Ethereum News Today: Institutions Accumulate ETH as Crypto Market Slumps, Betting on 2030 Supercycle

Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP declined in early December amid a broader crypto market slump, with institutional strategies and regulatory developments shaping the landscape. The drop coincided with a surge in Ethereum-based ETF inflows and aggressive accumulation by BitMine Immersion Technologies, a firm chaired by Fundstrat's Tom Lee, who remains bullish on ETH's long-term potential despite current volatility.

BitMine added $83 million in ETH to its treasury, pushing its holdings to 3.6 million ETH, or 2.9% of the circulating supply. The company's strategy-leveraging equity raises to grow its ETH per share-has drawn both scrutiny and support. Lee, who attributes the price dip to "quantitative tightening" effects, forecasts a rebound to $7,500 by year-end, citing Ethereum's role in stablecoin growth, real-world asset tokenization, and institutional staking. Meanwhile, Grayscale's newly launched spot Dogecoin ETF (GDOG) on NYSE Arca marked a milestone for meme coins, offering regulated access to DOGE and signaling broader institutional adoption.

Ethereum ETFs continued to attract inflows despite the token's 3% weekly decline. Fidelity's FETH led with $47.5 million in additions, while XRP ETFs outpaced Solana in cumulative inflows, reaching $622 million since their November 13 launch. Solana, however, maintained 20 consecutive days of inflows, driven by its 28 October debut and growing institutional interest. Bitcoin ETFs also rebounded, with Fidelity's FBTC recording $170 million in inflows as of November 25, reflecting confidence in the asset's long-term trajectory.

The market's turbulence highlighted diverging strategies among crypto firms. Mutuum Finance, a DeFi lending protocol, announced progress on Halborn Security audits ahead of its Q4 2025 V1 testnet launch, aiming to bolster trust in its smart contracts. Conversely, South Korean regulators linked the $36 million Upbit hack to North Korea's Lazarus group, raising concerns over cybersecurity risks in the sector.

Regulatory actions and legal challenges further complicated the outlook. Binance faced a lawsuit from October 7 Hamas attack victims, who allege the exchange failed to comply with anti-money-laundering controls. The case adds to a backlog of regulatory scrutiny, including a recent DOJ settlement over similar compliance lapses. Meanwhile, Wall Street's DTCC unveiled a tokenized collateral platform, signaling a push to integrate blockchain into traditional finance.

The crypto crash also impacted IPO prospects, with Grayscale and BitGo delaying or scaling back plans due to weak market reception. IPOs in the sector averaged a 31% decline in the quarter, underscoring investor caution. However, some bankers anticipate a rebound in 2026, with Kraken and others quietly preparing for public listings.

Despite the near-term sell-off, analysts remain focused on Ethereum's "supercycle" potential. Lee's $16,000 ETH target by 2030 hinges on tokenized real-world assets reaching $10–30 trillion in value, while Polymarket's CFTC approval for U.S. operations signals growing regulatory acceptance. As the market navigates these dynamics, the interplay between institutional strategies, ETF demand, and regulatory clarity will likely dictate the next phase of crypto's evolution.