Ethereum ascends: Institutional pivot and dormant whale moves signal a new era

  • Bit Digital shifts treasury from Bitcoin (BTC) to over 100K ETH.
  • Dormant Ethereum wallets move millions after 10 years.
  • ETH/BTC bull flag hints at a 35% breakout by August.

Ethereum (ETH), the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, is stepping into what many believe could be a transformative phase, marked by growing institutional alignment and renewed on-chain activity from long-dormant whales.

Momentum around the asset has intensified in recent weeks, with fresh technical setups, corporate accumulation, and protocol-level proposals all converging to highlight Ethereum’s evolving position as not just a programmable blockchain but also a premier financial infrastructure layer.

Dormant giants awaken

Blockchain analysts have spotted multiple early Ethereum wallets springing to life, with some holding “genesis” coins untouched since 2015.

In one case, a wallet that received 900 ETH when the asset traded below $0.50 moved its holdings after nearly a decade, triggering curiosity across the crypto space.

On the same day, another wallet, also tied to Ethereum’s genesis phase, transferred 240 ETH after remaining inactive for exactly 3,630 days.

While the holders are not technically whales by Ethereum’s classification, such movements often reflect either confidence shifts or strategic repositioning, particularly amid market optimism.

The renewed activity echoes a broader pattern across the digital asset space, where legacy Bitcoin wallets have also been reactivating, in some cases after more than 14 years of dormancy.

These sudden moves by early adopters signal that legacy stakeholders are once again paying close attention to Ethereum’s trajectory, especially as it gains ground on Bitcoin in structural and financial terms.

Institutions turn to Ethereum

Leading this shift is Bit Digital Inc., a Nasdaq-listed company that has effectively gone all-in on Ethereum, making headlines with its aggressive treasury transformation.

According to a publication by the company, it sold 280 BTC and raised $172 million through a public equity offering to accumulate 100,603 ETH, positioning itself as one of the largest corporate Ethereum holders globally.

This dramatic pivot comes alongside the winding down of Bit Digital’s Bitcoin mining operations and the rollout of its Ethereum staking infrastructure, which is already among the most advanced in the institutional market.

CEO Sam Tabar has made it clear that the firm sees Ethereum not just as an asset, but as a foundation for financial reinvention, citing its programmability, staking yield, and growing adoption as core drivers of the shift.

Beyond Bit Digital, other firms like Sharplink Gaming and BitMine are also joining the fray, with BitMine announcing a $250 million ETH acquisition initiative to deepen its exposure.

According to CF Benchmarks, this trend is only expected to accelerate, with institutional ETH and SOL holdings potentially increasing tenfold over the next year.

Ethereum network stability in focus

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, has proposed a new gas cap mechanism to help manage network stress during periods of high demand or spam attacks.

The proposed cap would introduce a ceiling on total gas used per block, aiming to protect network performance by prioritising essential transactions over low-priority activity.

If implemented, this strategy could offer greater consistency during congestion while reducing the impact of fee spikes on smaller or new users.

Such upgrades reflect Ethereum’s maturing ecosystem, especially as developers prepare the protocol for future scaling and broader institutional use.

Ethereum price outlook: technical analysis signals a bullish momentum

At press time, Ethereum is trading at around $2,563, up more than 72% over the past three months, with a market capitalisation exceeding $309 billion.

While ETH remains 47% below its all-time high of $4,878, recent developments, including ETF filings, whale reactivations, and corporate realignment, suggest that investor confidence is building once again.

On the technical front, ETH/BTC is showing signs of a major breakout, forming what analysts identify as a bullish flag pattern on the three-day chart.

Should Ethereum break out from its current range, the ETH/BTC pair could climb by as much as 35%, reaching the 0.031 BTC level by August, a potential signal of altseason.

This comes as the total altcoin market cap tests long-term support, with previous bounces from this trendline often preceding explosive rallies across non-Bitcoin assets.

The return of capital rotation toward Ethereum and other Layer 1 platforms underscores a clear shift in trader sentiment, especially as confidence grows around Ethereum’s upcoming technical upgrades.

If the current bullish momentum holds, this may well mark the beginning of Ethereum’s most important ascent yet.

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Katana mainnet launch nears as pre-deposit closes with $200M in active deposits

  • Katana mainnet launch is around the corner after over $200 million in productive DeFi deposits.
  • Katana’s VaultBridge and CoL mechanisms will power yield and liquidity efficiency.
  • Katana supports cross-chain assets like SOL, XRP, and SUI on-chain.

Katana, a new DeFi-centric layer-2 blockchain built on Ethereum, has people on tentacles amid its highly anticipated mainnet launch after drawing more than $200 million in active deposits and setting a new benchmark for liquidity-focused networks this year.

The launch, which comes just weeks after Katana’s public reveal, is causing excitement across the crypto community due to its impressive capital inflow and unique design, positioning it as one of the most significant L2 rollouts of 2025.

According to the Katana Foundation, the network is engineered to deliver scalable, high-yield decentralised finance applications while tackling long-standing liquidity inefficiencies in the Ethereum ecosystem.

A launch powered by liquidity

Katana has accumulated over $200 million in productive total value locked, a term the protocol uses to describe capital actively deployed in yield-generating strategies.

This approach marks a significant departure from traditional DeFi metrics, which often include idle capital when reporting TVL, thereby overestimating real usage.

The protocol’s growth was accelerated by strong pre-deposit activity, which climbed from $75 million in early June to over $232 million by launch day, highlighting a surge in user interest and institutional curiosity.

At its core, Katana promises to transform how capital flows across DeFi by integrating a variety of yield sources directly into its architecture rather than relying solely on token incentives.

DeFi tools built for efficiency

Katana’s infrastructure includes two standout mechanisms: VaultBridge and Chain-owned Liquidity (COL), both of which are designed to convert idle assets into revenue-generating positions.

VaultBridge allows bridged assets like ETH, USDC, USDT, and wBTC to be deployed into off-chain yield-bearing strategies on Ethereum, before routing the returns back into Katana’s native DeFi pools.

This setup ensures that user assets do not remain static but are constantly cycled through revenue-generating avenues, thereby increasing capital efficiency across the platform.

Meanwhile, Katana’s Chain-owned Liquidity model recycles 100% of its sequencer fees into its own liquidity reserves, creating a self-sustaining liquidity loop.

These innovations aim to reduce dependence on unsustainable token emissions while ensuring users benefit from deeper liquidity and better pricing execution.

Partnerships and cross-chain access

In addition to its Ethereum-native features, Katana’s cross-chain capabilities allow users to interact with assets outside of the EVM universe, including SOL, XRP, and SUI, which are tradable on-chain through its launch partner, Universal.

Universal has also integrated with Coinbase Prime to offer institutional-grade custody and minting services, eliminating the need for pre-seeded liquidity on decentralised exchanges.

This move signals Katana’s ambition to become a cross-chain liquidity hub while still leveraging Ethereum’s robust security and composability.

The platform also integrates with major DeFi players like decentralised exchange Sushi and lending protocol Morpho, extending its utility across the broader DeFi ecosystem.

Incentives aligned with growth

To attract early adopters, Katana has launched a series of incentives, including randomised NFT loot boxes known as “Krates” and a distribution of 70 million KAT tokens to early liquidity providers.

Additionally, roughly 15% of Katana’s total KAT token supply has been set aside for an airdrop to Polygon token stakers, including holders of liquid staking derivatives.

These incentives aim to reward early engagement while tying Katana’s success to the broader modular Ethereum landscape, particularly through its relationship with Polygon’s Agglayer ecosystem.

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron noted that Katana’s design prioritises active capital deployment, sustainable fee capture, and long-term DeFi growth.

He emphasised that Katana does not just aggregate liquidity—it puts that liquidity to work in ways that enhance usage, deepen pools, and sustain user incentives.

With its emphasis on “productive TVL” and built-in yield mechanics, Katana presents a different blueprint for DeFi infrastructure—one that moves beyond hype and embraces sustainable economics.

As traders and institutions seek deeper liquidity, higher yields, and safer on-chain experiences, Katana’s mainnet debut may serve as a turning point in how DeFi platforms are designed, evaluated, and adopted.

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Crypto wrap: Ethereum ETFs hit ATH, SPX6900 cools off, XRP outlook remains bullish

  • Ethereum ETF holdings hit an ATH as institutional inflows surge.
  • SPX6900 cools after 230% rally, holds key $1.30 support level.
  • XRP remains bullish despite the US SEC case delay to August 15.

Ethereum, XRP, and SPX6900 are moving in different but equally significant directions this week, revealing major developments across the crypto market.

The market is showing signs of rotation, and investor attention is quickly shifting among top altcoins as new narratives unfold.

While institutional accumulation pushes Ethereum ETFs to an all-time high in on-chain holdings, SPX6900 takes a breather after a parabolic rally, and XRP sustains a bullish tone despite ongoing legal hurdles.

Ethereum ETFs reach record on-chain holdings

Institutional interest in Ethereum has sharply intensified, propelling ETF-related on-chain ETH holdings to their highest levels in history.

Recent CryptoQuant data shows that Ethereum ETFs now retain close to 4 million ETH, with BlackRock leading a wave of accumulation that has accelerated throughout June.

Ethereum ETF holdings

Notably, the ETFs have seen strong accumulation momentum even as the price of Ethereum (ETH) remains largely flat around the $2,500 mark.

The spike in inflows, particularly from BlackRock and Grayscale, as depicted by Coinglass data, confirms that large funds are positioning early for a potential ETH rally.

This surge in institutional buying comes amid growing optimism in Ethereum’s broader ecosystem, supported by increased activity in DeFi and rising stablecoin volumes.

The aggressive accumulation further aligns with diminishing exchange reserves and rising staking levels, suggesting that the market is preparing for reduced ETH liquidity and possible upward price pressure.

Notably, the inflows into Ethereum ETFs have surpassed Bitcoin ETFs over recent weeks, marking a significant shift in investor sentiment.

As inflows continue to dominate daily activity, Ethereum may be setting the tone for the next wave of altcoin momentum.

SPX6900 cools down after explosive move

Meanwhile, SPX6900 has cooled off after an extraordinary 230% rally that played out between May and mid-June.

The altcoin’s parabolic move took it from $0.50 to nearly retest its all-time high of $1.77 before losing steam around $1.70.

The rally, which was initially triggered by a golden cross on May 6, followed a textbook parabolic structure with four accelerating legs and shallow pullbacks.

However, a sharp decline in open interest and spot outflows of over $6.4 million on June 14 indicated a decisive shift in sentiment.

SPX6900 open interest decline

Although the correction has been intense, technical indicators suggest that SPX6900 is entering a healthy consolidation phase rather than a full breakdown.

The RSI has cooled from an overheated 75 to around 40, and the MACD has flipped bearish, signalling that momentum is resetting.

Currently trading around $1.39, SPX6900 is holding key support at $1.30. A rebound from this level could see the token test $1.50 again, with a potential retarget of $1.71 if volume returns and sentiment stabilises.

XRP remains resilient despite legal delays

While Ethereum and SPX6900 shift gears, XRP continues to attract bullish interest even as its legal battle with the SEC drags on.

Notably, a joint request from Ripple and the SEC to pause appeals until August 15 has not dampened optimism in the market.

The requested pause is tied to a pending ruling in the Southern District of New York regarding a $125 million escrow and the SEC’s demand for a $50 million penalty.

Although the case remains unresolved, XRP derivatives show that traders are staying confident.

Open Interest in XRP has climbed above $4 billion, and the positive funding rate suggests that leveraged long positions remain in play.

Even though long liquidations have slightly outpaced shorts in the last 24 hours, the market bias remains bullish.

From a technical standpoint, XRP recently bounced off the 200-day EMA and is now attempting to reclaim higher levels around the 50-day and 100-day EMAs near $2.24.

If the price manages to close above those barriers, it could test resistance near $2.33, a level aligned with a trendline connecting the year’s previous peaks.

Despite the indecisive RSI near 49, MACD indicators are leaning bullish, offering signs of a potential upside continuation if momentum follows through.

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Ethereum whales buy $2.5 billion in ETH as price targets $4,000 breakout

  • ETH holdings among the 1,000–10,000 wallet cohort now exceed 16 million.
  • ETH-focused funds saw $583 million in inflows last week alone.
  • Price remains in the $2,150–$3,600 range despite a 90% rally over two months.

Ethereum has seen a dramatic surge in accumulation activity among its largest holders, with wallets holding between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH adding over 818,410 ETH—worth roughly $2.5 billion— on Sunday.

This marks the sharpest one-day increase in holdings for this wallet cohort since 2018, according to on-chain data.

The same addresses, typically linked to early adopters, crypto funds, and so-called “whales”, now control more than 16 million ETH, up from around 11.9 million ETH a year earlier.

The spike in whale accumulation appears to be reinforced by heightened institutional demand.

According to CoinShares’ weekly report published on Friday, Ethereum-focused investment funds attracted inflows totalling $583 million in the week ending  June 13, raising the net total for the year to $2.28 billion.

This reflects a growing appetite for Ether among traditional asset managers and crypto-native firms alike.

Price consolidates as ETH mirrors 2017 trend

Ethereum is currently trading at $2,643, and despite rising more than 90% in the last two months, it remains within a long-term consolidation range defined by $2,150 and $3,600.

The price structure has drawn comparisons to its historical pattern between 2016 and 2017, when Ethereum moved sideways after the DAO exploit and subsequent Ethereum Classic fork.

Back then, the coin’s price eventually broke out of a $10–$20 range, climbing to over $1,500 in less than a year during the ICO boom.

Market analyst Milkybull Crypto noted that today’s conditions share a similar technical setup.

The current phase of sideways price action is occurring above Ethereum’s 50-week and 200-week exponential moving averages (EMA), both of which are widely viewed as key trend indicators by traders.

These support levels are holding firm despite macroeconomic headwinds and short-term volatility in broader crypto markets.

Ether’s $4,000 short-term target and $10,000 long-term outlook

Analysts say Ethereum is “coiling” beneath resistance levels and primed for a potential breakout.

The upper limit of the current channel—around $4,000—is seen as the first major price target, with several market watchers highlighting this level as a critical inflection point.

If broken, it could initiate a larger upside move, similar to previous breakout cycles.

According to Milkybull Crypto’s projections shared in May, a longer-term target of $10,000 for ETH “cannot be ruled out.”

This would represent a more than 275% increase from current levels.

While such targets are speculative, the comparison to Ethereum’s 2017 performance has gained traction among technical analysts tracking historical cycles.

In that cycle, Ethereum’s price was driven largely by ICO mania and a surge in developer activity.

This time, the drivers are different: ETH ETFs are gaining traction, staking yields continue to attract capital, and tokenisation projects are expanding use cases for the network.

Despite these differences, analysts argue that the underlying pattern of breakout consolidation remains comparable.

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Truth Social files for a Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF

  • Truth Social has filed for a Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF with the US SEC.
  • The Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF will offer combined exposure to BTC and ETH in one product.
  • The move marks Truth Social’s bold entry into digital finance.

Truth Social has officially entered the cryptocurrency investment space, pursuing a Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF.

According to a tweet by Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart, the social media platform backed by US President Donald Trump on June 16, 2025, filed an S-1 registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch a new cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF).

The ETF, named the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF and carrying the proposed ticker “B.T.,” seeks to combine exposure to both Bitcoin and Ethereum in a single investment product.

Truth Social’s entry into the financial sector

This filing marks Truth Social’s most significant step yet into the financial sector, underscoring a growing interest in blockchain technology and digital assets.

Although the platform initially launched as a political and social media outlet, it has increasingly expanded its focus to align with digital innovation trends.

Now, with this ETF filing, the company appears to be positioning itself as a serious player in the intersection of finance, crypto, and digital infrastructure.

Notably, the move not only signals Truth Social’s intent to diversify but also reflects a broader trend of mainstream platforms entering the digital asset space.

In addition, venturing into the crypto space, Truth Social may be seeking to appeal to a younger and more tech-savvy demographic that is increasingly influential in both markets and politics.

The Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF will offer BTC and ETH exposure

The proposed ETF will offer investors exposure to the two largest cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum, within a single investment vehicle.

Unlike many previous ETF attempts that focused on only one asset, this dual-exposure structure may appeal to investors looking for a more diversified entry point into the digital currency market.

Sponsored by Yorkville America Digital, LLC, the fund is expected to track the market performance of both BTC and ETH, though full details will depend on the SEC’s approval process.

With crypto markets maturing and regulatory clarity slowly improving, the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, if greenlit, would provide traditional investors with a regulated way to gain crypto exposure without needing to directly hold or manage the digital assets themselves.

That level of accessibility could broaden crypto adoption among risk-averse or institutionally focused market participants.

While SEC approval is never guaranteed, the application adds momentum to the growing wave of crypto-related financial products being proposed in the United States.

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