This Week In Crypto: Pi Network DEX, Trump Media’s Crypto.com Play, Grayscale’s Altcoin List, and More
Several big stories and developments have occurred in the crypto space this week, including innovations in the Pi Network ecosystem, Grayscale updating its list of investible altcoins, and Donald Trump’s crypto play.
In case you missed these developments, among others, the following is a roundup of what happened in crypto this week.
Pi Network Introduces PiDaoSwap
Pi Network took a key step in decentralized finance (DeFi) this week, revealing the development of PiDaoSwap. This community-driven decentralized exchange (DEX) is designed to counter price manipulation.
PiDaoSwap aims to stabilize Pi Coin’s value and enhance trust within its ecosystem by ensuring fair trading mechanisms.
“Once completed, the Pi price will be reflected at its true value and will no longer be manipulated by current external exchanges,” Pi Network VietNames claimed.
Another positive development in the Pi Network ecosystem this week is the integration with Telegram’s crypto wallet. This move could provide access to up to one billion users and expand the controversial project’s mainstream adoption.
While this move reflects Pi Network’s growing influence, questions around decentralization and exchange listings continue to loom large. Specifically, the Pi Network remains under scrutiny due to concerns about its centralization, particularly its SuperNodes.
Critics argue that a heavily centralized network undermines the core principles of blockchain technology. Adding to the debate, analysts have pointed out that Pi Network’s absence from major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase stems from concerns over its operational transparency.
Another hot headline this week in crypto was Trump Media’s announcement of a partnership with Crypto.com. The collaboration lays the groundwork for launching new ETFs (exchange-traded funds) based on Cronos, Bitcoin, and other assets.
The report inspired a nearly 20% surge in the Cronos (CRO) token, the powering token for the Crypto.com ecosystem. This collaboration added to the list of notable shifts as Trump’s media venture embraces cryptocurrency.
However, blockchain investigator ZachXBT raised concerns about Crypto.com’s token manipulation practices, souring sentiment for this partnership. Citing its re-issuance, the blockchain sleuth suggested the exchange may engage in opaque financial maneuvers.
Despite these concerns, Crypto.com emerged unscathed as the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) concluded its investigation without filing any charges.
“The SEC’s investigation into Crypto.com has been closed with no action being taken against Crypto.com. I continue to be proud of how this industry and its community have weathered storm after storm… The fact that we not only persevered but became stronger is a testament to our vision and the community supporting it,” wrote Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com.
The announcement led to a notable jump in CRO’s price, reaffirming investor confidence in the exchange despite previous regulatory scrutiny.
BeInCrypto data shows CRO was trading for $0.11 as of this writing, up by over 4% in the last 24 hours.
GameStop’s Bitcoin Announcement
GameStop, the once-legendary meme stock, also made headlines this week in crypto. It announced an update to its investment policy, revealing that it had added Bitcoin as a Treasury Reserve Asset. In the immediate aftermath of this announcement, the company’s stock prices jumped 12% before profit booking set in.
While this could have been a bullish catalyst, Bitcoin’s price remained largely unmoved. Analysts suggest the announcement lacked crucial details to trigger excitement and provoke a significant market reaction.
“The announcement lacked key details —most importantly, how much Bitcoin they’re actually buying. While they’re sitting on about $4.8 billion in cash, we’ve seen no indication of what portion, if any, will be allocated to BTC,” Mati Greenspan, Founder and CEO of Quantum Economics, told BeInCrypto.
Further, the price impact for BTC was muted, given that Bitcoin payments are becoming more common among retailers.
Grayscale Updates Investment List
Adding to the list of what happened this week in crypto, Grayscale updated its list of investable altcoins for Q2 2025. The institutional crypto asset manager added three new tokens, Maple Finance (SYRUP), Geodnet (GEOD), and Story Protocol (IP), to its top 20 crypto investments.
“…We believe the revised Top 20 list may offer more compelling risk-adjusted returns for the coming quarter,” the firm explained.
This move reflects the company’s ongoing strategy to diversify its holdings and identify emerging digital assets with strong growth potential. At the same time, it truncated three altcoins from the same list- Akash Network (AKT), Arweave (AR), and Jupiter (JUP).
Binance Embraces Studio Ghibli Meme Coins Frenzy
Elsewhere, a new meme coin craze emerged this week in crypto, drawing inspiration from the beloved Studio Ghibli brand. Binance Alpha responded to the trend by listing two Ghibli-themed tokens, Ghiblification and GhibliCZ.
These tokens have gained rapid traction as part of a broader wave of AI and pop culture-driven crypto speculation. The Ghibli meme coin phenomenon follows a pattern in previous meme-inspired tokens, where hype and social media engagement drive price action more than actual utility.
While some traders see opportunities for quick gains, others caution against speculative bubbles that could lead to rapid market corrections. Nevertheless, Binance’s involvement reflects how major exchanges capitalize on trending narratives to attract trading volume.
This strategy, which continues to shape the DeFi space, has also drawn criticism as users challenge the listing standards of centralized exchanges (CEXs).
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