Why Ethereum Rose 45% in 30 Days?

Ethereum’s 45% Price Jump Explained

Ethereum’s price rose by about 45% in the past month, moving from roughly $2,900 in early July to over $4,300 by August 11, 2025, per CoinMarketCap. The second-largest cryptocurrency has been boosted by a mix of institutional inflows, technical upgrades, and favorable macroeconomic news.

As of August 12, ETH trades around $4,260—up more than 16% in the past week alone—leaving investors wondering whether this rally is sustainable or just a sharp rebound from oversold conditions.

Institutional Money Driving the Rally

One of the clearest drivers of Ethereum’s surge has been heavy institutional buying. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to Ethereum have seen substantial inflows, attracting $8.7 billion in their first full year. On August 12 alone, Ethereum spot ETFs recorded $1.02 billion in net inflows, creating consistent buying pressure on the open market.

On-chain analytics from EmberCN indicate that between July 10 and August 10, more than 1.035 million ETH (worth around $4.17 billion) was accumulated by large buyers. These addresses are likely linked to institutions or US-based public companies building ETH reserves, with purchases occurring through platforms such as Kraken, FalconX, Galaxy Digital, Binance, and Coinbase.

Notably, SharpLink Gaming has been expanding its Ethereum treasury aggressively, targeting up to $5 billion in holdings. The average acquisition price for these recent institutional purchases is around $3,546—well below the current price.

Technical Upgrades Restoring Confidence

Ethereum’s May 7 Pectra hard fork appears to have improved sentiment among both retail and institutional players. This network upgrade included:

• Raised validator caps, which increases staking yield potential.
• Reduced gas fee volatility, making transactions more predictable.
• Preparation for future efficiency upgrades, ensuring smoother scaling in the years ahead.

The Ethereum Foundation has also launched a security initiative to harden the network against potential threats, reinforcing its position as a secure settlement layer for decentralized applications and Layer-2 (L2) solutions.

L2 networks—such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base—are now handling roughly 10 times as many operations per second as Ethereum’s mainnet. These solutions settle back to Ethereum, expanding throughput without compromising security. This scaling strategy, once debated, is now proving effective in reducing mainnet congestion.

Governance Shift Calms Market Jitters

Earlier this year, some community members proposed creating a second Ethereum foundation, arguing that the current one was too academic and not market-focused. While this could have triggered governance uncertainty, it instead pushed leadership to address market concerns more directly.

By signaling a willingness to adapt and focus on Ethereum’s economic value, the Ethereum Foundation has helped restore investor confidence, turning a potential crisis into a positive shift in governance approach.

Macro and Regulatory Tailwinds

Beyond crypto-specific developments, Ethereum has benefited from broader market conditions:

• 401(k) inclusion for cryptocurrencies: A recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump allows cryptocurrencies in retirement accounts, potentially unlocking new sources of long-term capital.
• Federal Reserve policy outlook: Markets expect an interest rate cut in September, following the nomination of Stephen Miran to the Fed’s Board of Governors. Lower interest rates generally make risk assets like crypto more attractive.

These factors have helped Ethereum recover against Bitcoin after a difficult start to the year. Since bottoming at a 0.018 ETH/BTC ratio in April, Ethereum has gained around 90% against Bitcoin, although it remains below its November 2021 all-time high of $4,867.

Notable Market Moves

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes drew attention after selling 2,373 ETH at $3,507 and then buying back at higher prices—around $4,150—using $10.5 million in USDC. While small compared to institutional flows, such high-profile trades can influence sentiment, especially on crypto social media platforms.

Long-Term Demand Drivers

Ethereum’s rally has been supported by three structural demand engines running in parallel:

1. Institutional accumulation: Large treasuries and ETFs are locking up significant ETH supply.
2. Scaling via L2 solutions: Higher throughput without security trade-offs increases network utility.
3. Clearer governance and roadmap: Leadership focus on both technical excellence and economic value reassures long-term holders.

If these trends continue, Ethereum could maintain elevated demand levels, even if short-term volatility persists.

FAQs

1. Why has Ethereum risen by 45% in a month?
   Ethereum’s rally has been driven by ETF inflows, institutional accumulation, technical upgrades from the Pectra hard fork, and favorable macroeconomic shifts.

2. Are institutions buying Ethereum?
   Yes. On-chain data shows over 1 million ETH worth $4.17 billion was purchased by large buyers—likely institutions—between July 10 and August 10, 2025.

3. How do Layer-2 solutions impact Ethereum’s price?
   Layer-2 networks increase Ethereum’s transaction capacity without compromising security, making the network more efficient and attractive for users and developers.

Conclusion

Ethereum’s 45% rise over the past month is the result of converging forces: strong institutional buying, effective network upgrades, improved governance focus, and supportive macroeconomic conditions. While the asset remains below its all-time high, the combination of staking incentives, L2 scaling adoption, and treasury accumulation suggests that Ethereum’s market position is more robust than earlier in 2025.

Resources:

1. Ethereum Price Action: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/ethereum/

2. Ethereum Spot ETF Data: https://sosovalue.com/assets/etf/us-eth-spot

3. Pectra Mainnet Data: https://pectrified.com/mainnet

4. Doanld Trump’s executive order allowing cryptocurrencies in retirement accounts: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/08/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-democratizes-access-to-alternative-assets-for-401k-investors/