Crypto Soars as Bitcoin Hits $100K and Trump-UK Trade Deal Sparks Ethereum Surge

The cryptocurrency market experienced a major surge on Thursday as Bitcoin crossed the historic $100,000 threshold and Ethereum posted double-digit gains. The rally was fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new trade deal with the United Kingdom, coupled with a favorable macroeconomic backdrop and Ethereum’s successful Pectra network upgrade.

As of Thursday, the global crypto market capitalization rose to $3.21 trillion, supported by a daily trading volume of $173.2 billion. This marks a sharp increase in investor participation, especially in Ethereum-hosted projects.

Trump’s declaration—delivered via TruthSocial—hinted at more international agreements to come, a move that investors interpreted as a potential wave of economic optimism and deregulation. News of trade talks with China further supported bullish sentiment. These developments pushed Bitcoin to an intraday high of $101,525, while 24-hour trading volume soared past $76 billion.

Ethereum’s momentum was even stronger. The platform's latest upgrade, Pectra, rolled out successfully this week, aligning with a macro tailwind: the Federal Reserve’s third consecutive rate pause. A technical incident during the rollout—temporary withdrawal halts on major exchanges—artificially suppressed selling pressure, allowing ETH to jump 13% in a single day, reaching $2,002.

The surge extended across Ethereum’s ecosystem. PEPE gained 17%, buoyed by memecoin enthusiasm and whale activity. Chainlink (LINK) rose 9.4%, driven by growing adoption in cross-chain protocols and its association with Trump-affiliated financial entities. Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL), a new DeFi infrastructure play, jumped 21% as speculative flows sought high-upside assets.

Other top altcoins also posted gains:

Meanwhile, regulatory headlines added more fuel. The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) authorized national banks to trade crypto on behalf of clients, underscoring institutional validation for digital assets. Banks will now be permitted to outsource crypto custody and execution to specialized third parties—provided they meet risk management standards.

In parallel, the Ethereum Foundation announced $32 million in Q1 2025 grants to accelerate development across its ecosystem. Funding will support zero-knowledge technologies, developer tooling, and decentralized infrastructure.

With institutional support growing and macro conditions improving, this week’s developments could mark the start of a broader altseason rotation. If Bitcoin consolidates while Ethereum ecosystem tokens continue to outperform, we may be witnessing a structural shift in capital flows within the crypto space.

• Ripple (XRP)rose 4.7% to $2.23, showing resilience despite legal uncertainty.
• Cardano (ADA)surged 8.1%, closing in on critical resistance.
• Dogecoin (DOGE)andSolana (SOL)gained over 8%, powered by social sentiment and network activity.