Bitcoin continued a moderate rally last week, breaking the 79,000 USD level. The rise was driven by growing institutional demand and inflows of capital into spot ETFs, as well as improved geopolitical sentiment after President Donald Trump extended the U.S. arms embargo on Iran indefinitely.
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded inflows of $824 million last week, while digital asset custodians continued to accumulate assets — notably Strategy, which added 34,164 BTC worth about $2.54 billion to its holdings.
In the coming week, the key macroeconomic event will be the Fed’s Wednesday decision and press conference on interest rates.
The market broadly expects rates to stay at current levels, but any signals indicating a “wait and see” approach or a shift of potential rate cuts to later in the year or next year could weaken the recent rally.
April 27 marks the start of the Bitcoin 2026 conference in Las Vegas. Organized by Bitcoin Magazine, it is considered the world’s largest event gathering Bitcoin enthusiasts, developers, and industry leaders.
Key speakers include Michael Saylor, Jack Dorsey, SEC Chair Paul Atkins, and U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis. Their talks could translate into increased Bitcoin volatility.
BIGGEST MARKET CHANGES
The $PENGU token was one of the biggest beneficiaries last week, gaining 34% and clearly outperforming the broader crypto market.
After a consolidation period since early February, the price broke above the 0.008 dollar resistance level, boosting upward momentum.
The project may remain in investors’ focus as the Pudgy Penguins ecosystem gradually moves beyond the NFT segment toward practical applications.
The launch of the Pudgy World browser game and a Visa debit card linked to cryptocurrencies, enabling payments in PENGU and stablecoins at over 150 million merchants worldwide, could significantly increase adoption and new user inflows in the coming months.
NOTABLE STORIES
Western Union confirms the launch schedule for the USDPT stablecoin.
Six months after the initial announcement, Western Union confirmed the rollout schedule for its USDPT stablecoin tied to the U.S. dollar.
At the last conference, CEO and president Devin McGranahan announced that the stablecoin is in the final preparation phase and will launch next month.
Alongside USDPT, Western Union plans to launch two services integrating the stablecoin into the broader company ecosystem:
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Digital Asset Network – will allow users to convert USDPT and other crypto assets into local currencies at 360,000 pickup points worldwide
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Dollar stablecoin card – will let users store and spend USDPT
Western Union already serves over 100 million customers globally. Introducing these solutions could become one of the first large-scale examples of using cryptocurrencies in real international payments, rather than solely for investment or speculative purposes.
