Bitcoin held steady near $80,900 as markets awaited President Donald Trump's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The discussions are expected to cover tariffs, rare earth supply chains, and the Middle East. Any positive outcome could boost risk assets.
Ether gained 1.3% to $2,300 after the Ethereum Foundation introduced a new "Clear Signing" standard to prevent malicious transaction approvals. Among altcoins, the Injective blockchain's INJ token surged 24%, the most since February, while Polkadot's DOT and the TRUMP memecoin rose 5%.
Derivatives data reveal rising open interest and generally bullish positioning in altcoins like BNB, DOGE, and ether. BNB futures open interest hit its highest since April 3, signaling fresh capital inflows. Ethereum futures topped 15 million ETH, nearing last July's record. However, most tokens show negative short-term volume metrics, indicating lingering caution beneath the surface.
In decentralized finance, the DeFi United initiative is restoring confidence following the Kelp DAO exploit. Phase 1 of the recovery is complete, with unbacked rsETH burned and exploiter positions liquidated. A separate legal process continues for 30,765 ETH frozen by Arbitrum's Security Council.