Key moments

• Ethereum registered a 2.35% increase on Friday that propelled its price near the $1,560 mark.
• Daily inflows into Blackrock’s Ethereum ETF reached around $6.4 million.
• A prominent early investor has sold off $7 million in Ethereum this April.

Ethereum Rises Above $1,560 Amidst $6.4M BlackRock ETF Support

Ethereum demonstrated notable strength by climbing 2.35% above $1,550 on Friday. This upward trajectory marked a significant recovery for the second-largest cryptocurrency, which had earlier in the trading session experienced a downward plunge, which saw its price almost reach the $1,500 level. However, it should also be noted that Ethereum could not decisively climb past the $1,600 threshold.

This positive price action for Ethereum was accompanied by increasing institutional interest, as evidenced by recent activity in related investment products. Data from Farside Investors indicated a substantial daily inflow of approximately $6.4 million into BlackRock’s Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF). This significant capital injection suggests a growing appetite among traditional financial players to gain exposure to Ethereum.

Other potential factors contributing to Ethereum’s overall resilience and recent gains could include positive developments within its ecosystem, such as progress on network upgrades or increasing adoption in decentralized applications (dApps) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Furthermore, broader market sentiment towards cryptocurrencies and macroeconomic conditions can also play a significant role in price movements. The steady holding of Bitcoin above $82,000, as noted in market reports, might also be providing a degree of stability to the wider crypto market, allowing assets like Ethereum to experience positive momentum.

However, the dynamics of the Ethereum market are complex and influenced by various factors, including the activities of large individual holders. Friday witnessed on-chain data reveal that a notable “whale” entity offloaded a substantial amount of Ethereum. This particular whale, identified as an early investor from Ethereum’s initial coin offering (ICO) in 2015, reportedly sold 4,100 ETH in April, valued at around $7 million, with the newest transaction involving 664 ETH. Such large sell-offs by early investors can sometimes create temporary downward pressure on prices as the market absorbs the increased supply.