Ethereum is undergoing its first notable pullback after an explosive rally that took the price from $2,500 to $3,800 in less than three weeks. Despite this cooldown, bulls remain in control, with ETH holding firm above the $3,600 level—a key support zone now acting as the base for potential consolidation. The market appears to be digesting recent gains, with signs that Ethereum’s strength could be far from over.

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On-chain data from Sentora adds to the bullish outlook. Last week, Ethereum saw the highest weekly volume of large transactions since 2021. This surge in big-money activity signals rising interest from institutional players and large investors, even amid short-term volatility.

With legal clarity in the US improving and Ethereum fundamentals strengthening, the current pause may be setting the stage for another leg higher. Whether this consolidation lasts days or weeks, the elevated on-chain activity suggests Ethereum’s ecosystem is heating up again, with major players positioning for the next move.

Institutions Rotate From BTC Into Ethereum

Sentora data confirms a major shift underway: big-money Ethereum is back. Last week, on-chain transfers over $100,000 totaled more than $100 billion—the highest weekly volume since 2021. This spike in high-value transfers reflects renewed institutional interest, reinforcing Ethereum’s role as the leading altcoin amid evolving market dynamics.

The timing of this surge is critical. Ethereum’s price has rallied aggressively from $2,500 to $3,800 in a matter of weeks, and institutional capital appears to be rotating from Bitcoin into ETH. While Bitcoin remains in a tight consolidation range just below its all-time high, Ethereum’s upside momentum and on-chain strength suggest it may now be leading the charge. This rotation has sparked discussions about the beginning of “Ethereum season,” a pattern seen in previous market cycles when ETH outperforms BTC and capital begins to flow into the broader altcoin market.

Some analysts believe this could mark the early stages of a long-awaited altseason. Historically, Ethereum leads such phases, acting as the gateway for investors to explore high-beta assets across the crypto ecosystem. If ETH maintains current strength and breaks above the $4,000 level, it could trigger a broader market expansion.

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ETH Price Holds Above Key Support After Parabolic Rally

Ethereum is undergoing its first meaningful pullback since beginning a powerful surge from the $2,500 region in early July. After reaching a local high of $3,801, ETH is now trading around $3,662, down approximately 2.7% on the day. Despite the minor correction, the overall structure remains bullish. The current price sits above the $3,600 zone, a level that now acts as key short-term support.

Volume has slightly decreased during this pullback, suggesting that selling pressure remains relatively controlled. ETH is still trading well above its 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages, reinforcing the strength of the uptrend. The next major resistance lies around $3,800–$3,850, which aligns with previous peaks seen in early 2024.

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A successful consolidation above $3,600 could provide the foundation for a new leg higher toward the $4,000 mark. However, failure to hold this support level might trigger a retest of the $3,450–$3,500 area, followed by stronger support around $3,000 and the $2,850 breakout zone.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

The possibilities of a Ripple Initial Public Offering (IPO) have become higher as time goes on and the company moves toward a complete resolution of its SEC lawsuit. With expectations of the IPO rising, possible valuations have started to fly around as the company is one of the largest cryptocurrency companies. Most notably, pro-XRP lawyer and community member John Deaton has proposed that the Ripple IPO could lead to the company being valued at over $100 billion.

Deaton Puts Ripple At $100 Billion

The comment and valuation from lawyer John Deaton come after Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, successfully completed its Initial Public Offering (IPO). So far, the crypto firm has found a lot of success in the market, surging from an initial $5 billion valuation to over $63 billion in valuation post-IPO.

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Deaton responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting this feat, pointing out how Ripple could be even more successful in this regard. He explains that despite Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse saying that the company was in no rush to go public, the IPO should be timed correctly to have the right impact.

Pointing to the current market environment, he points out that if Circle can grow to a $63 billion valuation, then it means that Ripple can soar even higher. Given XRP’s standing in the market as the 4th-largest cryptocurrency, ahead of Circle’s USDC, which sits at 7th place, Deaton believes that Ripple’s valuation post-IPO can rise to $100 billion. “If Circle can hit a 62B-75B market cap then Ripple, with nearly 40B XRP, currently valued at $2 (ie $80B), could certainly hit a $100B market cap in this environment,” Deaton wrote.

As Bitcoinist reported, Ripple had issued a $700 million tender offer with shares priced at $175. This now puts the equity valuation of the company at $25 billion with 141 million outstanding shares as investors look favorably at the crypto firm.

How High Could The XRP Price Go?

Market experts have speculated that if the Ripple IPO does go through and the valuation soars, the XRP price will soar in tandem. Crypto investor Dennis Liu shared a video that suggested a successful IPO would be positive for the XRP price. He points out that a symbiotic relationship of the XRP coin related to the Ripple stock would be the dream of investors.

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Other market experts have debated that the XRP price would go double-digits to rise above $10 if this happens. In some cases, the XRP price has been pegged as high as $100 if Ripple does complete its IPO and begins trading as a publicly listed company.

Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com