Bitcoin traded near the $78,000 level on Sunday, little changed over the past 24 hours, as attention shifted to whether expanding access to ETFs globally and offering a more practical proposition for individual investors could drive the next phase of cryptocurrency adoption.
CryptoQuant founder Ki Young-joo said that institutional funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) outside the United States could ultimately drive the peak of Bitcoin's current bull run. Bitcoin was trading up 0.56% at $78,065.50 as of 11:55 AM Saudi Arabia time.
US-based Bitcoin spot funds have raised about $57 billion in net inflows during their first two years, but access remains limited in markets such as South Korea, where investors face restrictions on both domestically and internationally listed Bitcoin spot ETFs.
Joe emphasized that wider international distribution, deeper stablecoin liquidity, and the infrastructure of tokenized real assets could broaden participation, with the potential for more institutions to hold Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
However, expanding adoption may require changing the way Bitcoin is presented to ordinary investors.
A study by the Bitcoin Policy Institute of 1,516 Americans revealed that the established narrative that Bitcoin is digital gold ranked low compared to messages focusing on control, security, historical performance, and the ability to start with small investments.
The research identified 52% of participants as persuasive. After participants were exposed to various messages about Bitcoin, the percentage of those who expressed no interest in owning it decreased to 32% from 39%, while the percentage of those who expressed strong interest increased to 24% from 19%.
Financial advisors and retirement experts also ranked much higher than celebrities and influencers as trusted sources of information.
The findings suggest that the next wave of Bitcoin adoption may increasingly rely on familiar financial products and gradual allocations, rather than arguments for replacing traditional cash.
At the same time, the broader financial system is moving towards blockchain technology infrastructure.
Swift has launched a blockchain ledger that enables banks to work with tokenized deposits, with HSBC and Standard Chartered completing the first live cross-border transaction through it. The network connects approximately 11,500 financial institutions worldwide.
Cryptocurrency infrastructure may gain an additional use case with artificial intelligence. Yat Siu, chairman of Animoca Brands, estimates that between 50 billion and 100 billion AI-powered agents could eventually conduct online transactions, using cryptocurrency wallets instead of traditional bank accounts.
For Bitcoin, these developments point to a market where adoption is less tied to cryptocurrency ideology and more to distribution, accessibility, and integration with mainstream finance.
Cryptocurrency prices today: Altcoins see slight rise on Sunday
Prices for the broader cryptocurrency market traded higher on Sunday, posting modest gains.
Ether, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency, rose 0.95% to trade at $2,457.04.
XRP, the world's third-largest cryptocurrency, rose 0.62% to trade at $1.39.
Solana rose by 1.29%, and BNB also rose by 0.90% to trade at $694.21.
Cardano also rose by 0.50% to trade at $0.20.
As for meme coins, Dogecoin fell by 0.32%, while TRUMP traded virtually unchanged during the day.
