Trump-Backed WLFI Token Surges as Senate Shutdown Breakthrough Revives Crypto Markets
Crypto surges as U.S. Senate moves to end 40-day shutdown, reviving ETF hopes and institutional buying.
A sudden surge in crypto markets followed the U.S. Senate’s weekend agreement to end the country’s 40-day government shutdown, with investors rushing back into risk assets after weeks of paralyzed economic activity.
The Trump-backed World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token jumped 28 percent in 24 hours, while Starknet’s STRK led the day with a 43 percent rally. The moves reflected a renewed wave of institutional accumulation, particularly around Ethereum, as traders interpreted the deal as a sign of policy normalization.
For over a month, Washington’s political deadlock froze key regulatory and economic functions — including the release of official data and reviews of major financial applications. “Markets have been flying blind, pricing speculation rather than fundamentals,” said Nicolai Sondergaard, a research analyst at Nansen. The Senate’s procedural vote on Sunday marked the first concrete step toward reopening federal operations, with the final vote expected Monday.
Data from CryptoQuant shows that institutional investors resumed steady Ethereum accumulation immediately after the Senate announcement. Average spot order sizes have risen sharply, suggesting that ETH may enter a stable accumulation phase if prices hold between $3,000 and $3,400. Analysts describe this as a “quiet build-up period” that could precede a larger market rotation once policy clarity returns.
Yet the broader sustainability of the rally hinges on renewed inflows into Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds, according to Nomura’s Laser Digital derivatives desk. Analysts there argue that ETF volume will determine whether this momentum reflects real institutional demand or merely a short-term relief bounce.
ETF specialist Nate Geraci called the shutdown’s resolution “the catalyst for opening the crypto ETF floodgates.” Writing on X, he suggested that this regulatory thaw could allow the first-ever spot XRP ETF to be introduced under the Securities Act of 1933 — a milestone that would expand altcoin investment access beyond the current Bitcoin and Ether products.
If approved, the proposed 21Shares XRP fund would become the fourth altcoin exchange-traded product launched under the 1933 Act. Earlier Bitcoin and Ether ETFs were approved under the 1934 Act, which requires exchange-level oversight. The difference, experts say, could enable faster listings and greater product variety.
Sixteen pending crypto ETF applications have been stalled during the shutdown, creating pent-up anticipation among institutional traders. The resumption of regulatory review this week could rapidly unlock several of these products, introducing new liquidity channels to an asset class already showing signs of revival.
After forty days of fiscal and political gridlock, markets are finally breathing again — and crypto, it seems, is exhaling the loudest.
