Bitcoin News Today: Ethereum Surges 8% on Regulatory Boost, Bitcoin Hyper Raises $3.31 Million

Ethereum (ETH) has surged by 8% overnight, while Bitcoin (BTC) has seen a more modest increase of 1.6% over the same period, despite breaching the $120,000 mark. This divergence in performance can be attributed to several factors, including regulatory developments and institutional interest.

The passing of the GENIUS Act, which provides regulatory clarity for stablecoins, has been a significant boost for Ethereum. Stablecoins are heavily built on Ethereum's infrastructure, and the legislation is seen as a major win for the platform. This regulatory clarity has reinforced the narrative that institutions are increasingly interested in Ethereum, viewing it as the utility layer of Web3.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin's ascent has paused after setting a new local high. However, there is significant activity beneath the surface. Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER), a high-speed Layer-2 solution built on the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), has raised over $300,000 in the past 48 hours, bringing its total funding to over $3.31 million. This rapid funding indicates that early investors are positioning themselves not just on Bitcoin as an asset but on its future as a more dynamic, usable, and programmable network.

HYPER tokens are currently priced at $0.0123, with less than 14 hours remaining before the next presale stage triggers a price increase. The rapid rise of Bitcoin Hyper suggests that while Bitcoin may be stalling on the charts, those who believe in its future are backing its transition from a settlement layer to a programmable network.

Bitcoin Hyper works by locking BTC on-chain using a non-custodial, zero-knowledge bridge and minting a wrapped version on the Bitcoin Hyper Layer-2. This allows BTC to be used across a high-speed network that combines the execution speed of Solana with the value base of Bitcoin, without compromising either. Users can move BTC in and out without middlemen, while keeping full trust in the original network. The process of retrieving BTC is seamless, involving burning the wrapped version on Layer-2 and releasing the original Bitcoin from the bridge.

Bitcoin Hyper is primed for rapid development, with SDKs and APIs already live and full support for Rust, the go-to language across Solana and Web3. This allows builders to start immediately without learning obscure frameworks or custom languages. Unlike past attempts like Stacks or Rootstock, Bitcoin Hyper preserves the BTC base while unlocking real programmability.

While Ethereum rallies on utility and regulatory clarity, Bitcoin currently lacks a strong narrative or upgrade cycle to drive it forward. This is why capital is shifting toward what Bitcoin could become. Bitcoin Hyper is getting funding not for what BTC is today, but for what it can be tomorrow. Over $3.31 million has already been raised in the Bitcoin Hyper presale, with 191 million HYPER tokens staked on its native protocol offering a dynamic 274% APY. This shows that early believers are truly in it for the long haul.