Every major cryptocurrency has its moment to shine, and Ethereum is having an absolute field day. The second-largest crypto by market cap just rocketed over 26% in the past week, making it the strongest weekly performance in years. Not too shabby for a blockchain that some critics claimed was losing its edge.

The numbers tell a pretty wild story. ETH hit $3,812 on July 21, 2025, its highest point since December 2024. That’s part of a broader surge that’s pushed monthly gains beyond 50% – the kind of movement that makes traditional investors’ heads spin. Nine straight days of gains? Yeah, that happened too. The momentum is reminiscent of the Berlin update success that significantly reduced transaction costs in 2021.

What’s really turning heads is the institutional money pouring in. A mystery whale just dropped $50 million on ETH over the weekend, and corporate treasuries are starting to treat Ethereum like their new favorite toy. The gap between Bitcoin and ETH institutional adoption? It’s shrinking fast. U.S.-listed spot Ether ETFs saw a massive record inflow of $2.18 billion last week. The platform’s smart contract automation has made it increasingly attractive for institutional investors seeking reliable, code-governed transactions.

The supply dynamics are getting interesting – and by interesting, we mean potentially explosive. About 30% of all ETH is now staked, effectively locked away. Add to that the fact that over 60% of tokenized real-world assets are running on Ethereum, and you’ve got yourself a serious supply squeeze in the making.

Analysts are throwing out some eye-popping predictions. While $4,000-$4,500 seems like the immediate target, some are bold enough to call for $15,000-$20,000 by the end of 2025. The previous all-time high of $4,878? That’s starting to look more like a speed bump than a ceiling.

Technical traders are watching the $3,800-$4,000 range like hawks, noting it’s a vital psychological barrier. Break through that, and things could get really interesting. The volume backing this rally suggests it’s no flash in the pan – this move has legitimate muscle behind it.

With network activity climbing and fees increasing, one thing’s clear: Ethereum isn’t just pumping; it’s being used more than ever.