Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (ARCA: ETH)

Dernières nouvelles pour Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (ARCA:ETH)

Ethan Allen Interiors

The Trust is an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act and will therefore be subject to reduced reporting requirements.

Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust

Utila, a digital asset operations platform catering to institutional users, has integrated staking support for Chorus One, enabling access to staking services across several major Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks directly from within its platform.
The <a href="https://x.com/ChorusOne/status/1935684139874652571">integration </a>allows institutions using Utila to stake assets on networks such as Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>), Sui (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">SUI</a>), TON (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">TON</a>), and Aptos (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">APT</a>) through Chorus One's validator infrastructure. 
It also supports staking from Utila's console, browser extension, or other supported Web3 wallets, without requiring any external setup.
Utila's staking process incorporates in-platform monitoring for validator performance and reward tracking, and leverages its policy-controlled, non-custodial MPC (multi-party computation) wallet for secure execution. 
According to Utila, this setup ensures staking is compliant with enterprise-grade governance and security standards.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/25/06/46003982/tokenizing-gold-us-equities-no-illiquid-is-key-expert-says">Tokenizing Gold, US Equities? No — Illiquid Is Key, Expert Says</a>
"Institutions can now benefit from industry-leading staking infrastructure across multiple networks," said Bentzi Rabi, Utila's CEO. 
Brian Crain, Chorus One's CEO, added, "This integration allows institutional users to access our trusted staking infrastructure within Utila's unified platform."
Chorus One has operated staking infrastructure since 2018 and currently supports over 40 PoS networks. 
It also runs OPUS, a staking product for Ethereum, and manages a $30 million venture fund targeting PoS and interoperability projects.
Both companies emphasized the importance of combining infrastructure reliability with operational simplicity for institutions. 
The integration is now live for customers of both platforms.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/06/46002825/us-seizes-225-million-in-cryptocurrency-tied-to-global-investment-fraud-network">US Seizes $225 Million In Cryptocurrency Tied To Global Investment Fraud Network</a>
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Utila Integrates Chorus One For Institutional Staking On Ethereum, Solana

Donald Trump Jr., the executive vice president of&nbsp;The Trump Organization and President Donald Trump&#8217;s eldest child, defended his father&#8217;s financial gains from a family-owned cryptocurrency company, stating that &#8220;he doesn&#8217;t touch it.&#8221;
What Happened: During an interview with NewsNation that aired Monday, Trump Jr. was asked about his father&#8217;s financial disclosure, indicating an income of $57.7 million from World Liberty Financial.
&#8220;He has ownership, but he doesn&#8217;t touch it. That&#8217;s all walled off,&#8221; Trump Jr. replied. He said that he and his younger brother Eric Trump manage the trust, and they don&#8217;t talk about it with their father. &#8220;He doesn&#8217;t get involved in that.&#8221;
That said, Trump Jr. pointed out that his father promised to be an &#8220;active proponent&#8221; of cryptocurrency throughout his election campaign last year.
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Political violence &#039;mostly caused&#039; by Democrats: Trump Jr. &#x7C; NewsNation Now" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zL_3azouRtE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/events/25/06/45964856/trump-asks-everyone-to-immediately-evacuate-tehran-odds-of-us-striking-iran-spike-on-crypto-betting-p" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Asks &#8216;Everyone&#8217; To Immediately Evacuate Tehran, Odds Of US Striking Iran Spike On Crypto Betting Platform</a>
Why It Matters: The decentralized finance platform, World Liberty Financial, was launched last year and has been a significant source of income for the Trump family. According to the president&#8217;s latest financial disclosure, it yielded him $57.4 million last year, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45939551/trump-made-57-4-million-from-family-crypto-firm-plus-big-bucks-from-branded-guitars-sneakers-and-watches">positioning it as one of his primary sources of income</a>.
Donald Trump Jr. said recently that the family&#8217;s plunge into cryptocurrency was not a trend-chasing move but rather a financial necessity. He cited a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/06/45755090/donald-trump-jr-says-crypto-was-a-lifeline-after-being-debanked-we-got-into-it-out-of-necessity">complete loss of access to traditional banking</a> after their father&#8217;s political career as the reason for their shift to cryptocurrency.
The project is inspired by Donald Trump, although the disclaimer states that none of its offerings are political or related to any political campaign.
A Trump-affiliated organization holds a 60% share in World Liberty Financial&#8217;s parent firm. Trump's&nbsp;three sons, Donald Jr., Eric,&nbsp;and Barron, are listed as the co-founders.
Earlier this year, it launched a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/05/45160707/eric-trump-says-world-libertys-stablecoin-will-be-used-to-close-a-2-billion-deal-dollar-token-to-also-get-integrated-with-justin-suns-tron-blockchain">dollar-pegged stablecoin</a>, World Liberty Financial USD (USD1) , on Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) and BNB Chain (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/bnb/usd">BNB</a>).
Photo Courtesy: lev radin on Shutterstock.com
Read Next:&nbsp;
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/06/45942372/anthony-scaramucci-welcomes-philippe-laffonts-bitcoin-advocacy-after-billionaire-hedge-fund-manager-says-apex-crypto-has-become-central-to-investment-portfolios">Anthony Scaramucci Welcomes Philippe Laffont&#8217;s Bitcoin Advocacy After Billionaire Hedge Fund Manager Says Apex Crypto Has Become &#8216;Central&#8217; To Investment Portfolios</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>

Markets

$BNB

Donald Trump Jr. Says His Father 'Doesn't Touch' The Family-Backed Crypto Company Despite Disclosure Of $57 Million Income

After the best May in 35 years, the US stock market has started June slowly.
Some traders are already talking about a "summer stall," while others expect the rally to continue reaching new all-time highs.
Having traded since the late 1980s, I've seen it all. But I've boiled the financial markets down to five core benchmarks that tell me everything I need to know.
There's so much financial news to keep tabs on right now – the ongoing trade war, interest rates and the tug-of-war between the Fed and Executive Branch, earnings, gold, oil, bellwether stocks like the Magnificent 7 (to say nothing of the other 8,000 optionable stocks in the market), and so much more.
But the truth is, 90% of the chatter around the financial markets is simply noise—a distraction from what's happening beneath the surface – and the best opportunities to profit.
So, the question is: How do you cut through the noise and focus ONLY on what matters?
In my more than three decades as a trader, I have boiled the financial markets down to just five core benchmarks.
These are what I call the&nbsp;Five Points of the Market&nbsp;– the five asset classes that drive the markets every single day:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Stocks</li>
<li>Bonds</li>
<li>Commodities</li>
<li>Currencies</li>
<li>Crypto</li>
</ul>
Now, this is incredibly broad. And it might sound like a lot to keep up with.
You're not wrong! In fact, these five asset classes represent the entire global economy: the $124 trillion stock market, the $140 trillion bond market, the $2.7 trillion crypto market, and so on.
You get the idea.
However, each asset class can be tracked by looking at a single benchmark and applying just a few basic trading concepts to how you interpret the data.
Today, I want to ensure that you can use this information to help you make the smartest—and most profitable—trading decisions.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEW: Get Access to The Leaderboards That Reveal Tomorrow's Top Stocks</h2>
Updated daily, Benzinga's Top Stock Leaderboards highlight our best buys right now. Spot breakout opportunities before the crowd catches on—without the noise. Get access now and start using the same research trusted by hedge funds, analysts, and serious traders. Get started <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge/?">HERE</a>.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Five Benchmarks to Use to Decode the Markets Every Day</h2>
As I said, I keep tabs on the market by watching the five most powerful asset classes: Stocks, Bonds, Commodities, Currencies, and Crypto.
But those markets are vast, complex, and worth trillions. So, I use some of the biggest, most liquid instruments to track these massive markets.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Stocks: SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (SPY)</h3>
The S&amp;P 500 Index is the most watched economic indicator in the world. The health of this group of stocks is seen as the benchmark for the entire universe of over 8,000 stocks.
Now, I'm not really interested in monitoring 500 stocks every day (I only really like 370 of them anyway).
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of the S&amp;P 500 Index. It is the most liquid security in the financial market.
SPY gives me a picture of the overall stock market. In one glance, I can tell you short-, medium- and long-term trends impacting the day's trading, not to mention what to look out for in the coming days.
SPY is a great way to gauge the health of the overall stock market. Its liquidity makes it an easy way to buy or trade the market.
Analyzing SPY also reveals the market's most powerful seasonal trends. November to April is the "best six months" seasonal pattern (with April being the strongest month for stocks overall). September, meanwhile, is the weakest month. These historical seasonal trends are important to consider against current market trends and data.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bonds: iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT)</h3>
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) is an exchange-traded fund that seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. Treasury bonds with remaining maturities greater than 20 years.
This gives us an excellent snapshot of the $140 trillion bond market.
TLT is an economic indicator that can serve as a leading indicator for the inflation outlook.
Longer-term bonds (like those with 20+ years until maturity) generate a yield curve – rates usually rise right along with the time horizon.
Long-term bond yield is reflective of future inflation, so it rises as TLT increases.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Commodities: SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and the United States Oil Fund LP (USO)</h3>
Now, I don't need to monitor the thousands of commodities that make up the over $20 trillion commodities market.
That's because things like cobalt, lumber, and coffee don't really matter to the overall economic picture – and they certainly don't influence traders' decisions unless you specialize in trading obscure cobalt futures.
That's why I keep my focus on the only commodities that really drive markets: gold and oil.
For gold, I track SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>), an exchange-traded fund designed to track the price of gold. Rather than using derivatives to track gold, GLD is backed by actual physical gold, including 400-ounce London good delivery bars held in the HSBC Bank vault in London.
Why is the price of gold important? Well, gold is usually inversely correlated with the value of the U.S. dollar, and it's considered a safe haven during market turbulence. Many market experts (myself included) will tell you that exposure to gold is still a great hedge for any portfolio.
If I'm seeing signs of trouble in the stock market, a rise in the price of gold, as reflected in GLD's price, may indicate that traders are loading up ahead of a pullback or a correction.
Meanwhile, to track the oil market, I use the United States Oil Fund LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USO#NYSE">USO</a>). USO tracks the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) light, sweet crude oil by investing in futures contracts, and it can be a great short-term vehicle for trading oil.
Of course, rising oil prices could indicate increased demand due to economic expansion. Plummeting oil prices, meanwhile, can indicate an economic downturn.
Oil and gold both have seasonal patterns that occur throughout the year, and we pay close attention to both.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Currencies: Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP)</h3>
The U.S. dollar is the world's reserve currency and the most-watched currency in the world.
A strong dollar can negatively correlate with stocks. Over the last several years, when the dollar has surged, stocks have fallen.
So, I like to monitor Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UUP#NYSE">UUP</a>) for signs of a strengthening or weakening dollar to help inform my trading.
For example, if we're in the middle of a seasonal bear pattern and the dollar is getting stronger, that could give me additional confirmation that a bearish stock or option trade is the way to go.
Likewise, if the Money Calendar predicts a bullish week and we see weakness in the dollar, it may be time to go long.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Crypto: Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH)</h3>
Bitcoin (BTC) is the world's first and largest cryptocurrency, representing nearly 60% of the $2.7 trillion crypto market.
It's the number one indicator of the health of the crypto market—when Bitcoin is going up, bullish sentiment takes hold and spreads to thousands of smaller coins. When Bitcoin consolidates sideways, the entire market follows suit. When Bitcoin crashes, the market enters what we call a "Crypto Winter."
You get the idea. If you want to successfully trade the crypto market, you've got to pay attention to Bitcoin.
From time to time, we'll also take a look at Ethereum (ETH).
Like every other asset class I track, the crypto market is subject to seasonal patterns and regular cycles, just like stocks.
Money flows first into Bitcoin, then Ethereum, and then into smaller, more speculative altcoins.
So when Ethereum is outperforming Bitcoin, we like to track it because it can help us uncover those big, fast gains in the altcoin market, the kinds of coins I trade for 1000%+ gains.
Next week, I'll break down exactly what the charts are signaling as we head into summer and discuss the top stocks currently on my radar.
Editorial content from our expert contributors is intended to be information for the general public and not individualized investment advice. Editors/contributors are presenting their individual opinions and strategies, which are neither expressly nor impliedly approved or endorsed by Benzinga.
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How To Know Where Stocks Are Heading Next

JPMorgan CEO Dimon, Speaking On Fox Business Said JPM Will Be At The Forefront Of Crypto

Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) is currently priced at $2,637.84, rising 0.03% in the last 24 hours, gaining 3.70% over the last week and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-buy-ethereum">45.84% over the past month.</a> Ethereum's recent growth and market confidence has led to a $425 million institutional investment while on-chain activity from smaller players is giving bullish signs.
Showing its long-term commitment to Ethereum, Sharplink Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBET#NASDAQ">SBET</a>) has invested $425 million in a private placement to establish an Ethereum treasury strategy. The U.S.-based sports betting and global iGaming company will swap these funds for ETH, making it the main reserve asset on the balance sheet.
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Ethereum's co-founder, Joseph Lubin, was appointed as chairman of the board, potentially signaling to investors that Sharplink is serious about adopting blockchain technology. The deal attracted some of the most respected names in crypto venture capital, including Consensys, Pantera Capital, and Galaxy Digital, making it a landmark deal for institutional adoption.
Over the last 15 hours, six new wallets collectively withdrew 9,230 ETH, approximately $24.55 million, off of large exchanges like OKX and Kraken. The new wallets immediately took their ETH off-exchange, a classic sign of long-term holding intent.
The average acquisition price was $2,660, indicating that the buyers consider current levels a healthy entry point for accumulation. Wallet activity usually suppresses near-term selling pressure, and indicates growing market conviction.
Despite Ethereum's recent momentum, the derivatives market is showing signs of cautious optimism. Ethereum options open interest has reached December highs, even though volatility is relatively subdued.
Retail investors are targeting a $3,000 level by the end of the month, while institutional wagers are gathering around $3,500 for June. Though a mere 12% probability is being priced in for ETH to reach over $5,000 in December, options activity is increasing due to growing participation by seasoned market players.
The difference in expectations of institutional and retail buyers shows a complex but growing market dynamic. Institutional buyers remain more risk-averse in their objectives but are aggressively deploying capital, both outright in ETH buying, and in treasury plays such as Sharplink&#8217;s.
Retail traders are ready to pursue near-term upside. Both groups share one dominant behavior—active positioning. It is a sign of a healthy, active market, even if the sentiment is not uniform.
Ethereum is still catching up to Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), as the latter dominated the markets due to having more ETF flows and macroeconomic themes.&nbsp;
Ethereum&#8217;s ecosystem advancements, such as the recent Pectra upgrade and integrations like Stripe&#8217;s Ethereum-based stablecoin launch, show it is not lagging behind. When institutions and new wallets are pulling in the same direction, it lends credibility to the narrative that Ethereum is far from peaking.
Whether it is a $425 million corporate investment, millions in off-exchange withdrawals, or the subtle return of options traders, the signs are mounting. Ethereum&#8217;s rally shows strategic alignment, infrastructure maturity, and diversified capital inflows.
More Opportunities:
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<li>Grow your IRA or 401(k) with Crypto – <a href="https://info.irafinancial.com/lp/irafi-crypto/?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=y2">unlock the power of alternative investments including a Crypto IRA within your retirement account</a>.</li>
<li>Trade, earn, and grow your crypto portfolio with Crypto.com — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/go/crypto-com-signup-bonus">plus receive up to $500 worth of rewards in the most popular tokens if you're a new customer</a>.</li>
</ul>
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$BTC

SBET

Sharplink Bets $425M On Ethereum As New Wallets Withdraw Millions

Capital markets commentator The&nbsp;Kobeissi Letter&nbsp;highlighted the impressive rebound of the cryptocurrency market, particularly Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), from its April lows on Tuesday.
What Happened: Through its official X account, Kobeissi Letter&nbsp;highlighted that the total cryptocurrency market cap has surged by $1 trillion, or 42%, since the bottom on April 8. 
Furthermore, it stated that the market valuation was only 6% below its December peak of $3.70 trillion.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">BREAKING: Crypto&#39;s total market cap has surged ~$1 trillion, or +42%, since the April 8th low, to near a record $3.4 trillion. The crypto market&#39;s value is now just $240 billion, or 6%, below its December 2024 peak. Furthermore, crypto&#39;s market cap excluding Bitcoin has risen… <a href="https://t.co/RPEIzoZ7Hz">pic.twitter.com/RPEIzoZ7Hz</a>
&mdash; The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) <a href="https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1927365675049500717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Bitcoin was the primary driver behind the surge, noted The Kobeissi Letter, given the total market capitalization, excluding BTC, increased by just $319 billion since April lows.
&#8220;Bitcoin is performing exceptionally well,&#8221; it added. 
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/06/39493836/rich-dad-poor-dad-author-robert-kiyosaki-agrees-with-raoul-pals-bitcoin-banana-zone-theory" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8216;Rich Dad Poor Dad&#8217; Author Robert Kiyosaki Agrees With Raoul Pal&#8217;s Bitcoin &#8216;Banana Zone&#8217; Theory: &#8216;He Knows What He&#8217;s Talking About&#8217;</a>
Bitcoin currently has the largest market share, accounting for almost 63%. However, Ethereum (CRYPT: ETH) managed to increase its dominance from 7.4% to 9.3% over the month, <a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/charts/bitcoin-dominance/">according </a>to CoinMarketCap.
Moreover, the apex cryptocurrency has already gained 15.31% in May, nearly doubling its average returns during the month.
Why It Matters: The cryptocurrency market&#8217;s rebound comes after a period of major decline. Bitcoin <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44669943/why-is-bitcoin-down-today-trump-tariffs-spark-market-panic-as-btc-slides-below-75k">plunged below $75,000</a> in early April, marking its lowest level in months. This drop was triggered by President Donald Trump&#8217;s sweeping tariff measures, which reignited fears of a global recession and led to a sharp sell-off in risk assets.
However, the sentiment has eased after the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/05/45339503/recession-odds-fall-below-50-on-polymarket-as-crypto-bettors-assess-the-us-china-trade-deal">U.S. announced a trade deal </a>with China earlier this month, sending recession odds lower and reigniting a rally in stocks and cryptocurrencies alike. Bitcoin climbed to its all-time high of $111,970.17 last week.
Price Action:&nbsp; At the time of writing, Bitcoin was exchanging hands at $108,972.89, down 0.33% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.&nbsp; 
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/03/44450232/white-house-says-gold-reserves-may-be-used-to-purchase-bitcoin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">White House Says Gold Reserves May Be Used to Purchase Bitcoin</a>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Bitcoin Performing 'Exceptionally Well,' Says Markets Commentator As BTC Helps Fuel A 42% Crypto Market Recovery From April Lows

Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) is trading at $2,654.33, having increased by 0.77% over the past 24 hours. The token grew 1.95% over the week, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-buy-ethereum">and has surged 48.44% over the month</a>.&nbsp;
The growth comes on the back of Ethereum's milestone, as it crossed Bank of America Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) by market cap, while ETH Co-founder makes a large transfer.&nbsp;
ETH reached a market cap of $327.82 billion, which is higher than Bank of America&#8217;s market cap of $326.20 billion. Bank of America has existed for more than a century, yet Ethereum has outpaced it within a decade, giving a boost to investors' confidence, and a strong sign that crypto is surpassing traditional finance on more than just technical grounds.
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The Ethereum network has completed the Pectra upgrade that doubled the capacity of its layer-2 solutions. The upgrade improved validator tools, as well as smart wallets, which make products in the Ethereum ecosystem easier to use.
Stripe has integrated Ethereum-based stablecoin accounts, enabling users in more than 100 countries to receive, send, and store assets like USDC. Ethereum has the potential to become the global infrastructure for decentralized finance.
Ethereum co-founder, Jeffrey Wilcke, made a transfer of 78,000 ETH (around $260 million) to Kraken, raising concerns among traders. Wilcke's previous large sales have coincided with local market peaks. The timing is also right as ETH&#8217;s price has nearly doubled its recent low at $1,390, which can invite a short-term correction.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) saw a similar pattern, where an anonymous whale placed an $800 million leveraged long bet on the token using 40x leverage. With the Federal Reserve adding to the uncertainty with unclear policy signals, traders are now worried about a violent market shift.&nbsp;
A post from Ethereum's official X account, formerly Twitter, showed 21 developments over the last few weeks. Along with the Pectra update and Stripe integration, names like CoalaPay, BTCS Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BTCS#NASDAQ">BTCS</a>), and Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>) have contributed to Ethereum&#8217;s growing reach and technical ability. Layer-2 solutions are active, secure, and faster than ever, and the ecosystem continues to innovate in ways that traditional finance can&#8217;t keep up with.
Ethereum passing Bank of America indicates that talent, capital, and attention are pouring into it, not due to hype, but because it&#8217;s providing actual utility.&nbsp;
It&#8217;s the space for developers to build, users to spend, and a new financial infrastructure to form.&nbsp;
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Image: Shutterstock

BTCS

COIN

Ethereum Surpasses Bank of America As Price Soars 48%, Stripe Integrates Stablecoins

Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) is trading at $2669, marking a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-buy-ethereum">steady rise toward the $3000 mark</a>. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap has surged over 5% over the past week amid rising institutional interest, with BTCS boosting holdings, RWA tokenization on Ethereum Layer-2s, and a bullish price structure.
Blockchain company, BTCS Inc., has expanded its ETH holdings with a fresh purchase of 3450 ETH amounting to $8.43 million. The company's total Ethereum holdings are over 12,500 ETH, marking a 38% increase.
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CEO Charles Allen stated that Ethereum is central to BTCS's blockchain infrastructure approach. The company is enhancing the base needed to scale validator operations and boost staking income, while delivering sustained value to shareholders.&nbsp;
According to Cointelegraph, Real Vision founder, Raoul Pal, is pushing back at the skepticism surrounding Ethereum's future by calling it the "Microsoft of blockchain." He argued that traditional finance sees Ethereum as the clear base layer for tokenization, noting that firms such as JP Morgan Chase &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>), and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>) are highly unlikely to build on Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>).&nbsp;
Analysts from AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AB#NYSE">AB</a>) echoed the sentiment, crediting Ethereum's price recovery to the growing recognition that traditional finance has already tokenized billions in US Treasuries and commodities.
Arthur Hayes, the co-founder of BitMEX, has doubled down on his forecast that Ethereum could reach its long-term target of $15,000. According to the Bankless Podcast, Arthur said a US $10,000 to US $15,000 price for ETH is far from unrealistic, citing a shift in the market sentiment.
"Everybody thought it was dead, but the most hated coin goes up fastest in the next cycle," he said. Hayes added that Ethereum's comeback is natural after being overshadowed by Solana, while pointing to the Pectra upgrade as a positive catalyst.
Buyers have remained active near the $2440 level, where ETH has formed a base for an upward move. ETH price broke past $2500 and $2520, crossing the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the drop from the $2615 high to the $2442 low.
A breakout above $2720 could push a rally toward $2840 and potentially $2920, or even $3000 in the short term. A failure to breach $2629 could trigger another dip, with the initial support at $2525 and major support at $2500.
With growing institutional backing, expanding layer 2 development, and bullish technicals, Ethereum is positioning itself for not just a break above $3000 but for a sustained rally that could redefine its position.
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Image: Shutterstock

Ethereum Hits $2669 Amid Institutional Flows, RWA Tokenization Fueling Bullish Breakout

Ethereum was trading lower early Thursday, reversing a searing rally that made it the most successful large-cap coin over the week.
What happened: The second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization fell below $2,600 on profit-taking, having reclaimed $2,700 the day before. The trading volume dropped 34% in the last 24 hours.
ETH, which has been a major underperformer this year, rose sharply on <a href="http://nga.com/25/05/45397274/ethereum-breaches-2700-after-nearly-three-months3000-next">favorable macroeconomic developments</a>, such as the U.S.-China tariff de-escalation and the softer-than-expected consumer inflation data.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44621245/gold-backed-cryptos-match-yellow-metals-highs-following-trumps-liberation-day-shock"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45427302/anthony-scaramucci-forecasts-bitcoin-will-be-deemed-asset-class-akin-to-gold-when-it-reaches-500000">Anthony Scaramucci Says Once Bitcoin Hits $500,000 It Will Be Considered An Asset Class Just Like Gold</a>
The rally has pushed it to levels not seen since the closing days of February. The coin has rallied 32% over the week and 42% since the beginning of May. Note that ETH recorded five consecutive red months before this.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>7-Day Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price (Recorded at 4:30 a.m. ET)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)</td>
<td>+32.89%</td>
<td>$2,557.94</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>)</td>
<td>+13.19%</td>
<td>$2.47</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>)</td>
<td>+13.36%</td>
<td>$172.41</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The uptick dwarfed the returns of major altcoins such as XRP and Solana, both of which gained a little over 13% in a week's time.
Widely followed cryptocurrency trader and analyst Daan Crypto Trades said it "makes sense" for ETH to test the support at $2,400.
"A sweep and back up likely leads to a local range being formed between $2,400-$2,700.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a> $2.4K level will be pretty key. I think it makes sense to test that local support level. I don&#39;t have any interest in longs until some of these billions in Open Interest have been wiped out. Will reassess depending on how price reacts around that region. A sweep and back up… <a href="https://t.co/b4Oi07sO3E">pic.twitter.com/b4Oi07sO3E</a>
&mdash; Daan Crypto Trades (@DaanCrypto) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaanCrypto/status/1922913908114821397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Price Action:&nbsp; At the time of writing, ETH was exchanging hands at $2,558.65, down 1.23% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/05/45428552/peter-schiff-once-questioned-wisdom-of-hodling-ethereum-at-1200-since-then-the-second-largest-crypto-has-soared-116">Peter Schiff Once Questioned Wisdom Of HODLing Ethereum At $1,200 —Since Then, The Second-Largest Crypto Has Soared 116%</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock/VPLAB

$XRP

Ethereum Leaves XRP, SOL In The Dust This Week — What's Going On?

Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) broke through $2,700 in a searing rally Tuesday, bolstered by improving macroeconomic conditions.
What happened: The second-largest cryptocurrency by capitalization soared over 8% in the last 24 hours, reaching levels last seen in the last week of February.
ETH's trading volume jumped 10.30% to nearly $35 billion, indicating high liquidity and trader interest.
The upsurge made ETH the biggest large-cap cryptocurrency gainer over the last 24 hours, significantly outpacing Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) and XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>).
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44621245/gold-backed-cryptos-match-yellow-metals-highs-following-trumps-liberation-day-shock"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45339966/bitcoin-creator-satoshi-nakamotos-estimated-wealth-crosses-bill-gates-amid-apex-cryptos-sharp-rebound">Bill Gates Left Behind By Satoshi Nakamoto: Bitcoin Creator&#8217;s Wealth Now Eclipses That Of Microsoft Co-Founder Amid Crypto&#8217;s Sharp Rebound</a>
The rally also excited ETH's derivatives traders, as the Open Interest skyrocketed 16% to $32.28 billion in the last 24 hours, <a href="https://www.coinglass.com/BitcoinOpenInterest">according </a>to Coinglass, the highest since Jan. 24.
Nearly $160 million in bearish leveraged bets on ETH were erased, accounting for 64% of total short liquidations during the last 24 hours. Over 60% of all Binance traders with open ETH positions were long as of this writing.
Institutional investors started piling on the cryptocurrency. London-based digital asset investment firm Abraxas Capital purchased another $84.7 million in ETH, taking its total buys in the last week to $561 million, according to Lookonchain.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Just as we suspected, Abraxas Capital borrowed <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24USDT&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$USDT</a> to buy more <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a>. When we posted, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a> was at $2,460, now it has broken above $2,700—up ~10%! Over the past week, Abraxas Capital has bought 242,652 <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a>($561M).<a href="https://t.co/vZTxLPcuJS">https://t.co/vZTxLPcuJS</a><a href="https://t.co/qZZkGndZEd">https://t.co/qZZkGndZEd</a> <a href="https://t.co/o7NgUjSguU">pic.twitter.com/o7NgUjSguU</a>
&mdash; Lookonchain (@lookonchain) <a href="https://twitter.com/lookonchain/status/1922465465554682131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The uptick followed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45396450/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-pop-on-softer-inflation-analyst-says-cocktail-for-bitcoins-ballistic-rise-was-in-the-works">softer-than-expected consumer inflation</a> data for April, easing fears about President Donald Trump&#8217;s trade policies and encouraging a risk-on mood.
Price Action:&nbsp; At the time of writing, ETH was exchanging hands at $2,638.49, up 8.63% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. The coin was still 13% away from reclaiming $3,000.
Photo Courtesy: VPLAB On Shutterstock.com
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Movers

Ethereum Spikes Nearly 9% Over 24 Hours: Is $3000 Next?

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-spot-bitcoin-etfs">Spot Bitcoin ETFs</a> registered $442 million in net inflows on April 24, marking five consecutive trading days of positive flows and pushing the cumulative inflow above $2.5 billion for the week.
What Happened: Blackrock&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBIT#NASDAQ">IBIT</a>) led the inflows with $327.2 million, followed by Ark &amp; 21Shares (CBOE: ARKB) at 97 million.
Ethereum ETFs also saw a net inflow of $63.4 million, although Grayscale's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETH#NYSE">ETH</a>) recorded an outflow, according to <a href="https://sosovalue.com/assets/etf/us-btc-spot">data</a> from SoSo Value.
Speaking with Benzinga, Matteo Greco, Senior Associate &amp; Digital Asset Analyst at Fineqia, attributes the surge to both long- and short-term investor interest but emphasizes the structural tilt of ETFs toward long-term capital. 
"Even during the recent 30% drawdown from Bitcoin's all-time high, ETF outflows represented only about 15% of total inflows since inception," Greco said. "This suggests strong long-term conviction among ETF investors."
The expiry of over $15 billion in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) options on Thursday appears to have cleared a major overhang in derivatives markets. 
Bitfinex analysts noted that the put-to-call ratio of 0.73 and a maximum pain point at $86,000 suggested bullish sentiment. 
The clearing of open interest above $90,000 reset market gamma pressure, and the lack of sharp selling afterward indicates bulls retained control.
Funding rates remain moderately positive, averaging between 0.01% and 0.03% across major exchanges, implying continued long bias without excessive leverage. 
Despite a slight drop post-expiry, open interest remains elevated at over $32 billion, with most positions rolled forward rather than unwound.
Even during minor price pullbacks, funding rates briefly turned negative, suggesting traders were overly eager to short. 
This likely contributed to the short squeezes witnessed throughout the week.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44992375/if-bitcoin-breaks-100k-this-ceo-will-gladly-admit-being-wrong-about-a-bear-market">If Bitcoin Breaks $100K, This CEO Will &#8216;Gladly Admit&#8217; Being Wrong About A Bear Market</a>
Why It Matters: Bitfinex analysts say the market is "cautiously bullish" with the $90,000 options cluster cleared.
New call positions are forming at $95,000 and $100,000 for end-of-April and May expiries, indicating traders expect a continued but potentially choppy move higher.
Bitcoin was trading at $94,250 on Friday morning in Europe, up 2% on the day. 
Ethereum rose 2.5% to $1,785. 
Major altcoins also advanced, with Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) and Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) each up over 5% in the last 24 hours. 
Meanwhile XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>) and BNB (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/bnb/usd">BNB</a>) are each trading up around 1% in trade.
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Image: Shutterstock

$DOGE

ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF

ARKB

IBIT

Bitcoin ETFs See $442M Daily Inflow As BTC Hovers Around $94,000

Spot Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) ETFs recorded a total net inflow of $917 million on April 23, marking four consecutive days of positive flows, fueled by macro relief and institutional demand.
Spot Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) ETFs <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44957349/bitcoin-spot-etfs-record-936-million-net-inflow-ethereum-etfs-add-38-74-million">saw a net outflow</a> of $23.8 million, per SoSoValue data.
What Happened: BlackRock's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBIT#NASDAQ">IBIT</a>) led Bitcoin ETF inflows with $641.1 million, bringing its cumulative inflows to $40.6 billion, while total net assets for Bitcoin ETFs reached $106.3 billion, or 5.72% of Bitcoin's market cap.
For Ethereum, only Grayscale's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETH#NYSE">ETH</a>) ETF saw a $6.4 million inflow.
Total net assets for Ethereum ETFs stood at $5.9 billion, representing 2.74% of Ethereum's market cap. 
The broader crypto market cap fell 3.51% to $2.989 trillion, reflecting mixed sentiment across major cryptocurrencies.
What Experts Are Saying: Bitfinex analysts attribute Bitcoin's rally to cooling inflation signals and strong ETF inflows, with the cryptocurrency testing the $94,000 level.
"The market is also reacting to cooling inflation signals and renewed institutional bid, especially as spot volumes pick up," the Bitfinex report states. 
They highlight that on-chain flows indicate accumulation rather than distribution, aligning with Bitcoin's relative strength against equities and the dollar.
The report also points to liquidation data, with over $800 million in short positions liquidated in the past 65 hours, fueling Bitcoin's upward momentum.
They also note Bitcoin's rising dominance at 55–56%, reinforcing its store-of-value narrative during periods of macro risk and altcoin corrections.
"If Bitcoin can hold above $89-90k on strong spot volume… the rally likely has legs," Bitfinex analysts concluded.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $92,500, down 1% on the day.
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Bitcoin Dips To $92,000 As ETFs Record $917M In Net Inflows

Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) executive chairman Michael Saylor cautioned companies against leveraging Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) and Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), stating that it might lead to a &#8220;catastrophe.&#8221;
What Happened:&nbsp;In an interview with TheBlock that aired Saturday, Saylor likened Bitcoin to steel while comparing Ethereum and Solana to&nbsp;balsa wood and clay bricks. He warned that leveraging these tokens could lead to them buckling under pressure. 
The Bitcoin maximalist said that Ethereum and Solana were not commodities but rather tokens. &#8220;And so I would caution anybody listening here against leveraging up on a token or a proprietary asset,&#8221; he added.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The &#39;MicroStrategy playbook&#39; for other crypto assets? Here&#39;s what <a href="https://twitter.com/saylor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@saylor</a> has to say &#x1f447; <a href="https://t.co/n7ddj62Vd4">pic.twitter.com/n7ddj62Vd4</a>
&mdash; The Block (@TheBlock__) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBlock__/status/1914335944578338830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The reason it works is&nbsp;because I&#8217;m&nbsp;putting leverage on steel (Bitcoin). I&#8217;m&nbsp;doing it with the right&nbsp;material. I&#8217;m&nbsp;actually using a product which&nbsp;doesn&#8217;t&nbsp;deflect. Bitcoin is a&nbsp;crypto asset which does not&nbsp;deflect,&#8221; Saylor said.
To the contrary, doing the same thing with FTX Token (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ftt/usd">FTT</a>) or Terra Classic (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">LUNC</a>) or picking one&#8217;s favorite token could lead to &#8220;catastrophe,&#8221; he argued, citing the two implosions that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/11/29691585/why-ftxs-collapse-is-the-crypto-equivalent-of-the-2008-lehman-brothers-crisis">rocked </a>the cryptocurrency market in 2022.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44621245/gold-backed-cryptos-match-yellow-metals-highs-following-trumps-liberation-day-shock"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44891685/gary-black-shares-polymarket-data-says-trump-tariffs-have-pushed-odds-of-2025-recession-to-57">Gary Black </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44891685/gary-black-shares-polymarket-data-says-trump-tariffs-have-pushed-odds-of-2025-recession-to-57">Shares </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44891685/gary-black-shares-polymarket-data-says-trump-tariffs-have-pushed-odds-of-2025-recession-to-57">Polymarket Data, Says Trump Tariffs Have Pushed Odds Of 2025 Recession To 57%</a>
Why It Matters:&nbsp; Saylor&#8217;s cautionary advice comes at a time when companies are increasingly exploring cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin as investment tools. 
Upexi Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UPXI#NASDAQ">UPXI</a>) announced raising approximately $100 million through securities purchase agreements Monday<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44902345/upexi-raises-100-million-to-expand-crypto-ventures-stock-soars"> to expand its cryptocurrency ventures</a>, including building a Solana treasury. 
Before this,&nbsp;BioNexus Gene Lab Corp.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BGLC#NASDAQ">BGLC</a>) announced <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44159709/bionexus-shares-surge-after-company-claims-to-be-the-first-on-nasdaq-with-an-ethereum-focused-treasury-strategy">Ethereum&#8217;s adoption as a treasury reserve asset</a> last month, claiming to be the first company on NASDAQ to do so.
Saylor&#8217;s Strategy, on the other hand, has been razor-focused on Bitcoin, having built a stockpile of 534,741 BTCs, worth $47.19 billion, <a href="https://bitcointreasuries.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according&nbsp;</a>to&nbsp; bitcointreasuries.com.
Price Action:&nbsp; At the time of writing, Bitcoin was exchanging hands at $88,226.94, up 1.13% in the last 24 hours, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.&nbsp;
Shares of Strategy were up 0.23% in after-hours trading after closing 0.18% higher at $317.76 during Monday&#8217;s regular session.&nbsp;
MSTR demonstrated a very high momentum score—a measure of the stock's relative strength based on its price movement patterns and volatility over multiple timeframes—as of this writing. To find out similar high-momentum stocks,  go to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings</a>.
Photo Courtesy: alfernec on Shutterstock.com
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44890965/shiba-inu-team-issues-major-anti-scam-alert-heres-what-you-need-to-know">Shiba Inu Team Issues Major Anti-Scam Alert: Here&#8217;s What You Need To Know</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>

$FTT

$LUNC

BGLC

MSTR

UPXI

Bitcoin Is Steel, Ethereum And Solana Are Balsa Wood And Clay, Warns Michael Saylor—Strategy Chair Says Leveraging ETH, SOL Could Lead To 'Catastrophe'

Cryptocurrency mogul Justin Sun declared Thursday that he won&#8217;t dump his Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) holdings despite the continued decline in its value.
What Happened: Sun, the founder of the Tron (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/trx/usd">TRX</a>) blockchain, expressed a strong conviction for the second-largest cryptocurrency in an X post.
&#8220;ETH is currently at a low price, but we have no intention of selling our ETH holdings,&#8221; the cryptocurrency entrepreneur wrote.
&nbsp;Instead, he stated that Tron was looking&nbsp;to collaborate with more Ethereum&nbsp;developers to &#8220;build the industry together.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">ETH is currently at a low price, but we have no intention of selling our ETH holdings. Tron will continue to seek opportunities to collaborate with more Ethereum developers and build our industry together.
&mdash; H.E. Justin Sun &#x1f34c; (@justinsuntron) <a href="https://twitter.com/justinsuntron/status/1912945575504617945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Justin Sun is one of the largest cryptocurrency investors, with a portfolio worth more than $994 million, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://platform.arkhamintelligence.com/explorer/entity/justin-sun" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data&nbsp;</a>from Arkham Intelligence.&nbsp; He held 203.175 ETH as of this writing, worth $322,510, while his Lido Staked Ether (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">STETH</a>) accounted for $266 million.
Ethereum has been a major cryptocurrency laggard this year, plunging more than 52% year-to-date. The mega-cap token was currently trading 60% below its December highs.
In the last two days, however, it has traded sideways with little volatility.
 &#8220;This kind of price action usually precedes a large move. Just got to wait for the break to either direction,&#8221; Daan Crypto Trades, a widely followed cryptocurrency trader, predicted.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a> Price extremely compressed. Has not really moved for the better part of 2 days. This kind of price action usually precedes a large move. Just got to wait for the break to either direction. <a href="https://t.co/dqCAz05seL">pic.twitter.com/dqCAz05seL</a>
&mdash; Daan Crypto Trades (@DaanCrypto) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaanCrypto/status/1913124975055118441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/25/04/44881657/shytoshi-kusama-introduces-karma-system-a-trust-score-for-the-shiba-inu-ecosystem" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shytoshi Kusama Introduces &#8216;Karma&#8217; System To Assess Credibility Of Shiba Inu Users: &#8216;We Deal With So Many Scams And Scammers&#8217;</a>
Meanwhile, another well-known ETH investor, Niels, admitted that the token has been &#8220;the biggest disappointment&#8221; of this cycle.
Niels noted that major upgrades and institutional adoption have had little impact on the price, and now only <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/04/44875406/hell-be-out-if-i-ask-him-can-trumps-threat-to-oust-powell-shake-the-fed">quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve</a> and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/03/37967762/fidelity-includes-staking-in-spot-ethereum-etf-application">approval of Ethereum staking exchange-traded funds</a> could spark a recovery.
&#8220;If these 2 things happen this cycle, $10,000 ETH is programmed,&#8221; Niels said.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a> is now at its most crucial support zone. Despite being one of my holdings, I&#39;m admitting that ETH has been the biggest disappointment of this cycle. ETF approval, major upgrades, and institutional adoption have helped very little, and prices are now back to 2018 levels.… <a href="https://t.co/YAQMd87JoH">pic.twitter.com/YAQMd87JoH</a>
&mdash; Niels (@Web3Niels) <a href="https://twitter.com/Web3Niels/status/1912798313679630767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Price Action: At the time of writing, ETH traded at $1,588.02, down 0.37% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.&nbsp;
The Open Interest in ETH futures rose 2.11% in the last 24 hours, <a href="https://www.coinglass.com/LongShortRatio">according </a>to Coinglass. Additionally, more than 50% of Binance traders with an active ETH contract were positioned short as of this writing.
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44881383/isaac-newton-inspired-crypto-defies-gravity-soars-7600-since-the-year-began">Isaac Newton-inspired Crypto Defies Gravity, Soars 7600% Since The Year Began</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>
Photo: VPLAB/Shutterstock

General

$STETH

$TRX

Justin Sun Has 'No Intention Of Selling' ETH Despite A 52% YTD Slump—Crypto Mogul Says Tron Will Continue Collaboration With Ethereum

It takes a few years before you learn the most important words in investing (and most of life as well).
&#8220;I do not know.&#8221;
What is the market going to do over the next year?
I do not know.
How long will the trade war last?
I do not know.
No one knew that the Trump Administration would announce the level they did.
No one knew how the markets would respond.
I did not talk to one single person who thought he might pause the reciprocal tariffs.
No one knew, or even suspected, that Deep Seek would come out of nowhere to challenge the AI storyline.
What is the next breakthrough in technology?
I do not know.
Will AI reach Artificial General Intelligence?
I do not know.
If it does reach AGI, when will it happen?
I do not know.
As investors, we need to focus on what we can know.
What are we paying for assets owned by the business and the cash flow produced by operations?
That we can figure out quickly.
Once we know that, we can plan accordingly.
If a company is trading at a high multiple of earnings and assets, then we know everyone expects the good times to continue.
Everyone loves the company and everyone owns the stock.
Any surprises are likely to be negative and cause the price of the stock to drop precipitously as surprised and disappointed shareholders head for the exits.
If the valuation is low, then we can determine that no one expects anything good to happen and very few people own the stock.
Any surprises will likely be positive.
The unexpected positive news will bring buyers into the stock, and the resulting buying pressure will push the share price higher.
Unless you are an insider with some influence over the outcome, it makes more sense to own a collection of businesses trading at low valuations where the inevitable surprises can deliver large returns.
Owning what everyone else does will deliver at best average returns.
When we are in an environment like we are today where the average returns are likely to be quite low, the popular expensive stocks can deliver large doses of disappointment.
The furniture business is not at the top of anyone&#8217;s excitement list.
That&#8217;s especially true given that the proposed tariffs would have a negative impact on many furniture companies.
The layoffs in companies that sell to government also contribute to a lackluster environment for furniture and furniture stocks.
There is no one on CNBC or on the internet touting the exciting opportunity in couches and dining room tables.
Shares of Ethan Allen Interiors(Ticker: ETH), one of the higher quality furniture companies, have been bouncing around in a range for a long time now.
Ethan Allen is one of the leading furniture retailers in the United States and has been around since 1932.
Ethan Allen will be far less impacted by potential tariffs as 75% of their products are made in the United States.
No one is excited about the stock.
As a result, the shares trade at less than 8 times the cash being produced by the business.
A good portion of that cash is being returned to shareholders as a dividend.
Ethan Allen shares currently yield over 5%.
The company has been generous about sharing wealth and has grown the payout by about 15% annually over the past several years.
No one is expecting much from the company, and any positive news could send the stock higher quickly.
Growing earnings and modest multiple expansion over the next several years, along with the dividend, should help deliver excellent long-term total returns from current levels.
No one appears to expect much from shares of TEGNA (Ticker: TGNA) either.
There have been two failed takeover attempts over the past several years and they are in a boring business.
TEGNA operates a portfolio of television stations and digital properties across the United States. The company owns 64 television stations in 51 markets, reaching approximately one-third of all television households nationwide.
TEGNA&#8217;s stations operate under various network affiliations including NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX.
The stock is currently trading at less than six times the cash produced by the business.
Any good news or positive announcement will bring buyers back into the stock and push prices higher.
There is a 3.17% dividend yield to collect while you wait for good things to happen.
Management has consistently increased the payout by more than 10% annually for the past five years.
No one knows what will happen next.
We do know that there will probably be surprises and events we never saw coming.
It makes sense to own businesses where the surprises are likely to be positive and lead to a surge of buying interest.
Doing what everyone else does sets the stage for negative surprises.
I prefer positive ones.

TGNA

Under the Radar: Low Expectations and High Yields Set These Stocks Apart

A Pennsylvania man could spend up to six years in prison after pleading guilty to concealing over $13 million in NFT sales <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-tax-software">from tax authorities</a>.
What Happened: Waylon Wilcox, 45, admitted to filing false individual income tax returns in 2022 and 2023, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/york-county-man-pleads-guilty-filing-false-income-tax-returns-omitted-more-13-million">according</a> to a Department of Justice statement released Friday and <a href="https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/04/14/man-pleads-guilty-tax-fraud-cryptopunks-sales/">reported</a> by Fortune on Monday.
The DOJ alleges Wilcox sold 97 NFTs from the iconic CryptoPunks collection between 2021 and 2022, generating over $13 million in proceeds that he failed to report to the IRS.
&#8220;When a taxpayer sells an NFT, including a Punk, then the taxpayer must report sales proceeds and any gains or losses from the sale of the NFT on their tax return,&#8221; the DOJ statement emphasized. 
By omitting these substantial sales, Wilcox allegedly reduced his tax liability by approximately $3.2 million over the two-year period.
Lawyers representing Wilcox did not respond to Fortune&#8217;s request for comment. 
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44794389/bitcoin-surges-back-to-85000-what-does-the-technical-analysis-show">Bitcoin Surges Back To $85,000: What Does The Technical Analysis Show?</a>
Why It Matters: The case comes during a transitional period for cryptocurrency tax reporting. 
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/42774313/did-the-irs-really-just-delay-crypto-tax-reporting-requirements">Earlier this year</a>, the IRS issued Notice 2025-7, providing temporary relief that allows crypto holders using centralized exchanges in 2025 to have more flexibility in their accounting methods rather than defaulting to the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) method. 
However, this relief doesn&#8217;t exempt traders from reporting cryptocurrency transactions.
According to the DOJ, Wilcox sold 62 CryptoPunks for over $7.4 million in 2021 during the height of the NFT boom, followed by another 35 Punks for nearly $5 million in 2022 as the market began to cool. 
CryptoPunks, created in 2017, is one of the oldest and most valuable NFT collections, with individual pieces once selling for as much as $23.7 million.
The floor price for a CryptoPunk currently sits at 42.42 Ethereum (CRYPOT: ETH), approximately $70,000. 
The case serves as a reminder to cryptocurrency investors that while the IRS has temporarily eased some reporting requirements for 2025, the fundamental obligation to report all cryptocurrency transactions remains unchanged.
The DOJ has not disclosed how they discovered the unreported sales.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44795865/xrp-spikes-13-in-7-days-what-is-going-on">XRP Spikes 13% In 7 Days: What Is Going On?</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

CryptoPunk, Tax Flunk: NFT Seller Pleads Guilty In $13M Fraud Case

The shares of Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) plunged 9.24% during the Monday pre-market trading session as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) tumbled 7% amid President Donald Trump&#8216;s tariff woes.
What Happened: Strategy, one of the largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency, felt the brunt after Bitcoin hit a low of $77,097.74<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/04/44659799/bitcoin-plunges-below-80000-ethereum-dogecoin-crash-as-cryptocurrencies-mirror-stocks-amid-trump-tariff-mayhem-analyst-flags-critical-support-level-for-btc"> before slightly</a> recovering to $78,000 on Sunday. Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) experienced a more severe fall, dipping below $1,600 for the first time since October 2023.
The trading volume for Bitcoin and Ethereum surged by 179% and 272%, respectively, indicating a high selling pressure. This drop followed a period of relative stability in cryptocurrency prices amidst intense stock market volatility on Friday.
Although Bitcoin initially demonstrated resilience, it is now mirroring the growing unease in the broader market. According to data from&nbsp;CoinGlass, in the past 24 hours, the crypto market experienced $570 million in liquidations, with long positions making up $493 million of the total. Bitcoin alone was responsible for more than $121 million of these liquidations.
As Bitcoin fell below the $80,000 threshold, prominent economist and Bitcoin skeptic Peter Schiff questioned Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor on whether he could stop the cryptocurrency from dropping further below his average purchase price of $68,000 by borrowing more funds to make large-scale purchases. 
At present, Strategy owns 528,185 BTC on its balance sheet
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="600" height="188" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/07072024/image-60.png" alt="" class="wp-image-859692" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/07072024/image-60.png 600w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/07072024/image-60-300x94.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></figure>
SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44658863/peter-lynchs-advice-if-you-cant-explain-to-an-11-year-old-in-two-minutes-or-less-why-you-own-the-stock-yo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peter Lynch&#8217;s Advice: &#8216;If You Can&#8217;t Explain to an 11-Year-Old in Two Minutes or Less Why You Own the Stock, You Shouldn&#8217;t Own It&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters:  Earlier this month, investment banking firm Monness, Crespi, Hardt &amp; Co. predicted that Strategy&#8217;s aggressive bitcoin purchases may soon face a roadblock as funding options become limited. The firm also downgraded MSTR stock to &#8216;Sell&#8217; after initiating coverage at &#8216;Neutral&#8217; two weeks ago.
This recent crash in the cryptocurrency market comes in the wake of warnings from renowned cryptocurrency analyst Michaël van de Poppe. The analyst predicted that Bitcoin <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44661331/bitcoin-could-test-70k-amid-fears-of-black-monday-panic-says-analyst-van-de-poppe-as-global-markets-slide-on-trump-tariff-shock">could test</a> the $70,000 level amid panic selling, which he referred to as "Black Monday". This prediction seems to be coming true as the cryptocurrency market experiences its worst selloff since March 2020.
Meanwhile, analyst Ali Martinez has anticipated a significant price movement for Bitcoin, while economic analyst Jesse Colombo identified $77,500 as&nbsp;a &#8220;critical support level&#8221; for&nbsp;the cryptocurrency, warning of a sharp plunge if this level fails.
<ul>
<li>READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/25/04/44644765/tom-lee-predicts-a-market-rebound-after-april-9-as-absurd-tariffs-could-spur-potential-negotiations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tom Lee Predicts a Market Rebound After April 9 As &#8216;Absurd&#8217; Tariffs Could Spur Potential Negotiations &#8211; Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (ARC</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Equities

Tech

MSTR Stock Falls Over 9% In Monday Pre-Market: What's Going On?

As Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) continues its downward slide since Eric Trump recommended buying the second-largest cryptocurrency, renowned economist Peter Schiff cautioned against taking investment advice from the Trump family on Sunday.
What Happened:&nbsp;Schiff was reminded by an X user of the famous&nbsp;&#8220;It&#8217;s a great time to add ETH&#8221; remark by Eric Trump, the Executive Vice President of&nbsp;The Trump Organization and President Donald Trump&#8217;s second son.
&#8220;Yes, it&#8217;s best not to take any investment advice from the Trumps,&#8221; Schiff stated.
Schiff&#8217;s views were countered by another user, JB rocks, who wondered if the cryptocurrency critic would say the same if the <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/03/44512448/as-gold-hits-record-high-peter-schiff-points-to-dollar-distrust-and-inflation-gold-is-not-rising-due-to-uncertain">Trumps promoted gold</a>. 
It&#8217;s worth noting that Schiff is an avid advocate of gold, aggressively pitching the yellow metal as an investment.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Yes, it&#39;s best not to take any investment advice from the Trumps.
&mdash; Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterSchiff/status/1908957697107697684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44648898/shiba-inu-burn-rate-surges-1973-in-a-day-why-is-shib-not-going-up" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shiba Inu Burn Rate Surges 1,973% In A Day: Why Is SHIB Not Going Up? &#8211; Benzinga</a>
Notably, ETH has plunged 45% since Eric&#8217;s advice. Moreover, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) has slid over 12% since he <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44642256/eric-trump-pitched-buying-the-bitcoin-dip-when-it-fell-below-90000-5-weeks-later-btc-is-yet-to-rip-but-is-there-still-hope">wrote</a>, &#8220;₿uy the dips,"&nbsp;in an X post from late February.
However, the declines haven&#8217;t been limited to the market heavyweights. President Trump&#8217;s Official Trump (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">TRUMP</a>), which POTUS called <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/03/44451586/trump-meme-coin-spikes-retreats-after-potus-takes-to-truth-social-for-greatest-of-them-all-post-whale-takes-losses">&#8220;the greatest of them all&#8221; last month</a>, has cratered by 37% since the remark.
Cryptocurrency markets have faced persistent pressure from Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44656945/74-billion-wiped-out-since-tariff-declaration-see-how-much-the-billionaires-lost">tariff policies</a> this year, mirroring the losses in equities. In the last month, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization has shrunk 13%, with nearly $380 billion in investors&#8217; wealth eroded.
Price Action:  At the time of writing, ETH was exchanging hands at $1,539.37, down 14.78% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. Bitcoin traded at $77,534.51, down 6.87%.
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44603859/bitcoin-braces-for-trump-tariff-announcement-short-term-optimism-has-the-upper-hand-experts-say" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin Braces For Trump Tariff Announcement: &#8216;Short-Term Optimism&#8217; Has The Upper Hand, Experts Say</a></li>
</ul>

$TRUMP

Peter Schiff Warns Against Taking Investment Advice From Trumps As ETH Crashes 45% Since Eric Trump's Push

Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has charted a diametrically opposite trajectory when compared to its older sibling, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), over the past year.
Consider this. Bitcoin has jumped 32% in a year, reaching an all-time high of $109,000. Its share in the overall cryptocurrency market has expanded from 52% to 60%.
Ethereum, on the other hand, contracted 39% during the same time, reducing its market share from 16% to 8%.
The widening gap has sparked discussions about Ethereum's role in the cryptocurrency hierarchy and its future course Benzinga spoke to a few analysts to understand the factors contributing to the ecosystem's ongoing downturn.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Inflationary Problem</h2>
Jeffrey Hu, Head of Investment Research at digital asset manager HashKey Capital, believed the fault lies in Ethereum's economic model.
"The activation of EIP-1559 allows more Ether to be burned for deflation when Ether activity is high on Ethereum; however, in order to further support on-chain applications, Ethereum must scale," Hu stated.&nbsp;
The Ethereum London Hard fork, dubbed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/09/22898549/what-happens-in-the-ethereum-network-after-the-eip-1559-launch-lets-find-out">EIP-1559</a>, introduced a token burn mechanism for the network. Under this mechanism, the base fee, i.e., the minimum fee per transaction, is removed to add deflationary pressure to ETH and boost its value.
So, what exactly is the problem?
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/06/39359780/dogecoin-shiba-inu-floki-are-dino-coins-says-trader-he-likes-these-3-other-meme-coins-as-b?itm_source=parsely-api"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44410262/why-bitcoin-pulls-back-and-then-gains-after-economic-uncertainties-like-tariffsbitwise-cio-explains-dip-then-rip-phenomenon">Bitcoin&#8217;s Crisis Paradox Decoded: Bitwise CIO Explains &#8216;Dip Then Rip&#8217; Phenomenon</a>
Hu asserted that the rise of&nbsp; Layer-2 blockchains and the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/03/37667987/ethereum-dencun-upgrade-drops-layer-2-fees-by-99">Dencun Upgrade</a>, which slashed fees on L2s by orders of magnitude, diverted on-chain activity away from the base Ethereum chain, resulting in inflation.
According to Ultrasound Money, ETH's deflation rate started slowing down in May 2024, and since early February, the coin's supply has been net increasing.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="858" height="441" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20152554/Screenshot-2025-03-21-005532.png" alt="" class="wp-image-834628" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20152554/Screenshot-2025-03-21-005532.png 858w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20152554/Screenshot-2025-03-21-005532-300x154.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20152554/Screenshot-2025-03-21-005532-768x395.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: Ultrasound Money</figcaption></figure>
Trever Koverko, Web3 investor and co-founder of Sapien, echoed these observations.
"Ethereum is struggling to establish a narrative around how L2&#8217;s are accretive and not extractive to the main chain," he added.&nbsp;
However, L2s were not the only competition that Ethereum encountered.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Competition From Solana&#8217;s Meme Frenzy</h2>
"Ethereum is also not doing well in terms of community culture. In contrast, Solana clearly places more emphasis on meme coin community culture, which has attracted more application development and on-chain transactions," Hu said.
Over the past year, Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) has indeed become a meme coin hotspot, helped by its <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/01/43376047/are-fartcoin-moodeng-tokens-securities-memecoin-creator-pumpfun-slapped-with-class-action-lawsuit">user-friendly meme coin generator</a> Pump.fun. In fact,&nbsp; President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump also chose Solana to launch their Official Trump (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">TRUMP</a>) and Official Melania (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">MELANIA</a>) coins, respectively.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The &#8216;Middle Child&#8217; Sentiment?</h2>
It&#8217;s worth remembering that Ethereum remains the only cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin to have<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/ethereum-etf"> its spot exchange-traded fund</a> on Wall Street, however, inflows have been relatively <a href="https://sosovalue.com/assets/etf/us-eth-spot">subdued</a>.
Himanshu Maradiya, Founder &amp; Chairman, CIFDAQ Global, stated this is due to a lack of a clear consensus on Ethereum's narrative. 
&#8220;Lacking a pure store-of-value proposition and often perceived as the "middle child" of the crypto ecosystem, Ethereum struggles to capture the same institutional confidence,&#8221; Maradiya argued. 
He also noted that the absence of staking rewards has made Ethereum ETFs less appealing, which <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43690757/are-ethereum-staking-etfs-on-the-way">may be remedied</a> given that fresh applications have been filed to allow them.
A spokesperson for the Ethereum Foundation—a non-profit dedicated to promoting and developing Ethereum-related technologies—declined to comment on ETH's shrinking market share but said that their focus remained on ecosystem development and research.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Ethereum was exchanging hands at $1,978.99, down 2.17% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. Year-to-date, the coin has slipped 41%.
Image via Shutterstock
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Exclusives

$MELANIA

Why Ethereum Is Lagging Bitcoin—Analysts Cite Inflationary Problems, Dencun Upgrade Blowback, And Solana's Meme Coins

Medical technology company&nbsp;BioNexus Gene Lab Corp.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BGLC#NASDAQ">BGLC</a>) announced the adoption of Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) as a&nbsp;treasury reserve asset on Wednesday, following the cryptocurrency&#8217;s inclusion in the U.S. strategic reserve.
What Happened: The company&#8217;s board approved the&nbsp;new Ethereum-focused treasury strategy, according to a press release.
&#8220;This decision marks BGLC as the first Nasdaq-listed company to exclusively prioritize Ethereum as a strategic treasury asset, and is in line with recent announcements of Ethereum being included in the U.S. "Crypto Strategic Reserve," BioNexus said.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44133314/el-salvadors-president-bukele-remains-defiant-amid-imfs-concerns-on-bitcoin-accumulation-it-wont-stop-now-and-it-wont-stop-in-the-future">El Salvador&#8217;s Nayib Bukele Defiant Amid IMF&#8217;s Bitcoin Accumulation Concerns: &#8216;It Won&#8217;t Stop Now, And It Won&#8217;t Stop In The Future&#8217;</a>
Alongside this, the company also unveiled its Ethereum Strategy Whitepaper, outlining the rationale behind opting for Ethereum. 
The whitepaper highlights Ethereum&#8217;s strengths in decentralized finance, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/stablecoin">stablecoin </a>settlements, and the ability to generate passive income through <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-stake-ethereum-eth#:~:text=Staking%20is%20a%20process%20in,provides%20you%20with%20a%20reward.">staking</a>.
The whitepaper provides a deep dive into Ethereum&#8217;s&nbsp;institutional adoption, staking capabilities, and&nbsp;forthcoming protocol upgrades, all of which strengthen&nbsp;its long-term value and corporate&nbsp;utility.
The company also credited the blockchain-friendly laws of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/40014390/university-of-wyoming-launches-first-ever-academic-bitcoin-research-institute">Wyoming</a>, where it is incorporated, for influencing the decision.
Why It Matters: BioNexus&#8217; move comes amid strengthening discourse around stacking cryptocurrency in corporate reserves to benefit from long-term gains.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) treasury company Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) has been the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44135791/investor-mike-alfred-alleges-wall-street-giants-are-targeting-michael-saylor-led-strategy-by-driving-bitcoin-lowercritic-dismisses-it-as-conspiratorial-thinking">market leader</a>, accumulating a stockpile worth over $43.84 billion, <a href="https://bitcointreasuries.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to bitcointreasuries.net.
Both Bitcoin and Ethereum would be at the &#8220;heart&#8221; of a U.S. strategic cryptocurrency reserve, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44107003/trump-faces-backlash-over-crypto-reserve-plan-from-bitcoin-supporters-including-his-own-dont-think-the-government-should-be-pumping-our-crypto-bags-with-taxpayer-money">declared </a>last week.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Ethereum was exchanging hands at $2,303.40, up 5.53% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. 
Shares of BioNexus were up 5.39% in after-hours trading, after closing 3.37% higher at $0.3416 during Wednesday&#8217;s trading session.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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