Now that there is a US spot bitcoin ETF, bitcoin is no longer considered shady or obscure.
Almost everything you posted was true except this one. So you think that bitcoin was shady before bitcoin spot ETF was approved in the United States? That is not true. There was nothing shady about bitcoin. Also its price is not easy to manipulate because of its huge marketcap. Bitcoin had over $1 trillion marketcap before bitcoin spot ETF was approved in the United States. How was it shady?
Before ETFs, was BTC considered "shady" for big entities, though (institutions, etc.)?
I didn't catch the moment when it happened myself and the mood in the media at that time, however, I wonder..