The Bank of Italy identified Bitcoin and other digital assets as emerging risk factors in a recent report, citing concerns for both investors and the financial system.

In its April 2025 Financial Stability Report, the Bank of Italy flags crypto volatility and rising integration with the broader economy, singling out stablecoins and non-financial firms’ crypto exposure as key concerns.

“The strong growth of Bitcoin and of other crypto-assets with high price volatility means risks not only for investors but also potentially for financial stability, given the growing interconnections between the digital asset ecosystem, the traditional financial sector and the real economy,” the report notes.

Excerpt from the Bank of Italy’s Financial Stability Report. Source: Bank of Italy

The Bank of Italy’s report also addressed the trend of non-financial corporations holding Bitcoin, stating that it exposes them to “marked price volatility” driven by “the belief that Bitcoin can support their share prices.”

Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) helped popularize the corporate purchase of Bitcoin, beginning its acquisitions in August 2020. Since then, several companies have followed its lead, including Metaplanet, Semler Scientific, and GameStop.

The Bank of Italy also addressed stablecoins in its report, noting potential risks if dollar-pegged tokens were to become systemic. It suggested that increased reliance on US government bonds to back these assets could introduce broader financial vulnerabilities. According to the report, disruptions in either the stablecoins or the underlying bonds could have “repercussions for other parts of the global financial system.”

The report comes just a few days after Giancarlo Giorgetti, the country’s minister of economy and finance, warned that the appeal of US dollar stablecoins should not be underestimated. According to Giorgetti, US stablecoin policies are more dangerous than US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Related: Italy scales back plans to hike crypto tax rate: Report

Giorgetti, in his speech, highlighted the need to enhance the euro’s position on the global stage, noting that the development of the Digital Euro will play a crucial role in reducing reliance on foreign digital solutions.

Related: Italy’s largest bank enters crypto market with $1M Bitcoin investment

Key Takeaways:

Fidelity Digital Assets says Bitcoin is undervalued and the firm holds an optimistic mid-term outlook.

The JOLTS report shows a sharp drop in open US jobs, raising investors’ hope for Fed interest rate cuts.

According to Fidelity Digital Assets, Bitcoin’s (BTC) mid-term outlook dropped to an “optimism” zone, as the investment firm noted that BTC is trending toward “undervaluation.”

As proof, the firm cited the ‘Bitcoin Yardstick’ metric, which measures BTC’s market cap divided by its hashrate. A lower ratio suggests that Bitcoin is “cheaper” relative to the energy security of its network.

In Q1 2025, the metric stayed between -1 and 3 standard deviations, cooling from its Q4 2024 overheated levels. The number of days above 2-standard deviations dropped from 22 to 15, with none above 3, indicating that Bitcoin is less expensive compared to its network strength.

Bitcoin Yardstick chart. Source: Fidelity Digital Assets Report

The investment firm mentioned that Bitcoin is in an “acceleration phase,” where rallies to new highs aren’t uncommon, though they caution a blow-off top could take place.

Illiquid supply rose from 61.50% to 63.49%, while liquid supply fell by 4%, indicating holders are increasingly committed to long-term positions. The Illiquid Supply Shock Ratio, currently 16% below its 2017 peak.

Bitcoin Liquid and Illiquid supply. Source: Fidelity Digital Asset Signals Report

In line with this view, Cointelegraph reported that BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF recorded a significant inflow of $970.9 million on April 28, 2025, marking its second-largest daily inflow since its January 2024 launch.

Since April 22, IBIT has amassed over $4.5 billion in net inflows, defying broader market trends where competitors like Fidelity’s FBTC and ARK’s ARKB faced outflows. With over $54 billion in assets under management, IBIT holds a 51% share of the US spot Bitcoin ETF market.

Related: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF buys $970M in BTC as inflows surge, boost market

Bitcoin gets a boost from US JOLTS data

The March 2025 US Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS) report showed a plunge to 7.19 million from February’s 7.57 million, below the 7.48 million forecast. A lower-than-expected JOLTS number signals a cooling labor market, raising expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, which weakens the dollar and lifts risk assets like Bitcoin. 

Conversely, a higher-than-expected figure suggests economic strength, potentially delaying cuts and pressuring crypto prices. With federal layoffs at a 2020 peak, market expectations are leaning slightly dovish.

Economist and Bitcoin commentator Alex Kruger identified the JOLTS data as a short-term win for Bitcoin, as a “risk/gold hybrid” poised to gain from tariff de-escalation after Trump’s 90-day pause (ending July 8). 

In an X post, the analyst predicted that markets may focus on earnings guidance from firms like Caterpillar and tech stocks, while keeping an eye on next week’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meet, where Powell might signal earlier rate cuts.

Kruger warned of a Q3 economic slowdown where the markets may be volatile, but he also said that Bitcoin’s unique risk-reward would outperform altcoins, which the analyst pointed out as overbought.

Related: Bitcoin ‘hot supply’ nears $40B as new investors flood in at $95K

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed deciding on whether to greenlight two proposed cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) holding Dogecoin and XRP, filings show. 

The US regulator has delayed its deadline for ruling on the proposed ETF listings until June, according to two filings reviewed by Cointelegraph. 

The filings were responses to March requests from US exchanges NYSE Arca and Cboe BZX Exchange to list Bitwise’s Dogecoin (DOGE) ETF and Franklin Templeton’s XRP (XRP) ETF, respectively. 

They came on the same day that Nasdaq, another US exchange, asked for permission to list a 21Shares Dogecoin ETF. 

Dogecoin is the world’s most heavily traded memecoin, with a market capitalization of around $26 billion as of April 29, according to data from CoinGecko. XRP is the native token of the XRP Ledger blockchain network. It has a market capitalization of approximately $133 billion, CoinGecko data shows.

The SEC has delayed its deadline for reviewing Franklin’s XRP Fund. Source: SEC

Related: Institutions break up with Ethereum but keep ETH on the hook

Deluge of filings

In 2025, the SEC has fielded requests to authorize dozens of altcoin ETFs for US listing. As of April 21, approximately 70 crypto ETFs were awaiting the SEC’s review. 

Asset managers are proposing funds holding “[e]verything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between,” Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said in an April 21 post on the X platform. 

The deluge of proposals comes as US President Donald Trump pushes the SEC to take a more accommodating stance toward cryptocurrencies. 

However, analysts caution investor demand for altcoin ETFs may be tepid in comparison to funds holding core cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).

“Having your coin get ETF-ized is like being in a band and getting your songs added to all the music streaming services,” Balchunas said. 

“Doesn’t guarantee listens but it puts your music where the vast majority of the listeners are.”

Although US exchanges are embracing crypto ETFs, they are also urging the SEC to take a tough regulatory posture toward digital assets. In an April 25 comment letter, Nasdaq encouraged the SEC to hold digital assets to the same compliance standards as securities if they constitute “stocks by any other name.”

Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again