Ether (ETH) price gained 3% from Thursday to Friday, outperforming the broader crypto market. The move was tied to increasing tokenization, Robinhood Chain’s success and ongoing corporate treasury purchases. However, ETH failed to break above $1,800 amid weak onchain and derivatives metrics. Is Ether price bound to retest $1,700?

Key takeaways:

Ethereum leads RWA tokenization while Robinhood Chain drives fresh ETH inflows and ecosystem growth.Mixed signals persist as BitMine accumulates heavily, yet stagnant onchain metrics signal caution.

Robinhood Chain and tokenization growth boost ETH price

The successful launch of the layer-2 network Robinhood Chain has boosted Ether investors’ sentiment. The newly launched blockchain uses ETH as its native gas token and has netted $106 million in bridge deposits. The TradFi trading platform Robinhood offers tokenized stocks to customers in 120 countries, further strengthening the EVM-compatible ecosystem.

Distributed tokenized assets value per chain, USD. Source: rwa.xyz

Ethereum dominates the RWA (real-world assets) market with a 47% market share, according to Rwa.xyz data. Excluding stablecoins, notable highlights include SKY’s Tether Gold (XAUT), Ondo US Dollar Yield (USDY), and Franklin Templeton’s government bonds (iBENJI). Leaders among tokenized stocks include Strategy’s PP variable (STRCx) from xStocks and Circle Group (CRCLon) from Ondo.

Source: X/LeonWaidmann

Leon Waidmann, head of research at Lisk, noted that for the first time in history, the Total Value Locked (TVL) on Ethereum at $260 billion surpassed the market cap of Ether, currently at $210 billion. According to Waidmann, this distortion signals that “ETH is underpriced,” as the current relative valuation is lower than in the 2022 bear market.

Weak onchain and derivatives metrics limit Ether’s upside

Regardless of the growing adoption of Ethereum’s layer-2 solutions and the institutional inflows, onchain metrics point to overall stagnation. The 2026 bear market has hurt blockchain demand, while competing blockchains gained ground in specific sectors, including synthetic perpetual futures and automated yield vaults.

Ethereum weekly DApps revenue, USD (left) vs. active addresses (right). Source: DefiLlama

Decentralized applications (DApps) on Ethereum generated $11 million in weekly revenue, down from $20 million in the first quarter of 2026. Notable mentions include Sky at $3.1 million, Titan Builder with $2.4 million, and Chalink’s $1.1 million. Similarly, active addresses dropped to 3.2 million from 5.4 million in the first quarter, according to DefiLlama.

ETH perpetual futures annualized funding rate. Source: Laevitas

Meanwhile, ETH’s perpetual futures annualized funding rate dropped to 3% on Saturday, below the 6% neutral threshold signaling weak demand for bullish positions. Current data contrasts with the peak 12% levels from Friday, suggesting that bulls lack confidence. However, institutional inflows likely explain the latest price gains.

Source: X/Arkham

Arkham Intelligence flagged an ETH 20,500 withdrawal on Thursday worth $36 million from Galaxy Digital to a new wallet, a pattern that matches previous Tom Lee’s BitMine Immersion (BMNR US) purchases. BitMine added ETH 198,370 in the past 30 days alone, while the treasury company now holds $10.3 billion in reserves.

Ultimately, mixed signals from strong fundamentals and weak onchain metrics do not justify a retest of the $1,700 level, especially when considering BitMine’s impressive accumulation pace.

A new Cambridge University study placed Ethereum near the lower end of energy intensity among major proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchains, although the network still used more electricity overall than most of the PoS networks studied.

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance estimated that activity on Ethereum consumes about 7.87 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually. When adjusted for market value, the network used roughly 33 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per $1 million of market value, the second-lowest figure among the proof-of-stake networks assessed, behind BNB Chain.

Solana used the most electricity, at about 13.48 GWh per year. Its energy intensity was roughly 283 kWh per $1 million, around 8.5 times Ethereum’s, while the networks in the comparison consumed about 38 GWh combined.

The report provides one of the most detailed assessments yet of Ethereum’s post-merge footprint, giving policymakers and investors a more current basis for comparing blockchain sustainability. The September 2022 merge, when the network transitione from a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism to PoS, reduced Ethereum’s energy consumption by approximately 99.96%.

Illustration of post-merge Ethereum consumption. Source: Cambridge

The merge replaced miners competing with one another using energy-intensive computing equipment with validators who secure the network by staking Ether.

Related: Vitalik Buterin shares priorities for new ‘Lean Ethereum’ strawmap

New estimates map Ethereum’s energy use

Cambridge measured how much electricity Ethereum nodes used at the point of connection across 20 combinations of the network’s main software clients. It found that a typical home setup used about 18 watts, while a more powerful workstation used roughly 153 watts.

Using Ethereum’s mix of residential and professionally hosted nodes, the researchers estimated an average power draw of about 105 watts per node. Cambridge counted around 8,522 discoverable full nodes, with 64% running in cloud or enterprise facilities and 36% on residential connections.

Cambridge said Ethereum’s remaining emissions are now driven mainly by the electricity grids supplying its nodes. The study estimated that about 56.4% of the network’s electricity mix came from renewable and nuclear sources, compared with 43.6% from fossil fuels.

Magazine: Bitcoin nearing late stages of bear market: Jamie Coutts, Real Vision

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

TLDR:

Ethereum’s annual electricity use now stands at 7.87 GWh, down over 99.9% from pre-Merge levels.
CCAF audited 8,522 physical nodes, finding a network-weighted average of 105 watts per node. 
The US, Germany, Finland, and France host about 62% of Ethereum’s full nodes combined. 
Sustainable sources supply 56.4% of Ethereum’s power, above the global average of 43%.

Ethereum’s annual electricity consumption has fallen to approximately 7.87 GWh, according to a new report from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance. The figure marks a decline of more than 99.9% compared to the network’s final pre-Merge levels.

Researchers based this estimate on a physical audit of thousands of nodes, offering a detailed view of how power demand has shifted since Ethereum moved to Proof-of-Stake.

Annual Power Use Falls Far Below Pre-Merge Levels

The 7.87 GWh figure represents a steep drop from Ethereum’s peak electricity demand under Proof-of-Work mining.

Before The Merge, the network’s continuous power draw approached 2.4 GW, a level the report describes as once “rivalling the electricity demand of a small country.” Today, that number sits closer to 0.90 MW when expressed as continuous power.

Put another way, Ethereum’s current annual power use is less than half what the British Museum consumes each year.

The museum draws around 16.18 GWh annually, making Ethereum’s footprint smaller than many single commercial buildings. This comparison helps illustrate just how far consumption has fallen.

Researchers arrived at the 7.87 GWh figure through direct wall-plug measurements rather than theoretical assumptions.

The team tested 20 different client combinations and scaled those results against real-world hosting data. This method produced a network-weighted average of roughly 105 watts per node.

That average masks a wide range of actual power draw across different setups. Residential nodes used a median of just 18 watts, while workstation-class enterprise deployments drew closer to 152 watts. The gap reflects how differently Ethereum participants configure their hardware today.

Node Audit Behind the 7.87 GWh Estimate Spans Thousands of Machines

The report’s power use figure rests on an audit covering approximately 8,522 physical nodes. This count differs from Ethereum’s validator population, which stands at roughly 894,000 economically securing the network.

The report notes these validators are “distinct from the roughly 894,000 validators that secure the network economically,” making the node count the relevant input for consumption.

Geographic concentration plays a role in shaping the final 7.87 GWh figure. The United States hosts 31% of full nodes, followed by Germany at 16%, Finland at 8%, and France at 6%. Together these four countries account for about 62% of the network’s node infrastructure.

Hosting environment also factors into the calculation behind Ethereum’s annual power use. Around 36% of nodes run on residential hardware, while 64% operate within cloud or data center settings. Hetzner, Amazon Web Services, and OVH together host roughly 40% of all nodes counted.

Client software concentration adds another layer to the infrastructure picture. On the execution side, approximately 79% of nodes run either Geth or Nethermind.

This clustering does not change the power figure directly but shapes how that consumption is distributed across providers.

Falling Power Use Brings Ethereum’s Emissions Down Sharply

The drop to 7.87 GWh carries a direct effect on Ethereum’s carbon emissions, now estimated at 2.37 ktCO₂e annually.

That represents a decline of about 99.98% from pre-Merge levels, an amount the report compares to “roughly the combined annual carbon footprint of 900 UK households.”

Sustainable electricity sources supply approximately 56.4% of the power behind this consumption figure. Renewables contribute 39.4% of that total, with nuclear generation adding another 17.0% share. Natural gas remains the largest single source at 27.7%, reflecting baseload demand in host countries.

Offsetting Ethereum’s emissions tied to its 7.87 GWh footprint would require about 400 hectares of UK woodland, an area the report says is “roughly the size of Wimbledon Common.” Purchasing removal credits to cover the full amount would cost between £25,000 and £55,000 at current prices.

The report concludes that “the grid, more than the protocol, now shapes the footprint,” pointing to local carbon intensity as the main remaining factor.

Ongoing research into stateless verification could lower hardware requirements further. Such changes may keep Ethereum’s annual power use low while broadening network participation over time.

Key Highlights

Protocol Support team at Ethereum Foundation officially disbanded after half a decade of operations.

Team facilitated critical network upgrades, developer conferences, and proposal advancement processes.

Instrumental in shepherding Ethereum through landmark transitions including The Merge, Dencun, and Pectra.

Fellowship program cultivated next-generation contributors for protocol advancement and client development.

Responsibilities now distributed throughout foundation’s reorganized framework.

After five years of operations, the Ethereum Foundation has officially closed its Protocol Support division, which served as a central hub for network upgrade coordination and developer education initiatives. This dissolution comes as part of a broader organizational transformation that has streamlined personnel and restructured the foundation’s operational blueprint into distinct functional tiers. The Protocol Support team leaves behind infrastructure that played a pivotal role in Ethereum’s migration to proof-of-stake and numerous subsequent network enhancements.

Organizational Overhaul Dissolves Centralized Operations Unit

Launched in 2021, Protocol Support was established by the Ethereum Foundation to serve as a liaison among client development teams, academic researchers, proposal authors, and infrastructure operators. The division orchestrated All Core Developers conferences and maintained oversight of technical initiatives preceding each scheduled network modification. Additionally, the team facilitated the progression of Ethereum Improvement Proposals through discussion phases, experimental validation, and practical deployment.

During its initial operational phase, the division facilitated Berlin, London, and Arrow Glacier upgrades. Subsequently, it managed coordination efforts for Rayonism, Amphora, and Kintsugi testing environments as Ethereum approached The Merge milestone. This work synchronized validation schedules, contributor conferences, and public communications throughout the proof-of-work departure.

Following The Merge, Protocol Support continued facilitating Shapella, Dencun, and Pectra implementations while sustaining dialogue among Ethereum’s distributed development communities. The division monitored experimental network advancement and equipped contributors for scheduled production deployments. This coordination minimized disconnects between strategic determinations, validation efforts, and ecosystem readiness.

Training Initiatives Transition Into Revised Framework

An initial mentorship initiative evolved into the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship under the team’s stewardship, designed to develop emerging core contributors. This program educated developers across protocol investigation, validation methodologies, and client architecture within Ethereum’s technical landscape. Participants gained access to seasoned researchers, development organizations, and specialized technical committees.

The team operated Forkcast, a tracking system monitoring proposal status, testnet deployments, upgrade preparedness metrics, and production activation schedules. Contributors relied on this platform to monitor evolving timelines and technical specifications throughout multiple network modifications. This initiative established a unified reference resource for intricate upgrade intelligence.

Personnel from the disbanded unit announced the closure through social channels and encouraged interested organizations to reach out to available talent. Mario Havel continues his tenure at the Ethereum Foundation, though the broader team structure has been eliminated. Former division head William Morriss likewise acknowledged that the reorganization concluded his foundation engagement.

Network Enhancement Responsibilities Reallocated Across New Divisions

On June 23, the foundation disclosed its most recent staff reduction, eliminating 54 positions. Concurrent with these cuts, internal operations were reconfigured into protocol, access, user, community, and institutional divisions. These modifications terminated multiple centralized units and redistributed obligations throughout the revised architecture.

The newly formed Protocol Layer will inherit portions of Protocol Support’s previous upgrade management and coordination functions. Additional teams will assume developer education, community engagement, and Ethereum Improvement Proposal assistance responsibilities. Nevertheless, the foundation has not provided comprehensive details regarding future allocation of these specific functions.

Protocol Support’s closure marks the end of an era after guiding Ethereum through numerous transformative technical achievements. The team’s contributions encompassed network strategizing, developer synchronization, validation assistance, fellowship administration, and public upgrade documentation. Ethereum’s restructured organization will continue these responsibilities without the former division’s unified operational identity.

 

Cardano (ADA) remains above 10% higher despite a 24-hour pullback.
Hoskinson says Ethereum is adopting eUTXO-inspired ideas.
Focus is on the $0.20 resistance level.

Cardano is drawing renewed attention after a week of strong gains, even as the token pulled back to around $0.17.

The latest price movement comes alongside fresh debate over blockchain architecture after Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson claimed that Ethereum is beginning to adopt ideas that Cardano has championed for years through its Extended Unspent Transaction Output (eUTXO) model.

At the time of writing, ADA was trading at $0.1674, down 6.6% over the past 24 hours.

Despite the daily decline, the cryptocurrency remained 10.2% higher over the previous seven days and 12.8% higher over the last two weeks, showing that bulls have retained much of the momentum built during the recent rally.

The recent retreat has placed the spotlight on whether the token can defend the $0.17 area before attempting another move toward the next major resistance level at $0.20.

Hoskinson reignites the Cardano-Ethereum debate

The latest discussion began after Ethereum researcher Toni Wahrstätter introduced EIP-8141, also known as Frame Transactions, as part of Ethereum’s broader efforts to improve scalability and reduce long-term state growth.

The proposal explores introducing UTXO-inspired transaction mechanics for simple transfers.

According to the proposal, this approach could reduce Ethereum’s permanent state footprint for payment-related transactions by approximately 99.8%, while remaining compatible with the network’s broader roadmap.

Hoskinson responded by arguing that Cardano has already implemented similar concepts through its eUTXO accounting model.

He suggested that Ethereum is now recognising the benefits of an architecture that Cardano adopted years ago.

The Cardano founder also made headlines with his remark that “it’s literally a crime in the Ethereum inner circles to mention Cardano,” suggesting that Ethereum developers have been reluctant to acknowledge Cardano’s earlier work despite exploring comparable ideas.

It’s not like I’ve been literally working on this topic for over 10 years of my life and launched a cryptocurrency that was number three on coinmarketcap with millions of users to deploy it. It’s literally a crime in the Ethereum inner circles to mention Cardano. EUTXO is the… https://t.co/3F3l6cg0JE

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) July 7, 2026

ADA price holds key support as traders watch $0.20

From a technical perspective, ADA’s recent pullback has not erased the gains recorded over the past week.

Instead, focus is now on whether the cryptocurrency can continue holding support around $0.144.

The current price sits close to the lower end of the latest 24-hour trading range after the 6.6% daily decline.

However, the weekly performance remains positive, with ADA still posting a double-digit gain over the previous seven days.

The next major level attracting attention is $0.193, and a move above that level would place the focus on $0.23, another resistance area that traders have identified following the recent recovery.

Cardano continues preparing for its next network milestone

The latest market discussion also comes as the Cardano network continues infrastructure improvements ahead of its next major protocol upgrade.

Developers recently released Cardano Node 9.0.1, a recommended update for mainnet validators designed to address issues related to the network’s bootstrap process and script execution.

Rather than introducing new user-facing features, the release focuses on improving stability before the ecosystem moves toward its next hard fork.

TLDR:

Ethereum price forecast remains focused on the $1,800 zone, where about 4.30 million ETH previously changed hands.
ETH could target $1,980 and $2,079 if buyers reclaim the high-volume resistance area with stronger spot demand.
Binance ETH reserves have increased since late June, raising concerns about more available supply on the exchange.
Derivatives data has improved, but flat open interest shows the latest ETH rebound is not mainly leverage-driven.

Ethereum price forecast remains locked around the $1,800 level as buyers attempt to reclaim a major resistance zone. ETH recently traded near $1,780 after a sharp rebound from late-June lows. The move has improved short-term sentiment, but the structure still lacks broad confirmation.

Roughly 4.30 million ETH changed hands near $1,800, based on the UTXO Realized Price Distribution data. That makes the level a major supply area. A clean reclaim could open a move toward $1,980 and $2,079. A rejection may expose thinner volume below, with the next support baseline near $1,237.

Ethereum Price Prediction Faces the $1,800 Supply Wall

Ethereum price prediction now depends on how ETH reacts near the $1,800 resistance band. The zone has become important as both volume profile data and moving averages align near the same area.

ETH also faces pressure from the 50-day exponential moving average near $1,806. The 100-day EMA sits higher near $1,970, close to the next major upside target. This keeps the recovery below the medium-term structure for now.

The daily chart shows a constructive but incomplete recovery. The RSI near 57 points to improving momentum, but it does not confirm a full bullish shift. The stochastic reading near 86 also shows that short-term upside could be stretched.

Immediate support sits near $1,741, followed by the 20-day EMA around $1,713. Deeper support levels stand near $1,524 and $1,405 if sellers regain control. A larger breakdown would bring the $1,156 area back into focus.

Ethereum price prediction would turn stronger if ETH closes above $1,806 with rising demand. The next upside levels would then sit around $1,909, $2,018, $2,108, and $2,211.

ETH Price Signals Show Demand Is Still Selective

Binance ETH reserves have increased from 3.64 million to 3.87 million since late June. That marks an increase of about 221,000 ETH, or 6.1%. Rising exchange reserves can point to higher potential sell-side liquidity.

The order-size data adds a cautious signal. ETH Average Order Size has moved into “Whale Left” territory, according to CryptoQuant analysis. That suggests larger participants are reducing their market footprint.

This creates a weaker setup beneath the recent rebound. More ETH is available on Binance, while whale-sized demand has not returned strongly. Ethereum Price Forecast therefore remains sensitive to any failed breakout near $1,800.

Derivatives data looks more positive, but it does not show excessive leverage. Ethereum has gained about 14% since Net Taker Volume turned positive on June 28. Positive Net Taker Volume signals stronger buying pressure in perpetual markets.

Open interest has stayed mostly flat across the rebound. The estimated leverage ratio has also failed to rise sharply after its June decline. That suggests the move is not driven by aggressive leveraged longs.

This lowers the risk of a major long squeeze, but it also shows caution among traders. ETH needs stronger spot demand and whale participation to confirm a healthier trend. Meanwhile, US spot ETH ETFs have recorded three straight days of net inflows, adding some support to sentiment.

A trader who swapped $2.01 million worth of Ether on a decentralized exchange has been left with just $14,500 worth of tokens after a router directed the order through a low-liquidity pool, allowing an Ethereum block builder to profit massively from a same-block arbitrage trade.

The trader swapped 1,126.44 of Ether (ETH) but only received 5,776 Lighter (LIT) tokens, in a “textbook case of same-block backrun extraction,” according to GoPlus Security.

“This was a real, highly imbalanced backrunner arbitrage, not a classic sandwich attack,” GoPlus Security said. Titan Builder was the biggest beneficiary, walking away with $1.8 million from the transaction, which took place on Monday at 1:59 am UTC.

Source: Lookonchain

The incident is a reminder of the risks posed by maximal extractable value (MEV) bots and liquidity routers on top of hackers and scammers, which continue to run rampant in the crypto industry.

Don’t sign DEX transactions blindly, trader says

To reduce the risk of such incidents, crypto trader Ruslan Khairullin said traders should read the transaction route before signing the transaction.

“This is what happens when you clicked confirm faster than you read the route. Painful lesson to see in a real time.”

Source: Luke Cannon

How the victim lost $2M to a bot

The victim’s swap routed approximately 1,117 Ether into a low-liquidity AVAIL/WETH pool on Uniswap v3, causing the trade to execute at roughly 120 times higher than what AVAIL could later be sold for, GoPlus Security said.

After the trader received nearly 6.67 million AVAIL tokens at an inflated price, the router involved, 0x router, sold a small amount of externally sourced AVAIL into the same pool to extract about 1,072 WETH before paying out 1,018 ETH, worth $1.8 million, to Titan as a builder reward.

The AVAIL was then swapped for $14,200 worth of LIT tokens, marking a 99.3% loss.

Related: ‘All DeFi unsafe’ claim sparks AI security debate after April hack surge 

Cointelegraph reached out to Titan but didn’t receive an immediate response.

Titan has now made $112.6 million in revenue from its block building services this year, data from DefiLlama shows.

Titan’s biggest day this year came in March when it extracted around $34 million in arbitrage profit from a MEV bot incident on the CoW Protocol.

Monthly change in Titan’s revenue since February 2025. Source: DefiLlama

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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has named quantum resistance, scalability and privacy as three of Ethereum’s top priorities under a new “Lean Ethereum” strawmap, which lays out the network’s technical direction for the remainder of the decade. 

In a post to X on Saturday, Buterin said the collection of upgrades will roll out over the next three to four years, touching nearly every layer of Ethereum in a transformation he compared in scale to the September 2022 Merge, which shifted the network away from energy-intensive mining. 

“Quantum safety has shifted up a LOT in priority,” he said, adding that finalizing a quantum-safe solution for blobs has “become urgent.” Enhancing privacy is another priority, Buterin said, stating that it has become a “first class goal.”

The “Lean Ethereum” strawmap timeline from 2026 through to 2029. Source: Strawmap.org

The change in roadmap comes amid a series of changes at the Ethereum Foundation, which laid off roughly 20% of its staff last month in a bid to become leaner and reduce its budget by 40%.

The leaner structure comes on top of several executive departures in recent months, including Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stańczak, while protocol contributors Tim Beiko and Barnabé Monnot also left in May.

Buterin is also pushing for the development of a new virtual machine like leanISA or RISC-V to support programmable privacy and better scalability.

Questions remain over Buterin’s timeline

Dankrad Feist, a researcher behind the payments-focused layer-1 Tempo blockchain, praised the new plan but argued the 3-4 year timeline is too slow, stating that AI could help developers ship the upgrades within a year. 

Related: Ethereum Foundation leadership exodus continues with director’s departure 

Crypto analyst Ignas Fiodorovas was also in favor of the plan but cast doubt on the Ethereum Foundation’s ability to deliver the upgrades within the stated timeline, citing the organization’s history of missing deadlines. 

Fiodorovas said the only key feature missing from the roadmap was improved tokenomics for Ether (ETH), which has continued to slide in price amid a broader market downturn. 

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Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, recorded a sharp surge in weekly outflows as Ethereum withdrawal activity climbed to a multi-year high.

According to DefiLlama data viewed by Cointelegraph on Sunday, Binance saw $1.23 billion in net outflows during the week beginning June 29, a 207% increase from roughly $400 million the week prior, while monthly net outflows totaled about $3.2 billion.

Separately, CryptoQuant community analyst Darkfost reported Friday that Binance’s Ethereum withdrawal transactions hit their highest level in more than three years, with over 166,000 withdrawal transactions in a single day.

While some of the movement may reflect accumulation behavior, Darkfost pointed to regulatory uncertainty stemming from the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and short-term market positioning as possible drivers.

ETH outflows vs price rebound

Binance’s ETH withdrawals marked the sharpest increase in withdrawal transactions recorded on Binance since March 2023, coinciding with Ether posting a modest rebound of around 10% over two days, according to CryptoQuant data.

“This surge in withdrawals could reflect genuine demand building around the $1,500 level, with investors choosing to take exposure and pull their funds off the exchange, a pattern that typically points toward longer-term accumulation rather than short-term trading,” Darkfost said.

Source: CryptoQuant

Ether prices showed a broader recovery over the past week. According to Coingecko data, ETH rose about 12.5% over the past seven days, trading at $1,766 at the time of publication.

Related: Bitcoin profit and loss ratio falls to 43-month low

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, also edged up 4.3% over the same period, trading at $62,925 at the time of publication.

Outflows dominate CEXs while inflows remain fragmented

Apart from Binance, several other centralized exchanges (CEXs) also recorded outflows over the past week.

Bitfinex saw $407.5 million in outflows, followed by Gate at $214.3 million. OKX recorded $87.1 million in outflows, while Bybit posted $78.4 million, according to DefiLlama data.

Top five exchanges sorted by weekly net flows. Source: DefiLlama

On the inflow side, Crypto.com and HashKey Exchange led gains over the past week, recording around $63 million and $53.3 million in net inflows, respectively.

Smaller inflows were also seen across KuCoin at $22.1 million, Gemini at $17.4 million, and Bitvavo at $15.8 million over the same period.

Magazine: Bitcoin copying 2022 ‘almost perfectly,’ Ether to $4K in 2026: Market Moves

Eight-year-old Ether (ETH) wallets have started moving coins for the first time since 2017, adding fresh supply to the market as Ether trades just above $1,500. Onchain data shows 37,806 ETH from long-dormant addresses became active, while separate whale transactions point to continued accumulation by other large investors. 

The mixed positioning comes as total long-term ETH whale profitability has fallen below zero for the first time since 2019, leaving every major whale cohort sitting on unrealized losses. 

ETH whale traders are split between accumulation and distribution

According to Lookonchain, four Ethereum wallets that received 37,602 ETH nearly eight years ago at an average price of around $830 became active after years of dormancy. The wallets held through the 2021 and 2025 bull markets, when their unrealized gains exceeded $150 million, sold 33,623 ETH for about $52.5 million at around $1,560 on Thursday. The realized profit now stands near $27.4 million.

OG ETH wallets holding period. Source: Lookonchain/X

Fresh ETH selling has appeared alongside continued buying from other large holders. Blockchain tracker Lookonchain reported that one whale swapped 464 BTC worth $27.6 million for 17,750 ETH, signaling capital rotation into Ether. 

Meanwhile, investor Chun Wang also acquired another 9,937 ETH and 147 wrapped Bitcoin. Over the past month, Wang has withdrawn almost 87,000 ETH from Binance at an average purchase price of $1,749.

Institutional ETH trading also remained active. BlackRock transferred 41,996 ETH and 4,577 BTC to Coinbase Prime, a move commonly associated with custody or operational management rather than a confirmed market sale.

Crypto analyst Darkfost noted that Ether whales holding between 1,000 ETH and more than 100,000 ETH are all sitting on negative unrealized profit ratios. This marks the first time since 2019 that every major whale cohort has been underwater. 

ETH whales’ unrealized profit ratio. Source: X

The analyst said that periods when whale conviction was tested by ETH prices, it often aligned with long-term bottom zones. The current scenario indicates that large holders are facing greater overall pressure in 2026, even as selective ETH accumulation persists.

Related: Tether stablecoin flips Ether by market cap as ETH routs to $1.5K

$1,500 level for ETH draws trader focus

Ether dropped to $1,510 during Thursday’s sell-off, though it avoided setting a new yearly low even as Bitcoin fell to fresh 2026 lows. 

Crypto trader Ardi described $1,500 as Ether’s key long-term support, arguing that daily closes below that level challenge the bullish assumptions built up since the 2022 bear market. 

Ether/USD, one-week chart. Source: Ardi/X

Crypto investor Jelle shared a similar view, saying a sustained break would send Ether back into a trading range last seen in early 2023. Weekly price action shows ETH has defended the $1,500 region during several major corrections since mid-2022, making it one of the altcoin’s longest-standing support zones. 

However, not all market participants expect a near-term recovery. Popular trader Cyclops identified the $1,070–$1,370 range as a potential accumulation zone, citing it as a key demand area established in early 2023. A move into that range would also see ETH break below its multi-year ascending trendline, a technical development that could further delay a sustained recovery and reinforce the broader bearish market structure. 

ETH/USD, one-week chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

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