Weekly Recap | Bitcoin Breaks Above $80K, ETF Inflows Surge, Echobit’s August Campaigns Heat Up
2026.08.31
Weekly Recap｜August 24 – August 30
Last week, the crypto market extended its previous rebound, but volatility increased in the second half of the week as expectations around Federal Reserve policy shifted. Bitcoin (BTC) briefly broke above $81,000 before retreating toward $78,000.
At the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh struck a hawkish tone, indicating that the Fed could still consider raising interest rates if inflation fails to show further improvement. Expectations for a September rate cut consequently weakened, while a stronger U.S. dollar and higher Treasury yields put some pressure on risk assets.
This week, the crypto market is expected to enter a period of high-level consolidation, with macroeconomic data and Federal Reserve policy expectations remaining the key drivers. Market participants will closely monitor U.S. employment and inflation data, as well as the dollar, Treasury yields, and ETF flows. If economic data comes in weaker than expected and the dollar and yields retreat, BTC could regain upward momentum. However, persistent inflation and growing expectations of prolonged high rates or further tightening could increase short-term downside pressure.
Overall, the bullish foundation remains intact, but macro uncertainty has increased significantly compared with last week.
This article takes a quick look back at the key developments in the crypto industry over the past week and previews the major trends and events to watch in the week ahead.
Market Pulse
- Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded several consecutive days of net inflows, with approximately $924 million in cumulative weekly inflows.
- Ethereum spot ETFs maintained strong momentum, recording approximately $824 million in weekly net inflows.
- Bitcoin briefly broke above $80,000, triggering a rapid shift toward bullish market sentiment.
- BlackRock-related ETF wallets continued accumulating, purchasing approximately 3,620 BTC and 12,500 ETH over a 10-hour period.
- DeFi lending volume rose to approximately $26 billion, up nearly 30% from June.
- Crypto projects have conducted approximately $638 million in token buybacks this year, with Hyperliquid and pump.fun accounting for nearly 90% of the total.
Funding & M&A
The crypto industry recorded 9 funding and M&A deals last week, with total funding exceeding $210 million, primarily concentrated in infrastructure and DeFi:
- On-chain private equity trading platform Entropy.io raised $14 million, led by Ribbit Capital.
- Clearing and custody firm RQD Clearing raised $74 million, led by Bain Capital.
- Stablecoin-focused digital bank Fasset raised $68 million in a round led by Japan’s SBI Group.
- Capital B raised €21 million and plans to increase its Bitcoin holdings by 270 BTC.
- YZi Labs announced 24 early-stage projects selected for Season 4 of EASY Residency, with each project receiving a $500,000 investment.
Policy & Compliance
- The U.S. CLARITY Act remains subject to uncertainty, with the Senate scheduled to vote on the bill on September 15.
- The U.S. OCC and FDIC finalized new rules requiring regulators to provide substantive evidence of risk when determining that a bank has engaged in “unsafe or unsound” practices.
- An ECB Executive Board member called for central bank money to be brought onto blockchain networks.
- South Korea’s Mirae Asset plans to build a digital asset business with an estimated scale of approximately $109 billion.
Echobit Highlights
- Echobit August Futures Trading Competition continues to drive trading activity and user engagement.
- Echobit August Carnival continues, bringing users more trading incentives and rewards.
- Echobit Autumn Carnival Rewards continues to offer community users a range of benefits and interactive experiences.
- Echobit New User Exclusive Rewards officially launched.
- Echobit August Prediction King continues, introducing a competitive market prediction experience.
- Echobit Altcoin Index Prediction Challenge continues to invite users to predict market trends.
- Echobit Guess The Word launched as a fun community challenge.
- Echobit The Moment Bitcoin Mooned Story launched a community storytelling campaign.
- Echobit Token Emoji Challenge continues to bring fun guessing activities to the community.
- Echobit Pure Purple Challenge officially launched, combining Echobit’s brand identity with creative community engagement.
- Echobit BTC $80,000 Celebration launched with exclusive interactive rewards inspired by the latest market milestone.
- Echobit BTC Monthly Closing Price Prediction invites users to predict Bitcoin’s monthly closing price.
- Echobit Chat & Win launched a community interaction campaign with opportunities to win rewards.
- Echobit August Activity Feedback Campaign launched to collect user feedback and improve the community experience.
- Echobit BTC Uptrend Emoji Challenge launched to encourage fun and interactive community participation.
- Echobit Community Promotion Campaigns continue to expand Echobit’s social media reach and brand presence.
- Echobit Find The Hidden Trading Words launched as a trading-themed puzzle challenge.
Next Week Preview｜August 31 – September 6
- South Africa’s tax authority released a crypto asset tax guide, with public comments closing on August 31.
- Revolut will delist USDT on August 31, citing regulatory and risk-compliance considerations.
- The G20 Technology Ministers’ Meeting will take place from September 1–2.
- Vietnam’s new crypto asset penalty regulations will take effect on September 1, with fines of up to VND 200 million.
- The Governor of the Bank of Russia said the digital ruble will launch on September 1.
- The TON bridge-v3 cross-chain bridge is scheduled to shut down permanently on September 1.
- Deribit plans to remove its public Proof of Reserves page on September 1.
- The Federal Reserve will release its latest Beige Book.
- The U.S. will release August unemployment and nonfarm payroll data on September 4.
- Pakistan has opened crypto license registration, requiring domestic virtual asset service providers to submit applications by September 5.
Echobit will continue tracking global crypto developments, focusing on market movements, regulatory trends, and funding opportunities—helping you navigate every market cycle and stay ahead.