Ethereum News Today: Ethereum Surpasses Bitcoin in Growth Amid Institutional Frenzy

Ethereum’s native token, ETH, reached a new all-time high of $4,880 on Friday, surpassing its previous record of $4,878.26 set in November 2021. The surge followed a broader crypto market rally driven by dovish remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who hinted at the possibility of interest rate cuts in September. ETH gained more than 15% within 24 hours, outpacing Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies in the rally. This milestone marks a significant milestone for Ethereum, especially after its Pectra upgrade in May, which enhanced staking efficiency and user experience, and the approval of spot Ethereum ETFs in July 2024.

The rising momentum of ETH has been bolstered by substantial institutional demand, particularly from digital asset treasuries. U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs attracted over $1 billion in net inflows in a single day last week, with BlackRock’s ETHA fund leading the charge by accumulating more than 150,000 ETH. These ETFs now hold over $20 billion in assets under management. The trend of institutional accumulation has mirrored that of Bitcoin, with companies such as BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink Gaming building sizable Ethereum holdings. BitMine, for example, holds 1.15 million ETH, valued at approximately $5 billion at current prices.

The growing adoption of Ethereum by public companies has further reinforced the token’s appeal. According to The Block, the cumulative market caps of public companies holding ETH are nearing $10 billion. This trend reflects increasing confidence in Ethereum as a foundational infrastructure for future financial systems. Joe Lubin, founder of ConsenSys and chairman of Sharplink Gaming, emphasized that Ethereum enables the verification of transactions not only between humans but also AI agents, positioning the network as a backbone for future commerce and societal coordination.

The market optimism around Ethereum is also supported by its technological advancements and expanding ecosystem. The Pectra upgrade, implemented earlier in the year, improved Layer 2 scalability and user experience, making Ethereum more efficient for transactions and smart contracts. Additionally, layer-2 networks like Base have seen continued growth, enhancing Ethereum’s role in decentralized finance (DeFi). DeFi liquidity on Ethereum is nine times higher than that of Solana, the second-largest DeFi platform, underscoring its dominant position in the sector.

Analysts and investors remain cautiously optimistic about Ethereum’s future trajectory. While some forecasts suggest the token could rise to $20,000 in this bull cycle, such predictions are attributed to individual analysts rather than consensus. Institutional adoption and regulatory clarity appear to be key drivers of Ethereum’s recent outperformance. The approval of ETH ETFs by the Securities and Exchange Commission has provided a gateway for traditional finance investors to gain exposure to the asset, many of whom initially underestimated its potential. As Ethereum continues to evolve as a global settlement layer and foundational infrastructure for digital finance, its role in shaping the future of commerce is expected to expand further.

Source: [1] Ethereum hits new all-time high price as ETH crosses $4,900 for the first time ever (https://www.theblock.co/post/366657/shell-dnp-ethereum-hits-new-all-time-high-price-as-eth-crosses-4900-for-the-first-time-ever) [2] Ethereum Hits All-Time High Price After Nearly 4 Years (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ethereum-hits-time-high-price-213405633.html) [3] Ethereum (ETH) Surges to New All-Time High Amid Likely September Rate Cut (https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/08/22/ethereum-surges-to-new-all-time-high-amid-likely-september-rate-cut) [4] Powell indicates conditions 'may warrant' interest rate cuts as Fed proceeds carefully (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/22/powell-indicates-conditions-may-warrant-interest-rate-cuts-as-fed-proceeds-carefully.html) [5] Fed's Powell signals possible rate cut — and stocks soar (https://www.npr.org/2025/08/22/nx-s1-5509941/jerome-powell-federal-reserve-interest-rates-jackson-hole) [6] Ethereum could rally around $20K, predicts veteran analyst (https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/crypto-analysts-predict-shocking-ethereum-rally) [7] Ethereum's Price Explodes to a New All-Time High (https://cryptopotato.com/ethereums-price-explodes-to-a-new-all-time-high/)