#Ethereum consolidates its role as a leader among altcoins. A strong rise in the last week is accompanied by active demand from large holders, increasing the likelihood of a breakthrough to the $5,000 mark soon.
Ethereum has set a new record
On August 24, the price $ETH surpassed $4,950 for the first time in history, updating the maximum of 2021. After a sharp surge, the market corrected by almost 4%, but Ethereum held above $4,500, demonstrating resilience even amid volatility.
Compared to Bitcoin, which returned to $116,000 after Powell's speech in Jackson Hole, Ethereum looks stronger. Institutional flows and the behavior of large wallets play a key role in this.
Whales are strengthening their positions
According to CryptoQuant, it is the large players on Binance who supported the momentum. Since July, they have systematically increased their positions in ETH, raising their share in both spot and futures contracts.
The peculiarity of whales is that they usually enter not first, but after confirming the trend. This happened this time as well: purchases intensified after the upward reversal of Ethereum. Despite the risk of entering 'late in the stage', the fact of ongoing accumulation shows confidence in growth.
This dynamics strengthens the current trend and increases the likelihood that Ethereum will overcome the psychologically important level of $5,000 in the near future.
Investor Sentiment
The market shows a shift towards optimism. Some analysts believe that breaking $5,000 will only be a stage: after a short consolidation, Ethereum is capable of reaching $10,000 within the current cycle.
Such a scenario is explained not only by speculative interest but also by fundamental factors:
The growth of Ethereum usage in DeFi and asset tokenization
Expectations of new institutional products, including ETFs
Stable development of L2 solutions that reduce network costs
ETH vs BTC: Institutional Layout
Ethereum is outpacing Bitcoin in institutional demand dynamics. On CME, open interest for $BTC does not correspond with price growth, indicating weak confidence among professional players.
For Ethereum, the picture is reversed. The new historical maximum was accompanied by an increase in open positions on CME, indicating an influx of fresh liquidity, rather than just a capital flow.
Another important point: retail investors have not yet returned in mass. Analysts believe that this makes Ethereum's growth more sustainable — the asset is driven by institutional flows, not short-term hype.
What's Next?
Ethereum stands on the threshold of the psychological barrier at $5,000. If the level is broken and held, market attention will shift to the $6,000 mark, and long-term forecasts already indicate the possibility of reaching $10,000 in the current bull cycle.
For Bitcoin, this is a signal that leadership in the short-term trend is shifting to Ethereum. Increased whale activity, institutional inflows, and the absence of mass retail create conditions for further growth of ETH.