Ethereum (ETH) is under pressure as the cryptocurrency continues to face a significant pullback.

The price of ETH has dropped to $2,098.91, down 5.6% in the last 24 hours.

This decline is part of a broader downtrend, with Ethereum losing around 28% over the past week and nearly 34% over the past three months.

Trading volume, however, remained elevated at $54.5 billion in the last 24 hours, highlighting strong market activity despite the falling prices.

Vitalik Buterin’s ETH trades

Adding to the market concerns, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has sold millions in ETH.

Reports indicate that wallets linked to Buterin moved roughly 2,961.5 ETH, valued at approximately $6.6 million at the time of sale.

vitalik.eth(@VitalikButerin) is dumping $ETH fast!

Over the past 3 days, Vitalik has sold 2,961.5 $ETH($6.6M) at an average price of $2,228 — and the selling is still ongoing.https://t.co/Q9G1lEsdiP pic.twitter.com/C1vBn5UimJ

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) February 5, 2026

These transactions attracted attention due to the timing of the Ethereum downturn.

Additional reports highlight a separate $29 million ETH transfer, part of a planned reallocation by Buterin.

The movement included converting ETH to wrapped ETH (wETH) and sending smaller amounts to his Kanro charity, which focuses on biotechnology and infectious disease research.

Analysts stress that these transfers are likely strategic funding moves, not panic selling.

Nevertheless, the market has interpreted these large movements as bearish signals.

ETH price analysis

Ethereum has been under pressure due to broader crypto market weakness.

The 24-hour price range for ETH is currently $2,077.42 to $2,258.21, reflecting volatility and uncertainty.

Ethereum’s market capitalisation stands at $257 billion, with a circulating supply of 120.6 million ETH.

The cryptocurrency is still down 57% from its all-time high of $4,946.05 in August 2025.

Despite the decline, Ethereum remains a major player in the crypto ecosystem, with investors closely monitoring large wallet movements.

Ethereum price forecast

Traders are watching key levels for signs of market direction.

The first support level to monitor is $2,007.

If ETH fails to hold this level, it could drop further to the next support at $1,800.

On the upside, $2,133 is the initial resistance level.

A sustained break above this could push Ethereum toward $2,274, with the third resistance at $2,396.

Analysts like CoinLore suggest that maintaining a price above the $2,007 support is critical for any potential recovery.

Conversely, breaking below this level could accelerate selling pressure and test lower price floors.

In conclusion, Ethereum faces a challenging period as both founder wallet activity and broader market trends weigh on the price.

Traders should pay close attention to the support and resistance levels, as these will likely guide short-term movements in ETH.

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Ethereum price slips further as Vitalik Buterin dumps $6.6M ETH

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/ethereum-price-slips-further-as-vitalik-buterin-dumps-6-6m-eth/

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.

The post Why Ethereum’s DeFi sector is struggling despite Ether reaching record highs appeared first on CoinJournal.

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

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/why-ethereums-defi-sector-is-struggling-despite-ether-reaching-record-highs/

Ethereum rallied sharply over the past 24 hours, breaking above $3,400 for the first time since mid-January as record inflows into spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and rising institutional accumulation reinforced bullish sentiment.

Ether was trading at $3,436 early Thursday, up 8.4% in the past 24 hours.

The token had touched an intraday high of $3,463 earlier in the day.

The rally came as nine US-listed spot Ethereum ETFs saw their largest combined daily net inflow on record Wednesday, totalling $726.74 million, according to data from Farside Investors.

BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) led the inflows with $499 million, followed by Fidelity’s FETH with $113 million.

That total surpasses the previous record of $428 million set on December 5, 2024 — a nearly 70% jump.

The surge in buying pushed total net inflows for July to $2.27 billion, making it the best month since the ETFs were launched a year ago.

US spot Ether ETFs now collectively hold over 5 million ETH — more than 4% of the circulating supply.

On Wednesday alone, ETFs absorbed nearly 107 times the ETH issued by the network, according to Ultra Sound Money.

Interest in ETH is up

Institutional interest is also being reflected in direct ETH holdings by corporate treasuries.

Strategic ETH Reserve data shows that treasuries now hold over $5.33 billion in ETH, equivalent to 1.33% of the total supply.

Over $1.6 billion worth of ETH was added by corporations in June alone.

One of the most aggressive buyers has been SharpLink Gaming, which purchased an additional $68 million worth of ETH in the past 24 hours.

Over the last eight days, the firm has acquired $343 million in ETH, according to blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain.

Separately, World Liberty Financial — a firm linked to US President Donald Trump — added another $5 million in ETH on Wednesday at a price of $3,266, above its historical average purchase range from November 2024 to March 2025.

BitMine Immersion Technologies, chaired by Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, disclosed that its ETH holdings have now exceeded $500 million.

Altcoin market follows ETH’s lead

The strength in Ethereum has extended to the broader altcoin market, with several tokens recording gains amid renewed risk appetite in crypto.

The current momentum in ETH — driven by a mix of spot ETF demand, treasury accumulation, and supply absorption — has positioned the asset for further upside, provided market conditions remain favorable.

In the past 24 hours, several major altcoins have outperformed Bitcoin, which posted a modest gain of just 0.7%.

XRP was one of the leaders of the rally with a sharp 7.6% rise, followed by Dogecoin, which climbed 6.9%.

Solana advanced 5.2%, BNB gained 3.4%, Tron rose 3.2%, and Cardano added 3.5%.

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Ethereum price hits its six-month high on record ETF inflows

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/ethereum-price-hits-its-six-month-high-on-record-etf-inflows/

Standard Chartered has launched a new spot cryptocurrency trading service for institutional and corporate clients, expanding its digital assets footprint as traditional financial institutions deepen their engagement with crypto markets.

The UK-based multinational bank on Tuesday announced that the new service supports spot trading in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) through its London-based branch.

The initiative is part of a broader push by the bank to integrate digital assets into its core financial infrastructure.

Institutional-grade access via FX platforms

According to the bank, the spot trading capability is fully embedded within its existing trading infrastructure, allowing institutional investors to trade crypto assets through foreign exchange (FX) interfaces they already use.

Clients can settle trades with a custodian of their choice, including Standard Chartered’s proprietary custody solution.

The integration is aimed at reducing onboarding friction for traditional finance participants by mirroring the experience of established FX markets.

“Digital assets are a foundational element of the evolution in financial services, ” said Bill Winters, Standard Chartered Group Chief Executive, in the statement.

“They’re integral to enabling new pathways for innovation, greater inclusion and growth across the industry.”

“As client demand accelerates further, we want to offer clients a route to transact, trade, and manage digital asset risk safely and efficiently within regulatory requirements,” the CEO further added.

Crypto custody and broader digital asset strategy

The launch builds on Standard Chartered’s prior moves in digital assets.

In September 2024, the bank introduced a regulated crypto custody service in the United Arab Emirates, supporting both Bitcoin and Ether custody.

The service is designed to cater to institutions and complies with regional regulatory frameworks.

The bank also has exposure to the sector through strategic investments in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, both of which offer crypto infrastructure services targeted at institutional clients.

Additionally, Standard Chartered backs Libeara, a platform for tokenisation of real-world financial assets.

Through its corporate and investment banking division, Standard Chartered now offers an integrated suite of digital asset services, covering trading, custody, and tokenisation, aligning with broader industry trends where banks seek to offer end-to-end crypto infrastructure to clients.

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Standard Chartered launches spot crypto trading for institutional clients

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/standard-chartered-launches-spot-crypto-trading-for-institutional-clients/

Ether (ETH) held firm above the $2,580 mark on July 3, as broader risk assets rallied in response to a surprisingly robust US labor market report.

The strong jobs data sent major US stock indices, including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, surging to new all-time highs.

This positive market sentiment was further influenced by the US Congress passing President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending package.

The latest nonfarm payrolls report, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, revealed that the US economy added 147,000 jobs in June.

This figure comfortably surpassed economists’ expectations of 110,000 and also exceeded the upwardly revised figure of 144,000 from May, according to a report from CNBC.

Adding to the picture of a resilient labor market, the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%, defying forecasts that had predicted a rise to 4.3%.

This strong economic data immediately boosted US equities, with the S&P 500 closing at 6,279.35 and the Nasdaq Composite finishing at 20,601.10 – both indices gaining more than 0.8% on the day to reach fresh record highs.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also saw a significant gain, adding 344 points to settle at 44,828.53.

The positive risk-on sentiment appeared to provide a supportive backdrop for cryptocurrencies.

Ether was trading around $2,584.90, registering a 0.55% gain over the past 24 hours, according to CoinDesk Research’s technical analysis model.

The broader crypto market, as measured by the CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20), was up a slight 0.08% during the same period.

Ether’s resilience suggests that, for now, traders are encouraged by the broader market uplift, which has lifted crypto alongside equities.

However, the very strength of the labor market report has complicated the outlook for US monetary policy.

With the economy showing such vigor, it now seems highly unlikely that the Federal Reserve will consider lowering interest rates at its next meeting.

Some traders are now even questioning whether there will be any rate cuts at all in the second half of this year.

Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ clears Congress in major legislative win

In a significant political development, the US Congress on Thursday passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping USD 4.5 trillion ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ of tax cuts and spending reductions.

The Republican-led House of Representatives narrowly passed the bill by a vote of 218–214, sending it to the President’s desk for his signature.

This vote marks a major legislative victory for President Trump in his second term.

The bill secures funding for his administration’s immigration crackdown, makes many of his 2017 tax cuts permanent, and delivers on new tax breaks he had pledged during his 2024 campaign.

The White House announced that President Trump will sign the bill into law on Friday at 5 pm.

President Trump hailed the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” as a historic achievement.

“The biggest bill of its kind ever signed — and it’s going to make this country into a rocket ship. It’s going to be really great,” he said.

Praising the sweeping USD 3.4 trillion tax and spending package (the total package is cited as $4.5 trillion, with this component likely referring to a specific part), Trump added, “I think when you go over the bill, it was very easy to get them to a ‘Yes.’ … Biggest tax cut in history, great for security, great on the southern border … we covered just about everything. Again, it’s the biggest bill ever signed of its kind.”

The passage of this significant fiscal package, combined with the strong labor market data, creates a complex new landscape for investors to navigate as they assess the future trajectory of both the US economy and its financial markets.

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Ether gains 0.55% as strong US jobs data lifts S&P 500, Nasdaq to records

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/ether-gains-0-55-as-strong-us-jobs-data-lifts-sp-500-nasdaq-to-records/

As Asian markets kicked off their Thursday trading, Ether (ETH) was changing hands at $2,770, having demonstrated robust performance throughout the month.

This strength, particularly in derivatives markets where it’s reportedly overshadowing Bitcoin (BTC), signals a growing institutional appetite for Ethereum’s structural growth potential and its pivotal role in bridging decentralized finance (DeFi) with traditional finance (TradFi).

Meanwhile, the broader crypto landscape is seeing a significant surge in stablecoin activity, with Tron emerging as a key beneficiary.

Ether has notably outperformed Bitcoin this month, with CoinDesk market data showing an almost 11% rise for ETH compared to BTC’s 5% gain.

This divergence is partly attributed to increasing institutional trading demand for Ethereum. Lennix Lai, Chief Commercial Officer at crypto exchange OKX, told CoinDesk in an interview that sophisticated investors are increasingly betting on ETH, a trend evident in its derivatives market activity.

“Ethereum is overshadowing BTC on our perpetual futures market, with ETH accounting for 45.2% of trading volume over the past week. BTC, by comparison, sits at 38.1%,” Lai revealed.

This finding aligns with similar trends observed on other major derivatives platforms like Deribit, as CoinDesk recently reported, suggesting a significant shift in how institutional players are allocating capital within the crypto space.

This isn’t to say that institutional interest in Bitcoin has waned. A recent report from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode indicates that despite Bitcoin’s recent price volatility, institutions have been actively “buying the dips.”

Glassnode’s analysis showed that long-term holders (LTHs) realized over $930 million in profits per day during recent BTC rallies, a distribution level rivaling those seen at previous market cycle peaks.

Remarkably, instead of triggering a broader sell-off, the supply held by these LTHs actually grew.

“This dynamic highlights that maturation and accumulation pressures are outweighing distribution behavior,” Glassnode analysts wrote, noting that this is “highly atypical for late-stage bull markets.”

Despite these underlying strengths, both leading cryptocurrencies remain susceptible to geopolitical risks and unpredictable “black swan” events, such as the recent public dispute between US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Such episodes serve as stark reminders that market sentiment can shift rapidly, even within structurally strong markets.

However, beneath this surface-level volatility, institutional conviction appears to remain intact.

Ethereum is increasingly being viewed as the preferred vehicle for accessing regulated DeFi opportunities, while Bitcoin continues to benefit from long-term accumulation by institutions, often via Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

“Macro uncertainties remain, but $3,000 ETH looks increasingly likely,” Lai concluded, offering a bullish outlook for Ethereum’s near-term price potential.

Stablecoin surge: liquidity pours in, Tron leads the charge

The stablecoin market is experiencing a significant boom, recently hitting an all-time high market capitalization of $228 billion, marking a 17% increase year-to-date, according to a new report from CryptoQuant.

This surge in dollar-pegged liquidity is being driven by renewed investor confidence, buoyed by factors such as the blockbuster Initial Public Offering (IPO) of stablecoin issuer Circle, rising yields in DeFi protocols, and improving regulatory clarity in the US This influx of capital is quietly redrawing the map of where liquidity resides on-chain.

“The amount of stablecoins on centralized exchanges has also reached record high levels, supporting crypto trading liquidity,” CryptoQuant reported.

Their data indicates that the total value of ERC20 stablecoins (those built on Ethereum) on centralized exchanges has climbed to a record $50 billion.

Interestingly, most of this growth in exchange stablecoin reserves has been a result of the increase in USDC reserves on these platforms, which have grown by 1.6 times so far in 2025 to reach $8 billion.

When it comes to the blockchain protocols benefiting most from these stablecoin inflows, Tron has emerged as the clear leader.

Tron’s combination of fast transaction finality and deep integrations with major stablecoin issuers like Tether is credited with making it a “liquidity magnet.”

Presto Research, in a recently released report echoing these findings, noted that Tron notched over $6 billion in net stablecoin inflows in May alone.

This figure topped all other chains and positioned Tron with the second-highest number of daily active users, just behind Solana.

Tron was also the top performer in terms of native total value locked (TVL) growth.

In contrast, both Ethereum and Solana experienced significant stablecoin outflows and losses in bridge volume during the same period, according to Presto’s data.

This suggests a potential lack of new yield opportunities or major protocol upgrades attractive enough to retain or draw in fresh stablecoin capital on those networks.

Presto’s data confirms a broader trend: institutional and retail capital alike are increasingly rotating towards alternative Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions like Base, Solana (despite recent outflows, it still attracts users), and Tron.

The common denominators among these favored chains appear to be faster execution speeds, more dynamic and evolving ecosystems, and, in some cases, more substantial incentive programs.

The post Ether outperforms Bitcoin in May; ETH derivatives volume surpasses BTC on OKX appeared first on CoinJournal.

Ether outperforms Bitcoin in May; ETH derivatives volume surpasses BTC on OKX

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/ether-outperforms-bitcoin-in-may-eth-derivatives-volume-surpasses-btc-on-okx/