Ethereum News Today: Institutional Bet Shifts: Ethereum Outpaces Bitcoin in Speed and Stakes

Ether’s recent price action has sparked renewed speculation about its potential to surpass Bitcoin in dominance within the cryptocurrency market. On Sunday, ETH reached $4,945.60, breaking its previous all-time high of $4,878 from November 2021, according to CoinGecko data [2]. This move has been driven by a surge in institutional demand, including continued accumulation by major players such as BitMine Immersion Technologies and BlackRock. BitMine, which has become the second-largest corporate Ethereum holder after MicroStrategy, added $21.28 million in ETH, raising its total holdings to 1.72 million tokens valued at $7.65 billion [1].

BlackRock has also significantly increased its Ethereum exposure, accumulating 6.5 million ETH through its ETFs over the past 30 days, at a rate 15 times faster than its Bitcoin purchases. This shift has aligned with broader market sentiment, as Ethereum’s price has surged 25% in August, outperforming Bitcoin, which has declined 5.3% during the same period [1]. Ethereum’s ability to attract institutional capital is bolstered by its role as a foundational infrastructure for decentralized finance (DeFi) and stablecoin transactions, with CoinShares’ James Butterfill noting its potential to gain further traction following the proposed GENIUS Act [2].

The growing preference for Ethereum over Bitcoin among institutional investors has also been reflected in market activity. Ethereum futures open interest has risen alongside price gains, while Bitcoin’s recent price highs have not been matched by similar levels of institutional participation [1]. This trend has also extended to major whale activity, with one significant holder purchasing $128.32 million in Ethereum while simultaneously reducing Bitcoin exposure. Additionally, BlackRock and other large asset managers have shown a more aggressive appetite for Ethereum, contrasting with their cautious approach to Bitcoin [1].

Tom Lee, a prominent market analyst, has called for Ether to reach a bottom in the coming hours, based on a constructive correction pattern identified by Mark Newton. Lee’s bullish outlook is supported by a broader technical case, which suggests a potential rally toward $5,100, contingent on $4,700 holding as support [1]. This forecast comes amid continued accumulation by BitMine, which has set a target of acquiring 5% of Ethereum’s total supply—approximately 6 million tokens—through an expanded equity offering that now allows for up to $24.5 billion in funding [1].

Despite these developments, the debate over Ethereum’s long-term potential to overtake Bitcoin remains unresolved. Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s co-founder, has framed the choice as a philosophical one: between a fast, innovation-driven network (Ethereum) and a slower, more secure one (Bitcoin). He argues that investors must consider the kind of world they want to build for future generations, asking whether a fast-evolving system or a stable, decentralized one is more desirable [3]. The Reddit community has also weighed in on the question of whether Ethereum’s market capitalization could one day surpass Bitcoin’s, with many noting that while the idea is no longer considered impossible, it remains speculative and contingent on technological and regulatory developments [4].

Source:

[1] Tom Lee Calls ETH Bottom 'In Next Few Hours' as BitMine ... (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tom-lee-calls-eth-bottom-083124320.html)

[2] Ether, Ethereum's coin, breaks 2021 all-time high (https://www.axios.com/2025/08/24/ether-all-time-high)

[3] Jack Dorsey Says There's Only One Way To Choose Between ... (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jack-dorsey-says-theres-only-123727966.html)

[4] Do you believe ETH market cap will ever eclipse BTC ... (https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/1mz07u4/do_you_believe_eth_market_cap_will_ever_eclipse/)