The U.S. House has designated July 14-18 as official “Crypto Week,” during which lawmakers plan to consider three major bills: the GENIUS Act, the CLARITY Act, and the Anti‑CBDC Surveillance State Act. Spearheaded by Speaker Mike Johnson, Chairman French Hill, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the initiative signals a strong Republican push to establish the U.S. as a global leader in digital assets while legislating consumer protections and stablecoin issuance frameworks.

Palmer Luckey Backs Crypto-Focused Digital Bank ‘Erebor’

Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Oculus and Anduril, is entering the fintech space with Erebor, a digital bank backed by Founders Fund and 8VC. The startup, valued at $2 billion in its Series A, plans to offer services like crypto-collateralized lending and is applying for a U.S. banking charter. Erebor’s emergence underscores growing interest in bank-charter crypto ventures amid regulatory momentum.

J.P. Morgan Scales Back Stablecoin Growth Forecast

J.P. Morgan significantly revised its long-term stablecoin forecasts this week, now estimating their value could reach $500 billion by 2028, down sharply from prior trillion-dollar projections. The investment bank warned that stablecoin usage remains limited - especially for retail and payments, citing fragmentation and uncertain regulation as headwinds.

Europe Urged to Embrace Stablecoins, Not Fear Them

The Financial Times editorial board cautioned Europe against shunning stablecoins, arguing they could modernize capital markets and improve cross-border payments. With frameworks like MiCA and the EU’s DLT pilots in place, the article urged a proactive embrace over regulatory overreach to avoid ceding digital finance leadership.

DappRadar Joins XPR Network as Block Producer

DappRadar, the world’s leading dapp analytics platform, has joined XPR Network as a Block Producer, bringing trusted infrastructure and increased visibility to the chain’s growing ecosystem. In addition to helping secure the network, DappRadar will spotlight XPR-based projects across its global discovery platform.

Skirmantas Januskas, CEO of DappRadar, shared: "Being at the forefront of dapp discovery for over seven years, we've seen firsthand how gas fees and complexity limit user adoption across the Web3 ecosystem. XPR Network's feeless model and integrated identity solutions address these fundamental challenges. We're excited to contribute our infrastructure support to help XPR Network achieve its vision of accessible, transparent Web3 infrastructure."

XPR Network operates on a delegated proof-of-stake model, where token holders stake and vote for BPs to maintain performance and governance. With native identity, feeless transactions, and a growing DeFi layer powered by Metal X and LOAN Protocol, XPR Network is quickly becoming a chain of choice for developers and institutions.

XPR holders can support DappRadar by staking XPR via WebAuth Wallet or the XPR Block Explorer and selecting DappRadar as one of their four required BP votes.

Bitcoin ETF Flows: Choppy Midweek Rebound After Heavy Outflows

Bitcoin ETF flows opened the week on a muted note, with just $102.1M in net inflows on Monday. Tuesday saw sharp outflows totaling -$342.2M, led by significant redemptions from Fidelity (-$172.7M), Grayscale (-$119.5M), and Ark (-$27M). Sentiment flipped back midweek, with Wednesday bringing $407.8M in inflows, and Thursday surging to $601.8M in one of the month’s strongest single-day performances. BlackRock, Fidelity, and Ark led the rebound, suggesting renewed institutional confidence heading into Q3. Despite volatility, net weekly flows were positive.

Ethereum ETF Flows: Late-Week Rally Lifts ETH Back Into Positive Territory

Ethereum ETF activity was mixed throughout the week, with Monday logging modest inflows of $31.8M. Tuesday saw gains continue with $40.7M, but momentum collapsed midweek as Wednesday’s flows dropped to -1.9M on outflows from BlackRock and Grayscale. However, Thursday staged a strong comeback, pulling in $148.5M - the best daily performance for ETH ETFs in recent weeks. The rebound pushed Ethereum ETF flows solidly into the green for the week, reflecting improved market sentiment and renewed interest ahead of July’s regulatory catalysts.

Weekly Top Gainers (Coins Available on Metal Pay)

Metal Blockchain (METAL) led the market with a massive +45.2% weekly gain, powered by renewed interest in its growing ecosystem and continued momentum from the Stablecoin Pilot rollout. Hedera (HBAR) climbed +7.2% as enterprise adoption buzz persisted, while Ripple (XRP) added +6.7% amid ongoing optimism for legal clarity. XPR Network (XPR) also moved higher at +5.4%, helped by active governance proposals and growing on-chain participation. Litecoin (LTC) rounded out the top gainers with a +3.8% rise, rebounding from last week’s dip as Bitcoin ETF flows turned positive.

These coins and more available on Metal Pay.