Ethereum Whale Buys $17M ETH for Staking

May 9, 2026

A prominent Ethereum whale, identified as address 0x674cb7e457e49271eeeb1617c6c44a5d4b5e255e, just dropped $17 million in USDC to snap up 7,284 ETH at an average price of $2,334, then funneled the entire haul into staking via LidoFinance. With $10.15 million still parked in USDC, this player eyes more ETH acquisitions, signaling bullish conviction in Ethereum whale activity despite broader crypto market volatility. This move echoes recent ETH staking trends seen in the last six months, where large holders ramped up positions amid regulatory shifts, potentially drawing parallels to Bitcoin accumulation phases that preceded BTC rallies.

On the 4-hour chart, ETH trades at $2320.5 in a bearish structure, hugging the EMA50 at $2323.21 as immediate resistance while the EMA200 at $2269.36 acts as a firm long-term support floor. Momentum sits neutral with RSI(14) at 49.57, but the MACD(12,26) flashes a bullish golden cross at -3.83, hinting at upside potential. Price coils inside the Bollinger Bands, testing the upper resistance at $2351.6 without exhaustion, while the lower support at $2272.56 looms as a volatility trap—expect a sharp bounce if buyers defend that level, aligning with confluence for a retest of EMA50 before any sustained push higher in this ETH price prediction scenario.