Kategorie: Ethereum News

Ethereum news about the ETH blockchain and its crypto ecosystem.

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Bitcoin ETFs see first-ever outflow of $751 million as Ethereum funds gain $3.9 billion

  • Bitcoin ETFs saw a $751 million net outflow in August, a first-ever event.
  • Ethereum ETFs absorbed a massive $3.9 billion in net inflows in August.
  • BTC’s price has fallen below key short-term holder cost basis levels.

A stunning and unprecedented reversal has rattled the very foundations of the cryptocurrency market.

For the first time since their celebrated launch, the institutional tide that carried Bitcoin to a record high has turned, with spot ETFs bleeding hundreds of millions of dollars in August.

At the same time, a powerful and quiet current of capital has been flowing into Ethereum, signaling a potential changing of the guard and the beginning of a major rotation story that could define the rest of the year.

The scale of the divergence is stark. In August, just weeks after they powered the asset to a 124,000 dollar all-time high, Bitcoin spot funds shed a staggering 751 million dollars in net outflows.

In that same period, Ethereum ETFs quietly absorbed an incredible 3.9 billion dollars, a profound role reversal that suggests institutional investors may be fundamentally rebalancing their crypto exposure.

Bitcoin’s fragile foundation

The pain for Bitcoin is not just in the ETF flow data; it’s etched into the blockchain itself. A recent report from the analytics firm Glassnode paints a picture of a market slipping from euphoria into deep fragility.

The analysis shows Bitcoin’s price has fallen below the cost basis of both 1-month and 3-month holders, a critical development that leaves a huge cohort of recent investors underwater and dramatically increases the risk of a deeper, panic-driven sell-off.

If the price continues to slide below the six-month cost basis near 107,000 dollars, Glassnode warns, it could accelerate losses toward the crucial 93,000 to 95,000 dollar support zone, a dense cluster of accumulation by long-term holders.

Prediction markets are echoing this cautious sentiment.

Traders on Polymarket now assign a 65 percent chance that Bitcoin revisits 100,000 dollars before it retakes 130,000 dollars, a clear sign that the July rally is now seen as overextended and unsustainable without a renewed wave of institutional demand.

Ethereum: the quiet ballast

While Bitcoin falters, Ethereum is emerging as a quiet and powerful source of stability. Its ETF inflows have been remarkably consistent, logging positive net subscriptions in 10 of the last 12 months.

August’s 3.9 billion dollar haul has been the engine behind the token’s impressive 25 percent gain over the past 30 days, a stunning outperformance during a brutal market-wide correction.

The conviction behind Ethereum’s rise is firm. Polymarket traders see over 90 percent odds of the asset holding above 3,800 dollars into early September, and longer-term bets give it a 71 percent chance of finishing 2025 above the coveted 5,000 dollar mark.

As Bitcoin’s institutional tide flows out, Ethereum’s steadier bid is becoming the market’s new anchor. The great rotation may be in its early stages, but the signs are unmistakable.

A new power dynamic is taking shape, and the battle for crypto’s throne is just beginning.

The post Bitcoin ETFs see first-ever outflow of $751 million as Ethereum funds gain $3.9 billion appeared first on CoinJournal.

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South Korea cracks down on crypto scam after BTS star Jungkook hit in 39 billion hack

  • 258 victims’ personal data stolen from six public and financial portals.
  • BTS star Jungkook targeted with 8.4B won HYBE stock theft attempt.
  • 21.3B won in virtual assets stolen, 12.8B won recovered by police.

South Korean authorities have uncovered one of the country’s largest cyber fraud cases, dismantling an international hacking ring that stole nearly 39 billion won from high-profile victims.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed that the group exploited weak security across government, IT, and financial platforms to steal data from 258 people, which was later used for large-scale SIM-swap fraud.

The suspects targeted wealthy business leaders, lawyers, athletes, crypto investors, and celebrities, including BTS member Jungkook, who narrowly avoided losing 8.4 billion won worth of HYBE stock.

Investigations revealed the cross-border scale of the operation, stretching from Seoul to Bangkok.

Hackers exploited data from 258 victims

Between July 2023 and April 2024, the ring infiltrated six public and financial portals with weak protections. The breaches exposed personal details such as resident registration numbers and financial verification data.

Police said 258 victims were affected, including 75 business executives, 11 lawyers and officials, 12 celebrities, six athletes, and 28 virtual asset investors.

Collectively, the group accessed accounts with combined holdings estimated at 55.22 trillion won, with some single accounts exceeding 12 trillion won.

To execute the fraud, the hackers created 118 mobile accounts under the names of 89 victims. These accounts were then used to bypass security checks and siphon money directly from bank and crypto wallets.

In total, 16 victims lost 39 billion won, while financial institutions managed to block a further 25 billion won in attempted thefts. The largest confirmed loss involved 21.3 billion won in virtual assets.

BTS star Jungkook targeted with 8.4 billion won attempt

The scheme gained widespread attention after police confirmed that BTS member Jungkook was one of the intended victims.

Hackers attempted to move 8.4 billion won worth of HYBE stock under his name, but the suspicious transaction was blocked before funds left the account.

Officials credited banks and agencies with flagging abnormal activity, preventing Jungkook’s potential losses. In total, police managed to recover 12.8 billion won through swift interventions, including freezing accounts and stopping withdrawals.

However, investigators highlighted that the case exposed a critical weakness in South Korea’s non-face-to-face authentication systems, which the group manipulated to carry out its operations.

Arrests across South Korea, China, and Thailand

The investigation began in September 2023, when unauthorised mobile phone activations were first reported to Namdaemun Police Station. Over the following months, 16 suspects were identified and detained.

The ringleaders, identified only as Mr. A (35) and Mr. B (40), moved frequently between China and Thailand. Both were eventually arrested in Bangkok in May after Seoul police collaborated with Thai authorities and Interpol.

Mr. A was extradited to South Korea on August 22 and faces 11 charges, including large-scale fraud and hacking, while Mr. B remains in custody in Thailand pending extradition.

Three suspects are still in detention in South Korea, while the rest face prosecution for fraud, hacking, and violating the Information and Communications Network Act.

Police noted that the outcome could have been far worse had the group been allowed to continue operations.

Crypto scams rising in South Korea

The case adds to a growing wave of cybercrime linked to cryptocurrency in South Korea. On May 15, Jeju police arrested 25 suspects for running fake investment schemes that defrauded 48 people of 734 million won.

In a separate incident, a police officer in Incheon was charged with embezzling 700 million won from investors in a bogus crypto project.

Meanwhile, Park “Jonbur Kim,” known as the “Coin King,” is on trial for manipulating the Artube coin, which caused investor losses of 68 billion won.

Authorities are also investigating large-scale money laundering. Prosecutors say unlicensed brokers funnelled 943.4 billion won through Neteller Pay between 2019 and 2024, earning 26 billion won in commissions.

Assets worth 4.4 billion won in Ethereum have since been seized from hidden wallets.

Cases have even extended into romance scams, with a man in his 50s losing 100 million won in July, and celebrity-linked fraud, with actress Hwang Jung-eum facing trial for embezzling 4.3 billion won from her agency for crypto purchases.

Despite these risks, South Korea remains one of the world’s most active crypto markets. Chainalysis data shows $130 billion in inflows in 2024, with over 10.8 million Koreans trading digital assets.

More than 10,000 investors hold balances above 1 billion won, especially among traders in their 20s. Regulators are now preparing to approve the nation’s first spot crypto ETFs and a won-pegged stablecoin, as major exchanges expand custody services to institutions.

The post South Korea cracks down on crypto scam after BTS star Jungkook hit in 39 billion hack appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Ethereum eyes breakout to $5,000 as Cathie Wood bets on ETH treasury firm

  • Ethereum trades above $4,600 as bulls target a breakout to $5,000
  • A surge in Ethereum ETF net inflows and broader crypto bounce give buyers an edge.
  • Tom Lee has predicted the ETH price surging to $5,500 and possibly $10,000 in 2025.

Ethereum price hovers at around $4,595, slightly down in the past 24 hours but above a key support level as bulls eye a potential breakout to $5,000.

The outlook for ETH is thus largely bullish as renowned investor Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest bets on Ethereum’s future gains with a splash in BitMine Immersion Technologies.

BitMine, an Ethereum-focused treasury firm, has aggressively amassed the top altcoin in a show of institutional confidence in the second-largest cryptocurrency.

Ethereum holds $4,500 as Cathie Wood bets on BitMine

Notably, in recent weeks, Ethereum has shown resilience as bulls hold prices above $4,000 and then $4,500 despite recent market volatility.

This stability has coincided with a surge in interest in the altcoin on Wall Street, most notably via publicly traded SharpLink and BitMine.

Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest, which is a big investor in cryptocurrencies and related companies, has taken a bold step in betting on Ethereum via BitMine.

Over the past few weeks, Wood’s asset management firm acquired over $300 million in BitMine shares across its flagship ETFs, including ARKK, ARKW, and ARKF.

BitMine, which pivoted from Bitcoin mining to building an Ethereum treasury, currently holds over $7.5 billion worth of ETH.

The haul makes it the largest corporate holder of Ethereum, whose price has jumped 19% in the past month and over 83% in the past year.

ETH price forecast: $5,000 next as institutional interest spikes

Analysts are increasingly bullish on Ethereum, with many forecasting a breakout above $5,000 after bulls recently hit the all-time high of $4,946.

Ethereum’s surge to a new ATH came amid growing demand and buying among whales and Wall Street players.

With regulatory developments buoying DeFi and stablecoin ecosystems, ETH gained in market dominance.

Meanwhile, institutional interest, signalled by a spike in net inflows into Ethereum ETFs, has catalysed Ether’s price gains.

As crypto analyst Lark Davis points out below, over $1.8 billion has flowed into ETH in the past five days.

Analysts have forecast a surge past $10,000 for Ethereum in 2025, with firms like BitMine driving the uptick.

Over the short term, ETH is expected to rally above $5,000 amid price discovery.

Recently, Bitmine chairman Tom Lee predicted that Ethereum’s ETH price could rise to $5,500 in the coming months, with bulls jumping as high as $10,000-$12,000 by the end of the year.

The price of ETH topping the $5k level is the bulls’ first target.

Given a technical picture that’s overall bullish, this outcome could catalyse gains for many ETH beta plays.

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ETH outperforms BTC by 26% as a structural shift grips the crypto market

  • Traders now see a 26% chance of ETH hitting 5,000 dollars this month.
  • A “major liquidity floor” for ETH is being built by institutions.
  • ETH has gained 20% in 30 days, while Bitcoin has fallen 6%.

A tectonic shift is reshaping the cryptocurrency landscape. While Bitcoin, the long-reigning king, stumbles under the weight of fading momentum and massive liquidations, a powerful rebellion is brewing.

Ethereum is leading the charge, its price buoyed by a torrent of institutional capital and a fundamental re-allocation of liquidity that has traders now seriously betting on it conquering the coveted 5,000 dollar milestone this month.

The growing conviction is quantifiable. On the prediction market Polymarket, the odds of ETH hitting 5,000 dollars have surged to 26%, a dramatic climb from just 16% a few days ago.

This is not a rally built on fleeting hype, but on a deep and structural change in how capital is flowing through the digital asset ecosystem.

The institutional bedrock

At the heart of Ethereum’s ascent is a powerful vote of confidence from the market’s giants. 

“Ethereum’s recent strength is mainly showcased by the level of flows into it, where a major liquidity floor has been built by institutions,” said March Zheng, General Partner at Bizantine Capital, in a note to CoinDesk.

He added that the ETH/BTC price ratio was at a localized low, making a rebound overdue, and that this cycle is supported by stronger fundamentals like global stablecoin adoption and clearer regulation.

This sentiment is echoed by industry leaders who see a market increasingly focused on real-world value. 

“Markets react to headlines, but longer-term value is driven by fundamentals,” Gracie Lin, CEO of OKX Singapore, told CoinDesk. 

“This is why Ethereum continues to show strength through real utility — even as prices pull back, big institutional moves like BitMine’s ETH accumulation prove there’s deep conviction in its role at the core of crypto.”

A market in motion: the re-allocation of liquidity

This isn’t just an Ethereum story; it’s a story about a market in motion. The market maker Enflux, in a note to CoinDesk, described a broad “structural reallocation of liquidity across the crypto landscape.” 

Capital is actively rotating away from a stagnant Bitcoin and chasing new, emerging narratives. XRP has joined ETH in leading the majors, while assets like CRO are gaining traction following initiatives like Trump Media’s “Cronos Treasury.”

Furthermore, the surge in trading volume on decentralized platforms like Hyperliquid, which surpassed Robinhood in July, highlights how speculative energy is now tilting toward crypto-native infrastructure.

These are not just isolated trends; they are undercurrents of a fundamental shift in where the market sees future growth.

The unsettled throne

This altcoin uprising stands in stark contrast to the grim picture in the Bitcoin market.

While trading at 111,733.63 dollars, its on-chain activity remains weak, and a staggering 940 million dollars in recent liquidations signal a dangerous fade in momentum.

Over the past 30 days, while ETH has soared 20%, Bitcoin has fallen 6%.

The divergence is clear, but the conviction is about to face a critical test. As Gracie Lin of OKX noted, “With new macro data like the US PCE coming in later this week, we’re about to see how that conviction holds up amidst volatility.” 

The rebellion is underway, but the final battle for market dominance is yet to be fought.

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Why Ethereum’s DeFi sector is struggling despite Ether reaching record highs

  • ETH reached $4,700 in August 2025, yet DeFi adoption grows slowly.
  • Regulatory rules, high fees, and complex processes hinder mass DeFi participation.
  • Layer 2 solutions and better collaboration with regulators may drive future growth.

Ethereum’s DeFi sector continue to run into issues, even though Ether (ETH) hit record highs in August 2025.

ETH reached $4,700, the highest since 2021, and the number of daily active addresses went up to 9.1 million. DeFi hasn’t grown as much as Ether’s price has.

Factors such as how many people are using it, how developed the market is, rules and regulations, and changes in investor interest are all playing a part.

Ethereum is still widely used, but these challenges and the competition in the space are keeping DeFi from expanding faster.

DeFi growth versus market challenges

Ethereum is at the center of DeFi, with $312.6 billion locked in smart contracts in August 2025, the highest ever. But the sector is still growing slowly.

Money in DeFi is divided among other blockchains like Solana, BNB Chain, and Arbitrum, where activity hasn’t grown much and in some cases has fallen slightly.

Government rules and regulations are making things harder, especially around lending and stablecoins, which is slowing down interest from big investors.

On top of that, high fees and complicated processes make it difficult for regular users to get involved.

Some platforms, like Aave, have seen big growth, reaching $70 billion in deposits with a 40% increase in just a few weeks.

But this growth stands out against the overall cautious mood in the sector. Centralized exchanges and CeFi lending platforms are also taking some money away from DeFi, even as lending on DeFi platforms hits record levels.

The idea of decentralization is being tested as regulatory and technical challenges grow, which could slow the sector’s growth despite Ethereum’s record-high prices.

Regulatory impacts and future outlook

DeFi’s potential is still limited by changing regulations.

New bills aimed at clarifying rules for stablecoins and improving security have created some optimism, but risks from speculation, anti-money laundering rules, and licensing requirements are still slowing down new products and wider adoption.

Ethereum’s plans to scale with Layer 2 solutions could help reduce costs and improve speed, but getting most users to switch over is still a work in progress.

Looking ahead, DeFi is expected to grow as developers and regulators work together more closely and lending solutions on the blockchain improve.

But even with Ethereum’s strong price gains, DeFi’s wider adoption depends on fixing issues like scattered liquidity and regulatory hurdles.

The next few months will show whether DeFi can turn Ethereum’s price success into real-world use and lasting investor confidence.

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