Asia Markets Brief: BTC Pullback Signals Fragility; Google, Meta Spark Fresh AI Token Gains

Asia Morning Briefing: Bitcoin Retreats as Risk Appetite Wavers, Big Tech AI Spending Boosts Token Rally

Bitcoin pulled back nearly 2% on Tuesday, trading around $117,800 after a brief run above $120,000 last week. The decline reflects a market cooling off from overbought levels, reminding investors that even a strong uptrend isn’t immune to sharp corrections.

While optimism persists—with some eyeing long-term targets above $150,000—analysts are warning that rising leverage and macro uncertainty could set the stage for more volatile moves.

“The market isn’t invincible,” said OKX Chief Commercial Officer Lennex Lai. “With funding rates climbing and long positioning getting crowded, any external shock—especially from macro or trade data—could spark a shakeout.”

K33 Research noted that average 2025 funding rates are hovering near 4.5%, the lowest since the FTX collapse, suggesting institutional players remain cautious despite the broader bull cycle.

Maple Finance Surpasses BlackRock’s BUIDL to Lead On-Chain Asset Management

In a major milestone for decentralized finance, Maple Finance has become the largest on-chain asset manager, overtaking BlackRock’s BUIDL. Total assets under management surged to $2.9 billion, bolstered by a recent $100 million deposit.

Unlike BUIDL, which is backed by U.S. Treasuries, Maple focuses on undercollateralized institutional lending, signaling investor demand is expanding beyond traditional tokenized securities into high-yield on-chain credit.

The milestone marks a new era for DeFi credit markets and positions Maple as a potential cornerstone of the emerging decentralized capital stack.

AI Tokens Rally as Google, Meta Announce Massive Infrastructure Investments

AI-related crypto tokens gained more than 5% after Google and Meta unveiled plans for multibillion-dollar investments in AI infrastructure, signaling continued confidence in the sector.

Google announced a $25 billion initiative, including a $3 billion hydro-powered data center in partnership with Brookfield. Meta followed with news of its “Prometheus” AI supercampus in Ohio. Both developments were highlighted at the U.S. government’s AI investment summit at Carnegie Mellon, which drew over $90 billion in pledged capital from public and private entities.

This surge in traditional tech infrastructure is spilling over into AI-token sentiment, as traders anticipate a growing role for decentralized compute networks in the broader AI economy.

Market Overview