Bitcoin tops $95K as ETF inflows rise and US crypto bill stalls
Bitcoin rose above $95,000 this week amid a broader market rebound, as investors assessed delays to the CLARITY Act in the United States.
Cryptocurrency markets strengthened across the board, led by gains in major tokens. Bitcoin (BTC) advanced more than 5% over the past week to surpass $95,000, while Ether (ETH) increased approximately 6.6% following developments tied to leading Ethereum-focused treasury firms.
U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded four consecutive sessions of net inflows totaling about $1.7 billion, according to Farside Investors.
Policy uncertainty in Washington continued to guide sentiment. U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis said the Senate Banking Committee is expected to postpone its markup of the CLARITY Act, which seeks to establish a market structure framework for digital assets.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong raised concerns about several provisions in the draft, including elements affecting tokenized equities and decentralized finance.
Sen. Lummis anticipates delay to crypto market-structure markup: Bloomberg
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis reportedly expects the Senate Banking Committee to defer its hearing on crypto market structure legislation after Coinbase withdrew support for the bill.
Speculation about a CLARITY Act markup delay surfaced on Wednesday and intensified after an X post from Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis later that day. Dennis wrote:
“Lummis tells me her recommendation and expectation is that the markup be pulled for now. It’s Banking Chair Tim Scott’s call.”
The Senate markup had been scheduled for Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
Lawmakers have been engaging with banking and crypto industry stakeholders on CLARITY Act provisions for several weeks.
BitMine to invest $200 million in MrBeast’s Beast Industries
BitMine Immersion Technology agreed to invest $200 million in Beast Industries, the entertainment business founded by YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast), marking one of BitMine’s largest non-core equity investments to date.
The company said on Thursday it will provide a $200 million equity investment in Beast Industries. Public data shows Donaldson’s network of YouTube channels has more than 450 million subscribers.
“MrBeast and Beast Industries, in our view, is the leading content creator of our generation, with a reach and engagement unmatched with GenZ, GenAlpha and Millennials,” said Thomas Lee, BitMine’s chairman. “Beast Industries is the largest and most innovative creator based platform in the world and our corporate and personal values are strongly aligned.”
BitMine did not disclose the size of the stake, Beast Industries’ valuation, or any governance terms tied to the deal.
The companies said the transaction is expected to close on Monday.
Delphi Digital: Perp DEXs to challenge high-cost TradFi in 2026
Perpetual decentralized exchanges (DEXs) continue to gain traction as traders opt for blockchain-based venues that can reduce costs and intermediaries compared with traditional centralized platforms.
Perp DEXs facilitate trading of perpetual futures contracts on-chain, enabling leveraged exposure to underlying assets without expiration dates.
Crypto research firm Delphi Digital said in its 2026 outlook that perp DEXs are set to keep taking share from traditional financial products, arguing decentralized infrastructure is structurally more efficient than legacy systems, which it characterized as fragmented and costly.
“Now Hyperliquid is building native lending. Perp DEXs could become brokerage, exchange, custodian, bank, and clearinghouse all at once,” Delphi Digital wrote in a Tuesday X post, noting that competitors including Aster, Lighter and Paradex are “racing to catch up.”
World Liberty introduces $3.4 billion stablecoin into on-chain lending
World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance project linked to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump, entered crypto lending with a new marketplace, underscoring renewed interest in on-chain credit as regulatory clarity evolves.
The platform, called World Liberty Markets, launched Monday and supports borrowing and lending of digital assets, Bloomberg reported. It utilizes USD1, World Liberty’s U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin, along with its governance token, WLFI.
Users can post collateral such as Ether, a tokenized version of Bitcoin, and major stablecoins including USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT). The marketplace is designed to facilitate both lending and borrowing within a single on-chain venue.
World Liberty co-founder Zak Folkman told Bloomberg that the platform plans to add more collateral types over time, potentially including tokenized real-world assets. He added that the company is exploring partnerships with prediction markets, cryptocurrency exchanges and real estate platforms.
The lending launch follows World Liberty’s recent application to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust bank charter, which the company says would support wider adoption of USD1, including for cross-border payments and treasury operations.
DeFi projects pare back public Discords amid rising scam activity
Decentralized finance protocols are scaling down public Discord servers, citing increased security risks that outweigh community benefits.
The trend gained attention on Wednesday after DeFi lending protocol Morpho set its public Discord to read-only and directed users to alternative support channels, reflecting concerns that the platform has become a frequent target for crypto-focused scams.
The shift extends beyond Morpho. DefiLlama’s pseudonymous founder 0xngmi said they have quietly reduced reliance on Discord in favor of more controlled communication tools.
Several builders say they are moving from always-on chat rooms to structured support systems designed to safeguard users rather than maximize engagement.
DeFi market overview
According to data from TradingView, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week higher.
Privacy-focused Dash (DASH) led weekly gains with a 136% increase, followed by Monero (XMR), up 49% over the same period.
This report summarizes the week’s notable DeFi developments. Further updates will follow next week.
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