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Leverage Reconfigures in Q1: DeFi Recovers, CeFi Quietly Expands, Treasury Debt Mounts

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Leverage across the crypto economy is evolving, not evaporating.

Total crypto-collateralized lending fell 4.9% quarter-over-quarter to $39.07 billion, the first decline since late 2023, Galaxy Research’s Q1 2025 report shows. But while the headline figure contracted, underlying dynamics suggest leverage is shifting form, not fading.

Lending in decentralized finance (DeFi) lending took a hit early in the quarter, sliding as much as 21%, before rebounding sharply in April and May. The turnaround was driven largely by Aave’s integration of Pendle tokens, whose yield-bearing structure and high loan-to-value ratios (up to 90%) sparked a wave of fresh borrowing. By late May, DeFi borrowing had surged more than 30% off the lows, with Ethereum leading the recovery.

Centralized finance (CeFi) lending climbed 9.24% to $13.51 billion, led by Tether, Ledn, and Two Prime. Still, Galaxy notes that a narrow set of public disclosures limits visibility into the true scope of centralized lending. Private desks, OTC platforms, and offshore credit providers likely push the actual total far higher. perhaps by 50% or more.

Meanwhile, bitcoin BTC treasury companies are quietly becoming a new systemic leverage node. Firms like Strategy (MSTR) have issued billions in convertible debt to fund BTC purchases. As of May, total outstanding debt across treasury firms stood at $12.7 billion, much of it set to mature between 2027 and 2028.

In derivatives, CME’s rising open interest especially in ether ETH futures signals accelerating institutional participation. At the same time, upstart exchange Hyperliquid has carved out a growing share of the perpetual futures market, underscoring the continued strength of retail-driven leverage.

The report points to an increasingly interconnected market structure, one where stress in a single venue or instrument could reverberate quickly across the ecosystem. Leverage, in crypto’s current cycle, may be more fragmented than before — but it’s no less potent.

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Bitcoin Holds Above $105K Despite Donald Trump’s Threats Against Elon Musk

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Bitcoin BTC held firm above $105,000 on Saturday despite an unusually combative and personal escalation in the Trump-Musk feud that could rattle traditional markets next week.

On Saturday, in a phone interview with NBC News, President Trump warned that there would be “serious consequences” if Elon Musk financially backed Democratic candidates running against Republicans who support the GOP’s budget bill. “If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that,” Trump said, adding later, “He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that.”

Trump, who has often boasted of past support from Musk, firmly dismissed the idea of mending ties. “No,” he said when asked whether he wished to repair the relationship. “I would assume so, yeah,” he added when asked if the rift was permanent.

Despite the intensifying feud between two of the most influential figures in U.S. politics and technology, Bitcoin remained unfazed. The cryptocurrency held onto earlier gains and continues to trade near weekly highs. The market’s composure suggests that traders may increasingly view BTC as a hedge against institutional dysfunction, or at least as an asset insulated from the partisan fallout that tends to impact equities more directly.

Technical Analysis Highlights

  • BTC traded in a 24-hour range of $1,162 (1.13%), from a low of $104,624 to a high of $105,786, according to CoinDesk Research’s technical analysis model.
  • Strong support formed at $104,800, where above-average volume confirmed buyer interest.
  • Resistance at $105,200 was broken and has since flipped into a short-term support zone.
  • Volume peaked at 378 BTC during key breakout moments, especially around 13:43–13:46 and 13:53.
  • A short consolidation occurred between $104,300–$104,600 before the final surge to near highs.
  • An ascending price channel remains intact, showing bullish structure despite intermittent pullbacks.

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.

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Ether Holds Steady Above $2,500 as ETF Demand Signals Institutional Confidence

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Ether ETH has rebounded firmly from key support near $2,460, recovering losses and stabilizing above the $2,500 threshold amid broader market volatility.

The rally follows a higher low formation backed by above-average volume, signaling growing market confidence.

Institutional participation appears to be reinforcing the trend, with BlackRock’s ETHA ETF reporting $492 million in net inflows last week.

Total holdings now exceed $4.84 billion, reinforcing long-term bullish sentiment even as price action remains sensitive to geopolitical developments.

Traders are watching to see if ETH can challenge resistance in the $2,520–$2,530 range.

Technical Analysis Highlights

  • ETH traded within a $72 range over 24 hours, from a low of $2,460.35 to a high of $2,532.41.
  • A key support zone formed at $2,460–$2,470, where ETH bounced on strong volume during midnight hours.
  • Final hour surge reached $2,515.11, backed by 5,919 ETH in volume.
  • Higher low structure established with interim support at $2,485 and resistance at $2,503.
  • Final retracement held support at $2,507, with price consolidating around $2,510 into the close.

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.

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Coinbase, BiT Global End Legal Fight Over WBTC Delisting

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Coinbase and BiT Global have reached a legal settlement that ended their dispute over the delisting of BiT Global’s wrapped bitcoin (wBTC) token on Coinbase.

According to a joint court filing, BiT Global has agreed to dismiss its lawsuit against the crypto exchange with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be brought again in the future. The filing notes that both companies will cover their own legal expenses.

BiT Global had filed the lawsuit last year in the Northern District of California after Coinbase delisted the token over what it said was “unacceptable risk” that the tokenized BTC would “fall into the hands of Justin Sun.”

Sun became affiliated with wBTC in August last year through a partnership, prompting Coinbase to question BiT Global about his role. Sun, a Chinese-born crypto billionaire, has nevertheless been supporting the token, with World Liberty Financial dropping its cbBTC for wBTC after he joined as an advisor.

The suit alleged the exchange’s decision was unjustified and harmed the token’s liquidity and reputation while favoring Coinbase’s competing asset cbBTC. Coinbase launched cbBTC just two months before announcing it was delisting wBTC.

The dismissal does not disclose any settlement terms beyond the cost arrangement.

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