Crypto Market Overview

• BTC (-1.52% | Current Price: 115,804 USDT): BTC previously surged to a short-term high of 124,497 USD but failed to break through and subsequently pulled back with increased volume. The price has repeatedly found support around 115,800 USD, but it is now approaching this critical level. A break below could test support at 114,000 USD or lower. On August 15, BTC ETFs saw a net outflow of 14.1 million USD, while BlackRock’s IBIT recorded an inflow of 146 million USD.
• ETH (-0.73% | Current Price: 4,358 USDT): ETH recently pulled back after reaching a high of 4,575 USD, currently hovering around 4,360 USD, with a daily low of 4,342 USD. If the price continues to decline, support near 4,340 USD will be key; a breach may see further drops toward 4,300 USD or lower. On August 15, ETH ETFs recorded a net outflow of 59.3 million USD, with BlackRock’s ETHA seeing 338 million USD inflow and Fidelity’s FETH seeing 272 million USD outflow.
• Altcoins: Most major altcoins have retraced, with market sentiment remaining neutral. The Fear & Greed Index stands at 60, still in the “Greed” zone, indicating relatively positive sentiment but highlighting potential overheating risks.
• Macro: On August 15, the S&P 500 fell 0.29% to 6,449.80, the Dow Jones rose 0.08% to 44,946.12, and the Nasdaq fell 0.40% to 21,622.98. As of August 18, 2:30 AM (UTC), spot gold is priced at 3,344 USD per ounce, up 0.26% in the past 24 hours.

Trending Tokens

BIO – Bio Protocol (+24.65%, Market Cap: $203M)

According to Gate data, BIO is currently priced at $0.126, up 24.65% over 24 hours. BIO is a decentralized science (DeSci) governance and liquidity protocol. Its mission is to accelerate biotechnology development by enabling global patients, scientists, and biotech professionals to collectively fund, establish, and own tokenized biotech projects and intellectual property (IP).

Recently, BIO launched a bio marketplace with real-time DeSci analysis and BioAgent trading, enriching its ecosystem applications. The project also announced that over 125 million BIO have been staked and introduced a 1 million BioXP incentive plan. Additionally, a new points system was launched, offering free BioXP to OG users as a reward for long-term support. These technological innovations, combined with token staking and community incentives, have contributed to BIO’s strong price surge.

LINK – Chainlink (+10.79%, Market Cap: $16.849B)

According to Gate data, LINK is currently trading at $24.97, up 10.79% in 24 hours. Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that securely connects blockchain smart contracts with off-chain real-world data, including financial market feeds, weather information, and IoT data. LINK tokens are used to reward node operators and pay developers for services.

Recently, Chainlink launched the Chainlink Reserve strategic plan, converting enterprise user fees and on-chain revenue into LINK to support long-term network sustainability. Chainlink also announced a strategic partnership with ICE, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, strengthening its bridge role between traditional finance and blockchain. On-chain data shows that whales accumulated 580,000 LINK (over $13.8M) across four addresses in 24 hours. Both fundamental and capital factors have driven LINK’s strong upward momentum.

ARB – Arbitrum (+7.34%, Market Cap: $2.66B)

According to Gate data, ARB is trading at $0.5236, up 7.34% over 24 hours. ARB is the governance token for the Arbitrum network, a Layer 2 Ethereum scaling solution developed by Offchain Labs, designed to increase transaction speed and reduce costs while remaining compatible with Ethereum. ARB is primarily used for Arbitrum DAO governance, including proposals, voting, and fund allocation.

ARB’s recent strong performance is supported by multiple factors. Robinhood has launched Arbitrum, opening a DeFi gateway for millions of TradFi users. PayPal also announced adoption of the Arbitrum network, boosting confidence in its ecosystem. Additionally, Arbitrum DAO, one of the first organizations to join Ethereum’s strategic reserves, saw its ETH treasury grow by roughly 36% in a month, reflecting robust capital expansion and providing long-term support for ARB’s price. Technically, ARB successfully broke through a key resistance zone after months of consolidation, entering a new upward cycle and lifting overall market sentiment.

Alpha Insights

NFT Market Activity Surges 30% Over Past Week

According to CryptoSlam, in the seven days ending August 17, NFT market trading volume rose 30% week-over-week to $173.2 million. Active buyers surged 190.41% to 214,716, and sellers increased 168.71% to 115,289, while transaction counts slightly decreased 10.65% to 1,553,949. By network:

• Ethereum NFT volume led at $105.4M, up 85% YoY
• BNB Chain at $18.1M, up 33.48%
• Solana at $8.9M, up 10.14%
• Polygon and Mythos Chain fell 35.51% and 3.52% to $11.5M and $9.3M, respectively

The NFT market shows clear signs of recovery, with participation from both buyers and sellers rising sharply, indicating renewed interest in digital assets. Ethereum remains dominant, while BNB Chain and Solana show strong activity, highlighting the appeal of a multi-chain ecosystem. However, declining transaction counts suggest that activity may be concentrated in high-value or popular NFTs. Overall, short-term growth momentum is strong, but attention should be paid to volatility and sustainability of investor sentiment.

Japan to Approve First Yen-Backed Stablecoin JPYC

Nikkei reports that Japan’s Financial Services Agency plans to approve the country’s first yen-pegged stablecoin, JPYC, this month. Fintech company JPYC Inc. will be registered as a remittance service provider, with sales expected to begin a few weeks after registration. JPYC will be backed by liquidity assets such as government bonds to maintain a stable peg of 1 JPYC = 1 JPY.

The launch marks a major step in Japan’s digital currency regulation. As the first yen-backed stablecoin, JPYC provides a convenient and secure digital option for domestic payments and cross-border remittances, potentially increasing Japan’s influence in the Asian stablecoin ecosystem. For the market, it reflects the traditional financial sector’s willingness to embrace crypto while emphasizing compliance and asset-backed stability, helping build trust among both public and institutional participants.

Arbitrum DAO ETH Treasury Rises 36% to 22,500 ETH

Arbitrum DAO, one of the earliest organizations to join Ethereum’s strategic reserve, grew its ETH treasury by approximately 36% over the past month, now holding 22,500 ETH, valued near $100 million, about 0.02% of total ETH supply. The overall treasury portfolio increased to around $80 million, driven by ETH price appreciation and stablecoin inflows into risk assets (RWA). July 2025 data indicate that Arbitrum DAO’s fund management strategy remains robust amidst market volatility, balancing yield growth with risk management.

The treasury growth highlights Arbitrum DAO’s proactive ETH strategy and reflects a trend toward institutional-style asset management within DeFi organizations. By combining stablecoins with RWA inflows, the DAO maintains liquidity while boosting returns, showcasing the potential of diversified crypto asset management. For investors, this prudent treasury approach enhances confidence in Arbitrum’s long-term ecosystem development and underscores DeFi projects’ ongoing improvement of financial governance.

Gate Launchpool

New Token Sale Details

• Project: PublicAI
• Token: PUBLIC
• Subscription Deadline: August 22, 2025, 8:00 (UTC)
• Participation Method: Stake ETH or PUBLIC to claim for free
• Total Airdrop: 1,750,000 PUBLIC

Project Introduction

PublicAI aims to advance the AI ecosystem by providing high-quality, on-demand AI training data. The platform not only meets enterprises’ urgent demand for quality data but also allows individuals worldwide to monetize their expertise.


References

• Gate, https://www.gate.com/trade/BTC_USDT
• Farside Investors, https://farside.co.uk/btc/
• Gate, https://www.gate.com/trade/ETH_USDT
• Farside Investors, https://farside.co.uk/eth/
• Gate, https://www.gate.com/crypto-market-data
• Investing, https://investing.com/indices/usa-indices
• Investing, https://investing.com/currencies/xau-usd
• CoinGecko, https://www.coingecko.com/categories
• Crypto.news, https://crypto.news/nft-sales-bored-ape-yacht-club-sales-jump-499/
• X, https://x.com/EntropyAdvisors/status/1956075867630919935
• jin10, https://flash.jin10.com/detail/20250817175753508800
• Gate, https://www.gate.com/launchpool/PUBLIC?pid=357

Gate Research is a comprehensive blockchain and cryptocurrency research platform that provides deep content for readers, including technical analysis, market insights, industry research, trend forecasting, and macroeconomic policy analysis.

Disclaimer
Investing in cryptocurrency markets involves high risk. Users are advised to conduct their own research and fully understand the nature of the assets and products before making any investment decisions. Gate is not responsible for any losses or damages arising from such decisions.