The ETH2 Beacon Deposit Contract has accumulated over 72.4 million ETH valued at approximately $252 billion, making it Ethereum's largest holder, data show. The staking contract now controls roughly 60% of the entire Ethereum supply, surpassing exchanges, institutional entities, and individual wallets.

Ethereum traders shifted from extreme bearishness to extreme bullishness within days as ETH approached $3,500 on Thursday. Analytics platform Santiment warns that rapid FOMO often precedes price disappointment. The firm notes that neutral sentiment phases have historically provided better buying opportunities than euphoric periods.

Bitcoin traded above $103,000 with a 1% gain in 24 hours after the week's decline. Technical analysts warn that sustained weekly closes below the 50-week moving average at $102,000 have historically preceded market tops. Year-to-date performance shows gold and the S&P 500 now outpace Bitcoin returns despite favorable conditions including rate cuts and regulatory developments.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan likens Bitcoin's current market behavior to the post-IPO consolidation seen in major tech stocks. BTC briefly fell below $100,000 on Tuesday, roughly one month after reaching a record above $126,000 in early October. Hougan contends the sideways movement reflects institutional absorption of early-holder exits rather than fundamental weakness, and that 5% allocations should now serve as the baseline for investors.

Bitcoin fell below $100,000 this week, pushing the Fear & Greed Index to 21 and erasing bullish forecasts in the $150,000–$200,000 range. Despite the sharp drop in investor confidence, on-chain data shows network fundamentals remain solid. Exchange withdrawals have increased, hash rate holds near 1.1 ZH/s, and $10.7 billion in stablecoins flowed into Binance, indicating the decline reflects sentiment rather than structural weakness.