Ethereum News Today: Ethereum Surges 50% in Two Weeks as Bulls Eye $9,000 Target by 2026 Backed by On-Chain Fundamentals and ETF Inflows

Generated by AI AgentCoin World
Friday, Jul 25, 2025 6:03 pm ET2min read
Aime RobotAime Summary

- Ethereum (ETH) surged 50% in two weeks, with analysts citing on-chain fundamentals and ETF inflows supporting a $9,000 price target by early 2026.

- Staking locks 34 million ETH, exchange balances hit 2016 lows, and first-time buyers increased holdings by 16% since July, signaling reduced sell pressure and growing retail demand.

- Undervaluation metrics like MVRV Z-score and $4B ETF inflows highlight ETH's "under-owned" status relative to Bitcoin, while network activity via layer 2 solutions and stablecoin transfers shows resilience.

- Technical analysis identifies $4,000 as a critical threshold, with Elliott Wave models suggesting potential for $9,000 by 2026 if macroeconomic conditions remain favorable.

Ethereum (ETH) has surged 50% in two weeks, reigniting discussions about its long-term potential as analysts highlight onchain fundamentals and market dynamics that could support a price target of $9,000 by early 2026 [1]. The cryptocurrency, currently trading at $3,730, remains 23% below its November 2021 all-time high but has attracted renewed investor attention amid a broader market rotation and structural trends.

Onchain data suggests a tightening supply-demand balance. Approximately 28% of ETH is staked, locking 34 million tokens and reducing circulating liquidity. Exchange balances have plummeted to 16.2 million ETH—the lowest level since 2016—indicating reduced sell-side pressure [2]. Concurrently, new buyer inflows have accelerated, with first-time holders increasing their supply by 16% since early July, signaling growing retail participation [3]. Glassnode analysts note this shift as an early sign of a market trend reversal.

Ethereum’s valuation metrics also suggest undervaluation. The MVRV Z-score, which compares market capitalization to realized capital inflows, remains below levels associated with euphoric market tops, indicating room for growth [4]. Relative to

Bitcoin
(BTC), which has surged 74% over the past year while ETH dropped 28%, the performance gap has widened. Bitcoin Vector analysts argue ETH is now “under-owned, undervalued, and in catch-up mode,” a dynamic that could fuel a rotation in investor capital [5].

Technical analysis further supports bullish scenarios. XForceGlobal’s Elliott Wave model posits that ETH is in the third impulsive wave of a five-wave cycle, a phase historically associated with trend continuation. If macroeconomic conditions remain favorable, this phase could peak near $9,000 by early 2026 [6]. The $4,000 level is identified as a critical near-term threshold, with a breakout potentially triggering accelerated gains.

Network activity reinforces Ethereum’s resilience. Despite average transaction fees dropping to historic lows (0.0004 ETH per transfer), the network operates near full capacity, driven by layer 2 solutions and rising gas usage. Post-2025

block
gas limit increases, blocks filled rapidly, reflecting latent demand. Transaction composition has also evolved: while NFTs and DeFi have lost dominance, infrastructure protocols, rollups, and automation now drive activity. Stablecoin and “vanilla” ETH transfers are also rising, signaling increased settlement and trading volumes [7].

Glassnode’s NUPL indicator (Net Unrealized Profit/Loss) highlights another nuance. At 0.47, ETH’s unrealized sentiment remains in the “Optimism/Anxiety” zone, below Bitcoin’s 0.57 and Ripple’s 0.62, which indicate deeper bullish sentiment. This suggests

Ethereum
still has room to grow before reaching euphoric levels.

Spot Ether ETF inflows have surged by $4 billion in the past two weeks, aligning with broader demand. However, analysts caution that while structural trends are robust, macroeconomic variables and market sentiment will ultimately dictate whether the $9,000 target materializes.

Source:

[1] [ETH bulls target $9K: Does the data support the lofty price target?](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/6883fc02f4dca2206ba47313/)

[2] [ETH bulls target $9K: Does the data support the lofty price target?](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/6883fc02f4dca2206ba47313/)

[3] [ETH bulls target $9K: Does the data support the lofty price target?](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/6883fc02f4dca2206ba47313/)

[4] [ETH bulls target $9K: Does the data support the lofty price target?](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/6883fc02f4dca2206ba47313/)

[5] [ETH bulls target $9K: Does the data support the lofty price target?](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/6883fc02f4dca2206ba47313/)

[6] [ETH bulls target $9K: Does the data support the lofty price target?](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/6883fc02f4dca2206ba47313/)

[7] [ETH bulls target $9K: Does the data support the lofty price target?](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/6883fc02f4dca2206ba47313/)