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GM! This is Milk Road, the crypto newsletter that's like that first Friday sip of your favorite drink—smooth, refreshing, and just what you need to toast the weekend.

Here’s what we got for you today:

CRYPTO EXPOSURE WITHOUT ACTUALLY BUYING CRYPTO ⛓️

Getting into crypto doesn’t always mean buying tokens like $BTC, $SOL or $ETH directly onchain (or even on centralized crypto exchanges). 🤔

Sometimes, it’s easier, cheaper, and even more strategic to gain exposure through traditional investment vehicles. 🚘

There’s a few reasons why:

So you know the why, now let’s get into the 5 ways to ride the blockchain wave without owning a single coin. 🪙

1/ Crypto ETFs (Obviously 😉)

If you’re looking to dip your toes into crypto, these funds offer exposure to digital assets without the hassle of managing a wallet. 👏

Spot/Leverage $BTC & $ETH ETFs: These funds directly track the price of Bitcoin or Ethereum, and some even offer leverage for those looking to amplify their bets. 

Think of it as buying Bitcoin or Ethereum, but without needing to worry about wallets or decentralized exchanges. 😅

Tech & Crypto ETFs (like $ARK, $BLOK, $BKCH, $BITQ): These funds mix crypto exposure with other cutting-edge tech stocks, offering a broader play on the future of this technology. 🖥️

2/ Coinbase

Investing in Coinbase gives you a stake in the broader crypto ecosystem. 💡

Coinbase isn’t just a trading platform—it’s a gateway to stablecoins, the Base blockchain, and a big chunk of crypto market activity. (Plus, they’re even an ETF custodian!) 🤫

And Coinbase’s stock has been COOKING:

If you’re thinking about picking up some $COIN make sure to check out this Report.

3/ Other fintech giants

Companies like Robinhood, PayPal, Block, Mercado Libre, and Nubank are embracing crypto tech in a big way. 

Investing in these fintech giants means you’re betting on the growth of crypto adoption within our existing financial system. 🏦

The nice thing about investing in the fintech giants is it's a more diversified bet. 

If something happens to crypto, these fintech companies still have an underlying business with millions of users and real revenues.

While they may drive crypto adoption and give you exposure to it, they don’t NEED crypto to still be a good investment. 💡

4/ MicroStrategy and MetaPlanet

These two public companies are heading up the “Bitcoin on the balance sheet” charge. 🐂

MicroStrategy is like the ultimate Bitcoin bull and holds billions in $BTC and Metaplanet is a Japanese blockchain consulting firm that has adopted a similar strategy.

Buying $MSTR is similar to leveraged $BTC. When $BTC goes up, $MSTR goes up higher, same for the other direction though so be careful. 😅

Check out this comparison:

5/ Bitcoin mining companies

Want to bet on the infrastructure behind Bitcoin? 

Bitcoin mining companies (like $RIOT, $MARA, and $HUT) are the backbone of the $BTC network. 

By investing in these companies, you’re betting on a combination of the performance of the mining company and the price of Bitcoin.

Bitcoin mining companies can also find additional revenue streams, like providing compute for Artificial Intelligence or heating homes. 

Similar to the Fintech giants, Bitcoin miners provide another diversified way to invest in crypto.

So…

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to get your slice of the crypto pie without ever buying a single token. 🥧

Sure, some options come with a bit more spice (aka risk)—betting on companies means you’re not just riding the $BTC or $ETH wave, you’re also banking on those companies’ success. 🏆

But depending on your situation, this might be the perfect way to dip your toes in the crypto waters or even beef up your portfolio. 🫡

WHAT'S REALLY DRIVING CRYPTO CYCLES? 🔄

In 2008, the financial crisis pushed governments worldwide to slash interest rates to zero and fire up the money printers.

Out of that chaos, Bitcoin was born—a rebellious answer to the system. 🙌 

Since then, liquidity has ruled the game and cracking its code is your key to staying ahead!

When central banks pump money, crypto tends to follow. The same is true on the reverse side.

This chart couldn’t make this anymore clear. ⬇️ 

But this isn’t the first time the world’s markets have been controlled by global liquidity—it happened in a big way once before (Hint hint: Post-WWII).

If you understand what happened with liquidity and markets after the war, you can start to understand what’s happening today. 🤯 

Luckily, Kyle Reidhead joined The Milk Road Show to dish out the juice on:

Tune in to uncover the cheat code to ride the wave to sweet, sweet gains. 👇

YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

ITS FUNDING FRIDAY 💰

Time for our weekly Crypto Cash Splash! 

Funding is the fuel that drives innovation in the crypto world. Without it, those game-changing projects would only be ideas. 💡

So first, let’s look at total funding for the week where we saw $93.9M raised by crypto companies, marking another week of decline.

Overall funding may be down, but there are still some smiling faces in crypto. Here’s who secured the bag this week!

1/ Andrena raised $18M

2/ Vessel raised $10M

3/ Cartridge raised $7.5M

Honorable mentions:

That’s it for this week, Roaders! Catch ya next Friday for more funding goodness. 👋

BITE-SIZED COOKIES FOR THE ROAD 🍪

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Pump.fun is now offering to pay users for launching successful meme coins on its platform. The update eliminates the initial fee, aiming to incentivize developers to create coins that reach a specific market cap, despite community concerns about exploitation.

Coinbase is opposing the CFTC’s broad definition of "gaming," arguing it could unnecessarily restrict innovation in prediction markets. The exchange also criticizes the CFTC’s cost-benefit analysis, suggesting it overlooks the benefits of event contracts.

RTR (Restore the Republic) token on Solana soared to $155M before crashing 95% after Eric Trump clarified no official Trump token exists. Early investors made $4M, underscoring the memecoin market's volatility and the rapid speculation surrounding Trump-themed assets.

OKX announced it will close accounts interacting with Tornado Cash, following increased use by hackers. The exchange clarified that anyone depositing or withdrawing through sanctioned entities will face account liquidation, with no exceptions.

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.