4 Signs Bullish Sentiment Is Quietly Building

Dear Subscriber,

Crypto markets are stirring with fresh optimism.

Even as Bitcoin (BTC, “A-”) and Ethereum (ETH, “A-”) continue to trade sideways, the broader sentiment turned decisively bullish last week.

This shift followed a key geopolitical development: U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

The news that geopolitical tension could wind down nudged risk-on assets upward.

But this is more than a temporary move up based on headlines.

I see four signs that show strong bullish sentiment has begun to build ahead of the next breakout.

1. On-Chain Whales Quietly Accumulate More Crypto

BTC and ETH may not be ready to break out just yet. But the smart money is clearly getting into position now.

Bitcoin long-term holders — entities holding BTC for at least six months — accumulated a record 800,000 BTC in June on a rolling 30-day basis.

This is only the seventh time in history that 30-day accumulation has crossed the 750,000 BTC mark.

This strong accumulation amid sideways price action signals a deep-seated "HODL" conviction among whales and long-term investors.

And that is often a precursor to major price moves.

2. ETF Flows Confirm Growing Institutional Interest

Crypto whales aren’t the only ones accumulating. Institutional capital is also flowing into crypto at pace.

Last week, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $2.2 billion in net inflows.

That’s up from $1.3 billion the previous week, marking 14 straight days of positive flows.

The Ethereum ETFs weren’t left out, either. They pulled in $284 million — a 7x increase over the prior week’s $38 million!

These flows suggest that institutional investors are using the current consolidation phase to accumulate strategically.

3. Adoption and Innovation Accelerate

While price action on blue-chip cryptos remains muted, the industry is far from idle …

4. Select Coins Rally Ahead of the Blue-Chips

Even as BTC and ETH consolidate, some altcoins and memecoins are showing explosive strength.

On the memecoin front, Useless Coin (USELESS, “E-”) — a cheeky Solana (SOL, “B”)-based token — has defied logic with a 1,600% monthly gain and 160% in the past two weeks.

Its ironic branding may be its greatest strength in a meme-driven market.

Meanwhile, among newer coins, Humanity (H, Not Yet Rated) stands out as its up 70% today.

Built on Polygon (POL, “D-”) tech, it introduces a unique Proof-of-Humanity protocol. This uses palm recognition and zero-knowledge proofs to fight Sybil attacks while preserving privacy.

Macro Outlook: Sticky Inflation, Steady Fed

On the macro side, the U.S. core PCE Price Index — a key inflation gauge — rose 0.2% month-over-month and 2.7% year-over-year.

That’s slightly higher than expectations. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled a continued hold on rate cuts, pending further clarity on the impact of tariffs.

With only an 18% chance of a July rate cut, stable interest rates might keep crypto in a holding pattern for now.

That said, they could also reduce downside volatility.

For crypto, this means continued accumulation without major macro headwinds.

The Bottom Line

Serious momentum is building beneath the surface of the crypto market.

While Bitcoin and Ethereum continue to trade in their respective ranges, the environment is anything but quiet.

Long-term accumulation, select altcoin rallies, institutional flows and real-world adoption are all building pressure in the system.

Whether you're trading the chop or building for the next breakout, it's clear …

Bullish sentiment is back … even if the charts haven’t caught up yet.

Now is the time to prepare for when they do.

Best,

Marija Matić