The cryptocurrency market experienced a notable upswing during the week of September 8 to 14, 2025, as highlighted in the latest Lookonchain weekly report. This period saw a substantial influx of capital, evidenced by a $3.65 billion increase in the total stablecoin market capitalization. Such growth often signals heightened investor confidence and potential for increased trading activity across major cryptocurrencies like BTC, ETH, and SOL. Traders should monitor this stablecoin expansion closely, as it frequently precedes bullish movements in spot and perpetual futures markets. According to Lookonchain, the surge was particularly pronounced on Ethereum, where USDT and USDC stablecoins grew by $1.97 billion, and on Hyperliquid with a $533 million increase. This capital injection could provide liquidity support for key trading pairs, potentially driving up prices if demand sustains.

DEX Trading Volumes Signal Market Momentum

Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) recorded impressive trading volumes, underscoring the market's vitality. Spot trading on DEXs reached $109.096 billion, marking a 15.09% week-over-week increase. Breakdowns show Uniswap handling $22.635 billion with a slight 3.91% decline, PancakeSwap at $15.347 billion nearly flat with a 0.01% drop, and Meteora surging to $7.079 billion with a 23.11% gain. For traders, these figures suggest shifting preferences toward platforms like Meteora, which could offer better opportunities for arbitrage and high-volume trades. Perpetual futures trading on DEXs also climbed to $117.47 billion, up 9.59% from the prior week. Hyperliquid led with $65.527 billion and an 8.14% increase, followed by edgeX at $12.748 billion (up 27.84%) and BasedApp exploding to $6.242 billion with a staggering 694.15% growth. These metrics indicate strong momentum in perps markets, where traders might find leveraged positions on BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT pairs particularly attractive amid rising volumes.

Institutional Buys and Whale Activity Drive Sentiment

Institutional and whale activities further fueled the optimistic outlook. A notable strategy accumulated 525 BTC worth $60.2 million at an average price of approximately $114,562, bringing their total holdings to 638,985 BTC valued at $73.16 million. This accumulation at elevated prices could signal long-term bullishness for Bitcoin, potentially pushing it toward resistance levels around $120,000 if buying pressure continues. Additionally, Galaxy Digital facilitated Forward Industries' purchase of 6,822,000 SOL tokens for $1.58 billion at an average of $232 over five days, highlighting significant institutional interest in Solana. Traders eyeing SOL/USD pairs should watch for breakout opportunities above $250, supported by this inflow. BitMine also acquired 82,233 ETH for $370.5 million, increasing their holdings to 2,151,676 ETH worth $9.7 billion. Such large-scale buys often correlate with positive price action in Ethereum, especially as on-chain metrics like gas fees and transaction volumes rise in tandem with stablecoin growth.

From a trading perspective, these developments present multiple opportunities across crypto markets. The stablecoin market cap expansion suggests ample liquidity for spot trades, while surging DEX volumes point to increased volatility ideal for day traders. For instance, the sharp rise in BasedApp's perps volume could indicate emerging trends in altcoin futures, where pairs like SOL/USDC might see heightened activity. Investors should consider correlations with broader markets; for example, if stock indices like the S&P 500 show strength due to similar capital inflows, it could amplify crypto gains through institutional flows. Key support levels for BTC hover around $110,000 based on recent accumulations, with resistance at $120,000. ETH traders might target entries near $4,000, given the whale buys, while SOL's institutional backing supports longs above $220. On-chain data from this period, including the $3.65 billion stablecoin boost, validates a bullish narrative, but traders must remain vigilant for reversals if volumes taper off. Overall, this week's data from September 8-14, 2025, positions the crypto market for potential upward trajectories, with DEX activity and whale moves as critical indicators for informed trading decisions.

Analyzing cross-market implications, the crypto surge could influence stock markets, particularly tech-heavy sectors with AI integrations. For instance, companies involved in blockchain or AI tokens might see correlated rallies, offering hedging opportunities via crypto-stock pairs. Institutional flows into ETH and SOL could mirror investments in AI-driven stocks, boosting sentiment across both domains. Traders should track trading volumes and price movements with timestamps from reliable on-chain sources to capitalize on these trends, ensuring strategies align with current market indicators for optimal risk management.