As dawn broke on August 13, 2025, the crypto world stirred with quiet intensity. Traders across the globe watched their screens as Bitcoin, the pioneer of digital currencies, stood tall above the $118,000 mark.
It wasn’t a dramatic surge, nor a sudden collapse, just a steady heartbeat in a market holding its breath.
Ethereum, Bitcoin’s younger sibling in the crypto family, wasn’t content with stillness. It nudged upward, gaining over 2% and cruising past $4,300. The movement was subtle, but it hinted at something brewing beneath the surface.
Samer Hasn, senior market analyst at Xs.com, was already at his desk, coffee in hand, dissecting the calm.
“Liquidity’s thinning,” he noted in his morning commentary. “Everyone’s waiting for the July CPI data. It’s like the market’s holding its breath before the New York bell rings.”
The anticipation wasn’t just about numbers, it was about momentum. Inflation was expected to tick up for the third month in a row, possibly hitting 2.8%. If the data confirmed it, Hasn believed crypto could roar back to life, reclaiming lost ground and pushing major coins into fresh rallies.
But this wasn’t just about charts and forecasts. The crypto landscape had shifted. Legal clouds that once loomed over Ripple Labs and other firms had finally cleared. The SEC’s battles were over, and the industry was breathing easier.
Then came the political twist. Former President Donald Trump, long a controversial figure, had stepped back into the financial spotlight.
His administration had lifted restrictions that once barred banks from working with crypto firms labeled “high risk.” Now, with his family’s growing stake in the sector, Trump seemed poised to weave digital assets deeper into America’s financial fabric.
The Trump family’s World Liberty Financial had just inked a $1.5 billion deal with Alt5 Sigma, expanding their crypto empire.
Trump Media held $2 billion in Bitcoin, and WLF had stacked up over $315 million in Ethereum. The message was clear: they weren’t just dabbling, they were building.
Meanwhile, across the Pacific, a sigh of relief echoed through the markets. The U.S. and China had agreed to extend their trade truce by 90 days, calming nerves and adding a layer of stability to global finance.
And the numbers reflected that calm confidence. Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $178 million in net inflows. Ethereum dazzled with over $1 billion pouring in just yesterday, according to SoSo Value.
Futures traders, undeterred by recent corrections, continued to bet long, open interest funding rates for Bitcoin were still climbing, CoinGlass reported.
As the sun rose higher, the crypto market remained quiet, but it wasn’t silence. It was the stillness before a storm, the pause before a leap. And for those watching closely, it was a moment rich with possibility.
