Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Accumulation Slows, Forcing Systemic Integration Push

Coinbase's Bitcoin accumulation hit a notable milestone in Q3 2025, with the exchange purchasing 2,772 BTC, the largest single-quarter buy since early in the year, a Crypto.News report. The company's total revenue surged to $1.9 billion, a 25% increase from Q2, driven by institutional trading growth and regulatory tailwinds under the Trump administration, Analytics Insight. Despite these gains, analysts note a broader slowdown in large-scale Bitcoin purchases by institutional players, raising questions about the sustainability of recent bullish momentum.

The shift coincides with a volatile macroeconomic landscape. While Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has signaled continued BTC buying, market observers point to ETF outflows and geopolitical uncertainties, such as Trump-era tariff threats, as factors tempering accumulation. Bitcoin spot ETFs, once a primary driver of demand, recorded $799 million in net outflows last week, with BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) leading the exodus, according to a Markets.com update. K33 Research's Vetle Lunde warned that without BlackRock's participation, altcoin ETFs may struggle to replicate Bitcoin's institutional adoption.

Meanwhile, MicroStrategy's Michael Saylor remains bullish, projecting Bitcoin could reach $150,000 by year-end, Michael Saylor predicts. His firm added 397 BTC worth $45.6 million in November, boosting its holdings to 641,205 coins, according to Coinpedia. Saylor cited regulatory progress, including the SEC's nod for tokenized securities, as critical to long-term price resilience. However, critics argue that MicroStrategy's stock performance—down nearly 13% in October—mirrors Bitcoin's recent retreat from $126,000 highs, per TradingView.

The slowdown in accumulation also highlights a strategic pivot among miners. Bernstein analysts upgraded Bitcoin miner valuations, noting their growing role in AI infrastructure. Firms like Core Scientific and Riot Platforms are repurposing power assets for data centers, diversifying revenue streams amid crypto's price fluctuations. This shift underscores a broader industry trend: institutions leveraging Bitcoin's volatility as a secondary priority to AI-driven operations.

Regulatory developments in Hong Kong and Singapore further complicate the landscape. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority's Ensemble project aims to tokenize government bonds, while Singapore froze $150 million in assets linked to a Bitcoin fraud case, CryptoNews reported. These moves reflect a global push to integrate blockchain into traditional finance, though they also signal heightened scrutiny for crypto-native entities.

Looking ahead, market watchers are split. Standard Chartered predicts tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) could hit $2 trillion by 2028, while DeFi platforms like dYdX face governance challenges following an $8-hour outage, as detailed in a Cointelegraph report. For Bitcoin, the path to Saylor's $150,000 target depends on resolving ETF outflows, stabilizing macroeconomic risks, and maintaining institutional confidence. As one analyst put it, "The next phase of growth will require more than accumulation—it'll need systemic integration."