Ethereum

The US Senate Banking Committee aims to hold a January 15 markup for the CLARITY Act, a wide‑ranging digital asset bill that stalled in 2025 amid disputes over DeFi, token definitions, and stablecoin yield treatment. Ahead of the session, traders are repositioning around ETH and SOL, while prediction markets and institutional staking flows reflect rising expectations that lawmakers could finally advance a federal framework for crypto assets.

At press time, Ethereum trades around $2,970 after gaining close to 2% over the past week. Analysts highlight $4,800 as a key barrier, with scenarios pointing to $5,000 on a daily breakout and a potential path toward $8,500 if resistance gives way. Short interest has eased while traders track support at $2,800 and nearby inflection levels.

BitMine Immersion Technologies expanded its Ethereum treasury over a four‑hour window on Tuesday, purchasing 32,938 ETH (≈$97.6 million) and staking 118,944 ETH (≈$352 million). The firm's total now stands near 4.07 million ETH, valued around $12 billion, as ETH trades below $3,000 late in 2025.

On 31 December 2025, the Senate Banking Committee signaled plans to hold a mid-January markup on the CLARITY Act, reviving formal debate after prior talks stalled. The bill's earlier delays stemmed from disputes over token treatment, stablecoin limits, and anti-illicit finance safeguards. A bipartisan committee vote will be pivotal for advancing the measure to the Senate floor.

In 2025, Ethereum posted record network activity, yet ETH fell 10% year-to-date under $3000 and the ETH/BTC ratio dropped 6%. Layer-2 revenues totaled $129.17 million, with only around $10 million paid to the mainnet, leaving $119 million to operators; Base generated more than $75 million, nearly 60% of the sector. The Dencun upgrade cut fees and weakened burn-driven support for ETH.

On December 31, 2025, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin surfaced a long-form essay arguing that economies of scale are amplifying institutional power. He advocates mandated technology diffusion and adversarial interoperability to restore checks. Ethereum activity reached 2.2 million transactions on December 29, with average fees at 17 cents after recent upgrades.

On 31 December 2025, the crypto market rose 1% in the past 24 hours, lifting total capitalization to $3.088 trillion. The article highlights XRP, BTC and ETH for potential breakouts, while MemeCore (+11.5%), Pump.fun (+6.5%) and Canton (+4%) led daily movers. It also references recent fund flow data and year-to-date inflows.

On December 31, Lookonchain reported that former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes sold 1,871 ETH over the past two weeks and redeployed more than $6 million into Pendle, Lido, Ethena, and Ether.fi. Follow-up data showed additional buys of 4.86 million ENA (about $986,000) and 697,851 ETHFI (nearly $485,000), aligning with his stated rotation from ETH into DeFi.

On December 30, Santiment reported crypto trading activity sliding to 2025 lows, with Bitcoin and major altcoins posting their quietest two-week stretch since December 2024. Weekly volumes for ETH and SOL are down more than 50% versus last year's holidays. Bitcoin trades near $88,000, with one trader eyeing $90,600 resistance and $70,000–$65,000 support.

Global family offices increased crypto allocations in 2025, with many making first-time entries. A BNY Mellon study in October reported 74% of ultra-high-net-worth family offices are investing in or exploring digital assets, while moves like VMS's $10 million backing of Re7 and Arthur Hayes's office targeting $250 million highlight activity. Financial News noted volatility is tempering 2026 expectations.