Ethereum News: Breaks Strongly Above $2,800 as ETF Inflows Surge

As of June 12, 2025, the price of Ethereum (ETH) briefly reached $2,880, setting a new high in nearly 15 weeks. Behind this sharp surge are multiple positive factors coming to a concentrated explosion: accelerated inflow of institutional funds, the implementation of key technological upgrades, and a record-breaking staking rate, all of which are jointly driving Ethereum into a new phase of value reassessment.

Capital Migration: Three Major Signals of Institutions Turning to ETH

1. The siphon effect of ETF is evident: Ethereum spot ETF has seen a net inflow of $321 million for 12 consecutive days, while Bitcoin ETF experienced a net outflow of $1.23 billion during the same period, creating a stark contrast. Institutions like BlackRock are upgrading ETH holdings from “satellite assets” to “core allocations,” with their spot ETF holding cost covering the $3,300 - $3,500 range, significantly above the current price, indicating a clear intent to buy the dip.
2. Exchange Position Changes: Binance’s latest proof of reserves report shows that user Bitcoin holdings have decreased by 1.82% (to 593,000 BTC), while Ethereum balances have increased by 1.05% (to 5.34 million ETH). Along with a reduction in USDT, $223 million has shifted towards ETH, reflecting a convergence of consensus between retail and institutional investors.
3. Derivatives market heats up: Ethereum futures open interest (OI) surpasses 40 billion USD for the first time, setting a historical record. The liquidation heat map shows: 1.8 billion USD in short liquidation ammunition lurking above 2,900 USD, and any breakthrough could trigger a chain reaction.

Technological Revolution: Pectra Upgrade Restructures Competitive Barriers

The Pectra upgrade completed in May 2025 became a key turning point:

• Performance leap: TPS increased from 30 to 90, Gas fees reduced to the level of 0.001 USD, a first-time direct confrontation. Solana High-performance chains.
• Mature RWA infrastructure: The EIP-7002 proposal enables programmable withdrawal triggers for staking nodes, paving the way for compliance in the tokenization of real-world assets.
• Strengthening security barriers: Under the PoS mechanism, the cost of a 51% attack has soared to $32 trillion, surpassing the market value of global gold reserves and ranking as an institutional-grade security asset.

Staking Economy: Trust and Concerns Coexist

• Staking Rate Hits Record High: In June 2025, the Ethereum staking rate reached 28.64%, an increase of nearly 2% from July 2024, with over 42 million ETH locked. Continued deflationary pressure reinforces long-term value support.
• Revenue Dilemma Emerges: Despite the increase in staking volume, the annualized yield has dropped to 3.12%, far below competitors. The prosperity of Layer 2 has led to a 90% drop in mainnet transaction fee revenue within 30 days (only $43.3 million), creating a paradox of “ecological expansion, mainnet anemia.”

Regulatory Game and Future Trends

Policy Risks Still Exist

U.S. Congressman Timmons recently requested the SEC to disclose documents regarding the contradictory regulatory status of Ethereum, directly pointing to its regulatory inconsistency. If the SEC rejects the staking ETF (which BlackRock is actively lobbying for), it may temporarily pull back to $2,300.

Key Technical Levels

After breaking through $2,800, the next target points to the $3,200 - $3,500 range. If it holds at this level, Standard Chartered is bullish to $14,000, while ARK Invest conservatively predicts $5,000.

Conclusion: The Trillion-Dollar Narrative Reboots

The breakthrough of Ethereum is by no means accidental; it is a paradigm revolution driven by technological revolution, capital migration, and regulatory evolution. With the potential approval of staking ETFs, the opening of the trillion-dollar RWA market, and the dismantling of the decade-long ETH/BTC exchange rate shackles, Ethereum is transforming from “digital oil” into a new type of infrastructure that carries global assets. Despite the hidden volatility risks of leverage liquidation and regulatory games, the long-term narrative based on real value capture has already begun.