SharpLink is an online gambling marketing firm focused on performance-based marketing in the U.S. sports betting market. It is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company operates through its PAS.net affiliate marketing network and owns state-specific domains to drive traffic to licensed sportsbook and casino partners.

The PIPE offering is led by ConsenSys Software Inc., founded by Joseph Lubin, with participation from prominent crypto venture firms including ParaFi Capital, Electric Capital, Pantera Capital, Arrington Capital, and Galaxy Digital. Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin is set to join as Chairman of the Board upon closing.

The price of Ethereum (ETH) rallied on the back of the move. The BNC Ethereum Liquid Index (ELX) is up ~3% following the announcement, rising from US$2,570.62 to US$2,646.76 (up US$76.14).

Following the announcement, SharpLink’s stock price surged over 400%, reaching approximately $33.50, up from under $7 the previous day.

Strategic Shift: From Gambling to Blockchain Finance

The $425 million PIPE offering involves the sale of approximately 69.1 million shares at $6.15 each. The proceeds will be spent on acquiring ETH, the new treasury asset of the company.

This strategic shift mirrors MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin treasury model, signaling a growing trend of companies integrating cryptocurrency into their financial strategies.

“This is a significant milestone in SharpLink’s journey and marks an expansion beyond our core business. On closing, we look forward to working with Consensys and welcoming Joseph to the Board,” said Rob Phythian, Founder and CEO of SharpLink.

 Implications for the Crypto Sector

SharpLink’s adoption of ETH as a treasury asset could influence other companies to consider similar strategies, potentially leading to increased institutional adoption of Ethereum. The involvement of Ethereum’s co-founder and major crypto investors lends credibility to the initiative and may encourage further integration of blockchain technologies in traditional financial sectors.

SharpLink’s decision to adopt Ethereum for its treasury strategy is likely driven by several key factors. The network’s maturity, institutional adoption provide stability and sustainability, which is appealing for a publicly traded company.

Ethereum also has high liquidity, a strong developer ecosystem, and diverse use cases, including DeFi, metaverse, collectibles, and blockchain gaming. Its smart contract capabilities can be used to integrate decentralized applications (dApps) and financial products, likely appealing

Ethereum is up 48% in the last month. Price source: Brave New Coin Ethereum Liquid Index

Ethereum’s recent price surge

This news continues a recent string of good momentum for Ethereum. The price of the assets is up ~48% in the last 30 days.

Earlier this month, the Pectra upgrade went live. Brave New Coin’s David McNickel as a “pivotal moment in Ethereum’s evolution toward a more user-friendly, efficient, and scalable blockchain ecosystem.”

A standout feature of the upgrade is the introduction of “smart account” functionality to user wallets. It will enable users to pay for gas with tokens other than ETH, like stables, batch multiple transactions into one, and use alternative authentication methods like passkeys. It continues the path towards account abstraction and simplifying access to Web3.

ETH has so far underperformed against Bitcoin (BTC) in 2025. It is down ~20.9% Year-to-Date (YTD) while BTC is up ~16.6%. There are many potential factors behind ETH’s tough start to the year. There have been questions from the community about how the Ethereum Foundation is led and if it is aligned with token holders. The rise of Ethereum Layer-2 networks, such as Base, has diverted transaction fees and activity away from the Ethereum mainnet. Additionally, competing blockchains like Solana and BNB Chain have gained traction, further eroding Ethereum’s market share.

ETH’s strong fundamental month, driven by technology improvements and institutional adoption, may signal a medium-term turnaround for the asset.