Institutional Shift Towards Ether Accelerates

Major corporations have acquired approximately 1% of Ethereum's total circulating supply since June, according to a Standard Chartered research report obtained exclusively by Cointelegraph. The findings reveal institutional investors are accumulating Ether (ETH) at twice the pace of Bitcoin (BTC) purchases during the same period.

Market Impact and Price Projections

The report suggests this corporate buying spree, combined with record inflows into spot Ether ETFs, has contributed significantly to ETH's recent price strength. Standard Chartered analysts now predict these trends could push Ether beyond their initial $4,000 year-end price target. 【Current ETH holdings by treasury firms stand at 1.25 million tokens】, with potential to grow tenfold based on announced acquisition plans.

——"We anticipate corporate entities may eventually control 10% of all Ether in circulation," the report states, highlighting the asset's dual appeal for staking rewards and DeFi opportunities——

Key Corporate Players Emerging

BitMine Immersion Tech currently leads as the largest institutional ETH holder with 625,000 tokens (0.52% of supply), following a $1 billion stock buyback announcement. Nasdaq-listed Sharplink recently joined the ranks by acquiring $290 million worth of ETH in late July at an average price of $3,756 per token.

Notably, newly-formed investment vehicle The Ether Machine has disclosed plans to amass over 400,000 ETH (worth $1.5 billion) and pursue a Nasdaq listing under the ticker "ETHM." This follows Standard Chartered's observation that ETH-focused firms benefit from regulatory advantages unavailable to Bitcoin-focused entities.

Historical Context and Future Outlook

Despite the accumulation trend, ETH remains 21% below its November 2021 all-time high of $4,890. The report coincides with Ethereum's approaching 10th anniversary, marking a potential inflection point for institutional adoption.

Industry analysts note the growing preference for Ether reflects evolving institutional strategies that prioritize yield-generating crypto assets. With multiple corporations announcing ambitious acquisition targets, the competition for ETH supply appears poised to intensify through 2025.