Crypto Market Booms with Bitcoin Near $96K, $2.44B ETF Inflows & Tokenization Advances - May 4, 2026

Key points

• •Bitcoin is showing strong institutional demand as price approaches $96,000 with institutions absorbing 500% of daily supply, a pattern historically followed by around 24% price gains within a month. Recently, Bitcoin surged past $80,000 triggering $150 million in short liquidations within an hour amid leveraged positioning, albeit with some spot market demand weakening. Additionally, significant corporate treasury accumulation continues with Strive holding over 15,000 BTC following a $33.9 million purchase and whale wallets acquiring 270,000 BTC over a month, illustrating growing confidence in Bitcoin's long-term value.[Cointelegraph][Blockonomi][Blockonomi][Blockonomi]
• •Ethereum markets are showing renewed strength as holders return to profit with prices eyeing the $3,000 resistance level. Bitmine made a major accumulation move by purchasing 101,745 ETH worth $238 million, bringing its total holdings to 5.18 million ETH (about 4.29% of circulating supply), and managing assets worth $13.1 billion. This institutional scale accumulation signals robust demand amid talks of scaling upgrades that could boost Ethereum network capacity by 300%, potentially impacting price.[Cointelegraph][Blockonomi][NewsBTC]
• •The regulatory landscape advances with FINRA approving Securitize as the first firm authorized to custody tokenized securities and underwrite onchain IPOs and secondary offerings, a significant step legitimizing digital securities markets. Meanwhile, Ripple is strengthening ties with leading tradfi institutions like BlackRock, Bank of America, and DTCC through its Ripple Prime initiative, aiming to build tokenization post-trade infrastructure bridging DeFi and traditional finance.[The Block][U.Today]
• •Bitcoin ETFs have shown a substantial resurgence with $2.44 billion inflows reported in April, nearly doubling March’s figures and raising total ETF assets above $102 billion. Weekly inflows of $163 million to Bitcoin ETFs reversed initial weakness, while ETH and altcoin funds remain more cautious. This ETF demand surge coincides with growing institutional appetite and market liquidity, highlighting ETFs’ pivotal role in Bitcoin’s ongoing adoption.[Bitcoin News][Blockonomi]
• •Kraken’s parent company Payward expanded its market scope by acquiring Bitnomial and securing full U.S. derivatives licenses including FCM, DCM, and DCO, enabling it to offer spot margin trading. This strategic move positions Kraken stronger in the regulated U.S. derivatives market and broadens its product offerings amid rising demand for institutional crypto trading services.[Blockonomi]

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