Bitcoin hits new all-time high above $119K as trader eyes 7-week uptrend

US lawmakers are taking a closer look at El Salvador’s Bitcoin experiment, raising concerns about its financial stability and transparency. Meanwhile, Brazil is dealing with a hefty 50% tariff hit—likely stirring trade tensions and economic headaches. Two very different financial challenges, but both could ripple across Latin America’s economic landscape.

Editor’s Note: El Salvador’s Bitcoin gamble was always going to draw scrutiny, but now it’s hitting the radar of US policymakers—which could spell trouble if they push for restrictions. For Brazil, steep tariffs mean higher costs for exports, potentially slowing growth. Both stories highlight how global financial pressures are squeezing Latin America, whether through crypto experiments or old-school trade wars.

In this guest opinion piece, Michael Egorov, founder of Curve Finance, weighs in on the future of decentralized finance (DeFi), framing 2025 as a potential turning point where Ethereum’s decentralization-first approach could overtake Solana’s speed-centric model. The debate isn’t just about technical specs—it’s about what values will define DeFi’s next era: raw throughput or the trustless, censorship-resistant ethos that originally made blockchain revolutionary.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just a nerdy tech showdown—it’s a philosophical fork in the road for finance. If Ethereum’s decentralization gains traction over Solana’s speed, it could signal a shift in what users and institutions prioritize: resilience over convenience. For anyone with skin in crypto (or just watching from the sidelines), the outcome could reshape how money moves on the internet.

The crypto world is buzzing again as tokenized real-world assets (RWA)—things like property, art, or commodities represented as digital tokens—are heating up. With Bitcoin smashing past $112K and altcoins bouncing back, RWA tokens are stealing the spotlight as a major growth area in crypto. Data suggests this isn’t just a blip; it’s part of a bigger shift toward blending traditional finance with blockchain.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve been skeptical about crypto’s real-world utility, this is a big deal. Tokenizing tangible assets could bridge the gap between Wall Street and decentralized finance, making investing more accessible. Plus, with Bitcoin’s rally pulling everything else up, RWAs might be the next sector to watch—not just for traders, but for anyone eyeing the future of finance.

Ripple Labs, the company behind the cryptocurrency XRP, is aiming even higher in its quest to disrupt SWIFT, the dominant global payments network. CEO Brad Garlinghouse once suggested XRP could handle 14% of SWIFT’s transaction volume, but a new analysis by crypto expert Paul Barron suggests Ripple could eventually capture 20%—a staggering slice of SWIFT’s $21 trillion flow. If that happens, it could supercharge XRP’s role in cross-border payments.

Editor’s Note: Ripple’s ambitions aren’t just pie-in-the-sky—they’re targeting a fundamental shift in how money moves worldwide. If XRP even comes close to handling a fifth of SWIFT’s volume, it could mean faster, cheaper international transfers and a major boost for crypto’s real-world utility. For investors and fintech watchers, this signals Ripple’s growing confidence—and the high-stakes race to modernize global finance.

US Senator Cynthia Lummis criticized the Federal Reserve's recent crypto decision as "just lip service," arguing it doesn't represent real progress. Meanwhile, SEC Chair Paul Atkins spoke at an agency roundtable, and Circle executive Dante Disparte denied rumors about the company seeking a US federal bank charter. The crypto industry's optimism over softened Fed guidance may be premature, according to Lummis.