Ethereum crosses the $4,000 mark for the first time in 8 months

For the first time in eight months, Ethereum has crossed the symbolic $4,000 mark. Between massive inflows on its ETFs, accelerated institutional adoption, and upcoming technical reforms, ETH seems more determined than ever to nibble away at Bitcoin’s ground. The trend could well mark a strategic turning point for the crypto market.

The institutionalization of Ethereum reshapes the crypto market

On Friday, August 8, Ethereum crossed the psychological threshold of four thousand dollars on Coinbase. An event marking a comeback after eight months of wandering below this symbolic level. 

This performance of +4% in 24 hours contrasts with the relative stagnation of Bitcoin, which only gained a few percentage points over the same period.

This divergence reflects a major shift in institutional markets. The numbers speak for themselves: on August 5, Ethereum ETFs attracted $73 million in fresh capital. 

Meanwhile, Bitcoin suffered massive withdrawals of $196 million. A striking contrast revealing a strategic reallocation of professional portfolios.

This capital migration is explained by the rise of corporate treasuries specializing in ETH. Like Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and its bitcoin reserves, new players such as Sharplink Gaming and BitMine Immersion now massively accumulate ether.

Sharplink now holds 521,939 ETH after a purchase of $264.5 million in one week, while BitMine holds over 833,000. This accumulation transforms Ethereum into a real “revenue machine” thanks to staking, which allows generating annual yields of 3 to 4%. This feature fundamentally distinguishes ETH from Bitcoin.

While Bitcoin remains fixed in its role as “digital gold,” Ethereum offers an attractive hybrid economic model. It combines appreciation potential and regular income, a mix that reassures financial directors trained in classic dividend mechanisms.

A favorable regulatory environment propels adoption

Beyond its economic advantages, Ethereum now benefits from a significantly more favorable regulatory climate. 

Recent SEC clarification, stating that ETH staking does not constitute a securities issuance, has removed a major threat weighing on the asset. This position considerably reduces legal risks for ETF issuers as well as companies holding ETH in their portfolios.

At the same time, the technical ecosystem continues to gain momentum. The EIP-7999 project, which aims to unify the fee system on Ethereum, illustrates the desire to make the network simpler and more competitive against rivals such as Solana or Avalanche. 

This reform could not only streamline the user experience but also optimize resource allocation on the validator side, thereby enhancing the protocol’s overall efficiency.

The momentum is already reflected in the figures. According to Myriad Linea Markets, 76% of surveyed participants expect the weekly transaction volume to exceed twelve million. Such a level signals renewed activity and significant adoption on the blockchain.

Despite this improvement, ETH still trades 18% below its all-time high of $4,878 reached in 2021. This gap, combined with growing institutional interest, opens a notable growth margin. If the current trend continues, Ethereum could embark on a durable bullish trajectory in the coming months.