Over the past year, the amount of Ethereum (ETH) funds held by institutions has grown at a rate nearly four times faster than that of Bitcoin (BTC).
According to analysts, this change in allocation could point to a growing institutional belief in Ethereum’s distinct role alongside Bitcoin as a core digital asset.
A Notable Shift in Institutional Strategy
Data shared by XWIN Research Japan shows that institutions are clearly building their positions in different ways. Bitcoin fund holdings grew by 36% over the course of a year, reaching about 1.3 million BTC. Meanwhile, Ethereum increased even more notably in the same time period, with institutional holdings of the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap shooting up 138%, bringing the total to about 6.8 million coins.
This rapid growth is linked to the launch of spot Ethereum ETFs and the crypto asset’s foundational use in decentralized finance (DeFi) and other digital applications. The data indicates that Ethereum is now seen as a main institutional holding, not just a secondary one. The ratio of ETH to BTC in funds has changed from three-to-one to five-to-one, suggesting that the strategy may have changed for good, not just for a short time.
“The continuation of this divergence will depend on ETF flows, on-chain activity trends, and broader liquidity conditions in global markets,” wrote the research firm.
A recent report that backs up this trend shows that large Ethereum investors have started buying the asset again after selling it for a while. Tom Lee of Bitmine, which has one of the biggest ETH treasuries in the world, said recently that the market is ready for a possible year-end rally now that there is less excessive leverage.
Market Reaction and Price Analysis
While the holdings data is very good for ETH, the current market prices tell a more nuanced story. The asset was changing hands at $4,114 at the time of writing, which is a drop of 1.8% in the last 24 hours. Market watchers like Daan Crypto Trades have said that Ethereum is going through a “big test” around its previous cycle highs. This means that the bulls need to stay above $4,100 to regain momentum.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin was priced at $114,198. Its recent breakout above $115,000 has some analysts cautious, with TedPillows saying that it happened with “no institutional support, no new capital, and no retail FOMO,” and calling it a “liquidity grab.” This matches up with on-chain data from analyst PelinayPA, who pointed out that real fund movement on exchanges is at a near record low, which has historically occurred near market peaks.
Despite this short-term uncertainty, the sheer volume of capital in crypto markets remains immense. As reported previously, Bitcoin futures volume on Binance alone hit $543 billion in October, signaling strong institutional and speculative interest, and some observers feel that the underlying growth in institutional holdings for both assets, especially Ethereum, could provide a strong foundation for the market’s next phase.
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