Ethereum News Today: Corporate treasuries amass 1% of Ethereum's supply in two months Standard Chartered forecasts 10% ownership as institutional demand surges

Corporate treasury firms have rapidly accumulated 1% of Ethereum’s circulating supply within two months, signaling growing institutional interest in the cryptocurrency, according to a report from Standard Chartered [1]. The British bank forecasts that strategic reserves of ETH could reach 10% of the total supply over time, a tenfold increase from current levels. This surge is driven by faster Ethereum adoption compared to Bitcoin, with treasury companies purchasing 1.26 million ETH since early June—nearly matching the 2 million ETH acquired by spot exchange-traded funds during the same period [1].

BitMine Immersion Technologies, backed by Peter Thiel, is the largest corporate Ethereum holder, controlling 0.52% of the total supply (625,000 ETH) as of the report’s publication. The firm has outlined plans to acquire up to 5% of Ether, which would require purchasing an additional 6 million tokens. Sharplink Gaming ranks as the second-largest corporate holder, with 438,190 ETH acquired during a $290 million purchase in late July [1]. Standard Chartered analyst Geoffrey Kendrick highlighted Ethereum’s structural advantages over Bitcoin treasuries, including regulatory inefficiencies, staking rewards, and DeFi utility, as key drivers for institutional demand [1].

The report notes that Bitcoin treasury companies currently hold 4.4% of the total supply, with MicroStrategy’s holdings alone accounting for 3%. In contrast, the projected 10% ETH treasury ownership represents a significant shift in institutional allocation. Kendrick emphasized that Ethereum-focused firms are “just getting started” and could surpass Bitcoin in corporate adoption if current trends persist.

Ethereum’s price performance has also reflected this momentum. The ETH/BTC ratio rose from 0.018 in April to 0.032 in July, partly attributed to treasury company buying and ETF inflows. Standard Chartered maintained its $4,000 year-end price target for ETH, noting that sustained demand could push the asset beyond this level by 2025. As of the report’s release, Ethereum traded at $3,781.46, down 0.5% on the day [1].

The analysis underscores Ethereum’s unique appeal to institutions, contrasting it with Bitcoin’s role as a store of value. With treasury companies accelerating their ETH acquisitions, the report positions Ethereum as a potential long-term outperformer in the institutional crypto space.

[1] Source: [1] Ether Treasury Companies Are ‘Just Getting Started’, Could Ultimately Own 10% Of All ETH: Standard Chartered (https://zycrypto.com/ether-treasury-companies-are-just-getting-started-could-ultimately-own-10-of-all-eth-standard-chartered/)