Bitcoin Nears $120,000 Again As El Salvador Opens Bitcoin Banks

1 week ago

Bitcoin’s march to reclaim the $120,000 milestone again is gaining gait with a operation of tightening supply and absorbing events astir the world. 

Harvard University precocious revealed its $116.6 cardinal allocation to BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF. Meanwhile, El Salvador is welcoming Bitcoin-focused concern banks, portion regulatory delays person enactment Japan’s archetypal crypto ETF connected hold.

El Salvador Opens Door To Bitcoin Investment Banks

El Salvador has passed a landmark Investment Banking Law that allows regulated concern banks, which are chiseled from commercialized lenders, to clasp Bitcoin and different integer assets connected their equilibrium sheets. These institutions volition cater exclusively to blase investors and are required to person a Digital Asset Service Provider licence and astatine slightest $50 cardinal successful starting capital. 

The law, which was approved connected Thursday, efficaciously paves the mode for banks to take to run wholly arsenic Bitcoin banks. Government officials accidental the model is designed to pull overseas superior and cement the country’s presumption arsenic a crypto concern hub. Critics, however, pass that the benefits whitethorn mostly favour affluent institutions implicit mundane Salvadorans.

This determination comes arsenic Japan’s introduction into the Bitcoin ETF marketplace is being held back. While US-based Bitcoin ETFs are making crushed with inflows and jurisdictions similar El Salvador determination forward, Japan is yet to beryllium location to a Spot Bitcoin ETF. 

There were multiple reports this week astir Japan’s SBI Holdings filing for spot crypto ETFs. However, the institution has clarified that it has not yet submitted immoderate applications for crypto-related ETFs. Nonetheless, the institution did enactment successful its Q2 2025 net study that it is readying to motorboat crypto-asset-linked concern trusts and ETFs upon regulatory approval.

Bitcoin is presently trading astatine $118,184. Chart: TradingView

Harvard University Commits Over $116 Million To Bitcoin ETF

Institutional assurance successful Bitcoin received a large boost with Harvard University’s determination to invest $116.6 cardinal into BlackRock’s IBIT spot Bitcoin ETF. This absorbing concern was revealed in a caller filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission by the Harvard Management Company.

This sizable presumption elevates Bitcoin to a salient relation wrong Harvard’s equity portfolio, which is simply a notable displacement successful its concern choices, peculiarly pursuing its determination past 4th to standard backmost vulnerability to respective large Big Tech stocks. According to the filing, the endowment purchased 1.9 cardinal shares of iShares Bitcoin Trust, valued astatine $116.6 million. This worth places Bitcoin arsenic the fifth-largest holding successful Harvard’s equity portfolio down Microsoft, Amazon, Booking Holdings, and Meta.

Harvard’s allocation aligns intimately with investment trends successful the US, arsenic US spot Bitcoin ETFs person attracted much than $54 cardinal successful inflows since their motorboat successful aboriginal 2024.

The determination comes astatine a clip erstwhile liquidity connected large exchanges is tightening, and it has contributed to an increase successful bullish sentiment surrounding Bitcoin. 

At the clip of writing, Bitcoin is trading astatine $118,320, up by 4% successful the past 7 days.

Featured representation from Unsplash, illustration from TradingView

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