This week is shaping up to be a big one for crypto investors, with major events lined up that could shake the market. From Donald Trump’s White House crypto summit to Ethereum’s latest upgrade and a wave of token unlocks, there’s a lot to keep an eye on.
If history is any guide, similar events in the past have triggered price swings and increased volatility, so traders might want to stay alert. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening and what it could mean for the market.
Trump’s Crypto Summit (March 7) – A Game Changer?
One of the biggest stories this week is Trump’s upcoming crypto summit at the White House on March 7. This comes after his recent executive order to create a national crypto reserve, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and XRP.
Trump has been vocal about his support for crypto, even posting on Truth Social:
“Bitcoin and Ethereum will be at the heart of the reserve. I also love Bitcoin and Ethereum.”
Market experts believe this event could have a major impact on Bitcoin’s price, especially since BTC has become more sensitive to U.S. economic policies and government actions.
Adding to the potential market movement, Trump’s tariffs on Mexico and Canada are also set to kick in on March 4, creating further uncertainty. Analysts at Greeks.live believe this mix of political and financial events could lead to sharp price swings in the coming days.
“Trump’s every move has a strong impact on the crypto market. With the upcoming summit and new tariffs, traders should be ready for high volatility,” they wrote.
Ethena (ENA) Token Unlock (March 5) – Will It Trigger a Price Drop?
Another event to watch is the Ethena (ENA) token unlock on March 5. This isn’t a small release—2.07 billion ENA tokens (around 66% of its circulating supply) will hit the market, worth an estimated $910 million at current prices.
If past unlocks are any indication, this could put downward pressure on ENA’s price. A report from Keyrock Research found that 90% of major token unlocks lead to price drops, especially if investors sell off their newly released tokens quickly.
Similar scenarios have played out before. For example, when Aptos (APT) unlocked a large number of tokens in 2023, its price fell nearly 20% in a week. If the same happens with ENA, traders might be in for a bumpy ride.
Other notable token unlocks this week include:
NFPrompt (NFP)
Portal (PORTAL)
AltLayer (ALT)
Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade Goes Live on Testnet (March 5)
Ethereum is gearing up for another big step in its development. The Pectra Upgrade will roll out on the Sepolia Testnet on March 5, bringing wallet security improvements, better staking features, and network optimizations.
The upgrade was first tested on the Holesky testnet in late February, and while the mainnet launch was originally planned for March, developers pushed it to April to allow for more testing.
“The devnet is performing well, and validator participation is near perfect,” said Ethereum Foundation engineer Parithosh Jayanthi.
Beyond Pectra, Ethereum developers are also preparing for Fusaka, an upcoming update that will increase block capacity and improve smart contract functionality.
In the past, Ethereum upgrades have often led to increased trading activity. For example, the Shanghai Upgrade in 2023 allowed users to withdraw staked ETH for the first time, sparking a price rally of nearly 30% in two months. It’ll be interesting to see if Pectra has a similar effect.
GMX Perpetual DEX Expansion – A Big Move for Trading?
The GMX decentralized exchange (DEX) could be expanding to Sonic, a new Layer-1 blockchain that boasts 10,000 transactions per second (TPS).
GMX is currently active on Arbitrum (ARB) and Avalanche (AVAX) and has processed over $243 billion in trading volume. If it launches on Sonic, it could mean faster and cheaper trades, making the platform more attractive to traders.
Right now, GMX has around $456 million locked in the platform, but if this expansion proves successful, it could start catching up to competitors like Hyperliquid, which holds $642 million.
The GMX token ($18.03) and Sonic’s native token (S token) might see some price action if this expansion is confirmed. But for now, this remains speculation.
MegaETH Testnet Goes Live (March 7) – The Next Big Thing?
A new Ethereum Layer-2 project called MegaETH is set to launch its testnet this week. The network promises 100,000 transactions per second (TPS) and sub-10ms block times, making it one of the fastest blockchain platforms ever built.
MegaETH is backed by $30 million in funding from Vitalik Buterin, Dragonfly Capital, and other top investors.
This testnet won’t be incentivized, meaning there won’t be any token rewards, but it will give developers a first look at the technology.
If it delivers on its promises, MegaETH could revolutionize blockchain gaming, high-frequency trading, and other real-time applications. The mainnet launch is expected in late 2025, and while no official token has been announced, there’s already speculation about a potential airdrop.
Tron Introduces Gas-Free USDT Transactions
Tron (TRX) is rolling out a game-changing update—gas-free transactions for USDT.
Tron was once known for cheap USDT transfers, but over time, fees have skyrocketed to $3.20-$6.50 per transaction, even higher than Ethereum’s $0.40 ERC-20 fees.
To fix this, Tron founder Justin Sun announced a new “Gas-Free” feature, allowing users to send USDT without needing TRX for transaction fees.
“Tron’s Gas-Free feature will allow USDT payments without requiring TRX for gas fees,” Sun shared on X (Twitter).
With Tron handling over $60 billion in USDT transactions (about 51% of the total supply), this change could bring back its dominance in stablecoin transfers.
