Crypto News Today: Pi Network Boost, Bitcoin Momentum, and Institutional Moves

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The cryptocurrency landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with key developments across major networks, market movements, and institutional adoption shaping investor sentiment on July 2, 2025. From mining rate adjustments to strategic acquisitions and macroeconomic indicators, today’s updates offer valuable insights for both retail and institutional participants navigating the digital asset space.

Pi Network Increases Base Mining Rate by 0.93%

In a notable update for its growing user base, Pi Network has officially increased its base mining rate by 0.93%, raising it from 0.0029887 to 0.0030165 Pi per session. This adjustment will take effect during users’ next mining cycle and reflects an under-mined supply in the previous month. When fewer users actively mine their allocated portion, the network redistributes the surplus to active participants—effectively increasing rewards for consistent engagement.

This mechanism underscores Pi Network’s dynamic supply model, where scarcity increases as inactive accounts forfeit their mining rights. As more pioneers become dormant, the remaining circulating supply becomes relatively more valuable. For active users, this presents a timely opportunity to accumulate additional Pi before the next recalibration.

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The ecosystem is also seeing interface improvements. The Pi Browser has undergone a UI refresh, offering a cleaner layout with dedicated sections for Core Team apps, community-driven dApps, third-party integrations, wallets, bridges, exchanges, and top-staked applications. Additionally, the Pi Wallet now includes a “stake” feature—though currently non-monetary—that allows users to support preferred decentralized applications, signaling early steps toward governance and ecosystem participation.

Bitcoin Shows Strength Amid Unrealized Gains Surge

Bitcoin (BTC) remains a central focus in the crypto market, trading at $106,807**—slightly down 0.02% over 24 hours but holding firm above critical support levels. According to on-chain analytics firm Glassnode, Bitcoin investors are sitting on approximately **$1.2 trillion in unrealized profits, highlighting strong holder confidence despite short-term volatility.

Long-term holders continue to dominate the supply distribution, controlling 14.7 million BTC. This accumulation trend has helped stabilize the market against large sell-offs. Technically, BTC has successfully flipped the $107,200** level into support after defending a crucial floor at **$105,700. With selling pressure remaining low and momentum gradually building, a breakout above $113,000 is becoming increasingly plausible in the near term.

Bitcoin dominance (BTC.D) is also holding steady, indicating that altcoins have yet to enter a broad-based rally phase. While some speculate about an upcoming altseason, current data suggests it's still premature. Instead, selective opportunities exist among high-quality altcoins trading at discounted valuations.

Market Snapshot: Mixed Performance Across Major Altcoins

The broader crypto market cap stands at $3.28 trillion, reflecting a minor 0.33% decline over the past day. Sentiment remains neutral, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index registering 46, suggesting balanced market psychology without extreme bullishness or fear.

Among major assets:

On the upside, Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) surged 14.46%, emerging as the top gainer, while Arbitrum (ARB) and Celestia (TIA) also showed strong momentum—suggesting continued interest in ecosystem-specific narratives and branded digital assets.

Institutional Confidence Grows: Figma Discloses Bitcoin ETF Holdings

Institutional adoption received a boost as Figma, the cloud-based design platform, filed for an IPO and revealed $69.5 million in spot Bitcoin ETF holdings as of March 31, 2025. The disclosure highlights growing corporate treasury diversification into regulated crypto instruments.

Earlier in May, Figma’s board approved a $30 million Bitcoin investment strategy, initially funding the purchase with an equivalent amount of USDC for conversion into BTC ETFs. This move reflects increasing trust in Bitcoin as a long-term store of value—even among non-financial tech firms—and may inspire similar moves across Silicon Valley.

Coinbase Acquires Liquifi to Expand Token Infrastructure

Coinbase further solidified its position as a crypto infrastructure leader by acquiring Liquifi, a platform specializing in token distribution, vesting schedules, and tax compliance solutions for projects and enterprises. This marks Coinbase’s fourth acquisition in 2025, following purchases in crypto advertising, privacy technologies, and derivatives trading.

The integration of Liquifi enhances Coinbase’s ability to serve startups and institutional clients managing complex token economies—particularly important as real-world asset (RWA) tokenization gains traction. With improved tools for compliance and automated vesting, Coinbase strengthens its appeal to Web3 founders and traditional finance players alike.

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Regulatory and Structural Shifts: Robinhood’s Stock Tokens Face CeFi Limits

Robinhood’s entry into tokenized stocks has drawn attention for its restrictive design. According to research by Electric Capital’s Ren, Robinhood’s stock token contracts operate within a closed-loop system, requiring all transfers to pass through a whitelist of KYC/AML-compliant wallets.

This structure severely limits interoperability with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. Even EU users cannot transfer tokens freely—any attempt to send to non-whitelisted addresses is blocked. As a result, these assets are functionally tied to centralized finance (CeFi) ecosystems rather than being open, tradable tokens on public blockchains.

While this ensures regulatory compliance, it raises questions about true ownership and utility compared to decentralized alternatives.

Ripple Clarifies Position on Secondary Share Sales

Ripple Labs addressed recent speculation regarding secondary market activity involving its private shares. The company confirmed that investment platform Linqto holds 4.7 million Ripple shares, all acquired from secondary transactions—not directly from Ripple.

Ripple emphasized that it has no business relationship with Linqto and did not involve them in any official funding rounds. To prevent investor confusion and curb unofficial share sales, Ripple halted Linqto-related secondary purchases in late 2024 amid rising skepticism about unregulated equity trading platforms.

Stellar (XLM) Tests Key Support Zone

Stellar (XLM) is currently testing a critical support range between $0.20 and $0.225. Failure to hold this zone could lead to further downside pressure. For a sustainable bullish reversal, XLM must break and close above the key resistance level at $0.252—a move that would signal renewed buying interest.

Stellar continues to position itself as a blockchain for real-world financial innovation, particularly in cross-border payments and financial inclusion initiatives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Why did Pi Network increase its mining rate?
A: The base mining rate increased because last month’s Pi supply wasn’t fully mined. The surplus is redistributed to active users, rewarding consistent participation and adjusting for network inactivity.

Q: Is an altseason starting soon?
A: Not yet. Bitcoin dominance remains strong, indicating capital is still concentrated in BTC. A broad altcoin rally may begin in late Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026—but only select high-quality projects are expected to outperform.

Q: Can I use Robinhood’s stock tokens in DeFi apps?
A: No. Due to strict whitelisting and KYC requirements, Robinhood’s stock tokens cannot be transferred to DeFi platforms or non-approved wallets, limiting them to centralized environments.

Q: What does Figma’s Bitcoin ETF purchase mean for crypto adoption?
A: It signals growing institutional confidence in regulated crypto products. When tech companies add Bitcoin ETFs to their balance sheets, it normalizes crypto as a legitimate treasury asset.

Q: How does Coinbase’s acquisition of Liquifi benefit developers?
A: Liquifi provides advanced tools for token vesting, distribution, and tax compliance—critical for startups launching tokenized ecosystems while staying compliant with global regulations.

Q: Is Pi Network’s staking feature profitable?
A: Currently, staking in the Pi Wallet does not offer financial rewards. It's designed as a support mechanism for apps within the ecosystem, possibly laying groundwork for future utility or governance roles.


The evolving dynamics between user engagement, institutional investment, and platform development underscore the maturation of the crypto ecosystem. Whether you're tracking mining incentives or macro trends, staying informed is key to navigating this fast-moving space.

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