The volatile cryptocurrency markets this week have seen a positive turn on Wednesday afternoon, as Bitcoin (BTC) surged past $37,400, marking an increase for the week, despite the departure of a prominent figure from the crypto scene.

At the beginning of the week, crypto markets faced turbulence due to the leak of potential massive settlement news regarding U.S. criminal charges against Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The situation intensified on Tuesday with the confirmation of a $4.3 billion fine and a guilty plea from its founder and CEO, Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, who also agreed to step down from his role, causing Bitcoin to briefly drop below $36,000 that evening.

However, markets have since shown resilience, with Bitcoin now up approximately 1.5% in the past 24 hours, approaching the $37,400 mark after starting the week at around $37,000.

The broader CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) has also made gains, surging over 2% in the past 24 hours, with notable increases of 5% for Ether (ETH) and 6% for Solana (SOL) and Chainlink (LINK).

Beyond the headlines, some observers have suggested that the Binance settlement may have paved the way for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to potentially approve a spot Bitcoin ETF. They believe that the resolution of the Binance situation and CZ's departure might alleviate the SEC's concerns regarding the manipulation of Bitcoin prices from overseas.

"As a result of this plea deal, expectations for the approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF may have reached 100%, as the industry will be required to adhere to the same regulations as traditional financial firms," stated crypto services provider Matrixport.

Economist Alex Kruger commented, "With the uncertainty surrounding Binance resolved and the appointment of an independent compliance monitor, we now await the market's consensus on the bullish implications of these developments.