Here’s what happened in crypto today

Today in crypto, Onchain real-world assets (RWAs) are gaining traction as Bitcoin’s price struggles, with market commentators predicting total value locked (TVL) could hit $50 billion in 2025 as demand grows, Florida Republican Senator Joe Gruters proposed a portion of the state funds be invested in Bitcoin, and the “Hawk Tuah” girl made her first media appearance after nearly two months of silence following the surge and collapse of the HAWK memecoin.Onchain real-world assets gain traction amid Bitcoin market uncertaintyReal-world assets (RWAs) are gaining traction as investors seek stable, yield-generating alternatives amid Bitcoin’s recent price stagnation and global market uncertainties.RWA tokenization refers to financial products and tangible assets like real estate and fine art minted on the blockchain, increasing investor accessibility and trading opportunities of these assets.Bitcoin fell below the $100,000 psychological mark on Feb. 4 after investor sentiment was hit by global trade war concerns following new import tariffs announced by the US and China.Bitcoin’s lack of momentum may attract more investment into RWAs, wrote Alexander Loktev, chief revenue officer at P2P.org, an institutional staking and crypto infrastructure provider.Bitcoin’s crab walk may lead to new all-time highs for onchain RWAs in 2025, Loktev told Cointelegraph, adding:“Given the recent moves we’ve seen from major financial institutions, particularly BlackRock and JPMorgan’s growing involvement in tokenization, I believe we could hit $50 billion in TVL.”Traditional finance (TradFi) institutions are “starting to view tokenized assets as a serious bridge to DeFi,” driven by institutions looking for digital asset investments with “predictable yields,” added Loktev.Florida Sen. Gruters proposes Bitcoin investment bill for state fundsFlorida Republican Senator Joe Gruters has introduced a bill proposing the investment of part of the state’s funds in Bitcoin and other digital assets to counter rising inflation. It follows a string of other US states recently moving toward the same goal.“The state should have access to tools such as Bitcoin to protect against inflation,” Gruters said in a Feb. 7 bill introduced to the Florida Senate.“Inflation has eroded the purchasing power of assets held in state funds managed by the chief financial officer,” he said.Gruters highlighted major asset management firms such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton already adopting Bitcoin and viewing it as a “hedge against inflation,” along with Bitcoin having “greatly risen in value” and becoming more widely accepted as an international medium of exchange as reasons Florida should consider investing state funds in the asset class.Haliey Welch, aka “Hawk Tuah,” speaks out after nearly two monthsHaliey Welch, widely known as the “Hawk Tuah” girl, made her first media appearance after nearly two months of silence following the launch of the HAWK memecoin and the subsequent crash of the token’s price.In an interview conducted with podcaster FaZe Banks, Welch claimed the project manager for the memecoin told her the token would have a long-term time horizon and would be positive for the crypto space.Welch said she initially did not want to launch the memecoin and was unfamiliar with the asset sector but did so because she was told half the money from the token would go to her charity. Welch said:“It was brought to me in a positive way — it was going to be something good and long-term, but it didn’t go that route at all, so it was like a smack in the face.”Welch’s attorney, Christian Barker, also said the development team and account managers misled Welch about the tokenomics of the project, with the developer still controlling 80% of the token’s supply.