Key Notes

• An Ethereum whale purchased a massive 15,953 ETH worth $26.16 million.
• Analyst Merlijn The Trader has predicted that ETH could hit $8,000 soon.
• Ethereum Foundation’s Tomasz Stańczak shared a simplified ETH roadmap.

Leading digital asset Ethereum

ETH
$1 639

24h volatility:
1.2%

Market cap:
$197.69 B

Vol. 24h:
$15.21 B

has reclaimed the $1,600 price level after underperforming the majority of the current market cycle. However, market analysts suggest that the digital asset has potentially reached the bottom and the rally could resume from hereon.

In a transaction spotted by blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain, a mysterious whale (or institution) moved 15,953 ETH worth $26.16 million from crypto exchange OKX into decentralized finance protocol Aave.

The same six wallets that made this move then borrowed $15.4 million in USDT against that ETH collateral and sent it back to OKX.

Reduction in Selling Pressure?

At first glance, this might seem like just another DeFi play, but the size and structure suggest something deeper:

• Accumulation: Withdrawing such a large amount of ETH from an exchange and locking it in Aave implies long-term confidence in ETH’s value. It’s not a quick trade—this is strategic positioning.
• Leverage and Re-entry: Borrowing USDT and cycling it back to OKX could mean the whale is preparing to accumulate even more ETH or other assets, amplifying their exposure.

Such moves typically reduce selling pressure on exchanges and hint at accumulation by smart money, often preceding bullish trends.

Ethereum’s Simplified Roadmap

Tomasz K. Stańczak, co-executive director of the Ethereum Foundation, shared a forward-looking simplified version of the roadmap on Monday that doubles down on Ethereum’s core strengths while painting a bold vision of the future.

At the heart of this roadmap is a push for greater efficiency and performance at the base layer (L1), with a strong focus on blob-based scalability, also known as proto-danksharding. This effort aims to reduce transaction costs and improve throughput.

Stańczak also stressed the importance of making Ethereum more accessible and user-friendly by enhancing interoperability among Layer 2 solutions and simplifying the app-layer experience. The focus is on onboarding new users and developers.

Security and communication also feature prominently, especially as Ethereum inches toward becoming a “quadrillion-dollar economy”.

Looking further into the future, the roadmap paints Ethereum as a foundational layer for ambitious technologies such as AI agents, autonomous machines, human-to-human privacy protocols, and even an open-source societal infrastructure.

Ethereum (ETH) Price to $8K?

One of the analysts noted a bullish candlestick with strong wicks and the highest weekly volume since November 2022. This indicates that $1,385 may be the bottom.

The analyst emphasized that if ETH holds above $1700–1800 in the next two weeks, a weekly bottom pattern could form, offering a strong right-side entry for long-term bulls. As reported earlier, even Santiment said that Ethereum is a good buy for 2025, despite poor performance.

Related article: World Liberty Financial Denies Report of Selling Ethereum, Will ETH Price Bounce Back Quick?

On a more explosive note, trader Merlijn The Trader claims that Ethereum is forming a bullish pennant. This is a technical pattern that follows a strong upward move and consolidates in a tight range before breaking higher.

This pattern, combined with years of sideways consolidation, creates what Merlijn The Trader calls an “explosion setup”. The analyst is not shy about the target either, predicting that ETH will hit the $8,000 price tag in the near future.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

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Parth Dubey

A crypto journalist with over 5 years of experience in the industry, Parth has worked with major media outlets in the crypto and finance world, gathering experience and expertise in the space after surviving bear and bull markets over the years. Parth is also an author of 4 self-published books.

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