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BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is accumulating Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) once again, as institutional demand for crypto-based Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) ramps up. The move comes despite ongoing market volatility and heightened bearish sentiment, highlighting how institutional appetite for crypto exposure remains firm even as fear and uncertainty spread across the market.

BlackRock Ramps Up Bitcoin And Ethereum Buying

From April 6 to 10, BlackRock recorded a strong wave of inflows into its spot crypto ETFs, highlighting sustained institutional demand for digital assets. The recent inflows also signaled a shift in sentiment among investors, who had previously adopted a risk-off stance amid geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic conditions that fueled price declines in the crypto market. 

In total, the investment company attracted about $780 million across its Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, a staggering figure that shows renewed interest in regulated crypto exposure. SoSoValue reports that the bulk of these inflows went into BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which brought in roughly $612 million. Meanwhile, the firm’s Ethereum ETF, iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), added approximately $168 million over the same period. 

As new shares were issued, authorized participants stepped in to facilitate the process, requiring custodians to buy an equivalent amount of real BTC and ETH. Those assets are now being held by Coinbase Custody, the primary custodian for BlackRock’s crypto ETFs. To maintain full backing, the firm acquires Bitcoin and Ethereum through on the open market or over-the-counter (OTC) deals. BlackRock, for its part, manages the funds without using its own corporate capital. 

Notably, the latest inflow is not a direct purchase on BlackRock’s balance sheet, but rather investors acquiring more crypto ETFs, thereby increasing buying pressure on BTC and ETH. The weekly total ranks among the strongest performances seen in recent months for crypto ETFs. If sustained, the momentum could help support the price of Bitcoin and Ethereum, which recorded major gains of more than 3% during the same week that ETF inflows picked up. 

Following the latest inflows, BlackRock’s total Bitcoin and Ethereum on its balance sheet have increased to $56.8 billion and $6.92 billion, respectively. They now hold approximately 791,284 BTC via IBIT and 3,008,094 ETH via ETHA. 

Institutions Resume Aggressive BTC Accumulation

Bitcoin accumulation has increased not only through ETFs but also among whales and corporate investors. New reports reveal that whales have abruptly stopped aggressively selling BTC and may be looking to buy as the market continues to rebound.  

Strategy, the market intelligence company founded by Michael Saylor, is also buying Bitcoin, increasing its already substantial holdings. On April 13, Saylor took to X to announce that the company had added another batch of Bitcoin to its balance sheet. 

This time, Strategy acquired 13,927 BTC, worth approximately $1 billion at $71,902 per coin. The purchase brings the company’s total holdings to a staggering 780,897 BTC, valued at around $59.02 billion at $75,578 per coin. This move underscores Strategy’s unwavering and increasingly aggressive accumulation strategy, as the company doubles down on its long-term conviction in Bitcoin despite volatile market conditions. 

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After a brief period of trading below the $2,000 mark, the Ethereum price has regained above this level as bullish momentum slowly returns to the market. Even though ETH has been struggling with the growing volatility across the market, interest in the asset at the institutional level has remained strong, with accumulation spiking each month.

Institutional Interest In Ethereum Keeps Expanding

Ethereum may be experiencing prolonged sideways price action, but institutional investors in the sector are unfazed by the bearish performance. During the downward trend, a steady wave of institutional demand is building around the leading altcoin, putting it in the spotlight.

Over the past few months, public companies have been accumulating the altcoin at a relentless pace. These companies are steadily increasing their holdings rather than slowing down in the face of market uncertainty, indicating a strong long-term belief in Ethereum’s place in the developing digital economy.

In a post on the X platform, Leon Waidmann, a market expert and research head at Lisk, revealed that these public companies have scooped up approximately 7.4 million ETH in a period of 12 months. This figure represents a 6.1% of the total circulating supply of ETH.

Even after a massive wave of accumulation, these public companies are still buying ETH, persistently tightening available supply. Such a sustained accumulation by institutions strengthens the narrative of ETH as a strategic asset for corporate treasuries.

As of May 2025, the cumulative ETH treasury holdings of institutional and corporate players were sitting at near 0. However, by April 2026, over 6.5 million ETH have been scooped off the market, demonstrating ETH’s position as a leading crypto asset with short and long-term potential.

These ETH are being moved into treasury reserves, rather than cryptocurrency exchanges, suggesting a holding sentiment, especially for the long term. As a result, these coins are not available to sell without board approval, shareholder disclosure, and regulatory filings. In a market deep in bearish conditions, public companies’ ETH holdings continue to climb, as they add more coins every single month.

ETH Staking Rises To Historical Levels

While institutional accumulation has spiked, Ethereum staking activity has also experienced a sharp uptick. After persistent staking activity, the number of ETH staked has now reached a new all-time high, reflecting growing participation in the network’s proof-of-stake system.

As seen in the chart, over 32% of all ETH’s entire supply is now locked away in staking contracts. In May 2021, the total number of staked ETH was 18 million, marking a 16% of its entire supply. Meanwhile, by March 2026, the figure had increased to a staggering 40 million ETH or 32% of its entire supply.

Waidmann added that the 32% of ETH’s total supply is not present on cryptocurrency exchanges or in wallets waiting to sell. Rather, they are stored in staking contracts and actively being used to secure the Ethereum network.

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Ethereum’s main network is witnessing a dramatic surge in activity, signaling renewed confidence and accelerating momentum across the ecosystem. Aspects like transaction throughput and user engagement appear to have pushed significantly higher over the past few weeks, breaking past prior peaks.

Another Historic Moment For Ethereum Network

Since the beginning of 2026, the Ethereum network has been hitting major milestones that reflect the blockchain’s efficiency and expanding ecosystem. Even in a volatile crypto landscape, ETH’s network usage and adoption have increased sharply, as evidenced by its rapidly growing active wallet addresses.

On-chain data reveals that the network has recently crossed a key threshold in terms of active wallet addresses following a sudden spike. From the report from Joseph Young, a market expert and narrator, the number of active addresses on ETH has surged to the highest level ever in its history.

This spike in user activity and interest signals more than just routine market noise and speculation. It shows growing adoption, increasing on-chain activity, and rekindled conviction in the leading ecosystem in the midst of general market instability.

After delving into the metric, the expert disclosed that the number of active 7DMA wallet addresses on Ethereum is sitting at over 811,500. As active address counts reached historic levels, the network’s fundamentals appear to have started surpassing its price performance. Should this performance hold, it is likely to play a huge role in shaping ETH’s next major move.

The blockchain’s performance extends beyond just massive active wallet addresses. Young added that Ethereum is the most proven network with more than 10 years of track record, underscoring its reliability and robust scalability.

During the period, ETH remained one of the most active and liquid crypto ecosystems by far. With several key updates over the years, such as the Fusaka Upgrade, the ETH network is now scaling faster than it ever did since its launch. 

ETH Carry Out More Transactions Than Ever

Given that a significantly high level of transactions is carried out on the network, Ethereum is still showing robust strength and a growing ecosystem. On-chain Foundation head of research, Leon Waidmann, shared a report that reveals that ETH is experiencing a wave of transactions, reaching unprecedented levels.

With over 2.2 million transactions being executed per day, the network has just hit yet another all-time high. The chart shows that the previous peak was positioned at 1.89 million per day, as recorded on January 10, reflecting its rising real-world usage in a period where network fundamentals are gaining robust significance.

While transactions continue to increase, the network’s transaction costs have remained extremely low. Swapping on the blockchain now costs just $0.04, Non-Fungible Token (NFT) sales cost about $0.06, borrowing fees are $0.03, and bridging costs, which are the lowest, are around $0.01.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

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