💥Altcoins Get Nasdaq Nod, BlackRock Breaks Records, Bitcoin Reacts to China and Iran

📆 Week of June 9, 2025

🛰️Hey Nebulites,

This week, the crypto market reminded us that Bitcoin doesn’t live in a vacuum — it lives in a world run by politicians, oil, and ETFs.

From Trump’s “China deal is done” to Iran fears spooking markets… to Nasdaq betting big on altcoins… and BlackRock flexing institutional muscle — the macro x crypto crossover is getting louder.

Let’s break down the 4 most important signals of the week — and what they mean for your portfolio 👇

📬 This Week’s Lineup

🪙 Chapter 1: Nasdaq Expands Its Crypto Index — XRP, SOL, ADA, XLM Join the Party 🇨🇳 Chapter 2: Trump Says US–China Trade Deal is “Done” — Bitcoin Cheers (for Now)
🛢️ Chapter 3: BTC Dips, Oil Rips: Middle East Tensions Trigger Risk-Off Sentiment
📈 Chapter 4: BlackRock’s IBIT Blows Past $70B — Fastest ETF Growth in History

💳 Chapter 5: Coinbase Launches Bitcoin Rewards Credit

🎁 CHECK OUT OUR REFERRAL PROGRAM (Details at the end👇)

📊 Chapter 1: Nasdaq Eyes XRP, SOL, ADA, and XLM for Crypto Index Expansion

Traditional finance is finally learning to speak altcoin.

On June 2, Nasdaq submitted a proposal to the SEC to expand its flagship Nasdaq Crypto Index — adding XRP, Solana, Cardano, and Stellar to its current BTC and ETH duo. If approved, this would open the door to real diversified exposure for institutions still too scared to open a Ledger wallet.

The decision is expected by November 2, and early market reaction is already visible — XRP popped to $2.22, Solana touched $150, and institutional eyebrows were reportedly raised.

💼 Why it matters

• Diversification: This would shift the index from "Bitcoin + Friends" to a real spread across use cases: payments (XRP, XLM), DeFi and NFTs (SOL), and academia-core decentralization (ADA).

• Regulatory Clarity: XRP’s inclusion is especially juicy — after a federal court declared it's not a security in April. Your move, Gary.

• ETF Upgrades: If approved, the Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF (NCIQ) could finally track the full index — not just BTC and ETH — solving its current tracking mismatch.

In short, it’s a milestone in the slow marriage between TradFi and Crypto. The same institutions that once mocked altcoins as "magic internet beans" may soon offer them in your retirement portfolio.

🧠 Nebular Take

This is bullish AF for altcoin legitimacy.

Institutional investors don’t ape into 100x memecoins — they buy indexes. So when Nasdaq says “yes” to XRP, SOL, ADA, and XLM, it’s a greenlight for long-term, regulated capital to enter the altcoin arena.

And if you're a crypto builder in any of these ecosystems? Congrats. Your code might finally be indexed by Wall Street suits.

🇨🇳 Chapter 2: BTC Rallies as Trump Says “Trade Deal with China Is Done” — Again

If we had a sat for every time Trump said a trade deal was “done”… we’d have outperformed BTC.

But this time, markets bought the story. On Wednesday, President Trump declared on Truth Social:

Details? America gets 55% tariffs, China gets 10%, and apparently everyone’s friends again. Cue a soft bounce in Bitcoin, which touched $110,300 before cooling off to $109,560.

🧭 Why it matters

The Trump–Xi handshake (or tweet-shake?) could mean smoother global trade flows — and less macro fear. Remember: when Trump announced reciprocal import tariffs in April, Bitcoin plummeted to ~$74K and the S&P 500 saw a historic $5T wipeout.

Now?
Markets are cautiously hopeful. Bitcoin’s grinding back up, and risk appetite is showing signs of life — even if equities are still side-eyeing Trump’s math.

🧠 Nebular Take

This “deal” might be 90% political theater and 10% economic substance, but perception is king. If Trump keeps the peace with China, we may see macro headwinds ease for crypto in the short term. Just don’t get too comfortable — trade war drama has a way of coming back like a boomerang with daddy issues.

🛢 Chapter 3: Middle East Tensions Rattle Markets, Bitcoin Sheds Gains

Just when markets started to breathe after Trump’s “deal is done” post with China…
Geopolitics said: hold my oil barrel.

On Thursday, the crypto market flipped risk-off after U.S./Israel–Iran tensions escalated, sending oil prices surging over 4% and dragging Bitcoin down from its $110K highs to ~$102.6K.

The trigger? A sudden U.S. Embassy evacuation in Baghdad, bombing between Israel and Iran plus Trump saying he’s “much less confident” in securing a nuclear deal with Iran. Oh — and he casually hinted that “something happened to them” without elaborating. Classic.

💥 Oil up, Bitcoin down

• Brent crude jumped to $69.99/barrel (+4.3%)

• WTI crude soared to $72.37/barrel (+6.45%)

• BTC dropped to a low of $102,650, finding temporary support at the 20-day EMA (~$106.3K)

It’s textbook rotation: in moments of geopolitical panic, investors ditch risk and flee to “safe” plays like oil… leaving crypto and equities behind like an old laptop charger.

🧠 Nebular Take

This is a reminder that while crypto may be the future, it's still chained to the macro headlines of today. BTC is trying to reclaim momentum post-China optimism, but global conflict — especially when it involves oil and nukes — tends to override bullish narratives.

Also: Trump playing 5D chess with foreign policy is not great for market stability. Especially when he says one thing to China and another to Iran… in the same week.

🏆 Chapter 4: BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Just Went God Mode

BlackRock’s IBIT just became the fastest ETF ever to hit $70 billion in assets under management — and it did it in 341 days.

For context: SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) — the previous record holder — took 1,691 days to reach that level.

In other words: BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF is speedrunning TradFi adoption.
At this pace, it could surpass Satoshi Nakamoto’s estimated holdings of 1.1 million BTC by the end of next summer, according to Bloomberg ETF wizard Eric Balchunas.

💼 Why this matters

• IBIT now holds 661,457 BTC — worth $71.9B — making it the largest institutional holder of Bitcoin. Yes, even bigger than Binance and Saylor.

• The ETF has seen $48.7B in net inflows since launch in January 2024. That’s more than all 10 other spot Bitcoin ETFs… combined.

• IBIT isn’t just big — it’s award-winning. It recently bagged Best New ETF and Crypto ETP of the Year. Put some respect on its ticker.

Sure, it had its first major daily outflow on May 30 ($430M), but that’s like Ronaldo not scoring for one game — no one’s panicking.

🧠 Nebular Take

This is a masterclass in credibility signaling.

When the world’s largest asset manager gobbles up BTC faster than Satoshi mined it, institutional FOMO turns into policy shifts, pension allocations, and big fat liquidity.

While Bitcoin maxis cry about “Wall Street ruining the revolution,” we say: let them in — just not all at once.
Mass adoption always comes wearing a suit and tie first. Then your cousin in sweatpants follows.

💳 Chapter 5: Coinbase Launches Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card with Up to 4% Back

Coinbase just dropped a bombshell for U.S. users: a Bitcoin rewards credit card in partnership with American Express, offering up to 4% BTC back on everyday purchases.

Yup — swipe for groceries, stack sats. It’s called the Coinbase One Card, and it's exclusive to Coinbase One subscribers (a $29.99/month membership). Depending on your usage tier, you’ll earn 2% to 4% in Bitcoin, plus access to AmEx-style perks like travel benefits and purchase protection.

This isn’t Coinbase’s first card — they launched a Visa debit card in 2020 — but this is their first full-featured credit product backed by a major legacy brand.

🧠 Nebular Take

Coinbase is playing the long game by blending TradFi perks with crypto-native incentives — and anchoring it all around Bitcoin. Their pivot toward subscription revenue (nearly $700M in Q1 2025) is building sticky user loyalty in a bear-ish, ETF-driven market.

Oh, and they’re not just selling cards:
They’re funding Bitcoin development, advocating in D.C., offering custody to institutions, and building infra like Base — all while giving normies an easy way to passively stack BTC.

💡 Tip of the Week: “Follow the Flows” — Rotation Season 101

Altcoin seasons don’t start with meme coins — they start with ETH flipping BTC in strength, then capital flows to large caps like SOL, AVAX, and XRP, followed by mid-caps and finally meme coins.

Right now, ETH/BTC is stabilizing. If it starts climbing, watch for rotation into large caps.
👉 Don’t chase pumps. Ride the flow.

🤡Memes of the week:

✅ Wrap-Up

This week had everything: trade deal hype, geopolitical jitters, ETF domination, altcoin legitimacy — and now, a credit card that turns your UberEats into Bitcoin.

To recap:

• Trump’s “China deal is done” gave BTC a temporary boost and eased macro anxiety — but the ink’s not dry yet.

• Middle East tensions reminded everyone that Bitcoin isn’t always a safe haven — especially when oil’s spiking and embassies evacuate.

• Nasdaq said “welcome aboard” to XRP, SOL, ADA, and XLM — a signal that altcoins are entering their TradFi era.

• BlackRock flexed hard with IBIT breaking $70B AUM — faster than any ETF in history.

• And Coinbase went full TradFi with an AmEx-powered credit card that gives up to 4% back in Bitcoin.

We're witnessing the convergence of old-world finance and crypto — and it’s no longer a fringe experiment. It’s happening, fast.

See you next week. Stay sharp.

– Daniel
Founder, Nebular

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.