The latest Bitcoin price news showed heavy pressure on May 13, after investors pulled $635 million from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a single session, marking the largest outflow since January and pushing the cryptocurrency below the $80,000 level for the first time in six weeks.

It appears that the quiet holding phase has ended, with future returns now increasingly tied to how quickly investors reposition themselves. While retail investors continue to retreat, capital flows are still moving into a presale project that has raised more than $10 million during the same wave of fear.

Pepeto continues attracting funds from investment wallets that appear to have already chosen their next bet, as the project approaches a potential listing on Binance.

Bitcoin news shakes the ETF market

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of $635 million on May 13, led by BlackRock’s IBIT fund, which alone saw withdrawals totaling $285 million, according to CoinDesk.

Based on Yahoo Finance data, total redemptions over the past five sessions reached around $1.26 billion.

Bitcoin fell to $79,300 after failing four consecutive times to break above the 200-day moving average near $82,000, while US consumer inflation reaching 3.8% erased hopes for interest rate cuts during 2026.

Although current Bitcoin news reflects signs of panic, every previous correction cycle in the crypto market eventually ended with a rally that rewarded wallets maintaining their positions.

Where Bitcoin and Pepeto stand amid shifting capital flows

Pepeto project

This week’s Bitcoin news triggered $635 million in ETF outflows, yet the broader crypto market fundamentals continue improving, while one presale project successfully attracted capital freed from those withdrawals.

Pepeto has raised more than $10 million from investment wallets that, according to the project, recognized the signals before the broader market.

The project claims that one of the co-founders behind the original Pepe coin, which previously reached an $11 billion market capitalization without offering real products, is involved in Pepeto, and that fear surrounding ETF holdings has pushed more capital into the presale.

Pepeto operates a direct trading platform allowing swaps without fees and without the spreads typically charged by major exchanges.

The project also includes a risk evaluation tool that scans token smart contracts before purchases are executed, aiming to protect investor capital from fraudulent projects that drain digital wallets.

Its system connects multiple blockchain networks to allow token transfers across chains in a single step, reducing additional costs that often impact smaller investors.

Pepeto also offers staking yields reaching 173% annually, alongside expectations of a future Binance listing, which could add compounded rewards on top of entry pricing.

The development team reportedly includes a former Binance expert, a factor the project says strengthens the potential for strong trading volumes once listed. Smart contracts have also been audited by SolidProof.

The current presale price stands at $0.0000001864, while the total supply amounts to 420 trillion tokens, matching the same supply structure used by the original Pepe token before it reached multi-billion-dollar valuations.

According to the project, wallets investing now have already calculated the risks and are betting on what a token linked to the Pepe founder and backed by real trading tools could achieve after official listing.

Bitcoin price outlook

Bitcoin traded near $81,400 on May 14 after breaking below the $80,000 support level that had held for six weeks, according to CoinMarketCap data.

The 200-day moving average at $82,228 confirmed that sellers remain in control of the short-term trend after rejecting price advances four separate times.

The main support level currently stands at $75,800, which was the area that launched April’s rally.

Meanwhile, a close above the $82,000 level could reopen the path toward $85,000 initially, followed by the $88,000–$92,000 range.

Bitcoin’s all-time high remains at $126,198, recorded in October 2025, representing a potential upside of around 58% from current levels, meaning a $1,000 investment could theoretically grow into $1,580.

The report compares this with low-priced presale projects, where a single listing event can completely reprice the token within a short period.

Bitcoin continues dominating headlines, but with its market capitalization now at $1.3 trillion, the report argues that the massive life-changing returns seen in earlier market cycles have become harder to achieve.

It suggests that larger opportunities may now lie in projects still trading at pre-listing prices, backed by actual operational tools, and still accessible to investors closely watching the market.

According to the report, more than $10 million has already flowed into Pepeto from investors who believe they entered ahead of the broader market’s confirmation of the next major trend.

Oil prices rose more than 3% on Friday after US President Donald Trump said he was beginning to lose patience with Iran, increasing concerns over the lack of progress toward a peace agreement that would end attacks and ship seizures around the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures climbed by $3.47, or 3.3%, to $109.19 per barrel by 09:25 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures also rose by $3.72, or 3.7%, to $104.89 per barrel.

For the week, Brent crude surged 7.8%, while West Texas Intermediate gained 9.9%, amid uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire in the conflict with Iran.

Following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said they agreed that Iran must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and that Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, adding that he is beginning to lose patience with Iran.

Vandana Hari, founder of oil market analysis firm Vanda Insights, said:

“The market’s focus has shifted back toward the deadlock and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with growing risks of another military escalation.”

President Xi did not comment on his discussions with Trump regarding Iran, although China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying:

“This conflict, which should never have happened, has no justification to continue.”

Among the deals markets had been anticipating from the summit, Trump said China is interested in purchasing oil from the United States.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced that 30 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz between Wednesday evening and Thursday, a figure still well below the pre-war average of 140 ships per day, though it represents a notable increase if confirmed.

Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM, said:

“There is a growing number of vessels beginning to pass through the strait... however, this is currently having a greater impact on market sentiment than on the actual oil balance.”

Shipping analytics firm Kpler said Thursday that 10 vessels passed through the strait over the previous 24 hours, compared with around five to seven ships per day during recent weeks.

The dollar rose on Friday, supported by higher US Treasury yields, and is heading for its biggest weekly gain in more than two months, as mounting inflationary pressures driven by rising energy prices reinforced bets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates later this year.

The dollar accelerated its gains as London traders entered the market, while US Treasury yields climbed to their highest levels in a year after investors raised expectations that the Federal Reserve may be forced to increase rates again this year.

Against the dollar, the euro fell to its lowest level in a month at $1.1632 and is heading for a weekly loss of around 1.3%.

The Japanese yen also remained weak near the 158-per-dollar level despite local data showing a sharp jump in wholesale inflation, which strengthened expectations that the Bank of Japan could raise interest rates as soon as June. In the latest trading, the yen slipped 0.1% to 158.47 per dollar.

Meanwhile, the British pound dropped to its weakest level in five weeks against the dollar and is heading for its biggest weekly loss since November 2024, as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces growing pressure to remain in power following disastrous local election results for his party last week.

Markets fear that any potential new leader, such as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham or former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, could adopt more expansionary fiscal policies.

Sterling fell 0.4% in the latest trading to $1.3347 after earlier touching $1.3335, its lowest level since April 8.

Dollar rally accelerates

The US dollar’s rally accelerated throughout the week, driven by data showing the American economy remains resilient despite the ongoing Middle East conflict, while inflationary pressures continue to build within the United States.

Francesco Pesole, FX strategist at ING, said: “The dollar is now catching up with the strength of the economic data we’ve seen this week.”

He added: “There seems to be growing recognition that the US economy may be in a much better position during this energy crisis than many other economies around the world.”

Data released Thursday showed US retail sales continued to rise in April, while weekly jobless claims indicated the labor market remains stable.

Investors are now pricing in more than a 65% probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike by December, compared with less than 20% just a week ago, according to CME’s FedWatch tool.

The dollar index, which measures the US currency against a basket of major currencies, climbed to its highest level in more than a month at 99.203 points, rising around 1.35% this week, marking its strongest weekly performance since early March.

Trump-Xi summit

Meanwhile, markets showed little reaction to the two-day summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which concluded Friday after Beijing warned Washington over mishandling the Taiwan issue and stressed that the war with Iran should never have started.

China’s onshore yuan retreated from its highest level against the dollar in more than three years due to broad dollar strength, trading at 6.8038 yuan per dollar in the latest session, while the offshore yuan fell 0.3% to 6.8066 per dollar.

Trump said his patience with Iran is “running out,” adding that both he and the Chinese president do not want Iran to possess nuclear weapons and “want to keep the straits open.”

Yu Su, chief China economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said: “Regarding Iran, it appears to have become a very important issue, particularly in relation to the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear file, which are both key elements in US-Iran discussions.”

She added: “But there are limits to what China can actually do, because the Iranian regime is currently operating in survival mode and will prioritize its own interests and agenda above anything else.”

Gold prices fell more than 2% in European trading on Friday, deepening losses for the fourth consecutive session and hitting their lowest level in a week, heading for the biggest weekly decline since March, pressured by rising dollar and oil prices across global markets, alongside mounting fears of persistent inflation in the United States.

Escalating inflationary pressures on Federal Reserve policymakers have reinforced expectations for at least one additional US interest rate hike this year, pending further economic data and Fed commentary.

Price Overview

• Gold prices today: Gold prices dropped 2.3% to $4,546.15 per ounce, the lowest level in a week, from an opening level of $4,652.09, while recording an intraday high of $4,665.35.

• At Thursday’s settlement, gold prices lost 0.8%, marking the third consecutive daily decline, as yields on US 10-year Treasury bonds climbed to their highest level in a year.

Weekly Performance

So far this week, which officially ends with today’s settlement, gold prices are down more than 3.5%, heading toward a third weekly loss within a month and the largest weekly decline since March.

US Dollar

The dollar index rose more than 0.4% on Friday, extending gains for the fifth straight session and reaching its highest level in five weeks, reflecting continued broad strength in the US currency against a basket of global currencies.

As is well known, a stronger US dollar makes dollar-denominated gold bullion less attractive for holders of other currencies.

The dollar also received additional support from rising US Treasury yields, as investors increased bets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at least once more this year.

Global Oil Prices

Global oil prices rose more than 5% this week due to stalled talks between the United States and Iran and growing fears of renewed conflict, keeping the vital Strait of Hormuz largely closed.

US Interest Rates

• Data released this week in the United States showed consumer prices in April rising at the fastest pace in three years, while producer prices recorded their sharpest increase in four years, highlighting renewed inflationary pressures on Federal Reserve policymakers.

• According to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool, markets are currently pricing in a 45% probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike in December, up from just over 16% a week ago.

• This week, markets also increased pricing for keeping US interest rates unchanged in June from 93% to 99%, while pricing for a 25 basis point rate cut dropped from 7% to 1%.

• To reassess these expectations, investors continue to closely monitor additional US economic data and comments from Federal Reserve officials.

Gold Outlook

KCM Trade chief market analyst Tim Waterer said gold is currently under pressure from all sides, as rising oil prices have pushed inflation back into focus, driving yields and the dollar higher, leaving the yellow metal a victim of renewed market skepticism over rate cuts.

Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals, said inflation remains elevated, reinforcing expectations that interest rates will stay higher for longer, which continues to pressure gold this week.

SPDR Gold Trust

Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, were unchanged on Tuesday, leaving total holdings steady at 1,039.99 metric tons, the highest level since April 28.