South Korea jolted financial markets with an unexpected interest rate hike, sending local stocks sharply lower and even briefly halting trading. Crypto, however, reacted differently. We shifted our focus to tomorrow’s Clarity Act hearing in Congress, while Bitcoin price hovers near recent highs and Ethereum continues to hold above a key support zone.

The House Financial Services Committee will meet on July 17 for a hearing titled “Building the Future of Finance: How the Clarity Act Unlocks Innovation.” With Congress set to begin its summer recess soon after, many in the industry see the discussion as one of the last meaningful chances to move crypto legislation before lawmakers leave Washington.

These all explain the current market’s mood. Macro headlines still drive expectations, but they are no longer the only force steering digital assets. This week, the conversation has narrowed around one question. If the Clarity Act can bring enough regulatory certainty to keep institutional money flowing into the sector.

Bitcoin Price Holds Firm as Clarity Act Gets Closer
Bitcoin price spent Thursday hovering between $64,500 and $65,000, extending a recovery that has carried it to its highest level in about three weeks. After several months of choppy trading, the market finally looks willing to defend higher ground instead of selling at every rally.

Institutional demand remains part of that story, with BlackRock adding another $139 million worth of Bitcoin to its holdings, while the iShares Bitcoin Trust now custodies more than 733,000 BTC. Larry Fink also struck an optimistic tone this week, saying the current price of Bitcoin appears more stable than before and expressing confidence in financial markets over the next year.

Although traders remain cautious, analysts note Bitcoin is approaching the short-term holder realized price, an area that has historically produced resistance as newer investors exit at break-even. At the same time, those levels have often marked the beginning of longer accumulation phases rather than the end of a recovery.

Another signal arrived from a wallet that had been inactive for eight years. About as much as 5,908 BTC, valued near $383 million, moved to a fresh address without touching an exchange. The transfer did little to disturb sentiment, showing that the market viewed it as a reshuffle instead of a liquidation. For now, Bitcoin price remains steady, with tomorrow’s Clarity Act hearing likely to set the next tone.

Ethereum Price Builds on Improving Momentum
Ethereum is trading around the $1,900 price mark after reclaiming an important resistance level and triggering more than $30 million in short liquidations. The move was not explosive, but it continued a steady improvement that has quietly placed Ethereum among the stronger large-cap performers this week. And yes, the Ethereum price has been outperforming Bitcoin with a more than 17% jump in the ETH/BTC ratio.

Investor appetite is also beginning to recover. Spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $84 million in net inflows during the week ending July 11, breaking an eight-week streak of withdrawals. That turnaround has helped stabilize sentiment, while BlackRock’s ETHA has contributed to several of the strongest daily inflows. As a result, the price of Ethereum is once again finding support from institutional investors.

Away from the ETF market, development across the network continues. Robinhood Chain, an Arbitrum-based Layer 2, is attracting activity through tokenized assets, AI applications, and NFT projects, all of which rely on ETH for transaction fees. Growing usage may not move markets overnight, but it steadily strengthens the network beneath the surface.

The next catalyst now sits in Washington. A constructive outcome from the Clarity Act hearing could reinforce confidence, just as ETF flows improve and the Bitcoin price remains resilient. If that happens, we can, once again, believe that the Ethereum price has a realistic chance of reclaiming $2,000 in the weeks ahead.

Source>>https://cryptonews.com/news/crypto-news-july-16-all-clarity-act-hearing-bitcoin-ethereum-price/