Corporate entities have accumulated 1% of Ethereum’s circulating supply since June, with banking giant Standard Chartered projecting holdings could surge to 10% by the end of the year. This accelerated accumulation is driven by Ether’s unique staking rewards and decentralized finance (DeFi) leverage opportunities, which offer regulatory advantages unavailable to Bitcoin-focused institutions.
BitMine Immersion Tech leads corporate acquisitions with 0.5% of circulating Ether, positioning itself as the largest Ether treasury firm. The company has announced intentions to expand its holdings to 5% of ETH’s total supply. Industry analysts highlight that institutional interest stems primarily from Ether’s dual utility for yield generation through staking and capital efficiency in DeFi protocols.
Despite trading over 21% below its $4,890 all-time high, continued corporate inflows could propel Ether above $4,000 before year-end. This demand wave underscores how Ether’s programmable capabilities are reshaping institutional crypto strategies beyond conventional asset appreciation models.