The cryptocurrency market is recovering modestly during Asian hours on Monday, buoyed by easing geopolitical tensions after US President Donald Trump announced a delay in the planned 50% tariff on European Union goods. Trump stated on his Truth Social account that the implementation date has been pushed from June 1 to July 9, following a request from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who confirmed that negotiations would begin promptly. Bitcoin jumped back above the $109,000 mark, while the global crypto market cap was around $3.44 trillion. The surge was also supported by continued institutional inflows in crypto ETFs. Bitcoin remains the bedrock of the cryptocurrency ecosystem and a favored hedge against macroeconomic instability. Yet, its growing maturity, reduced volatility, and the influx of institutional capital have made it less attractive to investors chasing high-risk, high-reward opportunities. In contrast, early-stage tokens such as Bitcoin Pepe are attracting interest from speculative traders willing to embrace elevated risk in exchange for the possibility of outsized returns. As broader market sentiment improves, these high-beta assets are increasingly poised to capture renewed inflows from investors seeking exposure to volatile, momentum-driven plays. BTC ETFs remain strong US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded their highest weekly trading volume of 2025 last week, driven by Bitcoin’s price rally and renewed investor interest. According to SoSoValue data, $25 billion in value was traded across the funds, marking the most active week since late December 2024. Net inflows totaled $2.75 billion, the second-largest weekly inflow since the ETFs launched in early 2024. BlackRock’s IBIT fund continues to dominate. As of now, IBIT holds 3.3% of all BTC, with a net asset value exceeding $71 billion—more than three times the size of Fidelity’s FBTC, the next largest fund. Ethereum ETFs also saw improved inflows, reaching nearly $250 million last week—the highest since early February—even as trading volume dipped slightly. Bitcoin Pepe to list soon A renewed surge in Bitcoin is once again bolstering sentiment across the crypto market, historically a precursor to broader rallies. As capital flows back into digital assets, speculative corners of the market, particularly meme coins, are drawing increased investor interest. Bitcoin Pepe stands out as a key beneficiary of this shift. Positioned at the intersection of meme culture and blockchain utility, the project is the first meme-centric Layer 2 on the Bitcoin network. It aims to merge Bitcoin’s robust security with Solana-like scalability, setting itself apart from other meme tokens that typically lack technical depth. To build out its Layer 2 ecosystem, Bitcoin Pepe has announced several strategic partnerships. These include Super Meme, which will facilitate secure meme coin launches via the PEP-20 standard; Catamoto, supporting BASE chain fair launches; and Plena Finance, which is for exploring the integration of BPEP into its mobile-first DeFi app. A collaboration with the GETE Network is also announced, potentially expanding Bitcoin Pepe’s footprint into cross-chain Web3 gaming. These moves reflect an effort to layer real-world utility on top of meme-driven appeal, a combination that could prove attractive in the current market environment. Investor response has been strong. The project’s presale has raised over $11 million to date, with BPEP tokens currently priced at $0.0377. The presale ends on May 31, 2025, with a centralized exchange listing expected shortly after — a development that could serve as a near-term price catalyst. The post Where is Bitcoin Pepe headed as BTC climbs to $109K amid strong institutional inflow appeared first on Invezz