Ethereum News Today: Institutional Confidence Clashes with ETF Outflows as Ethereum's Support Levels Decide Its Fate

Ethereum's price volatility and shifting institutional sentiment came into focus as high-profile market participants made strategic moves. Huang Licheng, known as "Buddy," reduced his ETH long position by $600,000 in a three-hour span on October 24, trimming his ETH holdings to 2,450 coins, according to Lookonchain data. The move followed a broader market correction, with Ethereum ETFs recording $93.6 million in outflows on October 23, led by BlackRock's ETHA fund, which lost $100.99 million, as noted in a TradingView report. Despite the outflows, institutional buyers like BitMine continued to accumulate, purchasing 63,539 ETH ($251 million) on October 21 amid a 5% price drop, expanding its corporate treasury to 3.29 million ETH ($13 billion), according to Yahoo Finance.

Analysts remain divided on Ethereum's near-term trajectory. While ETF outflows and retail panic have pushed ETH below $4,000, BitMine's Tom Lee and others see the dip as a buying opportunity, citing growing institutional adoption and macroeconomic tailwinds. Lee's $10,000–$12,000 2025 price target aligns with broader bullish forecasts, including a $5,600 target for 2025 if key support levels hold, according to a TradingView forecast. Meanwhile, large ETH holders have begun reaccumulating after a 1.36 million ETH sell-off in early October, a pattern historically linked to multi-month rallies.

The market's mixed signals reflect broader uncertainty. Bitcoin ETFs attracted $90.6 million in inflows on October 23, while Ethereum's ETF outflows deepened its net assets to $26.39 billion, representing 5.55% of its market cap, per the TradingView report. Institutional confidence contrasts with retail caution, as 79% of traders predict the U.S. government shutdown will persist until November 5, 2025, adding macroeconomic risk, according to the same report. For now, Ethereum's path hinges on whether $3,670–$3,870 support holds, a critical threshold that could trigger a rebound toward $5,600, as noted in the TradingView forecast.