- Bitcoin rose by 1.81% and led markets as ETFs recorded a $254.91M inflow, with BlackRock holding over 627K BTC.
- Small-cap tokens like CKP and ChillHouseSOL saw gains over 80%, driven by leverage, hype, and a rising Fear and Greed Index.
- Ethereum ETFs added $68.66M, suggesting strong institutional demand despite high liquidations and cautious retail sentiment.
Crypto markets had moderate upside on Thursday as Bitcoin had a 1.81% daily increase, maintaining dominance over Ethereum’s 1.36% gain. According to CryptoRank, the global market cap reached $3.49 trillion, while 24-hour liquidations surged to $414.53 million.
The Fear and Greed Index is at 71. The top gainers during the session were XCN, ETHFI, and KCS, while WIF, STRK, and AXS posted the steepest losses. Small cap tokens posted sharper movements.
Cakepie (CKP) led with a 124% jump, followed by ChillHouseSOL with an 82.8% surge and Petunia rising by 79.7%. Other notable moves included DOGE up by 73.7% and Alright Buddy increasing by 51%. These gains came amid rising liquidations, showing strong leverage across volatile assets.
Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs Record Strong Inflows
Institutional appetite for digital assets is firm. As per the May 15th update by Lookonchain, Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net inflow of 2,494 BTC worth $254.91 million on May 15. BlackRock’s iShares accounted for 2,250 BTC, increasing its total holdings to 627,986 BTC, valued at $64.19 billion.
Ethereum ETFs also attracted investor funds. Net inflows reached 27,202 ETH, worth $68.66 million. Again, BlackRock led with 22,097 ETH added, bringing its total to 1,281,114 ETH, valued at $3.23 billion. This continued accumulation shows a trend of institutional support, despite retail sentiment remaining cautious.
Social Hype Drives Volatility Across Trending Tokens
Santiment noted rising discussion around several trending tokens. Solana (SOL) gained attention due to institutional partnerships and long-term forecasts. Nexpace (NXPC) saw rising interest after listings on KuCoin, Binance, and CoinEx. Promotional efforts such as airdrops and competitions supported volume spikes.
Launchcoin surged over 5,500%, reaching a $360 million market cap. The Believe platform helped drive growth with decentralized token launch mechanics. Chainlink (LINK) also gained momentum following real world integrations through JPMorgan and SWIFT, indicating increased adoption in the financial sector.
Tether (USDT) remains a key asset in trading activity, appearing frequently in high volume transactions. Meanwhile, FTX Token (FTT) became active again ahead of the May 30 creditor distribution worth $5 billion. This upcoming event is expected to affect liquidity across Bitcoin and other tokens linked to the FTX estate.
