Bitcoin Pepe outlook as South Korea’s pension fund mulls BTC investment

The broader cryptocurrency market held steady on Friday, continuing its consolidation phase after a nearly two-week rally. The move comes as investors digest recent gains driven by Bitcoin’s surge and improved risk appetite following a temporary easing of US-China trade tensions. Bitcoin traded at around $103,881, hovering within a narrow $3,500 range over the past week. The $105,000 level remains a key resistance zone, with multiple failed breakouts leading to a tightening of the price band. Swissblock noted on May 16 that “$BTC is stuck in a narrowing $101.5K–$104K range,” underscoring the current lack of directional momentum. According to Santiment, the stalled upside has led to growing bearish sentiment among traders. However, the market intelligence platform said this could ultimately support a move higher. “Markets generally tend to move opposite to the crowd’s expectations,” it said in a post on X, highlighting that rising fear and impatience among retail investors have historically preceded rallies. While Bitcoin remains the anchor of the crypto ecosystem and a hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty, its growing maturity and declining volatility have tempered its appeal among investors chasing outsized, asymmetric returns. In contrast, early-stage tokens such as Bitcoin Pepe are attracting speculative capital. South Korea’s pension fund to incorporate Bitcoin? South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS), one of the world’s largest pension funds with over $800 billion in assets under management, is weighing direct investments in Bitcoin, marking a potential shift in public fund strategy amid growing political and legislative support for digital assets. The development follows recent regulatory changes allowing national pension funds to allocate capital to cryptocurrencies. Political leaders from both major parties have endorsed this pivot, with Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung pledging to approve spot Bitcoin ETFs if elected president — a move aimed at fostering a safer investment environment, particularly for younger South Koreans. Until now, the NPS has limited its exposure to crypto through indirect means. In 2024, it acquired $34 million worth of shares in MicroStrategy, a company heavily invested in Bitcoin, and invested over $45 million in Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange. These positions reflect the fund’s growing comfort with digital asset-related equities. While no direct purchases of Bitcoin have yet been made by the NPS, the alignment of legislative momentum, political will, and shifting public sentiment signals a credible path toward institutional adoption. If realized, this would mark a significant milestone for crypto integration within traditional public investment frameworks in Asia. Bitcoin Pepe to launch soon A fresh wave of institutional interest in Bitcoin has reinvigorated the broader cryptocurrency market, reigniting capital flows and speculative appetite, especially in meme coins. Within this backdrop, Bitcoin Pepe has emerged as a notable contender poised to tap into the momentum. As the first meme-focused Layer 2 protocol on the Bitcoin network, Bitcoin Pepe blends the network’s established security with Solana-like scalability. This technical positioning offers a compelling combination: the credibility of Bitcoin’s infrastructure with the viral, community-driven dynamics that have historically powered meme coins. The project has already begun attracting investor capital, with its ongoing presale raising over $8.4 million. BPEP tokens are priced at $0.0326, and the presale is scheduled to conclude on May 31, 2025. An exchange listing is expected to follow, potentially serving as a near-term trigger for price action. As crypto sentiment improves and risk appetite grows, Bitcoin Pepe is positioned to ride the wave of renewed interest in early-stage assets. The post Bitcoin Pepe outlook as South Korea’s pension fund mulls BTC investment appeared first on Invezz

Source: Invezz