Bitcoin has been breaking records on several exchanges, but Ethereum is quietly taking the center stage. It recently crossed above $2,780. Arthur Hayes, the former BitMEX CEO, is betting big on Ethereum, calling for a rise to $10,000. With rising institutional inflows and a trend shift, ETH might be gearing up for a major breakout. It is currently trading at $2,782, with gains of over 4% in the last 24 hours.
Arthur Hayes, teased Ethereum hitting $10,000 in a latest post. He backed it with a chart showing early signs of strength in Ethereum’s price. The ETH/BTC pair is also bouncing off historic lows, which could mean a major trend shift is starting.
ETH/BTC Pair Shows a Key Trend Shift
Ethereum has been in a steady downtrend against Bitcoin since 2021. After peaking above 0.08 BTC, ETH gradually lost ground, forming a consistent lower-high, lower-low pattern over the past two years. But it’s now showing early signs of a bounce from the 0.02 BTC level. This week’s strong move to 0.025 BTC with rising volume indicates that bullish momentum is building.
In a recent Bankless podcast, Hayes had predicted that Ethereum could hit $10,000–$15,000, with global liquidity shifts and tighter capital controls.
Institutional Inflows Are Picking Up
Analysts note Ethereum’s growing institutional interest, citing strong inflows into ETH ETFs. Just yesterday, over $211 million flowed into Ethereum ETFs. BlackRock alone purchased $158.6 million worth of ETH.
In June, whale wallets increased their ETH holdings by 36%, and liquid staking rose by nearly 1 million ETH. This shows long-term belief in the network. Ethereum also recently underwent a major upgrade which sparked a 50% ETH rally.
Hayes’ $10K prediction lines up with a rising trend, where companies are now holding Ethereum as a treasury asset. Besides, a recent Fidelity report highlights that Ethereum leads Solana and other chains in developer activity, total value locked (TVL), and stablecoin usage.
ETH Outshines BTC in Futures Trading
Data from Glassnode shows that Ethereum futures volume hit $62.1 billion, slightly ahead of Bitcoin’s $61.7 billion. This is a rare flip that suggests traders are shifting focus to ETH. At the same time, CME futures open interest for ETH has climbed to $3.27 billion, the highest since February, which are clear signs of growing institutional demand.
Investor Ted Pillows shared that Ethereum is currently outperforming Bitcoin and smart money is already entering the market. He points out Ethereum’s current price pattern resembles Bitcoin’s breakout rally from 2020–2021, and a major surge could be around the corner.
Experts suggest that major momentum is likely building across the broader Ethereum ecosystem in the second half of the year. Many experts believe that it can hit $10,000 by the end of this cycle.
