The Blockchain Bulletin May 22: Bitcoin Hits New ATH at $111K in 2025
Hey folks! Welcome once again to our latest edition of the Blockchain Bulletin, where we unravel and uncover our latest insights that took place in the market in the past 24 hours.
In a year already rich with milestones, Bitcoin has once again made history. Just four months after hitting an all-time high (ATH) of $109,144 in January 2025, the world’s largest cryptocurrency has shattered that ceiling, soaring to $111,500.28, according to CoinMarketCap. This marks the second ATH for Bitcoin in 2025 alone—a feat few digital assets achieve in such rapid succession.
Moving on, Bitcoin’s market capitalization now stands at $2.215 trillion, registering a 3.87% daily increase alongside a staggering 82.64% surge in 24-hour trading volume, which reached $89.75 billion. Currently, 19.86 million BTC are in circulation, nearing the 21 million maximum supply. These metrics underscore not just price performance but also liquidity and engagement. As of May 22, Bitcoin has also earned another accolade—becoming the fifth-largest asset globally by market capitalization, overtaking tech giants Amazon and Google, according to CompaniesMarketCap.
This streak of record highs shows up just as the fifteenth year of Bitcoin Pizza Day is being celebrated. In addition, Bitcoin futures interest is higher than it has ever been before. According to Coinglass, earlier this week, BTC hit a price of $107,888.77 on Binance, while open interest for futures reached a high of $70.23 billion. Compared to November 2024, this is up 75%, largely because institutions are joining, and speculation has grown. With a fully diluted valuation of $2.26 trillion, it shows that markets are hopeful for the continued growth of the sector.
Just days before Bitcoin’s historic rally, Unicoin—a company that raised over $100 million from investors with promises of a real estate-backed token—was hit with fraud charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Filed in the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit accuses CEO Alex Konanykhin and other top executives of misleading investors by promoting “rights certificates” supposedly tied to lucrative real estate portfolios that, according to the SEC, often didn’t exist or failed to close.
On the regulatory front, the EU is advancing discussions with the United States to align digital asset frameworks. Bloomberg News reports that the EU is proposing a bilateral negotiation structure aimed at harmonizing crypto regulation. With the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) already in effect and the U.S. regulatory landscape still fragmented, this initiative could be pivotal in setting global standards.
Related: RSR Price Prediction 2025-35: Will It Hit $10 by 2035?
In the U.S., the SEC has put off choosing whether to approve ETFs linked to XRP, Dogecoin, and Solana. Saying more public input and clearer rules were needed, the commission underlined its role in making sure companies followed Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act.
Elsewhere, Brave browser has broken new ground by launching the “.brave” top-level domain through a partnership with Unstoppable Domains. Minted on Polygon and requiring no renewal fees, the domain enhances crypto accessibility by enabling human-readable wallet addresses, all integrated with Brave Wallet.
The stakeholders in Hong Kong supported the Stablecoins Bill by the Legislative Council, which calls for FRS (fiat-referenced stablecoin) licenses there. Starting in the latter half of the year, issuers have to meet tough requirements such as making their reserves visible, separating client assets, and having reliable ways to redeem them.
