Bitcoin’s exchange-traded funds closed last week on a rough note — outflows hit $277 million on Thursday, followed by another $145 million on Friday. Yet when the dust settled, the week still ended in positive territory, extending a run that has now lasted six straight weeks. Related Reading: XRP Flashes Historic Rally Signal, Fueling $12 Price Speculation Inflows Total $3.4 Billion Since Early April US spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded net inflows every week since April 2, pulling in a combined $3.4 billion over that stretch, according to data from SoSoValue. That makes it the longest consecutive inflow streak in more than nine months — the last time funds saw a run this long was a seven-week period between June 13 and July 18, 2025, which drew in roughly $7.57 billion. The current streak’s best week came in mid-April. For the week of April 17, inflows reached $996 million. The most recent week logged $622 million, while the streak’s weakest showing was its very first — just $22 million for the week of April 2. Last week’s numbers told a story of two halves. Monday and Tuesday alone brought in $532 million and $467 million respectively. Then Wednesday slowed sharply to $46 million, before Thursday and Friday swung into outflow territory, nearly erasing what had been a strong start. Macro Pressure Kept Traders On Edge Reports from Bitunix analysts point to broader market caution ahead of the US April Non-Farm Payrolls report. Consensus estimates called for payroll growth of just 62,000 — a steep drop from the prior reading of 178,000 — which reinforced expectations that the labor market was cooling. An ADP report earlier in the week showing 109,000 jobs added complicated that picture, leaving investors uncertain heading into the data release. Geopolitical tensions also weighed on sentiment. Reports indicate that the US and Iran exchanged fire near the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides were said to be leaving room for negotiations. A partial understanding on maritime issues between the two countries was reportedly reached. Bitcoin slipped below $80,000 on Thursday. Analysts flagged heavy liquidity clustering around the $78,000 level, warning that a break below it could set off cascading liquidations. Dense short positioning between $82,000 and $83,000 kept the market caught between two forces. Related Reading: Altcoins Aren’t Going Anywhere — Even After Brutal Crashes: Arthur Hayes Ether ETFs Bounce Back After Prior Week’s Losses Ether ETFs also returned to positive ground. For the week ending May 8, they posted a little over $70 million in net inflows after recording $82 million in outflows the week before. The recovery followed a strong three-week run from April 10 to April 24, which brought in a combined $618 million, with the week of April 17 alone accounting for $276 million. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Ethereum has posted its strongest buy-side pressure on derivatives markets since the 2022 bear market, according to CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost, a shift that could matter after months of persistent sell-side dominance across this cycle. The change does not, on its own, confirm a full trend reversal. But it does mark a notable break from the pattern that has weighed on ETH during key upside attempts. Ethereum Flashes Early Recovery Signal In a post shared on X on April 18, Darkfost argued that Ethereum has spent most of the cycle fighting “unusually heavy selling pressure on derivatives markets.” He pointed to net taker volume, a measure of the imbalance between buy and sell market orders on derivatives exchanges, which he said “remained almost consistently negative” throughout the period. That pressure was especially visible during ETH’s attempts to push into higher price territory. Darkfost wrote: “This was particularly visible when ETH attempted to break into a new all time high above $4,000 in December 2024. At that time, net taker volume fell to -$511 million. It became even more extreme when ETH later printed its all time high just below $5,000, as sell-side pressure heavily dominated with -$568 million in net taker volume.” Related Reading: This Pattern Suggests Ethereum Is In Accumulation Phase — What’s Next? In Darkfost’s reading, even when ETH was pressing toward local highs, aggressive sellers in derivatives were still overwhelming buyers. That helps explain why upside momentum struggled to translate into a cleaner breakout environment. Strong spot narratives or bullish sentiment alone were not enough if the derivatives complex kept leaning the other way. That dynamic, he said, has now started to change. “Since March, buy-side volumes have finally taken control, with +$102 million recorded today,” Darkfost wrote. “The last time Ethereum saw such a strong level of buying pressure on derivatives markets was during the previous bear market in 2022, when ETH was trading around the $1,000 area.” Related Reading: Ethereum Signals Major Reversal – $2,900 Target Back In Focus The comparison to 2022 is notable because it frames the current move less as routine positioning noise and more as a rare regime shift in flow. On the chart, green positive net taker volume bars have reappeared after a long stretch in which red negative readings dominated. For traders watching ETH’s structure, that matters because sustained positive taker flow suggests buyers are becoming more willing to lift offers rather than wait passively for lower prices. Still, Darkfost stopped short of calling a confirmed reversal. His argument is conditional. “If this trend manages to persist and buyers continue to absorb selling pressure, it could mark the early stages of a stronger structural recovery for Ethereum,” he wrote. That caveat is central to the thesis: one strong reading does not erase a cycle’s worth of negative pressure, but persistence would. At press time, ETH traded at $2,288. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Charles Schwab is charging into the crypto space with fees lower than its closest rival — and a customer base that dwarfs most financial platforms in America. Related Reading: Bitcoin Pressure Builds As Miners Dump 32K BTC In Just 3 Months A Slow Roll, Not A Full Launch The Texas-based brokerage has begun offering spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading through its Schwab Crypto platform, operated via Charles Schwab Premier Bank. But don’t expect every customer to get access right away. The rollout starts with an internal employee pilot, moves to a client waitlist, then opens more broadly through the rest of Q2 2026. Customers in New York and Louisiana are currently left out. When it does fully open, the potential reach is staggering. Schwab manages close to $1.50 trillion in assets and holds accounts for up to 46 million active brokerage clients, served by 16,000 financial advisors. That kind of scale puts Schwab in a league of its own among brokerages now entering the crypto market. The firm set its trading fee at 0.75% — undercutting Fidelity Crypto’s 1% rate. Whether that gap is enough to pull customers from established platforms remains to be seen, but it gives Schwab a concrete edge on price. Robinhood Still Holds Some Ground Schwab won’t have the field to itself. Robinhood, which has been in the crypto trading space for years, offers more than 15 cryptocurrencies, operates in the EU and Asia-Pacific markets, and allows users to transfer crypto to external wallets. Schwab, for now, is starting with just Bitcoin and Ethereum. Reports indicate Schwab plans to add more cryptocurrencies down the line, along with AI tools, as it looks to capture a bigger share of demand from investors who want crypto alongside their traditional holdings. The brokerage described the crypto push as part of a broader effort to grow revenue sources. Earnings Miss Clouds An Otherwise Strong Quarter The crypto announcement landed on the same day Schwab posted its first-quarter 2026 results. Net revenue climbed 16% year over year to $6.48 billion — a record — but fell just short of the $6.50 billion analysts had expected. That narrow miss hit the stock hard. Shares of Schwab (NYSE: SCHW) dropped 7.70% on the day, trading at $92.51. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rally Faces First Test At $76K As Sellers Step In: Analysts Bitcoin touched $75,000 on the same day, pushed higher by strong inflows into spot ETFs and optimism around a potential US-Iran ceasefire. Ethereum moved in the opposite direction, slipping 0.75% to $2,355 after a large holder offloaded roughly 120,000 ETH — nearly $60 million worth — taking profit on a long position. Schwab’s entry adds another major name to the growing list of traditional financial institutions now offering direct access to crypto assets, bringing Bitcoin and Ethereum further into the mainstream of everyday investing. Featured image from MetaAI, chart from TradingView
Ethereum has already shown the way. While Bitcoin climbed roughly 5% in a single day, Ether moved more than 8% — outpacing it by a factor of nearly 1.4. That gap, according to one analyst, is a preview of what the broader crypto market could do if Bitcoin keeps climbing through the rest of April. Related Reading: ‘Extremely Good News’ – XRP DeFi Momentum Builds As SEC Softens Position On Interfaces A Specific Price Level Is Drawing Attention Michael Van de Poppe, founder of MN Fund and a widely followed market analyst, says Bitcoin has a clear path to the $80,000–$85,000 range before the month closes out. He made the call on X this week, pointing to a recovering global market as the main force behind the expected move. Bitcoin was trading around $74,500 at the time of his post, up more than 5% in 24 hours, with trading volume jumping over 90% over the same period. #Bitcoin aims to attack the highs and is consolidating around $75K. If it blasts through $75K with volume, we’ll be in for $80-85K this month, as that’s where the higher timeframe resistances are. Yesterday I’ve made an analysis with several scenarios that I’m looking for.… pic.twitter.com/zq47n6NhXk — Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) April 14, 2026 The $85,000 target would mark a return to price levels Bitcoin last visited in late January, when it slipped from around $89,000 down to $84,600. Getting back there would represent a gain of nearly 14% from where it stood when Van de Poppe made his call. One level matters more than the rest right now: $75,000. According to Van de Poppe, breaking through that resistance with strong volume behind it sets the stage for the run to $80,000–$85,000 — where heavier selling pressure from longer-term chart history tends to sit. Bitcoin had already pushed past $75,000 by the time the analysis circulated. Downside Support Gives The Bull Case A Floor Van de Poppe also outlined what could keep the bullish scenario alive even if prices pull back. Based on his analysis, as long as Bitcoin holds above $72,000, there is better than a 70% chance it trades above $80,000 before April ends. That support zone acts as a line in the sand. A drop below it would likely change the picture. Related Reading: Dollar’s Shrinking Value Adds Fuel To XRP Bull Case: Finance Expert The backdrop helping Bitcoin here is broader than crypto. Global markets have been stabilizing after weeks of pressure tied to geopolitical tensions, and Bitcoin has moved in step with that recovery. Altcoins Could Amplify The Move Van de Poppe’s bigger claim may be the one about altcoins. He sees them moving at two to three times Bitcoin’s rate — meaning if Bitcoin gains 10%, altcoins could rise 20% to 30% or more. Reports indicate that this pattern tends to follow a predictable path. Capital flows into Bitcoin first, then into large-cap coins, and eventually rotates into smaller altcoins. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
Ethereum’s growing base of active users may be one reason investors are putting more money into it — and less into Bitcoin. Related Reading: Cardano In Danger Zone? Trader Drops ‘Time Bomb’ Claim Exchange Outflows Point To A Shift In Holding Behavior Data from on-chain research firm XWIN Research shows Ethereum recorded a sustained drop in exchange-held supply throughout March 2026, a sign that more holders are moving their tokens off trading platforms and into long-term storage. Reduced exchange supply typically signals less intention to sell. At the same time, active addresses on the Ethereum network trended higher, pointing to broader usage across its ecosystem. Stablecoins, decentralized finance, and real-world asset tokenization all saw activity gains during the period. ETHUSD trading at $2,236 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView Bitcoin did not show the same kind of network momentum. While it posted a 1.80% price gain in March, its market cap slipped 0.41%. Ethereum, by contrast, climbed 7% and expanded its market cap by almost 3%. That gap drew attention from analysts tracking capital movement across the two largest cryptocurrencies. Why Ethereum Outperformed Bitcoin “ETH currently benefits from simultaneous capital inflow, supply tightening, and ecosystem growth. This positions Ethereum as a structurally stronger asset in the current phase.” – By @xwinfinance pic.twitter.com/khcggqJZk6 — CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) April 10, 2026 Ethereum Runs Hotter Than Bitcoin On Volatility Measures The two assets moved largely in the same direction — their price correlation sat at around 0.94 — but how far they moved told a different story. Ethereum’s realized volatility came in at 62% for the month. Bitcoin’s was 49%. According to XWIN Research, that spread positions Ethereum as a higher-beta asset, one that reacts more sharply when liquidity conditions shift. Traders chasing bigger short-term gains appear to have taken notice. The Coinbase Premium Gap, a metric that tracks the price difference between Coinbase and other exchanges, remained negative for Ethereum. Reports indicate, however, that it showed early signs of narrowing — a potential signal that US-based demand is beginning to return. Related Reading: XRP Faces No Immediate Quantum Threat As Only 0.03% Supply Seen At Risk: Analyst Store-Of-Value Narrative Loses Ground To Utility Play Bitcoin has long been positioned as digital gold — a place to park value rather than a network to build on. That story may be losing some of its pull, at least for now. Based on XWIN Research’s analysis, attention appears to be rotating toward assets that respond more directly to shifts in liquidity and market sentiment. Ethereum, with its broader infrastructure role, is currently drawing that attention. The analysis stopped short of predicting how long the trend would last. What it did say is that Ethereum’s on-chain data and ecosystem activity place it in a stronger short-term position than Bitcoin. Whether that holds as broader market conditions change remains to be seen. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
Ethereum exchange reserves have fallen to a record low, even as the token trades near $2,15 and still struggles to break out. CryptoQuant data shows reserves are down about 77% from their 2021 peak, while CoinGlass data points to a surge in futures activity, with volume topping close to $50 billion in 24 hours. Related Reading: XRP Wallet Count Tops 8 Million As Trading Volume Nears $4 Billion Exchange Balances Keep Sliding The long slide in exchange balances has been building for years. According to CryptoQuant analyst Rich_dady, the decline has accelerated since late 2025, and the gap between price and reserve levels suggests that coins are still leaving exchanges at a fast pace. That kind of movement usually means holders are sending ETH to cold storage, staking it, or parking it away from trading venues. Even with that tighter supply, the market has not shown the kind of buying pressure that would normally push price higher. The report says ETH rose about 4% over the past 24 hours, but the move has not been enough to change the broader picture. Buyers, it says, have not stepped in with much force. Futures Trading Is Running Ahead Of Spot The bigger action has been in derivatives. CoinGlass data cited in the piece shows open interest climbing at the same time futures volume jumped past $49 billion in a single day. The report also points to $1.2 billion in futures inflows over 24 hours, a sign that traders are taking on more leverage while spot flows stay mostly flat. That split matters. When derivatives heat up faster than spot buying, the market often gets choppier instead of trending cleanly in one direction. The report says that setup points to weaker demand than the supply picture might suggest on its own. $2,100 Support Still Holds For Now ETH remains above $2,100 support, but the report says that level has not yet turned into a clean launch pad for a stronger move. The current setup leaves the market waiting on spot demand, which the piece says is still the missing piece. Related Reading: XRP Headed For A Price Shock, Japan’s Financial Heavyweight Says Without more consistent buying from new entrants, lower exchange reserves alone may not be enough to force a breakout. For now, the picture is uneven. Supply on exchanges keeps shrinking, yet price action stays boxed in. Traders are active, leverage is rising, and the spot side remains quiet. That leaves Ethereum in a narrow and uneasy stretch, where the next clear move may depend less on supply and more on whether buyers finally return. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
Ethereum could outpace Bitcoin by a wide margin over the next four years — at least according to one of the most bullish forecasts to come out of traditional banking. That is the view from Geoff Kendrick, Global Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered, who laid out the projection in a recent podcast appearance. Ethereum’s Potential Gain Towers Over Bitcoin’s While Bitcoin grabs the bigger headline number, the math actually favors Ethereum. Kendrick’s base case puts Bitcoin at $500,000 by 2030 — roughly 7.5 times its current price of $66,400. Ethereum, sitting at $2,034, would need to hit $40,000 to meet his target. That works out to about 20 times its current value. In other words, Ethereum holders would see nearly three times the relative return compared to Bitcoin investors, if the forecast holds. Related Reading: Bitcoin Stumbles Hard: The Worst Q1 In Years Raises Big Questions Kendrick flagged the ETH/BTC ratio as one indicator to watch. That ratio currently sits at around 0.03. His outlook has it climbing to 0.04 in the near term, a signal that Ethereum would be gaining ground on Bitcoin in relative terms. He also offered a more immediate checkpoint: if Bitcoin gets back to $100,000 by the end of 2026, Ethereum should be trading near $4,000. That would represent gains of roughly 50% for Bitcoin and 95% for Ethereum from where both assets currently stand. Global Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered: “I’ve got $500K Bitcoin by 2030 and $40K Ethereum by 2030 – a massive outperformance.” That’s ~20x on $ETH from here. pic.twitter.com/p7dFwPrTzG — Milk Road (@MilkRoad) April 1, 2026 Banks Are Choosing Ethereum First One reason why Kendrick believes in the bullishness of Ethereum is that the financial sector has been joining the blockchain revolution. From Kendrick’s point of view, large asset management firms and banks usually begin their blockchain ventures by developing products based on Ethereum since it has a reputation for safety and reliability. For instance, BlackRock started creating blockchain products using Ethereum first before venturing into other blockchain networks. This pattern, Kendrick argues, gives Ethereum a durable edge. As more institutions follow the same playbook, demand for the network could build steadily through the end of the decade. He described this as the “first phase” of real-world adoption playing out primarily on Ethereum, even if activity eventually spreads to competing blockchains. Related Reading: XRP Could Soon Enter Arizona’s Treasury — Here’s What’s Happening Network Usage Seen As A Price Driver Beyond institutional adoption, Kendrick pointed to raw network activity as a key factor in his price outlook. Rising transaction fees on Ethereum-based applications are seen as a gauge of demand. As stablecoins, decentralized finance, and tokenized real-world assets continue to grow on the network, that increased usage could push the token’s value higher. The forecast was shared during an interview on the Milk Road podcast with host John Gillen. Standard Chartered has not publicly released a formal research note tied to these specific figures, but Kendrick’s comments drew wide attention across the crypto community following the appearance. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
BlackRock’s staked Ethereum fund pulled in $155 million on its first day of trading — more than the firm’s own Bitcoin ETF managed at launch. That number tells one part of Ethereum’s story in early 2026. Related Reading: UK Slaps Sanctions On $20B Crypto Black Market Tied To Southeast Asia Scam Rings The other part is harder to spin: the token itself has dropped more than 55% from its August 2025 high of roughly $4,953, and it is still falling. A Network Busier Than Ever Daily active addresses on Ethereum climbed toward 2 million in February 2026, surpassing peaks recorded during the 2021 bull market, according to analytics firm CryptoQuant. Smart contract interactions now exceed 40 million per day, and 37 million ETH — close to 30% of total supply — sits locked in staking contracts. Those are not small numbers. They suggest a network that more people are actively using than at any point in its history. But price is not following. Ether has dropped roughly 30% over the past six months even as network activity hit record highs. Ethereum Mainnet active addresses are holding at ALL-TIME HIGH levels! ???? 3.64M weekly active addresses. ???? 1 year ago: +97% growth to get here ???? 4 weeks: +13% ???? Polygon PoS right behind at 2.84M ???? Base: 1.99M, Arbitrum: 785k Data via @growthepie_eth pic.twitter.com/7qcVV8vo2u — Leon Waidmann (@LeonWaidmann) March 26, 2026 Analysts say capital flows and rising exchange deposits now explain ether’s price better than on-chain usage, a break from the tight relationship seen in prior bull markets. In 2018 and 2021, surging activity came with surging prices. That pattern no longer holds. Ethereum hosts approximately $162 billion in stablecoin supply — about 52% of the global market — yet that activity has not translated into proportional value for ether itself. The blockchain is busy. Its native token is not benefiting the way it once did. Where The Money Is Going Part of the explanation lies in how Ethereum has changed. During the 2021 cycle, peak monthly fee revenue exceeded $500 million when virtually all activity occurred on Layer 1. Today, economic value increasingly flows to Layer 2 operators and sequencers rather than to ETH holders directly. Ethereum scaled. The asset did not capture the upside. Related Reading: Shiba Inu Under Pressure As Nearly 40B Netflow Surge Hits Exchanges Data from DefiLlama shows Ethereum generated roughly $10 million in transaction fees over the past 30 days, placing it third behind Tron at nearly $25 million and Solana at about $20 million. The base layer is losing fee share to rival networks even as total usage climbs. Supply data does offer a different signal. Exchange reserves have dropped to 16 million ETH — the lowest level ever recorded — down 30% from 23 million ETH in 2023. Roughly 7 million ETH, worth around $13.7 billion, has been withdrawn from exchanges, with holders moving coins to cold storage and staking rather than positioning to sell. Less supply available on exchanges can reduce selling pressure over time, though it does not guarantee a price recovery. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The Wall Street investment bank cited slower ETF flows, weak network activity and a narrowing window for U.S. regulatory catalysts.
A Blockstream executive made waves on social media Saturday with a striking comparison: US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have pulled in roughly the same amount of cumulative investor money as gold ETFs collected over their first 15 years — and Bitcoin did it in less than two. Related Reading: Stablecoin Market Breaks Records — USDC Controls 70% Of $1.8 Trillion Volume The Numbers Behind The Claim Fernando Nikolić, Blockstream’s director of marketing, posted the observation on X, adding that the milestone came during a period when Bitcoin had dropped 46% from its peak and spent several months trending downward. His point was that institutional money kept flowing into Bitcoin products even as prices fell hard. The claim drew attention because gold ETFs had a significant head start in the market — more than a decade — before Bitcoin products even existed. spot bitcoin ETFs matched 15 years of cumulative gold ETF inflows in under two years gold had a fifteen year head start and bitcoin caught it in twenty months absolute cinema ???? and this happened during a 46% drawdown btw during five red months while most of your timeline… pic.twitter.com/TuK5E2WZsq — Fernando Nikolić ???????? ???? (@basedlayer) March 8, 2026 The data backing the broader story comes from SoSoValue, which tracks daily and weekly flows into US spot crypto ETFs. According to that data, Bitcoin ETFs brought in around $568 million this week. The prior week saw roughly $787 million come in. Back-to-back positive weeks like that haven’t happened since early October last year — a stretch of about five months during which money was consistently leaving these funds. Before the recent stretch of inflows, the bleeding was significant. Reports indicate Bitcoin ETFs shed approximately $3.8 billion across five straight weeks of net withdrawals. The worst single week came around January 30, when investors pulled out close to $1.50 billion in one stretch. Day-By-Day, The Picture Gets Messier The weekly totals look clean. The daily breakdown does not. This week, Bitcoin ETFs took in $458 million on Monday, another $225 million on Tuesday, and a strong $462 million on Wednesday. Then the direction flipped. Thursday brought $228 million in outflows, and Friday saw close to $350 million leave the funds. The week ended positive, but just barely held together in the final sessions. Ether ETFs followed a similar pattern on a smaller scale. The funds recorded their second straight week of net inflows, collecting around $23.56 million after posting a little over $80 million the prior week. That two-week run marks the first consecutive weekly gains for Ether products since early October. Before that, five uninterrupted weeks of withdrawals drained more than $1.38 billion from those funds, with the week ending January 23 alone accounting for roughly $611 million in redemptions. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETFs Bleed $349M In A Day As Whales Dump, Small Buyers Step In: Analysts A Rebound With Uneven Footing Two positive weeks for both Bitcoin and Ether ETFs signal a shift, but the daily choppiness tells a more complicated story. Large inflows early in the week gave way to sizable redemptions by Thursday and Friday — a pattern that suggests some investors remain cautious even as fresh money enters. Featured image from Online Casinos, chart from TradingView
Vitalik Buterin has been moving Ether into stablecoins again. According to on-chain data, wallets linked to him carried out a series of swaps on CoW Swap, sending more than 3,100 ETH into stable assets in recent days. Related Reading: Bitcoin Buying Spree Nears Century Mark, Saylor Hints Reports from Arkham Intelligence flagged the activity, which lowered his visible balance to just above 224,000 ETH — still a very large holding. Latest Moves And What They Mean The numbers deserve context. A $6 million set of sales is small compared with a multi-hundred-million-dollar stake. Some of the transfers were public and routine. Reports say parts of earlier moves — about $29 million worth — had clear funding purposes. At least $2.3 million of that was used to back projects tied to the foundation’s work. That is a normal use of a treasury when teams need cash for development and grants. Funding And Foundation Plans The sale sequence also fits into a broader plan that was mentioned publicly weeks ago. Buterin signaled that roughly $44.7 million might be offloaded over time while the Ethereum Foundation tightens spending and adopts a more frugal stance. That mild austerity is meant to stretch funds and keep core programs running. Moving assets into stablecoins can be a defensive step: it reduces exposure to price swings while preserving buying power for future spending. Market Reaction And Price Pressure Still, markets are fragile. ETH has fallen, trading under $1,900 and hitting two-week lows in the recent session. The token is down sharply over the past month, and that drop amplifies any news about big holders selling. Prediction markets even assign a high chance that ETH falls to $1,500 before climbing back to $3,000. Traders react to signals; founder moves are a signal. That does not automatically mean the founder is abandoning the project, but it does feed short-term anxiety. Related Reading: XRP Fell Nearly 70% — Could History Repeat With An 835% Surge? Roadmap Talk And Longer View Beyond the cash moves, Buterin has been outspoken about technical direction. He argued the mainnet needs a rethink of how it works with layer-two rollups, and he backed an upgrade aimed at strengthening censorship resistance. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
A misconfigured Chainlink price oracle on DeFi lender Moonwell briefly valued Coinbase Wrapped ETH (cbETH) at about $1 instead of roughly $2,200.
Peter Thiel's Founders Fund held zero shares in ether treasury firm ETHZillan at the end of 2025, per SEC filings.
According to CoinMarketCap, Ethereum changed hands around $2,050 at one point, with a single-session move of about 7%. Reports have disclosed that roughly 30% of the total ETH supply is now locked in staking contracts, a level not seen before. Related Reading: Urgent Crypto Reform: Treasury Secretary Says The Clock Is Ticking That is a big shift in where supply sits, and it matters because locked coins are not available for quick trading. Staking Participation Hits A Record On-chain trackers show a steady climb in staking since early 2023. Back then roughly 15% of the supply was staked; today that figure has roughly doubled. People who lock ETH as validators do it to earn rewards and to help keep the network running. Many of those accounts are built to stay long-term. That matters because long-term holders change how supply and demand play out. Ethereum staking rate just hit a new all-time high. Over 30.5% of all ETH is now staked! Meanwhile ETH is trading at ~$1,950. Since early 2023, the staking rate has gone from ~15% to 30.5% in an almost perfect straight line. Bear market, bull market, crashes, rallies. Doesn’t… pic.twitter.com/8dS4xv7bok — Leon Waidmann (@LeonWaidmann) February 13, 2026 Liquid Supply Has Shrunk When a chunk of coins is tied up, it takes some selling pressure off the market. Locked ETH lowers the pool available on exchanges for fast sales. That does not guarantee a price surge, but it does tighten one side of the market. Traders watching supply flows often weigh that factor alongside macro moves and liquidity conditions. Some traders see this as a slow-burning bullish signal. Others remain cautious because other forces can push prices down even when supply is tighter. Ether Shows Volatility Around $1,900–$2,000 Prices have been bouncy. One day sees gains; the next day shows pullbacks. Reports note that ETH slipped below $2,000 at times as broader crypto momentum cooled. Some sessions point to strength, and some to weakness. Over the last week movement has been uneven. This is a market where headlines and flows still swing prices more than network fundamentals sometimes do. Validator Growth May Support Confidence The rising staking rate also points to growing validator infrastructure and investor patience. More validators means the consensus mechanism has more hands on deck. That has implications beyond price: it affects network security and how rewards are distributed. For many long-horizon investors, that steady build of validators is a reason to remain involved. Related Reading: Bitcoin At $8,000? Michael Saylor Says Strategy Still Won’t Break Timing of withdrawal unlocks is on watch lists. So is how quickly new staked ETH can return to exchanges when withdrawals are permitted at scale. Another big item is macro moves—rates, liquidity, and major market shifts. Those will likely control the next big price swings more than staking alone. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Ethereum climbed back above $2,000 after a softer-than-expected US CPI print, and the move has traders and analysts debating whether the worst is behind the coin or if this is a temporary relief rally. Related Reading: Calm Down: Ethereum Has Survived 8 Major 50% Falls, Lee Reminds Investors Reports say futures open interest has fallen sharply over the last 30 days, funding rates have swung into deeply negative territory, and some on-chain metrics point to a clustered support zone below current prices. Open Interest Drop Raises Questions According to CryptoQuant, the headline figure showing an 80 million ETH decline in open interest across major venues grabbed attention. That number, if taken at face value, would be huge. It suggests large positions were closed rather than new ones being put on. But the scale of the change also invites scrutiny; reporting errors or dollar-value comparisons mislabeled as ETH can happen. Still, a sizable pullback in futures exposure on exchanges including Binance, Gate, Bybit and OKX has been logged, and that much appears real. Funding Rates And The Crowd Funding rates on some platforms are pushing to levels not seen in roughly three years. When traders pay to hold short positions, it signals strong bearish conviction. It is reported that such extremes tend to be followed by a sharp reversal as the crowd can become one-sided, and that leads to a quick reversal as the market sentiment changes. This was seen at the end of 2022, where there was extreme shorting followed by a quick reversal. This does not mean that it will happen this time around as markets can remain one-sided for longer than expected. Support Zones And Technical Targets Glassnode’s on-chain data reveals a significant cost-basis area between $1,880 and $1,900, where about 1.3 million ETH was traded. The $2,000 mark is acting as a psychological anchor and is reinforced by moving average clusters. A breakout from the recent falling wedge pattern points to an initial measured target near $2,150, a ceiling that would be tested before higher resistance near $2,260 and then $2,500. Those levels are not certainties; broader market tone and Bitcoin’s direction will influence whether they are reached. Related Reading: XRP Set To Dethrone Bitcoin Within 6 Years, Entrepreneur Says Reduced open interest lowers the risk of cascade liquidations for now, which can tame intraday volatility. At the same time, low funding rates show that bearish bets are still active and could be squeezed if momentum turns. Reports say accumulation wallets increased inflows when prices dipped, hinting at longer-term conviction among some investors. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The bank cuts its 2026 crypto price targets, warning of further near-term capitulation as ETF outflows and macro headwinds weigh on digital assets.
Tom Lee, head of research at Fundstrat, is betting on a prompt bounce for Ethereum. He pointed to a pattern stretching back to 2018: each time ETH dropped deep, it later recovered strongly. Related Reading: Jim Cramer Suggests US Government Could Buy Bitcoin Near $60K That history has shaped the tone of his remarks in Hong Kong, where he argued that previous collapses ended with rapid turnarounds. Tom Lee Backs A Quick Rebound According to Lee, Ethereum has endured more than a 50% decline on eight separate occasions since 2018 and each time it came back. He used those past moves as the basis for his view that another sharp recovery is likely. Analysts often disagree about how much weight to give past cycles. $ETH 100% V-Shape Record ???? Tom Lee highlights Ethereum’s eight V-shaped recoveries since 2018. Tom DeMark, whose models are followed by macro legends like Paul Tudor Jones and used across institutional desks, says a final undercut near $1,890 would “perfect” the bottom. That… pic.twitter.com/j9zWoUOLgP — SamAlτcoin.eth (@SAMALTCOIN_ETH) February 11, 2026 Market conditions are not identical now, yet patterns matter because traders use them. Some analysts have highlighted the $1,890 level as a likely low. They said it might be probed twice in an “undercut” before stabilizing. That kind of setup is common in volatile markets and is used to find entry points. Staking Squeezes Liquid Supply Reports note that staking demand remains strong even while prices fall. The validator entry queue has swollen to about 21 days, with roughly 4 million ETH waiting to be accepted. That has left more than 30% of the total supply locked up — about 36.7 million ETH. People are earning roughly 2.80% APR on staked coins, a modest return by crypto standards, but enough to persuade many holders to lock funds away. When large sums are immobilized like this, tradable supply thins and price reactions can be amplified on both the way down and the way up. Related Reading: More Bitcoin Ahead: Saylor, Strategy Commit To Regular BTC Purchases Ethereum Price Action And Market Strain Market moves have been sharp. ETH slid to about $1,900 at the time of writing, down 5.4% in the last seven days, and has failed to hold above $2,000 in recent days. Over the last 30 days, the token fell roughly 36%. Heavy liquidations have been recorded, with more than $1 billion in positions closed out as leverage was forced to unwind. That generated fast selling and left traders cautious. Economic data, geopolitical headlines, and anticipation of US inflation readings have added to the nervous mood. Some desks now treat any bounce as tentative until volatility eases. Whether that rebound comes fast or takes time, Lee’s stance is clear: sharp drops have not marked the end for Ethereum in the past. He sees the current stress as another chapter in a familiar cycle, not a structural break. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The firm’s looped ETH long position unraveled this week as ether's price crashed, resulting in an estimated $686 million loss.
“I think crypto starts to become invisibly more part of everyone's lives," said Tom Lee — the two appeared on a panel together Tuesday morning at the Ondo Summit in New York.
By several measures, activity on the network remains near peak levels, which has industry leaders plussed about the plunge in ether's price.
According to reports, Vitalik Buterin has pulled 16,384 ETH from his reserves and plans to spend it on privacy and truly open technology. That move is paired with a call for five years of thrift at the Ethereum Foundation so the foundation can keep building core software while staying healthy for the long run. Related Reading: Gold, Silver Steal The Spotlight As Crypto Hype Fades On Social Media: Santiment A New Focus On Privacy And Openness Reports say the funds, worth about $45 million, will back a broad list of projects: open silicon, secure hardware, private messaging, local-first operating systems, and tools that mix zero-knowledge proofs with other privacy tools like FHE and differential privacy. He has already put money toward encrypted messaging and air quality work, and some new efforts aim to make secure hardware more affordable and verifiable. The plan covers both pieces of tech and the systems people run on them. Simple apps for daily life are included, not just fancy research. In these five years, the Ethereum Foundation is entering a period of mild austerity, in order to be able to simultaneously meet two goals: 1. Deliver on an aggressive roadmap that ensures Ethereum’s status as a performant and scalable world computer that does not compromise on… — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 30, 2026 Personal Money For Public Good Buterin is taking on what might once have been “special projects” of the foundation. He withdrew the ETH personally, and reports note he is looking at secure, decentralized staking to route future staking rewards into these efforts. That shifts some financial risk from institutions to an individual who wants those projects to survive even when they are slow or controversial. Some of the initiatives are unlikely to attract fast capital. That is why personal backing matters. A Stronger Core, Not Bigger Hype The Foundation is said to be entering a phase of mild austerity so it can meet two clear goals at once: finish an aggressive technical roadmap and remain alive and independent into the far future. The technical aim is to keep Ethereum fast and scalable without losing decentralization or security. At the same time, the team wants to protect users’ ability to control their keys, their data, and their privacy. Reports note that “Ethereum for people who need it” is the guiding line, rather than chasing large corporate deals that transform how people use the chain. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Slide To $82K Sets Off A $1.7 Billion Chain Reaction Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a crypto project backed by US President Donald Trump, moved a chunk of its Bitcoin exposure into Ethereum this week. Reports say the group sold wrapped Bitcoin holdings and picked up a large amount of Ether in the same set of transactions. Related Reading: Money Keeps Leaving: Bitcoin ETFs Shed $1.72 Billion In Just 5 Sessions WLFI Moves From WBTC To ETH According to blockchain trackers, about 93.77 WBTC was sold, which worked out to roughly $8 million at the time of the swap. The proceeds were used to buy around 2,868 ETH, with an average price of about $2,813 per unit. The trade was executed from a wallet that on-chain analysts link to WLFI’s treasury. That wallet activity was visible on public ledgers and has been shared across several crypto news sites and data monitors. Onchain Data And Market Context Prices were modestly lower for ETH when the purchase happened, which some traders see as a buying chance. Reports say this move comes as Ethereum trading ranges have made some holders rethink where to park large sums. The World Liberty Finance (@worldlibertyfi) has sold 93.77 $WBTC ($8.07M) for 2,868.4 $ETH at a price of $2,813. Address: 0xee7f7f53f0d0c8c56a38e97c5a58e4d321a174dc Data @nansen_ai pic.twitter.com/yhh7IvYLLz — Onchain Lens (@OnchainLens) January 26, 2026 WBTC is a tokenized form of Bitcoin that inhabits the Ethereum chain, so swapping it for native ETH changes how those funds can be used within decentralized finance. The funds were moved through a public wallet tied to WLFI. This was confirmed by on-chain evidence that was circulated by data platforms. Strategic Reasons Behind The Shift Several reasons could explain the swap. Holding ETH gives direct access to smart contracts, staking, and DeFi tools that WBTC cannot offer on its own. Some market watchers think WLFI may be positioning to use ETH for on-chain services, staking, or profit from future network activity. Others suggest it could be a way to rebalance risk between stores of value and utility tokens. Reports say no single motive can be proved from the chain itself, only the movement of funds. Reaction And Broader Signals Traders reacted with curiosity rather than panic. Prices barely moved on the news, showing the market may have already priced in similar flows. Smaller investors watched closely because such a swap by a high-profile, politically linked project draws attention. The wallet activity was tracked publicly, and analysts noted the timing matched a period of calmer ETH price action. Related Reading: XRP Charts Flash Familiar Signal As Analyst Calls For $11, Then $70 What This Could Mean For Investors Reports note that big reallocations like this can change short-term sentiment, though they do not always lead to lasting rallies. For holders who prefer simplicity, swapping WBTC for ETH changes the way capital can be used, moving from a Bitcoin peg to native network participation. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
UBS will gradually introduce crypto services, starting with select private clients in Switzerland, according to Bloomberg.
A record surge in activity on the Ethereum network is likely being driven by scam-related behavior rather than genuine user growth, according to the bank's analysts.
The Fusaka upgrade raised usage, but pressure from layer-2 networks and rival blockchains continues to cloud Ethereum's long-term growth outlook.
U.S.-listed spot bitcoin and ether ETFs logged their strongest week in three months, led by bullish bets.
Ethereum is showing signs of strength on two critical fronts at the same time. On-chain activity has climbed to record levels, reflecting heavier real usage across the network, while long-term technical structure is leaning towards upside continuation. Together, these signals suggest that Ethereum’s current phase may be more than just sideways movement, as underlying data points to sustained demand and constructive price behavior. Related Reading: Saylor Defends Bitcoin Treasury Firms Amid Rising Criticism Ethereum Daily Transactions Reach New High Ethereum’s price action is turning bullish with a steady increase in recent days. Notably, on-chain data shows that this increase is on top of steady on-chain activity in recent days. Data from Ethereum’s on-chain activity shows that daily transactions recently climbed to approximately 2.8 million, setting a new all-time high for the network. Interestingly, this figure stands out not just as a record, but because it is roughly 64% higher than the daily transaction levels observed during the peak of the 2021 bull market. The chart data from Sentora illustrates a progression showing Ethereum’s transaction count rising steadily over the years and spiking up in early 2026. Comparing the transaction activity to 2021 adds more context considering the intense amount of activity that the Ethereum network was witnessing at the time. Back then, Ethereum was at the center of an altcoin season and NFT boom, all of which contributed to a spike in transaction activity and a push to new price highs. The fact that Ethereum is now processing significantly more transactions per day compared to 2021 shows that its network usage has grown above speculative behavior. The steady climb in transaction activity shows the sheer amount of usage across decentralized finance and stablecoin settlement, among many others. Ethereum Daily Transactions Chart. Source: @SentoraHQ On X Ethereum Reaccumulation Within A Macro Uptrend Technical analysis of Ethereum’s market capitalization on the three-week candlestick timeframe shows the cryptocurrency is still trading in a zone of stability. Particularly, technical analysis done by crypto analyst Egrag Crypto suggests that Ethereum is in reaccumulation within a macro uptrend. A look at the 3-week timeframe shows that ETH’s market cap is holding above the 21 EMA, respecting the rising macro trendline, printing higher highs & higher lows, and compressing under historical resistance. That is constructive behavior, not weakness. History shows that periods where Ethereum’s market cap held above the 21 EMA on this timeframe have led to expansion phases, whereas sustained moves below it have marked bear market conditions. Related Reading: What’s Driving The $1.42 Billion Comeback In Spot Bitcoin ETFs? At present, the structure indicates the EMA support is being defended. From a probabilistic standpoint, the current setup leans toward continuation rather than breakdown. A move through the overhead resistance band would likely confirm an expansion phase and allow Ethereum to go on a 70% to 75% bullish continuation. Market Cap ETH. Source: @egragcrypto On X On the other hand, a bearish outcome will become possible if the price action loses the 21 EMA on the three-week chart. This could validate a deeper 25% to 30% correction toward the lower trendline, but this scenario carries a lower probability. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
According to CoinGecko’s annual report, crypto treasury companies were among the year’s biggest buyers even as prices fell. Their balance sheets grew sharply, and their actions left a clear mark on supply and markets. The numbers tell a story of heavy buying, pause, and then corporate moves to protect share value. Related Reading: Crypto Money Floods US Politics As $21 Million Backs Trump PAC Large Treasury Buying Spree Reports have disclosed that these treasury firms deployed close to $50 billion into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other tokens during 2025. At the start of the year, treasuries held more than $56 billion in crypto. By January one, 2026, that figure had risen to $134 billion — a gain of 137%. This buying helped push institutional ownership higher, with treasuries holding more than 5% of both Bitcoin and Ethereum supply by year-end. Public companies alone raised their Bitcoin reserves from about 598,714 coins to more than 1 million, an increase near 500,000 BTC. Market Drop Came Late In The Year The broader market did not keep its earlier momentum. Total crypto value fell almost 8% in 2025 and finished the year near $3 trillion. Most of the damage came late. 2025 Annual Crypto Industry Report is now LIVE ???? Last year marked crypto’s first down year since 2022, featuring a brief $4.4T peak in Q4 before a historic $19B liquidation ended the year at $3.0T. Here are 7 key highlights you shouldn’t miss ???? pic.twitter.com/HLbI5BrzwN — CoinGecko (@coingecko) January 15, 2026 The market shed almost a quarter of its value in the last three months, and a liquidation wave near $19 billion in October sped the decline after total market value briefly hit about $4.4 trillion. Bitcoin slipped roughly 1.4% to near $95,300 at one point as investors weighed policy moves in the US and shifting rate expectations. Supply Now Held By Treasuries By the start of 2026, treasuries were holding more than 1 million Bitcoin and 6 million ETH. That concentration matters because assets put on corporate books are less likely to be traded frequently. When large shares of supply are locked up, price swings can be smaller in calm times, but the effect can flip if selling is forced. BTCUSD trading at $95,524 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView Related Reading: Bitcoin’s New Power Buyers: Companies Bought 3 Times What Miners Produced Companies Shifted Strategy When Stocks Fell When prices fell in the fourth quarter, some treasury firms saw their share prices dip below the value of their crypto holdings. To support their stock, many paused buying and turned to share buybacks. That action slowed the pace of token purchases. The move was traditional: protect investors’ equity value rather than add more tokens into a weakening market. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Etherealize co-founders Vivek Raman and Danny Ryan believe Ethereum is exiting a regulatory "purgatory" to become the premiere destination for Wall Street.
Ethereum’s on-chain activity has jumped sharply, driven by a wave of first-time users and heavier transaction flow across the network. According to Glassnode, new activity retention roughly doubled this month — rising from about 4 million to around 8 million addresses — a move that points to a fresh cohort of wallets interacting with Ethereum rather than just repeat users. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s New Power Buyers: Companies Bought 3 Times What Miners Produced Surge In New Users Daily transactions hit a record high of 2.8 million on Thursday, a figure that is up 125% from the same period last year. Based on reports from Etherscan, active addresses have more than doubled year-over-year, moving from roughly 410,000 accounts to over 1 million as of Jan. 15. Those numbers suggest real, broad-based engagement is increasing, not merely short-lived spikes. Ethereum’s Month-over-Month Activity Retention shows a sharp spike in the “New” cohort, indicating a surge in first-time interacting addresses over the past 30 days. This reflects a notable influx of new wallets engaging with the Ethereum network, rather than activity being… pic.twitter.com/h8Zw7hXOSX — glassnode (@glassnode) January 15, 2026 Transaction Boom And L2 Effects Observers link the transaction growth in part to rising stablecoin activity and lower fees. Reports have disclosed that many transfers are migrating execution to Layer 2 networks while settlement stays on Ethereum’s main chain, which keeps finality secure and helps push down gas costs. Staking has also climbed, reaching nearly 36 million ETH, adding another layer to the network’s tightening supply dynamics. At the same time, market behavior remains careful. Strength in US equities has helped stabilize crypto prices, yet money flowing into Ethereum looks selective rather than broad. It seems that positioning is rather conservative; traders prefer waiting for more accurate signals regarding ETH prices instead of attempting to predict a breakout. In turn, ETH is consolidating around a correction, but there is not enough momentum-driven buying. Analyst Views & Price Movement There were also those who cited optimism based on improvements to on-chain fundamentals. For instance, LVRG Research reported that the increasing number of transactions and staking activities encouraged a positive network. Some traders argue the compression in price action could precede a breakout. Ether traded near a two-month high of $3,400 on Wednesday and was around $3,300 in early trading on Friday, reflecting the tug of war between renewed demand and persistent caution. Despite the stronger metrics, technical hurdles remain. Reports and recent analysis suggest the market is in a repair phase, not a confirmed uptrend. Overhead supply still constrains sustained advances, and many market participants want to see ETH reclaim key long-term resistance levels, such as the 200-day EMA, before committing large-scale capital. That explains why short-term traders operate inside a defined range while longer-term players hold back. Related Reading: Ethereum Staking Hits Record Levels As Buterin Urges Builders To Deliver Real Apps What This Means For Traders And Investors Network health has improved materially — more users, more transactions, and higher staking — but price action has not yet matched those gains. Based on the data presented, cautious optimism is reasonable. Traders may find chance to trade the range, while investors looking for conviction should wait for cleaner technical confirmation before assuming a sustained rally. Featured image from Blockzeit/EthBurn, chart from TradingView