethereum rose to $4,728, just 3% shy of its all-time high, boosted by Standard Chartered’s sharply upgraded price forecast to $25,000 by 2028.

Bullish Shares Surge 150% in NYSE Debut After $1.11 Billion Raise Backed by Peter Thiel

Bullish made a strong New York Stock Exchange debut, with shares surging more than 150% to $93.83 after pricing 30 million shares at $37 and raising $1.11 billion. Backed by Peter Thiel, the crypto platform’s IPO follows Circle’s recent blockbuster listing, which soared over 500%. The rally highlights robust investor appetite for crypto-related equities, with other digital asset firms like Figure, Grayscale, and BitGo eyeing public offerings amid a favorable U.S. policy climate under President Trump.

Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund Lifts Bitcoin Exposure 192% to 7,161 BTC Through Equity Stakes in Bitcoin-Heavy Companies

Norway’s $1.9 trillion sovereign wealth fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management, boosted its Bitcoin exposure to 7,161 BTC in Q2 2025, up 192% from last year. Rather than buying Bitcoin directly, the fund invests in Bitcoin-heavy companies such as Marathon Holdings, Block, Coinbase, and Metaplanet, gaining indirect exposure while maintaining a traditional equity-focused strategy. Smaller positions in firms like Tesla, GameStop, and Mercado Libre also contribute to its crypto exposure, offering diversification while mitigating direct regulatory and market risks.

Altcoin Searches Hit 2021 High as ETF Filings Surge and Corporate Treasuries Expand Into Solana and Chainlink

Google searches for “altcoin” hit their highest level since 2021, with “Ethereum” interest at a two-year peak, reflecting rising retail curiosity as institutional altcoin adoption accelerates. U.S. regulators have received 31 altcoin ETF applications in 2025, with analysts giving Solana, XRP, and Litecoin a 95% approval chance and other major tokens up to 90%.