Bitcoin experienced sharp volatility this week, fluctuating between roughly $98,261 and $104,079 after an early surge driven by optimism surrounding global trade discussions. The week briefly saw BTC climb to a two-week high near $116,000 before sellers stepped in, unwinding gains and pushing the asset back toward $98,300 by Thursday, a 3.3% reversal from the session’s open. Despite the pullback, trading activity remained elevated with 24-hour volumes exceeding $37 billion, underscoring the market’s sensitivity to macro headlines and profit-taking pressures.
Ethereum mirrored the broader risk-off shift, sliding toward $3,278 and shedding nearly 4% into Thursday’s close. While spot prices ranged widely between $3,170 and $4,600, ETH ultimately drifted to weekly lows as futures markets showed signs of thin liquidity and leveraged positions unwound. Combined with persistent outflows from major DeFi protocols, Ethereum’s decline highlighted an environment marked by heightened fragility and fading near-term conviction.
Stablecoins, however, were a bright spot, highlighted by Sui Network’s announcement of its USDsui stablecoin via Bridge, Stripe’s subsidiary. The integration promises improved cross-chain compatibility, stronger on-chain commerce support, and a broader issuance network poised to expand regulated, high-speed payment rails. Industry observers expect this move, along with the emergence of new competitors, to deepen stablecoin adoption and intensify competition among issuers navigating an increasingly multi-chain ecosystem.
DeFi faced renewed pressure following a major exploit that exceeded $220 million across platforms, reviving concerns about composability risks and smart-contract audit standards. The fallout contributed to declines in Ethereum-based liquidity and trading activity. The combination of regulatory scrutiny, security hardening, and shifting capital allocation will continue to shape sentiment as the sector works through another high-profile stress test.
