Ethereum News Today: Ethereum's Supercycle Hope vs. $1.4B ETF Exodus and Rival Doubts

Ether (ETH) fell below $3,100 on November 16, 2025, marking a significant retreat for the second-largest cryptocurrency as market sentiment shifted amid mixed institutional signals and broader crypto weakness. The decline came as Fundstrat Global Advisors' Tom Lee argued that ETH is entering a Bitcoin-like "supercycle", a thesis that has drawn skepticism from critics who question Ethereum's defensibility against rivals. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs faced $259 million in outflows on Thursday, the largest since October 10, contributing to $1.42 billion in net outflows since early November.

The price action reflected broader market pressures, with institutional selling and macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on crypto assets. Harvard University's endowment, for instance, took a rare step by allocating $443 million to BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the world's largest spot bitcoin ETF. This move underscores growing institutional interest in crypto, even as Bitcoin ETFs themselves faced $1.6 billion in outflows over three days, the worst in nine months.

The price action reflected broader market pressures, with institutional selling and macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on crypto assets. Harvard University's endowment, for instance, took a rare step by allocating $443 million to BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the world's largest spot bitcoin ETF. This move underscores growing institutional interest in crypto, even as Bitcoin ETFs themselves faced $1.6 billion in outflows over three days, the worst in nine months.

Lee's bullish case for Ethereum hinges on historical parallels to Bitcoin's 100x rally since 2017, despite the asset's volatility-ETH has endured six drawdowns exceeding 50% in the past 8.5 years. However, detractors challenged Ethereum's unique utility, including prominent bitcoin advocate "The Bitcoin Therapist," asking how it distinguishes itself from hundreds of other chains. The debate highlights a broader tension in crypto markets: whether Ethereum's technological innovations, such as Layer-2 scaling solutions, can justify its premium valuation amid a crowded ecosystem.

Institutional investors appear divided. While Harvard's $443 million bet on IBIT signals confidence in Bitcoin's long-term prospects, MicroStrategy's recent accumulation of 884 additional BTC further reinforces Bitcoin's status as a store of value. Conversely, Ethereum's recent outflows and whale activity suggest uneven positioning. Some long-term holders sold 2,404 ETH for $7.7 million, while a single super-whale added 16,937 ETH, reflecting divergent strategies.

The market's bearish tone also extended to XRP, which dropped 4.3% to $2.22 despite the launch of a U.S. spot XRP ETF (XRPC). The ETF debuted with $58.6 million in first-day volume but failed to stabilize the asset, which saw $25 million in long-position liquidations. Analysts attributed the selloff to broader risk-off sentiment and Bitcoin's weakness, which had fallen over 5% in the prior week. As one analyst noted, "The path higher is not a straight line"-a sentiment that underscores the cyclical nature of crypto markets and the patience required to navigate them.