Bitcoin Price Hits $117,000 ATH; Trump & Sun Spark Fresh Crypto Frenzy

Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $117,000 on Thursday, driven by a perfect storm of political support, large crypto bets, and strengthening regulations, resulting in a 4.20% gain. The $92.9 billion in daily trading volume was a sign of renewed interest from both institutions and retail investors.

Donald Trump Jr.’s recent $4 million investment in Thumzup Media—a firm expanding its treasury into Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, and XRP—reflects the Trump family’s deepening crypto roots. While the immediate market impact may be modest, it amplifies the family’s push toward crypto ETFs and blockchain-based media ventures.

NOW: Justin Sun says they are committing to buy $100M of $TRUMP, calling it “the currency of MAGA”. pic.twitter.com/mpYq6Dl75l

Crypto buzz intensified further after Justin Sun pledged to buy $100 million worth of Trump’s memecoin ahead of a major $474 million token unlock on July 19. Despite the coin’s 87% decline since January, Sun’s move suggests renewed speculation and strategic hype.

This isn’t his first bet on Trump-linked DeFi tokens—he even scored a seat at Trump’s private crypto dinner earlier this year.

Together, these moves showcase a growing intersection between politics, crypto, and influencer capital, bolstering sentiment at a time when macro tailwinds are aligning.

Europe’s crypto oversight got a boost this week as ESMA, the EU’s top securities authority, published a review of Malta’s MiCA licensing. While praising Malta’s resources and staffing, ESMA stated that the country’s crypto supervision “only partially met expectations.”

ESMA critiques Malta's crypto licensing, noting the MFSA partially met requirements for a crypto asset service provider. Four firms, including $BITPANDA and $CRYPTO, are registered under MiCA.

Read the full article https://t.co/b6pD4DWGNV

Malta, home to Bitpanda, Crypto.com, OKX and ZBX, now has to up its regulatory game. Although current licenses won’t be revoked the EU wants to harmonise MiCA enforcement across all member states.

Key takeaways:

• ESMA wants tighter crypto compliance
• MiCA rollout boosts institutional confidence
• Regulatory maturity means long-term BTC growth

For Bitcoin, these are more than just bureaucratic changes. They reduce legal risk and open the door for broader institutional participation, especially from European asset managers who can now offer MiCA-compliant products.

From a technical standpoint, Bitcoin has officially exited its multi-week consolidation, breaking through $112,605 resistance and approaching the 0.5 Fibonacci retracement at $116,951—a key marker between November lows and the all-time high range.

The daily chart shows a clean “three white soldiers” pattern, signaling buyer conviction and the potential start of a sustained uptrend. BTC continues to respect its rising channel that began in March, supported by the 50-day SMA at $106,913.

#Bitcoin hits $117,000 ATH
Breaks $112,600 resistance with volume
3 white soldiers candle setup
RSI: 70.9 (bullish but hot)
Support: $113K
Target: $121.3K
Bulls are in control for now. #BTC pic.twitter.com/41z9tqp12z

RSI is now at 70, confirming bullish momentum while nudging into overbought territory. A brief pullback to retest the $112K–$113K zone remains likely.

Bitcoin Trade Setup (Breakout Pullback):

• Entry: Bullish candle near $112,605–$113,000
• Stop-loss: Below $110,000
• Targets: $116,951 and $121,378 (Fib levels)

In my experience, breakouts with rising volume and strong candle structure tend to retest prior resistance before the next leg up. If bulls defend the zone, it could be one of the cleanest setups in this trend.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), the first Bitcoin-native Layer 2 powered by the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), has raised over $2 million in its public presale, with $2,261,067 out of a $2,637,961 target. The token is priced at $0.0122, with the next price tier expected to be announced soon.

Designed to merge Bitcoin’s security with Solana’s speed, Bitcoin Hyper enables fast, low-cost smart contracts, dApps, and meme coin creation, all with seamless BTC bridging. The project is audited by Consult and engineered for scalability, trust, and simplicity.

The golden cross of meme appeal and real utility has made Bitcoin Hyper a Layer 2 contender to watch in 2025. With staking, a streamlined presale, and a full rollout expected by Q1, $HYPER is gaining serious traction.

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