ETH (Ethereum) has risen 1.86% in the last 24 hours.

Gate News Bot report, December 22, according to CoinMarketCap data, as of the time of writing, ETH (Ethereum) is currently priced at $3029.89, rising 1.86% in 24 hours, reaching a high of $3175.12 and a low of $2777.12, with a 24-hour volume of $12.569 billion. The current market capitalization is approximately $365.693 billion, an increase of $6.683 billion from yesterday.

Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain network and software development platform powered by the cryptocurrency Ether (ETH). Ethereum is a secure, global foundation for the next generation of unstoppable applications. The network is open to everyone, permissionless, and has no owners, built and maintained by thousands of individuals, organizations, and users globally.

ETH is the native cryptocurrency that powers the Ethereum network, used to pay transaction fees and secure the blockchain through staking. Apart from its technical role, ETH is an open, programmable digital currency used for global payments, as collateral for loans, and as a store of value that does not rely on any central entity.

Ethereum is a leading platform for issuing, managing, and settling digital assets. From tokenized currencies and financial instruments to real-world assets and emerging markets, Ethereum provides a secure and neutral foundation for the digital economy.

Important Recent News about ETH:

1️⃣ Institutional funds remain optimistic, major on-chain players are actively increasing their positions In the past seven days, several high-win-rate whales and institutional investors have demonstrated strong confidence in ETH. A certain whale achieved a profit of 24.04 million USD in Hyperliquid trading over the past month, with a win rate of 94.1%. They currently hold 30,000 ETH long positions, valued at approximately 89 million USD, with an average acquisition price of 2969.67 USD. Additionally, a user/institution invested 16.95 million USD to buy 5,678 ETH at an average price of 2985.7 USD in the past hour. The continued net inflow of large institutional funds indicates an optimistic outlook for ETH's mid-term prospects.

2️⃣ Exchange liquidity continues to shrink, long-term holding demand increases The supply of Ethereum on exchanges has fallen to its lowest level since 2016. A large amount of ETH is being withdrawn from exchanges to long-term holding addresses, and the reduction in liquidity supply has limited the market's tradable volume. This trend reflects the cautious attitude of traders and also reduces short-term selling pressure. ETH's position as the global dollar liquidity settlement layer is further solidified, with the mainnet processing about $90 billion to $100 billion in stablecoin transfers daily, the majority of which are USDT and USDC. These transfers are primarily used for real-world scenarios such as payments, financial management, and settlements.

3️⃣ The technical upgrade roadmap is clear, and the expected improvement of infrastructure supports it Ethereum core developers are advancing the “Glamsterdam” major protocol upgrade, scheduled for launch in 2026, focusing on addressing the fairness of Maximum Extractable Value (MEV). The upgrade will enhance the network's anti-censorship and execution efficiency through proposals such as EIP-7732's proposer-bundler separation and EIP-7928's block-level access lists. Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation has set a new goal of 128-bit cryptographic security, aligning with mainstream standards. These enhancements to the long-term technological foundation provide strong support for the value storage and settlement functions of ETH.

4️⃣ Market sentiment is divergent, but mainstream institutions remain optimistic Industry research institutions have divergent views on the future market, but the core opinion remains optimistic about ETH's prospects. Although some analysts predict a potential correction in the first half of 2026, adjusting the target to $1800-2000, the overall judgment is that Bitcoin and Ethereum will challenge new historical highs before the end of 2025, completing a shorter and smaller bear market in the four-year cycle. The continued accumulation and long positions of institutional investors indicate that market participants have substantial expectations for ETH to rise before the end of the year.

This message is not intended as investment advice, investments should be made with caution regarding market volatility risks.