Ether is trading near $3,310, up roughly 11% since the start of the year. The move comes as renewed institutional interest and accelerating onchain activity strengthen the bullish case.
Market participants increasingly believe Ether could rally toward $4,500 if key support levels remain intact.
A major driver of optimism has been the return of strong inflows into spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds. Over a four-day period, US-based spot Ethereum ETFs attracted a combined $474.6 million in new capital.
The $175.1 million recorded on a single midweek session marked the largest daily inflow of the year so far, as noted by newbettingoffers.co.uk.
ETF Buying Outpaces New Supply
Data tracking institutional activity shows that ETF inflows have recently exceeded Ethereum’s new token issuance.
According to Capriole Investments, daily institutional buying, including ETFs and other digital asset products, reached nearly 7,000 ETH per day.
This sustained accumulation suggests growing confidence among larger investors despite broader market volatility.
While some Ethereum treasury firms have reduced activity on a monthly basis, select participants continue to add exposure.
Analysts note that consistent institutional demand will be essential to support a prolonged price recovery.
Short bursts of inflows can spark rallies, but sustained buying typically underpins longer-term trends.
Ethereum Network Activity Reaches Multi-Year Highs
Beyond price action, Ethereum’s underlying network metrics are showing notable strength.
Active addresses have surged by more than 50% over the past month, reaching a 28-month high near one million.
This marks the highest sustained activity level since late 2023.
Daily transaction counts have also climbed to a record high near 2.9 million.
Observers point out that rising usage alongside low transaction fees reflects improved network efficiency.
“Daily Ethereum transactions are exploding,” said CryptoRover, reacting to the milestone.
“This is what real scaling looks like,” analyst FenoXBT added, noting that fees remain near historic lows.
Price Structure Remains Constructive
From a technical standpoint, Ether continues to trade within a favorable structure on higher timeframes. Holding above the $3,050 to $3,170 demand zone is viewed as critical for maintaining bullish momentum.
This region also contains the 50-week exponential moving average, a widely watched trend indicator. Trader Coinvo Trading said a weekly close above this level preserves the bullish structure.
“The weekly structure stays intact, ETH is going higher,” he said.
Targets Point Toward $4,500 And Beyond
Several analysts believe Ether is setting up for a larger breakout following recent consolidation. CryptoRover said Ether is showing strength after breaking out of a symmetrical triangle on the daily chart.
The measured target from this pattern points toward $4,500 in the near term.
More optimistic projections suggest a potential extension toward $5,500 based on Fibonacci analysis. While short-term pullbacks remain possible, traders broadly agree that Ethereum’s trend favors higher prices as long as key supports hold.
Ethereum Network’s Growth
Ethereum’s network growth continues to be driven by a combination of technological upgrades, expanding real-world use cases, and a rapidly maturing developer ecosystem.
Following the shift to proof-of-stake, Ethereum has seen steady increases in network efficiency and sustainability, making it more attractive to institutions and long-term builders. Lower energy usage and improved economic incentives have helped strengthen validator participation, contributing to overall network security and resilience.
Layer-2 solutions have played a major role in Ethereum’s expansion. Networks built on top of Ethereum now handle a growing share of transactions, reducing congestion and lowering fees while still benefiting from Ethereum’s security. This scaling approach has enabled faster adoption of decentralised finance, gaming, and NFT platforms without compromising decentralisation.
Developer activity on Ethereum remains among the highest in the blockchain industry. Thousands of applications are actively maintained, ranging from decentralised exchanges and lending platforms to identity, payments, and tokenisation tools. This depth of innovation continues to reinforce Ethereum’s position as the primary settlement layer for decentralised applications.
As enterprise interest, regulatory clarity, and infrastructure improvements continue to evolve, Ethereum’s network growth is increasingly defined by utility rather than speculation. The focus on scalability, security, and real-world integration suggests the network is entering a more mature and sustainable phase of expansion.
