Key Takeaways:
World Liberty Financial holds over $200 million in Ethereum, while BlackRock and Fidelity continue accumulating, driving record ETF inflows. Solana’s meme coin scandals fueled a shift, with Ethereum gaining $452M in net inflows, while Solana dropped to $82.9 million. Ethereum still hasn’t broken $4,878, but analysts predict a potential price doubling in 2025.The price of Ethereum (ETH) has yet to see the surge that many anticipated. With ongoing scandals surrounding Solana (SOL) and growing institutional interest, could this shift investors’ appetite?
ETH last reached its all-time high (ATH) more than three years ago. On Nov. 10, 2021, the price peaked at $4,878 and has not approached this level since. This is surprising, given the blockchain’s strong developer ecosystem and its established role in decentralized finance (DeFi).
Dmitrij Radin, CEO of Zekret, shared his perspective with Cryptonews, stating that investor interest in ETH remains long-term:
“You can also see a lot of enthusiasm on social media, with various influencers and figures associated with Trump pushing ETH, especially noting its lower volatility compared to BTC. We sometimes joke that ETH is turning into a stablecoin. All these signs point to strong buying interest.”
Are Institutions and Whales Choosing Ethereum?
Since early 2025, institutional players and crypto whales have been steadily accumulating Ethereum. One of the most closely watched buyers is World Liberty Financial, a crypto fund often linked to Donald Trump.
According to DropsStab, as of Feb. 20, Ethereum is the fund’s largest crypto asset, with holdings exceeding $200 million at an average purchase price of $3,396.
Source: DropsStabHowever, what stands out is not just the size of World Liberty Financial’s ETH holdings but also the frequency of its purchases. The fund began actively accumulating ETH in mid-January and has continued its buying spree into February.
On-chain data reveals that World Liberty Financial purchased $5 million worth of ETH in a single transaction.
Despite currently holding an unrealized loss of approximately $52 million, Trump’s fund continues to buy ETH, effectively lowering its average cost as the price has dipped below $3,000.
It’s not just World Liberty Financial making big Ethereum moves. On-chain data from Lookonchain also highlights the activity of a group of wallets known as the “7 Siblings”—addresses that execute identical transactions. On Feb. 3, they collectively bought $112 million worth of ETH.
Despite competition from Solana and other blockchains, institutional investors continue to favor Ethereum. Speaking exclusively to Cryptonews, Eneko Knörr, CEO and co-founder of Stabolut, explained:
“While Ethereum has faced headwinds from Solana’s resurgence and intense competition from both established players like Polkadot and BNB Chain, as well as emerging protocols like Aptos, Sui, and Kaspa, institutional investors are likely to remain firmly committed to Ethereum as their blockchain of choice.”
One of Ethereum’s key advantages is its reputation as a “quality” chain in the crypto market. This reputation has solidified its role in decentralized finance, where it remains the dominant network.
Davide Menegaldo, CCO of Neon EVM, told Cryptonews that Ethereum’s network effects still give it a unique position despite growing multichain adoption:
“Ethereum still maintains dominance in smart contracts and dApps, with a strong developer community and widespread adoption. While it demonstrates incomparable network effects, developers look at multichain opportunities rather than being limited by a specific ecosystem, and this can affect the mid-term perception of that network among the crypto community.”
Could Ethereum Benefit from the Solana Meme Coin Scandals?
For years, Solana has been labeled the “Ethereum killer,” with frequent comparisons between the two blockchains. This competition escalated in 2024 when SOL recovered from its 2021 crash, soaring past $200 following a long accumulation phase.
Source: CoinGeckoDuring this time, Solana secured its place among the top five DeFi chains by Total Value Locked (TVL). It currently ranks second with $8.4 billion, while Ethereum remains first with $58.5 billion.
Source: DeFiLlamaLike Ethereum, Solana has been expanding its presence in the DeFi space. Additionally, its network is faster than its competitors and does not require Layer 2 (L2) solutions for scalability.
As a result, Solana’s revenue surged by 213% in Q4 2024, climbing from $268 million to $840 million, according to a report from Messari—outpacing Ethereum’s growth. Unsurprisingly, Pump.fun generated the highest revenue, bringing in $234.6 million, fueled by the ongoing meme coin mania.
Source: MessariHowever, Solana’s 2025 growth outlook has taken a more negative turn. Pump.fun has exposed the risks of meme coins, as the platform has come under legal and ethical scrutiny due to the overwhelming number of token launches, some of which have raised concerns within the crypto community.
The biggest blow came with the LIBRA scandal—a meme coin launched via Pump.fun, initially promoted as an initiative to boost Argentina’s economy with support from President Javier Milei. Instead, the project unraveled into a scam, ultimately leading to the resignation of Meteora co-founder Ben Chow, who was allegedly involved in the scheme.
Meteora is one of the leading decentralized exchanges on Solana.
Following these controversies, many in the crypto community are speculating about a renewed shift toward Ethereum, which, despite lacking price momentum, has maintained a reputation as a more stable blockchain.
However, it’s still too early to call this a lasting trend, as Solana remains one of Ethereum’s strongest competitors. That said, the recent scandals could influence investor perception, particularly among long-term holders.
According to Artemis data, Ethereum led all blockchains in net inflows over the past seven days, with $452 million, while Solana dropped to fourth place with $82.9 million.
Source: ArtemisWill Ethereum Price Reach $5,000 This Year?
Ethereum’s price predictions remain a key discussion point in the crypto community. While Bitcoin (BTC) has broken its all-time high multiple times, ETH has struggled to consolidate above $4,000, let alone surpass its previous ATH of $4,878.
Source: CoinMarketCapSome analysts believe Ethereum’s price could make a significant move. Dmitrij Radin, CEO of Zekret, stated:
“I’d dare anticipate we might see at least a doubling in price this year.”
Institutional investors remain a key factor supporting Ethereum’s price. World Liberty Financial holds more than $200 million in ETH, while major firms like BlackRock and Fidelity have also been accumulating the asset in large quantities.
Additionally, BlackRock and Fidelity are among the top issuers of Ethereum ETFs. As a result, they have a vested interest in ETH’s price growth.
BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust is the largest ETH ETF, with a market cap of $3.7 billion, followed by Grayscalewith $3.5 billion and Fidelity with $1.1 billion.
Source: BlackRockNet inflows into Ethereum ETFs have also been increasing since October 2024. According to CoinGlass, inflows hit a record $428 million on Dec. 5, followed by another major increase of $307 million on Feb. 4, 2025.
Source: CoinGlassDespite institutional backing, Ethereum still faces internal challenges, particularly concerning Vitalik Buterin and his disagreements with the Ethereum Foundation.
Discussions on X have raised questions about Ethereum’s future direction, with some arguing that the network needs stronger leadership. While Buterin has proposed several improvements, there are debates about whether these measures are enough.
Without tangible improvements to Ethereum, the network’s reputation could suffer if these disagreements persist. However, its long-standing trust as a stable foundation in DeFi may provide support.
Thinh Porrmann, co-founder of Grindery, told Cryptonews:
“While Ethereum has faced increased scrutiny due to regulatory uncertainties and scalability challenges, its foundational strength lies in its developer ecosystem and proven track record of setting industry standards. The upcoming Pecora upgrade, particularly EIP-7702, represents a significant leap forward in user experience through enhanced wallet functionality.”
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