$ETH

**Surging Prices and Pectra Spotlight**

On May 15, 2025, Ethereum (ETH) recorded a price hovering around **2,600 USD**, a significant increase of **43.6%** from May 7 to May 14, driven by momentum from the **Pectra** upgrade that was activated on May 7. This is the largest update since The Merge (2022), including 11 improvement proposals that optimize staking (increasing the limit from 32 to 2,048 ETH), reduce transaction fees, and support smart wallets. However, the price of ETH is still below its historical peak in 2021. The market shows an optimistic sentiment, with **180,000 ETH** flowing into staking protocols and on-chain activity increasing (active addresses rising from 458,000 to 563,000 in 24 hours). Analysts predict that ETH could reach **3,600 USD** if it surpasses resistance at **2,700 USD**, thanks to strong spot buying and interest from institutional investors. However, some warn of the potential for short-term corrections due to an overheated market. The vibrant community discusses whale accumulation of ETH (controlling **46% of the supply**) and the potential of ETH in DeFi, AI, and Layer-2, but also expresses concerns about concentration risks. With support from Ethereum ETFs and a positive macro environment (expected Fed interest rate cuts), ETH is expected to continue its upward trend into late 2025.