NewsCryptoBitcoin Hits Five-Week High on Consecutive ETF Inflows; Chainlink and Cardano Post Gains Amid Mixed Market Signals

Bitcoin Hits Five-Week High on Consecutive ETF Inflows; Chainlink and Cardano Post Gains Amid Mixed Market Signals

Author: BlockchainReporter·

Key Takeaways

  • •Bitcoin surpassed $66,500 to hit a five-week high as spot ETFs posted two consecutive weeks of positive inflows for the first time since May 2024.
  • •Chainlink rallied approximately 10% to $8.60 after Robinhood Chain went live using LINK as its designated oracle infrastructure provider.
  • •Cardano climbed 7% to $0.175 despite a Wanchain bridge exploit that drained $13 million in NIGHT tokens, with upcoming catalysts including the Midnight privacy layer and Ironwood hard fork on July 28.
  • •On-chain data identified large wallet clusters directing capital into Pepeto, a presale-stage token that has raised $10.46 million and operates a zero-cost cross-chain trading platform across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana.
  • •Institutional capital continued flowing into Bitcoin ETFs even as the Fear and Greed Index remained below 30, reflecting cautious broader retail sentiment.
Bitcoin Hits Five-Week High on Consecutive ETF Inflows; Chainlink and Cardano Post Gains Amid Mixed Market Signals

Bitcoin touched a five-week high above $66,500 as spot ETFs recorded their second consecutive week of positive inflows for the first time since May, according to data from SoSoValue. The inflows arrived while the Fear and Greed Index remained below 30, signaling that institutional capital continues to accumulate even as broader retail sentiment stays cautious. Spot Bitcoin ETFs, approved by the U.S. SEC in January 2024, hold BTC directly and are widely tracked as a gauge of institutional demand; back-to-back weekly inflows mark a notable shift after months of uneven flows.

Several large-cap cryptocurrencies posted notable moves during the same period. Chainlink (LINK) surged approximately 10% following the launch of Robinhood Chain, which selected Chainlink as its official oracle infrastructure. Oracles supply real-world data to smart contracts and are considered foundational to decentralized finance, where Chainlink is among the most widely adopted providers. The integration drove buyer dominance to 74.6% on Kraken and pushed LINK to $8.60, as reported by CoinDesk. Cardano (ADA) climbed 7% on the day despite a Wanchain bridge exploit that drained $13 million in NIGHT tokens, an incident category that has recurrently affected cross-chain infrastructure across the crypto sector.

Meanwhile, on-chain trackers identified unusual wallet activity pointing toward presale-stage project Pepeto, which has raised $10.46 million to date.

Chainlink Rallies on Robinhood Chain Integration

Chainlink's price appreciation coincided with Robinhood Chain going live with LINK as its designated oracle provider. According to CoinMarketCap, LINK traded at $8.60, sitting approximately 84% below its all-time high of $52.70 reached in May 2021.

The Robinhood Chain deployment, alongside Chainlink's involvement in DTCC collateral management initiatives, reflects growing institutional adoption of the oracle network. The DTCC, which provides clearing, settlement, and information services for the majority of U.S. securities transactions, has been exploring blockchain-based settlement workflows, positioning Chainlink's participation as a bridge between traditional finance infrastructure and on-chain data services. Analysts cited $10 as a near-term price target, representing roughly 17% upside from current levels.

Cardano Gains Despite Wanchain Bridge Exploit

Cardano traded at $0.175 after gaining 7%, recovering even as a Wanchain bridge hack resulted in the loss of $13 million worth of NIGHT tokens. Per CoinMarketCap data, ADA remains approximately 94% below its all-time high of $3.10 from September 2021.

Cardano has upcoming technical milestones, including the Midnight privacy layer and the Ironwood hard fork scheduled for July 28, which the project's community views as potential catalysts. Cardano's roadmap has historically followed a peer-reviewed research methodology for protocol upgrades, an approach supporters credit for rigorous security design.

Pepeto Presale Draws Wallet Accumulation

On-chain data flagged large wallet clusters directing capital into Pepeto, a presale-stage token currently priced at $0.0000001884. The project reports having raised $10.46 million as of the latest update.

Pepeto operates PepetoSwap, a zero-cost trading platform spanning Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana, with a cross-chain bridge that transfers balances across all three networks without gas fees. The platform includes a screening system designed to detect rug pulls, honeypot traps, and unauthorized minting. Security audits have been conducted by SolidProof and Coinsult.

The project's team includes a former Binance executive and a contributor associated with the original Pepe token, which reached a market capitalization of approximately $11 billion. Pepeto offers a staking program with a stated 168% annual percentage yield, compounding daily. Presale-stage tokens offering multi-digit staking yields remain a niche segment of the crypto market where participants monitor early-stage capital flows closely.

Market Context

The convergence of Bitcoin's five-week price high, back-to-back weekly ETF inflows, and gains in major altcoins such as Chainlink and Cardano comes at a time when the Fear and Greed Index remains in territory typically associated with investor caution. Chainlink's role as oracle infrastructure for Robinhood Chain and Cardano's resilience following the Wanchain bridge incident highlight ongoing development across both networks.

Large-cap cryptocurrencies continue their recovery trajectories driven by identifiable catalysts, while presale-stage projects like Pepeto attract attention from wallet trackers monitoring early-stage capital flows. The broader market is watching whether institutional inflows via ETFs will sustain into the coming weeks.