Ethereum Whales Return as ETH Surpasses $2,000: Strategic Moves Indicate Potential Price Surge

Ethereum has once more crossed the $2,000 threshold, gathering the focus of not just retail but also institutional investors. The recent price uptick has been seen accompanying renewed whale activity, which seems to indicate that the large player class is returning to the market with some serious strategies. One set of signals that very much points to this being an accumulation phase suggests that a price surge could be in the offing. And surges have a way of making certain types of folks very happy. Whale Activity Sparks Optimism In the past 24 hours, there has been a pronounced surge in the activity of Ethereum whales. A notable transaction occurred just 10 hours ago, in which three large wallets pulled a combined total of 14,217 ETH—worth around $29 million—out of Binance. They redirected that capital into Aave, a decentralized lending platform. What the whales did next is pretty significant. After transferring the ETH to Aave, they borrowed 12 million USDT. If you read between the lines, the likely scenario is that they’re using this to buy more ETH with the intent of reinvesting in it. The next move? Sending portions of that USDT to various exchanges. ETH is back above $2,000, and whales are returning to $ETH ! 10 hours ago, 3 whales withdrew 14,217 $ETH ($29M) from #Binance and deposited it into #Aave . They then borrowed 12M $USDT from #Aave and transferred it to exchanges—likely to buy more $ETH . Address:… pic.twitter.com/Pzf4URzx5G — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) March 20, 2025 These whales moving into Ethereum shows a developing belief in the asset. Large buyers appear to see the current price as an attractive level to buy in at. One recent trend, though, is even more bullish. Wallets holding between 10,000 and 100,000 ETH have been quietly ramping up their balances. Accumulation phases like this have often preceded large price moves, making this one more reason to keep a close eye on the second-largest crypto asset. Numerous analysts wonder if these whales are simply holding Ethereum and not engaging in trading. The fact that they have borrowed USDT to fund their holdings and Aave loans may mean they are either using Ethereum in DeFi in ways we do not yet understand or are preparing to use borrowed funds and Ethereum in a much larger way than we have witnessed so far. Ethereum whales are accumulating! Wallets holding 10k-100k $ETH are rapidly increasing their balances. Historically, similar accumulation phases have preceded major price moves. On-chain data suggests that big players are strategically buying in. Will history repeat itself,… pic.twitter.com/FfwtsZPEDY — 𝖀𝖈𝖆𝖓 (@Ucan_Coin) March 20, 2025 Ethereum Spot ETFs See Outflows Amid Whale Inflows Although whale activity appears to be encouraging for Ethereum, the market for Ethereum spot ETFs is moving in the opposite direction. On March 19, Ethereum spot ETFs recorded a net outflow of $11.7459 million, marking the 11th straight day of outflows. This extended period of net outflows could suggest that institutional investors are now being a little more discerning about where they put their money, or that some large funds have shifted their strategies and are no longer investing in Ethereum-focused products. On March 19, Ethereum spot ETFs recorded a total net outflow of $11.7459 million, marking the 11th consecutive day of net outflows. Meanwhile, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $11.7984 million, extending their four-day streak of net inflows. https://t.co/59u0BnEqLG — Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 20, 2025 Even with the outflows from Ethereum ETFs that might be raising investor concerns, the Ethereum large-scale holders, known as whales, have been accumulating. This is a rather bullish development. Why should we take this seriously? Well, for one, whales typically think and act in ways that are much closer to the “big-time” strategic move end of the spectrum compared to the way typical retail traders think and act. For another, unlike retail traders, who tend to be much more short-term focused, whales almost always have at least a medium- to long-term horizon for price appreciation when they make an investment. The Bigger Picture for Ethereum: A Strategic Play? Whale activity in Ethereum is not a stand-alone event. More and more, it’s being seen as part of a larger trend—evidence is growing that major players are methodically and strategically buying into Ethereum. And this is happening while the new spot ETFs are, in contrast, experiencing some outflows. This juxtaposition between whale inflows and ETF outflows may highlight a nuanced change in how institutional investors are now gaining access to Ethereum. Some may be using the new ETFs, but instead of ETFs being the way that institutions gain exposure, they’re hitting decentralized platforms (Aave, etc.) to leverage their positions. Periods historically marked by the accumulation of Ethereum whales have led to meaningful price appreciation. If this current phase of accumulation continues, Ethereum could see a surge that is reminiscent of past whale-induced price action. Why? Because what these whales are doing is not just moving around a lot of ETH in a way that makes it appear as if the currency is being traded. These are confident Ethereum investors making a series of strategic moves that suggest they plan to stay in Ethereum, with maybe a few brief detours for profit-taking, for the long haul. Nevertheless, it is vital to underscore that Ethereum’s price behavior is not ensured to shadow former patterns. Whale movements are good barometers of market sentiment, but the ETH price can also be swayed by a multitude of external forces. Regulatory news can work wonders for whale sentiment, but it can also be a damper on the price action if the overall outlook is that the cryptocurrency space is going to be heavily regulated. Conversely, if there are no external big bads, the general market sentiment can help the price of ETH get over the next big resistance level. The Road Ahead: Will History Repeat Itself? Ethereum stays above the $2,000 level thanks to renewed whale activity and fresh decentralized finance madness. If these whales keep accumulating ETH and leveraging their positions, a price surge should be coming pretty soon. Nevertheless, the recent withdrawals from Ethereum spot ETFs remind investors that market caution prevails and that not all institutional investors are sold on the idea that Ethereum’s price will keep going up. Despite the dominance that Ethereum now enjoys, the next few weeks will be critical for its price as whale trading remains robust and overall market sentiment seems likely to determine whether this trend continues. At present, investors are closely observing whether Ethereum can sustain its forward motion and whether the extensive accumulation by whales will push prices up or if other market dynamics will once again shift the narrative. Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services. Follow us on Twitter @nulltxnews to stay updated with the latest Crypto, NFT, AI, Cybersecurity, Distributed Computing, and Metaverse news ! Image Source: nexusplexus/ 123RF // Image Effects by Colorcinch