Last month, Bitcoin (BTC -0.75%) reached a new all-time high of $111,970. Even after a small pullback, the leading cryptocurrency is still up 13% this year, while the S&P 500 has gained just 1.6%. Going back even further, Bitcoin has returned an impressive 990% during the past five years.

When a cryptocurrency goes on a tear, investors and prospective investors want to know why. And, even more importantly, they want to know if the gains are likely to continue. In Bitcoin’s case, there are a few key reasons it has been doing so well lately.

1. A crypto-friendly political climate

President Donald Trump was pro-crypto and pro-Bitcoin during his campaign, even saying that he wanted the U.S. to be “the Bitcoin superpower of the world.” He was expected to usher in a more crypto-friendly climate if elected, and so far, he has done just that.

Under the Biden administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had gone after many of the major crypto companies and exchanges. Trump’s pick for SEC Chair, Paul Atkins, is known for supporting cryptocurrency. Since Trump has taken office, the SEC has ended lawsuits with Coinbase Global (COIN -1.13%) and Binance and ended investigations into OpenSea, an NFT marketplace; and Uniswap, a decentralized exchange.

The Trump administration also announced the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in March. Just like countries stockpile gold, foreign currencies, and other valuable assets, the federal government is stockpiling Bitcoin. Arizona and New Hampshire have followed suit with their own Bitcoin reserves.

Government support for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency as a whole should be good for the industry, as it helps further legitimize cryptocurrencies as an investment. Since Election Day, Bitcoin has hit multiple all-time highs and is up 54% overall.

2. It’s a hedge against a weak U.S. dollar

The U.S. dollar has been losing value, with the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) down about 9% on the year. Import tariffs, the possibility of a trade war, and worries of a recession have all taken their toll.

When the dollar declines or there’s a period of high inflation, investors often look for alternative assets to use as stores of value. Gold has long been a popular choice, and in recent years, Bitcoin has been called digital gold. There’s a limited number of Bitcoin available — the maximum supply is capped at 21 million coins. This gives it a built-in scarcity that traditional currencies don’t have.

It’s hard to predict currency fluctuations or when the U.S. dollar will bounce back, although a U.S.-China trade deal would probably help. This may not be a long-term tailwind for Bitcoin, but it is a benefit at the moment.

3. It’s increasingly popular with institutional investors

While institutional investors used to be wary of investing in Bitcoin, that’s no longer the case. The SEC approved the first Bitcoin spot price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in January 2024, opening the door for more institutional adoption. Those U.S. Bitcoin ETFs had inflows of $5.2 billion in May and have over $125 billion in combined assets under management (AUM) at the time of this writing.

Like government support, institutional investors help legitimize Bitcoin, and the amount of money they invest can also drive up the price. Bitcoin’s value has already jumped by 130% since the approval of Bitcoin ETFs, and cryptocurrency will likely become more and more mainstream going forward. A January survey by EY Parthenon and Coinbase found that 83% of institutional investors were planning to increase their digital asset allocation in 2025.

Will Bitcoin continue to surge?

All the factors that have contributed to Bitcoin’s latest bull run are still in place. The political climate is and should remain positive toward cryptocurrency. Banks, hedge funds, and other institutions are investing in Bitcoin. The U.S. dollar hasn’t recovered yet, although that could change at any time.

This doesn’t mean Bitcoin is a surefire investment. Far from it — Bitcoin is risky, and you could make a compelling argument against it. Bitcoin has limited utility, transactions are slow and relatively expensive, and it doesn’t produce anything of value like a business does. People invest in the hopes that the price will go up.

But as it’s demonstrated over the years, Bitcoin can deliver incredible returns, and it’s the most successful cryptocurrency by a wide margin. Stocks are still a safer choice, but Bitcoin is a good alternative investment for anyone who wants digital assets in their portfolio.

In recent months, France has been shaken by a series of kidnappings and attempted abductions involving prominent entrepreneurs in the cryptocurrency sector. 

A significant breakthrough came with the arrest, in Morocco, of a key suspect. This episode marks a critical point in the fight against organized crime in the world of cryptocurrencies.  

The context: a series of disturbing cryptocurrency kidnappings in France

The Moroccan authorities have announced the arrest of Badiss Mohammed Bajjou, a 24-year-old Franco-Moroccan considered the mastermind behind a series of kidnappings targeting entrepreneurs active in the cryptocurrency sector in France. 

The arrest took place in Tangier, a city in the north of Morocco, thanks to a coordinated action by the country’s General Directorate for National Security.  

Bajjou was wanted with a red notice from Interpol for serious charges including arrest, kidnapping, illegal or arbitrary detention of hostages. 

Its identification and capture are an important step forward for French and international justice in response to the growing wave of violence against actors in the bull and bear cryptocurrency sector.  

France has experienced an escalation of kidnappings related to cryptocurrency entrepreneurs, causing alarm at the national level. 

These events have highlighted the risks associated with the rapid expansion of the sector, drawing unwanted attention to prominent figures in the field.  

Among the most significant cases that have emerged is the kidnapping in January of David Balland and his partner, which occurred under terrible circumstances. 

Balland is the co-founder of one of the most well-known companies in the sector, valued at over a billion dollars, which deals with digital assets like Ledger. During the kidnapping, one of the captors even severed a finger of Balland to increase the pressure on the ransom.  

The problem has provoked a strong reaction from industry operators. 

A well-known entrepreneur described the situation as a true “messicanizzazione” of security in France, a reference to the growing perception of insecurity and violence similar to that observable in other more challenging global contexts.  

This expression summarizes the collective anxiety of cryptocurrency operators, highlighting the need for immediate and structural interventions against these criminal episodes.  

The involvement of 25 people in the investigations

The French law enforcement agencies have intensified the investigations, leading to the indictment of 25 people, including six minors. These individuals are suspected of having participated in both the completed kidnappings and the failed attempts at abduction.  

This extensive operation demonstrates how deeply rooted and organized the phenomenon is. However, the arrest of Bajjou represents a strong signal of the local and international investigative capability in curbing these bull criminal groups.  

The wave of violence has created great embarrassment for the French government, which now finds itself having to effectively protect a category of citizens particularly vulnerable due to their economic activities in the digital world.  

In response, the French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, called an emergency meeting with the main players in the cryptocurrency sector. 

In this meeting, concrete measures and plans were announced to increase the safety of entrepreneurs and their families.  

Even though the specific details of the measures have not yet been fully formalized, the government’s intent to enhance both physical and digital protection for those operating in this field is clear. 

The objective is to mitigate criminal risk and restore confidence in a sector considered strategic for economic innovation.  

The economic and symbolic weight of cryptocurrencies in the vicenda

This series of kidnappings highlights the growing value of digital financial assets like bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which now represent personal fortunes that frequently exceed millions of euros.  

The rapid growth and appreciation of companies like Ledger demonstrates how the economy linked to cryptocurrencies has reached a dimension where security becomes a fundamental issue. The direct involvement of high-profile entrepreneurs, targets of kidnappings, highlights the direct correlation between digital wealth and criminal risks.  

The arrest of Bajjou in Morocco constitutes an encouraging signal in the fight against kidnappings related to the world of cryptocurrencies, but it also indicates the complexity of the problem, which extends beyond national borders.  

In the future, it will be essential for the French authorities, together with international ones, to keep their guard up through coordinated operations and more effective support for the victims. 

Furthermore, the cryptocurrency sector will need to invest more in prevention and security, so that this new “form of wealth” does not become an easy target for crime.  

Ultimately, this event serves as a warning for all parties involved, inviting a constant dialogue between institutions, entrepreneurs, and the digital community. 

Only in this way will it be possible to transform the challenge of security into an opportunity for sustainable and serene growth for the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Windtree intends to accept cryptocurrency as an option for payment and also to hold as an asset

WARRINGTON, Pa., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Windtree Therapeutics, Inc. (“Windtree” or the “Company”) (NasdaqCM: WINT), a biotechnology company focused on becoming a revenue generating company and advancing early and late-stage innovative therapies for critical conditions and diseases, announced that its Board of Directors has agreed that the Company will create a cryptocurrency policy that will allow the Company to accept cryptocurrency as an option for payment and also allow the Company to hold the cryptocurrency as an asset.

The Company’s cryptocurrency policy is intended to align with innovative digital commerce trends where millions of people hold cryptocurrency. If a payment is made to the Company with cryptocurrency in its revenue generating business, it can be held long term as a potential strategic asset.

“Windtree is executing our new corporate strategy to become a revenue generating company and we are in discussions with several groups that focus on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as an option for payment. These companies are interested in furthering a treasury strategy in conjunction with Windtree and its current diversified operations base. Our Company can also hold the cryptocurrency as an asset,” said Jed Latkin, CEO of Windtree. “Our Board is supportive of this opportunity and our development of a cryptocurrency policy which we expect to be completed in the near term.”

About Windtree Therapeutics, Inc.
Windtree Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on becoming a revenue-generating company and advancing early and late-stage innovative therapies for critical conditions and diseases. Windtree’s portfolio of product candidates includes istaroxime, a Phase 2 candidate with SERCA2a activating properties for acute heart failure and associated cardiogenic shock, preclinical SERCA2a activators for heart failure and preclinical precision aPKCi inhibitors that are being developed for potential in rare and broad oncology applications. Windtree also has a licensing business model with partnership out-licenses currently in place.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements related to. Such statements constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “proposed,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from the Company’s current expectations. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the Company’s ability to acquire revenue generating subsidiaries; the market’s reaction to potential acquisitions by the Company; the Company’s ability to secure significant additional capital as and when needed; the Company’s risks and uncertainties associated with the success and advancement of the clinical development programs for istaroxime and the Company’s other product candidates, including preclinical oncology candidates; the Company’s ability to access the debt or equity markets; the Company’s ability to manage costs and execute on its operational and budget plans; the results, cost and timing of the Company’s clinical development programs, including any delays to such clinical trials relating to enrollment or site initiation; risks related to technology transfers to contract manufacturers and manufacturing development activities; delays encountered by the Company, contract manufacturers or suppliers in manufacturing drug products, drug substances, and other materials on a timely basis and in sufficient amounts; risks relating to rigorous regulatory requirements, including that: (i) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory authorities may not agree with the Company on matters raised during regulatory reviews, may require significant additional activities, or may not accept or may withhold or delay consideration of applications, or may not approve or may limit approval of the Company’s product candidates, and (ii) changes in the national or international political and regulatory environment may make it more difficult to gain regulatory approvals and risks related to the Company’s efforts to maintain and protect the patents and licenses related to its product candidates; risks that the Company may never realize the value of its intangible assets and have to incur future impairment charges; risks related to the size and growth potential of the markets for the Company’s product candidates, and the Company’s ability to service those markets; the Company’s ability to develop sales and marketing capabilities, whether alone or with potential future collaborators; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates, if approved; the economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of political unrest, including as a result of geopolitical tension, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the evolving events in the Middle East, and any sanctions, export controls or other restrictive actions that may be imposed by the United States and/or other countries which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s operations, including through disruption in supply chain or access to potential international clinical trial sites, and through disruption, instability and volatility in the global markets, which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s ability to access the capital markets. These and other risks are described in the Company’s periodic reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements that the Company makes in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

Contact Information:
Eric Curtis
ecurtis@windtreetx.com