**Big Bitcoin ETF Buying Boosts Market Momentum**

Bitcoin investment products just had their biggest week of inflows since July, according to K33 Research. Large investors are pouring back into the market, buying up 20,685 BTC in a single week. This brings the total Bitcoin held by U.S. spot ETFs to a record 1.32 million BTC.

Analysts say the demand for Bitcoin is outpacing the amount being mined by nearly 9 to 1, which is pushing prices higher. According to Bitwise, a large part of this money is being moved out of Ethereum and into Bitcoin. ETF inflows are now a key factor in Bitcoin’s price movements, with a very strong link between the amount of money going into these funds and how Bitcoin performs.

In the past month alone, over 22,000 BTC were added to ETFs, while only 14,000 new BTC were mined. This imbalance is seen as a strong bullish signal for the rest of the year.

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**Forward Industries Plans $4 Billion Stock Sale to Expand Solana Strategy**

Forward Industries (NASDAQ: FORD), known for its Solana treasury investments, has filed to sell up to $4 billion worth of its stock through an at-the-market (ATM) program. This means it can sell shares gradually on the open market.

The company plans to use the money for general business needs, expanding its Solana token holdings, and buying income-generating assets. So far, it already owns over 6.8 million SOL tokens.

Board Chairman Kyle Samani said this move gives them more flexibility to grow their Solana strategy, improve their finances, and fund future growth opportunities.

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**Google and Coinbase Team Up to Power AI Payments with Stablecoins**

Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) are working together on a new open-source payment system called AP2. This system will let artificial intelligence (AI) apps send and receive payments using both traditional currencies and stablecoins.

AP2 is designed to be a universal and secure way for AI systems to handle money. This means AI agents could soon pay for things like shopping or financial services on their own—without human help.

This project includes more than 60 other partners like the Ethereum Foundation, Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), American Express (NYSE: AXP), and Etsy. Coinbase’s crypto payment tools are also being built into AP2, giving it a key role in Google’s digital money plans.

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**Bullish Gets Green Light to Operate Crypto Services in New York**

Crypto firm Bullish has received a BitLicense from New York State’s Department of Financial Services. This license allows the company to legally offer cryptocurrency trading and storage services in New York, one of the toughest markets for crypto regulation.

With this approval, Bullish can now serve institutional clients like hedge funds, banks, and asset managers across the state.

CEO Tom Farley said the company is focused on building secure and regulated crypto infrastructure. President Chris Tyrer added that having clear rules helps attract more professional investors and encourages responsible growth in the crypto space.

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**Metaplanet Launches U.S. Subsidiary to Boost Bitcoin Income Strategy**

Metaplanet (TSE:3350, OTCQX:MTPLF) has opened a new office in Miami to run its Bitcoin-based income business. This comes after it raised $1.44 billion in a global stock sale earlier this month.

The new unit, called Metaplanet Income, received $15 million in starting funds and will focus on trading derivatives and other strategies that earn returns—separate from its core Bitcoin holdings.

The company increased its share offering from 180 million to 385 million shares due to high investor demand, raising over ¥212.9 billion in total. The funds will be used for more Bitcoin purchases through October and expanding income-generating products.

While this move won’t impact 2025 profits much, it sets up Metaplanet for stronger long-term growth in the U.S. market.

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**Saudi Arabia Expands Fintech with Google Pay and Ant International Deals**

Saudi Arabia is pushing ahead with its fintech plans through new deals with Google Pay and Ant International. The Saudi central bank announced these partnerships at the Money20/20 event in Riyadh.

Google Pay will now work with Saudi Arabia’s mada network, letting users make payments through Google Wallet. At the same time, Ant International is teaming up with Saudi Arabia to create a cross-border QR code payment system connecting mada with Alipay+ by 2026.

These partnerships aim to modernize the country’s payment systems and help small and medium-sized businesses accept digital payments more easily.