Bitcoin came close to its all-time high after an overnight rally that also pushed Ethereum to levels not seen since 2021.
According to Coin Metrics data, Bitcoin rose 1% to $119,782, while Ethereum slipped about 1.6% to $4,181 after surging on Sunday to its highest level since December 2021. On Friday, Ethereum broke above $4,000 for the first time since then.
These moves came as US stock futures climbed on Monday morning, with investors awaiting key inflation data while equities trade near record highs.
Shares of Coinbase rose more than 5%, Circle gained 3%, and Galaxy Digital jumped 8%. Bitcoin Proxy Strategy shares added over 4%, while several mining companies, including Mara Holdings, Riot Platforms, and Iris Energy, posted gains of more than 3%.
After strong performances from cryptocurrencies and stocks in the second quarter, many investors expected a healthy slowdown in August — historically a weak trading month across markets, including crypto.
Markus Thielen, CEO of 10x Research, said the recent crypto rally was driven by Asian-session buying amid the rapid expansion of US debt. He noted that Bitcoin’s breakout from its “accumulation” range in early July coincided with President Donald Trump signing the “Beautiful Big Bill,” which raised the debt ceiling by $5 trillion.
“Bitcoin’s breakout isn’t random — it’s fueled by the fastest US debt expansion in history, and the momentum is still strong,” Thielen said. “Whether the economy stays strong or enters a recession, the influx of new debt is a tailwind for hard assets like Bitcoin and gold.” He added that the next major resistance level at $133,000 is now in sight, with market structure and positioning favoring buyers.
Meanwhile, Ethereum-related stocks benefited from capital flows into a new set of treasury companies, pushing the second-largest cryptocurrency above $4,000 — a key psychological and technical level for investors.
Bitmain Emergent Technologies shares soared 25% — after a nearly identical jump on Friday — while Sharp Link Gaming climbed 11%. According to Sosovalue data, Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) attracted $326.83 million in inflows last week, compared to $246.75 million for Bitcoin ETFs.
Bitcoin remains about 3% below its July 14 peak, while Ethereum is still 14% under its November 2021 record.
Ethereum’s breakout through a years-long technical barrier, along with Bitcoin’s weekend rally, has strengthened expectations for the start of an “altcoin season.” Analysts believe that a pause in Bitcoin and Ethereum’s rise could pave the way for a strong run in altcoins if economic conditions remain stable.
In just four months, Ethereum has more than tripled in value thanks to large inflows from digital asset treasuries and US spot ETFs, while Bitcoin has gained more than 600% over the past two years.
Shashank Sripada, co-founder and COO of generative AI network GAIA, said: “Conditions are set for altcoin season,” explaining that such a season typically begins when capital rotates toward riskier tokens after major coins stall.
Coinanalyze data shows altcoin dominance rising against Ethereum, while the CoinGlass Altcoin Season Index — which measures the performance of all non-Bitcoin assets relative to Bitcoin — stands at 39 after peaking at 88 in early December.
João Weidson, founder of crypto analytics platform Alfractale, said “the fun phase for altcoins has just begun and could last until November,” noting in a post on X that Ethereum’s recent performance, driven by institutional interest and ETF inflows, could support this season.
Last week, Ethereum inflows ($325 million) far outpaced Bitcoin inflows ($247 million), highlighting Ethereum’s push to catch up with Bitcoin in this space — potentially attracting new capital into related altcoins.
A Whale Builds a Massive Treasury
CryptoPolitan reported that a new treasury formed last week through continuous purchases from the open market and over-the-counter (OTC) platforms, following a previous commitment to hold 171,000 ETH. The entity added 49,533 ETH near the latest local peak, bringing total holdings to 221,166 ETH spread across several linked wallets, each containing between 42,013 and 29,772 ETH.
The entity’s identity remains unknown, but speculation links it to major treasuries such as Bitmain or Sharp Link Gaming. Institutional buyers today use different storage strategies than early investors or ICO treasuries, due to evolving security concerns and transaction tracking as Ethereum’s value rises.
Ethereum reserves across all exchanges have fallen near historic lows at 18.89 million ETH, while Binance’s reserves have risen since May — suggesting a mix of whale deposits for trading or participation in the exchange’s liquid staking program, where it holds around 8.32% of market share.
Selling Pressure from Some Early Whales
Despite expectations for new price highs, one Ethereum ICO participant sold 2,300 ETH — nearly their entire initial investment. While the investment’s nominal value has grown, Ethereum still trades relatively low against Bitcoin, having peaked at 0.14 BTC during its launch period.
The current rally has not been accompanied by significant retail buying, while institutions remain capable of absorbing large amounts of ETH to generate passive income through decentralized finance (DeFi) instruments.
Analysts Remain Upbeat on Further Gains
Traders and investors see Ethereum’s recent breakout from a “Wyckoff accumulation” pattern as paving the way for sustained gains, with the potential to reach around $6,000, according to analyst Lord Hawkins, who noted that surpassing $4,200 marks a “sign of strength.”
Analysts “Crypto Rover” and “Titan of Crypto” said Ethereum has broken out of a multi-year symmetrical triangle, with a possible technical target of $8,000. Analyst Nilesh Verma believes the token could hit $10,000 in 6–8 months, and potentially $20,000 in the same timeframe, based on previous cycles.
Bitcoin’s Shrinking Share Boosts ‘Flippening’ Talk
Analyst Ali declared that “altcoin season has officially begun” after Ethereum’s net market cap change surpassed Bitcoin’s for the first time this cycle, signaling investor readiness to direct more funds toward other major cryptocurrencies.
