BlockByte Weekly: BlockByte Takes the Stage & US Pensions to Enter Crypto

Thanks for reading The BlockByte Weekly, where we summarise the key updates in crypto over the last week and provide our perspective on what you need to know as an investor.

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Weekly Snapshot

• BTC: $116,640 (~A$178,291) (+3.7%)
• Crypto Market Cap: $3.88T (+8.4%)
• Gold: $3,398/oz (+3.3%)
• S&P 500: 6.389 (+1.6%)
• ASX 200: 8,807 (+0.7%)
• 10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.28% (+0.08%)

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Executive Summary

• Trump Opens 401(k)s to Crypto – New rules could channel part of the US $8.9T retirement pool into digital assets.
• De-Banking Ban – Banks can no longer deny services to crypto firms over “reputational risk.”
• Ethereum Outperforms – Up 26% this week as the broader market lifts to US $3.88T
• BlockByte at FinX – Shared insights on the $260B stablecoin market and tokenisation’s growth.

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Key Stories This Week

BlockByte at the FinX Wealth Conference

This week we took to the stage and presented at the annual FinX Wealth Conference, sharing our latest research on the tokenisation of real-world assets. We discussed the $260B stablecoin market’s rapid growth, the multi trillion-dollar potential of tokenised asset markets, and the realities versus the hype in this emerging space.

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In tandem, we also released our BlockByte Half Year Investor Report covering 5 key trends that we're seeing in the digital asset market. You can access the report here. As always, should have any questions on any of the key themes or emerging opportunities that we're seeing in the digital asset marketplace, please don't hesitate to reach out.

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Trump Allows Pensions to Invest in Digital Assets & Stops "De-banking"

In a landmark policy shift this week, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Labor Department and SEC to revise rules allowing 401(k) retirement plans to include digital assets, private equity, and other alternatives. With the US’s $8.9 trillion 401(k) pool now potentially open to crypto, this could mark one of the largest institutional demand drivers in the sector’s history. Given its perceived lower risk, we believe Bitcoin and Ethereum are likely to be the primary beneficiaries.

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Trump's second executive order this week removes “reputational risk” as a reason for banks to deny services to crypto businesses. This move directly addresses long-standing concerns over major banks and regulators restricting banking access to crypto related companies.

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Resolving this is a major milestone towards adoption and progress in the digital asset sector which we believe will support future price growth of the asset class. Ignoring the short term fluctuations, these are the news events that keep us structurally bullish.

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Ethereum Rally Extends as Market Momentum Builds

The digital asset market climbed 8.4% this week to ~$3.88T, with Ethereum leading gains among major altcoins. Support came from the US policy shifts, renewed institutional interest, and a generally bullish macro backdrop with potential rate cuts on the horizon as early as next month (16-17th September is the next meeting for the Federal Reserve).

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Bitcoin gained 3.7%, while Ethereum rallied more than 26% as the positive regulatory developments and growth of stablecoins and tokenised assets being built on top of Ethereum continues to fuel its narrative as the institutional blockchain for financial applications. We've been singling out Ethereum since early this year to clients, with some portfolios up over 116% on their Ether positions YTD. Reach out if you'd like to discuss our latest perspective on Eth in more detail with us.

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Until next week,
James