Bitcoin (BTC) surged to a new all-time high on Thursday, trading above $111,000 for the first time ever as the crypto community celebrated Bitcoin Pizza Day — the anniversary of the first real-world Bitcoin transaction. The milestone marks a decisive breakout, putting the original cryptocurrency in price discovery mode amid a shifting macroeconomic backdrop. At the time of writing on Friday, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap continued to stay above the $111K mark. Bitcoin continues to serve as the bedrock of the crypto market and a store of value during times of economic instability. However, its reduced price swings and rising acceptance among institutional players have made it less compelling for those chasing high-risk, high-reward opportunities. This shift has pushed more adventurous investors toward newer, high-upside tokens like Bitcoin Pepe , which offer greater exposure to speculative momentum. As overall market sentiment turns more optimistic, these early-stage assets are likely to see amplified gains from returning risk capital. BTC shows its metal The rally comes as traditional financial markets face renewed uncertainty. The 30-year US Treasury yield topped 5% this week following Moody’s downgrade of the US sovereign debt rating. Meanwhile, a proposed tax bill in Congress could significantly widen the federal deficit, stoking investor fears over long-term fiscal stability. Bitcoin’s recent price action underscores its evolving role in investor portfolios. The cryptocurrency has increasingly decoupled from equity markets, with BTC soaring even as the S&P 500 fell on Thursday. Bitcoin is now up 18% year-to-date, decisively outperforming major US equities. Gold, the traditional safe haven, has also notched new all-time highs and is rebounding after a brief pullback. Still, Bitcoin’s ascent is drawing particular attention from both retail and institutional investors who increasingly view it as a hedge against macro risk and a diversifier in multi-asset portfolios. The bullish momentum has revived long-term price forecasts. Geoff Kendrick, Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered, issued a note on Tuesday projecting that Bitcoin could reach $500,000 by 2029. That target, once the domain of crypto maximalists, is now being echoed by mainstream analysts as digital assets gain broader acceptance. Why Bitcoin Pepe is poised to benefit Bitcoin’s renewed surge is once again fueling a broader crypto rally, echoing past cycles where capital rotation lifted the entire digital asset landscape. This latest wave of liquidity is reviving interest in speculative plays, especially meme coins. At the center of this resurgence is Bitcoin Pepe, a project that fuses the viral appeal of meme culture with the technical underpinnings of next-generation infrastructure. As the first meme-focused Layer 2 built on Bitcoin, it leverages the network’s robust security while adopting a high-speed, Solana-like framework to scale effectively. The project is moving quickly to expand its ecosystem. These include a partnership with Super Meme for secure meme coin launches via PEP-20. The project is also collaborating with Plena Finance to explore integrating BPEP into mobile-first DeFi. The project also joins hands with GETE Network to potentially bring BPEP into cross-chain Web3 gaming. These alliances not only deepen Bitcoin Pepe’s technical stack but also extend its relevance beyond meme-driven speculation. Investor appetite is already evident— Bitcoin Pepe ’s ongoing presale has attracted over $11 million. Priced at $0.0359, the presale runs through May 31, 2025. An exchange listing is anticipated soon after, potentially unlocking near-term momentum as the market reacts to the debut of this meme-layer infrastructure token. The post Best crypto to buy as BTC closes out Bitcoin Pizza Day with a bang appeared first on Invezz
