BlockchainBulletin Weekly Crypto News Digest — 2025-11-22
Jon: Welcome to BlockchainBulletin’s weekly roundup! I’m Jon, here to guide you through the biggest crypto and blockchain happenings from November 15 to November 22, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo time). From wild price swings to ambitious digital asset pilots, it’s been a ride! For readers who want a practical walkthrough, check this exchange guide.
Lila: Hi everyone! I’m Lila, still learning the ropes. Jon, which stories moved prices the most this week, and what should beginners watch out for in all this volatility?
Market Snapshot
Jon: This week, the crypto market took a sharp dive—Bitcoin dropped below $90,000, closing at $88,335. Ether tumbled too, hitting $2,874. Big names like Avalanche and XRP saw double-digit declines, with losses across almost every major coin by Wednesday, 2025-11-19*.
Lila: Is this just normal crypto rollercoaster stuff, or is something bigger brewing?
Jon: It’s definitely bumpy—even by crypto standards! Part of the downturn was triggered by institutional ETF outflows, technical outages (looking at you, Cloudflare), and nerves about future regulatory moves. Sometimes, big shifts are just—well, the market being the market.
- Bitcoin: -12.6% weekly, closing at $88,335
- Ether: -14.5%, now $2,874
- Spot Solana ETFs: The bright spot, with $420M of inflows in the past 16 days
Regulation Watch
Jon: On the regulation front, Hong Kong pushed its digital asset innovation up a notch, and payout news linked to Mt. Gox’s collapse brought up old worries. Meanwhile, U.S. ETF outflows raised debate about institutional sentiment for bitcoin.
Lila: All that regulation talk makes my head spin! Is all this good news, or should folks be worried?
Jon: It’s a mixed bag, honestly. More regulatory clarity can help markets mature, but news about huge repayments—or shifting ETF appetites—can spook investors short-term. One step at a time: keep asking questions!
DeFi & On-Chain Trends
Jon: Away from headlines, on-chain metrics stayed busy—tokenized assets, new perpetual contract launches, and funds moving big BTC around. These moves keep DeFi and trading strategies evolving, sometimes despite the wild swings above.
Lila: Jon, I saw “tokenized deposits” in one headline. What are those in plain English?
Jon: Great question! Think of tokenized deposits as digital versions of regular bank funds, built for blockchains and smart contracts. They let you move (and settle) money faster and often with less paperwork. Sound boring, but it could make instant trading and settlements a reality in coming years.
Current Week Story Block
Bitcoin Plunges Below $90,000 Amid Market Slump
Jon: The biggest headline this week: Bitcoin plunged below $90,000 for the first time since the summer, closing at $88,335 on 2025-11-20. Ether dropped 14.5%, ending at $2,874. The overall market lost over $1 trillion since October’s highs.
Lila: Whoa! Was it just people selling, or something else set it off?
Jon: Several things hit at once: big outflows from BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (over $1.43 billion drained out in just a few days), jitters over Mt. Gox moving nearly $1 billion in old bitcoin, and a broad drop in trader confidence. Some think it’s just risk shifting—but when the world’s biggest ETF moves, it nudges everyone.
Lila: In plain English: when big funds start selling, prices nosedive—and everyone feels it?
Jon: Exactly! Crypto markets can be extra “jumpy” because trades happen 24/7, and sentiment changes fast. (Imagine if the weather app updated every second and umbrellas cost $1000 one minute, $800 the next…)
Source: Gemini Blog/Bitcoin Drops Below $90K
Cloudflare Outage Shakes Crypto & Web Platforms
Jon: On 2025-11-17, web-infrastructure giant Cloudflare suffered a global network outage. Crypto exchanges, wallets, and even regular internet sites like Spotify and X faced sudden errors and outages. Crypto platforms: imagine getting locked out during market chaos!
Lila: Wait, so if a tech service crashes, can I still use the blockchain?
Jon: Good news: yes, the underlying blockchains kept running. But most people access crypto through websites (not direct code). So, if Cloudflare or similar networks go down, access may be disrupted—but the assets themselves remain secure on-chain. A little like losing your house keys—your stuff’s safe inside, but you need a locksmith to get in!
Source: Gemini Blog/Bitcoin Drops Below $90K
Mt. Gox Moves Nearly $1 Billion in Bitcoin—Creditors on Edge
Jon: Defunct exchange Mt. Gox transferred 10,608 BTC (about $956 million) to unidentified wallets on 2025-11-19. Every time Mt. Gox moves coins, it raises repayment and market dump worries—some 19,500 creditors are still waiting, many since the infamous 2014 hack.
Lila: Why does this make everyone so nervous?
Jon: If large amounts of bitcoin hit the market at once (from Mt. Gox repayments), there’s a risk prices could drop further. Creditor payments have been delayed for years—the new repayment deadline is now October 2026. For many, it’s the longest “sorry, your funds are coming soon” email in crypto history.
- Mt. Gox still owes about 34,689 BTC to creditors.
- Some creditors have seen just 6% of their original claims repaid so far.
Source: Gemini Blog/Bitcoin Drops Below $90K
BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Sees Record Outflows
Jon: BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF set a new record: about $523 million left the fund in a single day this week, with $1.43 billion outflows between Saturday and Wednesday. This triggered wider worry, as ETF volumes can signal how traditional “big money” feels about crypto.
Lila: So when these ETFs lose money, does it always mean Bitcoin’s in trouble?
Jon: Not always. Sometimes investors just rebalance or take profits. But when outflows are huge and sustained, it often reflects souring sentiment. This week, it certainly helped push bitcoin’s price below $90,000 for the first time since August, making headlines worldwide.
- BlackRock’s ETF daily outflow: $523 million (a new record!)
- Total outflow since Saturday: $1.43 billion
Source: Gemini Blog/Bitcoin Drops Below $90K
Strategy Buys 8,178 More BTC—Now Holds 3% of World’s Bitcoin
Jon: MicroStrategy (now renamed simply “Strategy”) stunned the market by buying 8,178 BTC for about $836 million last week. The company now holds a whopping 649,870 BTC, averaging $74,433 per coin. That’s 3% of all bitcoin ever created!
Lila: Is that good for the market—or risky?
Jon: Mixed bag! On one hand, such massive holdings show big belief in bitcoin’s future. On the other, if they (or anyone with huge bags) ever sell, it could shake the market. CEO Michael Saylor says they’re in for the long haul, rain or shine. (And after a 33% drop in their stock price this month, they must really mean it.)
- Strategy’s total BTC cost: $48.4 billion
- Share price: down more than 33% month-over-month
Source: Gemini Blog/Bitcoin Drops Below $90K
Hong Kong Monetary Authority Launches Tokenized Asset Settlement Pilot
Jon: The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) launched the live pilot of Project Ensemble on 2025-11-18. It lets banks and institutions test real-value settlements using “tokenized” deposits and digital assets for 24/7 transactions. Focus areas: tokenized money-market fund trades and real-time treasury management.
Lila: Does this make crypto more mainstream, or is it just for banks?
Jon: At first, it’s mostly for finance pros. But successful pilots could let everyday users benefit down the road—think faster payments and less bank friction. The HKMA says it’s a milestone for digital assets in Asia (and a likely model for other countries eyeing similar tech).
- Pilot runs through 2026
- Goal: Efficient, 24/7 settlements on blockchain rails
Source: Gemini Blog/Bitcoin Drops Below $90K
Spot Solana ETFs Buck the Trend with Sustained Inflows
Jon: While most crypto ETFs saw money fleeing, spot Solana ETFs logged 16 straight days of net inflows, totaling $420 million. Bitwise’s BSOL ETF led the surge. Solana’s strong DeFi and NFT activity are rumored reasons buyers still want in, even as prices elsewhere fell off a cliff.
Lila: Why is Solana hot when everything else is cold?
Jon: Solana’s speed and relatively low fees keep drawing devs and projects—even if the headline bitcoin price stings. ETFs mean regular investors can jump in easily, too. This “green” patch stood out in a mostly “red” week.
- Solana ETFs: $420M inflows, 16-day streak
- Biggest winner: Bitwise’s BSOL ETF
Source: Gemini Blog/Bitcoin Drops Below $90K
Looking Ahead
Jon: After a choppy week, eyes are on U.S. regulatory statements, the next moves for Hong Kong’s pilot, and Mt. Gox’s repayment steps ahead. For traders, it’s a time to watch volatility but also dig into the tech itself—what’s just a blip, and what’s a building block for the next chapter?
Lila: Thanks Jon! For anyone still catching up, what’s the one phrase they should remember this week?
- Expect the unexpected, and always double-check if your platform’s having a technical “moment.”
- ETF outflows typically hint at sentiment mood swings, not doom!
- Tokenization and pilot projects are the “quiet engines” of crypto adoption.
Jon: That’s a wrap on this week’s whirlwind! Markets may bounce, but the underlying innovation keeps moving. If you want more hands-on exchange tips, have a look at this global guide. See you next week—hopefully with fewer outages and friendlier prices.
Lila: Thanks for joining us! Remember, even during a “crypto winter,” learning keeps you warm. Until next time!
This article was created using verified real-time sources:
- Gemini Blog/Bitcoin Drops Below $90K Amid Crypto Slump
- YouTube/Bloomberg Crypto Collapses in Choppy Trading 11/21/2025