Gate Daily: Trump plans to allow retirement markets to invest in Crypto Assets; BlackRock applies for ETH stake; 200,000 Bitcoins reserves in the US do not exist.

Bitcoin (BTC) has rebounded, currently reporting at 119,610 USD in the Asian early session today (18). US President Trump plans to allow the US 401k retirement market to invest in Crypto Assets, while BlackRock has applied for Ether (ETH) staking, providing bullish support for buying interest. The 200,000 BTC reserves in the US do not exist, with reporters confirming that the total amount of Bitcoin held by the US government is only 28,988 coins.

Today's Outlook

1. Japan's nationwide consumer price index (year-on-year) for June was 3.5% previously.

2. Germany's Producer Price Index (monthly) for June, previous value was -0.2%.

3. US June Housing Starts (Annualized Monthly Rate), Previous Value: -9.8%

4. The preliminary value of the University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Index for the United States in July is 60.7.

5. South Africa hosted the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting until July 18.

Macroeconomic Events & Cryptocurrency Hotspots

1. According to the UK Financial Times, US President Trump is preparing to sign an executive order allowing 401k retirement plans to invest in a variety of alternative assets including encryption, gold, and private equity. This initiative will drive significant changes in the US $9 trillion retirement market. The executive order will instruct regulatory agencies to explore removing related barriers, providing 401k investors with a more diversified asset selection. The Trump administration had previously relaxed restrictions on investing encryption in retirement accounts and actively promoted related legislation.

2. The document shows that BlackRock has submitted an application to regulators, planning to add a staking feature to its Ethereum ETF. The Nasdaq Stock Exchange has submitted a proposed rule change to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, numbered SR-NASDAQ-2025-053. This change allows the iShares Ethereum Trust, sponsored by a BlackRock subsidiary, to stake some or all of its Ethereum assets.

3. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) appears to hold nearly 29,000 Bitcoins, far less than the over 200,000 BTC that many believe the government is safeguarding. Independent crypto journalist L0la L33tz confirmed the latest figures on July 16 based on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, stating that as of March 2025, the total amount of Bitcoins held by the government is 28,988 BTC. At current prices, these Bitcoins are worth approximately $3.4 billion. This starkly contrasts with the $23.5 billion estimated by blockchain analytics platforms like Arkham Intelligence. This discrepancy has sparked speculation throughout the crypto space, with some observers questioning whether the U.S. has been quietly selling off its Bitcoins.

Market Trend

1. $BTC has rebounded back, currently reported at around $119,610, with $17.77 million liquidated in the past 24 hours, mainly from short positions;

2. The S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq index in the US stock market hit new closing highs again, marking the ninth and tenth times respectively this year that they have rewritten their closing historical records, also both setting new intraday historical highs. The Dow rose by 229.71 points or 0.52%, closing at 44,484.49 points. The S&P 500 rose by 33.66 points or 0.54%, closing at 6,297.36 points. The Nasdaq rose by 155.16 points or 0.75%, closing at 20,885.65 points. The Philadelphia Semiconductor index rose by 41.43 points or 0.73%, closing at 5,737.64 points;

3. In the Gate BTC/USDT liquidation map, based on the current 119,117.90 USDT, if it drops to around 118,090 USD, the cumulative long liquidation amount will exceed 141 million USD; if it rises to around 120,825 USD, the cumulative short liquidation amount will exceed 141 million USD. The liquidation amount for shorts is basically on par with that for longs, so it is recommended to reasonably control the leverage ratio to avoid triggering large-scale liquidations during market fluctuations.

(Source: Gate)

4. In the past 24 hours, BTC spot inflow was 2.46 billion USD, outflow was 2.45 billion USD, with a net inflow of 0.01 billion USD.

(Source: Coinglass)

5. In the past 24 hours, contracts such as $ETH, $XRP, $SOL, $DOGE, and $SUI have seen net outflows leading to trading opportunities.

(Source: Coinglass)

News Update

1. SharpLink Gaming announced the issuance of $5 billion in stock and the advancement of its Ethereum reserve strategy, increasing its holdings by 18,712 ETH, worth $65.45 million.

2. Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen transferred millions of XRP to CEX, and XRP reached a new historical high.

3. The White House plans to hold a signing ceremony for the "GENIUS Act" (President Trump) at 2 AM on the 19th.

4. The artificial intelligence startup Perplexity sees its valuation soar to 18 billion USD.

5. A Bitcoin whale from the "Satoshi Nakamoto era" has deposited the final 40,192 BTC into a trading platform, worth approximately 4.83 billion dollars.

6. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed three cryptocurrency bills in full.

7. BlackRock has submitted an application to regulators and plans to include a staking feature in its Ethereum ETF.

8. Trump plans to open up the U.S. pension market for investment in Crypto Assets and alternative assets.

9. The blockchain-based travel platform Blockskye has completed a $15.8 million Series C financing, led by Blockchange.

10. OpenAI released the ChatGPT intelligent entity, capable of autonomously executing complex tasks.

X KOL Selected Insights

Phyrex Ni (@Phyrex_Ni): "Today's retail data shows strong performance, indicating that the U.S. economy remains resilient, with no signs of a slowdown after the dehydration in the short term. Although Trump did not continue to pressure the Federal Reserve today, comments from San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly suggest that there is still a cautious attitude within the Fed regarding premature rate cuts. BlackRock and Nasdaq have officially submitted a staking application for an ETH spot ETF, and the market expects it to be approved ahead of schedule in Q4 this year, causing ETH to approach $3,500. Although the Bitcoin turnover rate has slightly decreased, the overall level remains high, with the main participants exiting concentrated among short-term investors whose holding costs exceed $100,000, indicating strong speculative sentiment. The current key support levels are $103,500–$108,500 and $93,500–$98,500. Unless there is a systemic risk, these two ranges still possess good support."