Ethereum (ETH) price has surged past $3,800 amid heavy institutional buying, but the rally is drawing fierce criticism from traders who view the gains as unsustainable.

The world's second-largest cryptocurrency jumped nearly 6% in the past day and more than 25% over the week, driven by what analysts describe as massive whale accumulation and record inflows into spot ETH exchange-traded funds.

Ethereum has been rising for the ninth consecutive session, reaching its highest levels in seven months. Traders are now asking: why is Ethereum going up? In this article, we explore the reasons behind the rally and present the latest Ethereum price predictions.

Ethereum Price Today Rises for 9th Straight Session, Hits 2025 High

Ethereum price today reflects strong bullish momentum, with the cryptocurrency breaking through key resistance levels. The $3,800 level represents a significant psychological barrier that traders have been watching closely. Technical analysts note that Ethereum's performance has outpaced the broader CoinDesk 20 Index, suggesting selective strength in the second-largest cryptocurrency.

During the Monday session on July 21, 2025, the price of Ethereum reached an intraday high of $3,812, marking its highest level since December 2024, seven months ago. ETH is now riding a streak of nine consecutive daily gains and is currently testing the $3,800 resistance level.

Last week alone, Ethereum gained over 26%, and it's up more than 50% for the month of July—its strongest monthly performance in three years.

Fundstrat's Mark Newton believes ETH could potentially reach $4,000 before July ends based on technical chart patterns. The current price action shows Ethereum testing multi-month highs while maintaining strong volume support, indicating genuine buying interest rather than speculative froth.

Why Ethereum Is Going Up?

Several factors are driving Ethereum's momentum higher. Tom Lee from Fundstrat Global Advisors predicts that Ethereum could reach $15,000 in the medium term, calling it "Wall Street's preferred choice" for blockchain infrastructure. Lee pointed to JPMorgan's stablecoin and Robinhood's tokenization projects as evidence that traditional finance is backing Ethereum over competitors.

The primary drivers behind why Ethereum is going up include unprecedented institutional adoption, with U.S.-listed spot ether ETFs pulling in a record $2.18 billion last week during what traders dubbed "crypto week" due to major legislation passing. This massive capital influx has pushed Coinbase's ETH reserves near all-time lows as demand outstrips available supply.

"Layer-1 platforms like Ethereum, because they power entire ecosystems, often warrant higher valuation multiples, similar to how software firms command richer pricing than consumer businesses," Lee said.

Technical Analysis Suggests Ethereum May Test the $4,000 Level

According to my technical analysis, the ETH/USDT pair has just broken above a long-term trendline drawn from the 2021 highs. This breakout paves the way for a potential test of the upper boundary of the consolidation range that has been forming since early 2024, as well as the psychologically significant $4,000 level.

However, this zone combines several key resistance points, including the 76.8% Fibonacci retracement of the 2021–2022 downtrend, a level that has already rejected price advances three times.

So while Ethereum’s current rally remains strong and still has room to rise, contact with the $4,000 mark may trigger a more pronounced bearish reaction.

Whale Activity Signals Confidence

Data from on-chain trackers shows one whale accumulated $50 million worth of ETH over the weekend at an average price of $3,714. Separately, crypto analyst Ali Martinez reported that Ethereum whales bought over 500,000 ETH in two weeks, suggesting quiet confidence among large holders.

Whale activity on the Ethereum $ETH network is heating up. Over $18 billion in large transactions recorded in the past 24 hours! pic.twitter.com/VW6vw0GrLY

— Ali (@ali_charts) July 20, 2025

This whale buying behavior historically precedes major price moves or ecosystem developments. The accumulation pattern indicates sophisticated investors are positioning for longer-term gains rather than short-term trading profits.

Ethereum Short Squeeze Looms

Despite the buying frenzy, many traders remain bearish on Ethereum's prospects. Crypto Banter called it "the most hated rally right now" on social media, noting unusually high short positioning.

$ETH is the most hated rally right now 👀

$331.17M worth of shorts are set to be liquidated when Ethereum reaches $4000. pic.twitter.com/tl3XbSqs5b

— Crypto Banter (@crypto_banter) July 20, 2025

Data from CoinGlass suggests approximately $331 million in short positions could face liquidation if ETH hits $4,000 - a level that technical analysis suggests could arrive soon. This liquidation cascade would likely accelerate price momentum in a classic feedback loop as forced buying drives prices even higher.

Corporate Treasury Trend Emerges

A new factor supporting prices is the emergence of public companies adopting Ethereum treasury strategies. Firms like Bitmine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink Gaming have made large-scale ETH purchases, with some stocks surging up to 400% after announcing their crypto strategies.

Trader Pentoshi noted these "ETH treasury companies that are only a month old" are "competing to get 1% of the supply each," creating structural demand that wasn't present in previous cycles. This corporate adoption trend mirrors what happened with Bitcoin in 2020-2021 but is happening faster with Ethereum.

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Ethereum Price Predictions: Analysts Target $15-20K

Short-Term Ethereum Price Prediction (July-August 2025):

• Fundstrat's Mark Newton: $4,000 by end of July
• Technical resistance levels: $4,200-$4,500 range
• Conservative estimates: $3,900-$4,100 consolidation

Medium-Term Ethereum Price Prediction (Q4 2025):

• Tom Lee (Fundstrat): $10,000-$15,000 range possible by year-end
• Colin Talks Crypto: $15,000-$20,000 in current bull cycle
• Moderate forecasts: $6,000-$8,000 by December 2025

Long-Term Ethereum Price Prediction (2025-2026):

• Fundstrat's EBITDA model: Up to $15,000 based on ecosystem value
• Tokenization growth scenario: $12,000-$18,000 range
• Conservative institutional adoption: $8,000-$12,000

These Ethereum price predictions are based on several key factors including the network's dominance in tokenized real-world assets (currently over 60%), growing stablecoin usage, and increasing corporate treasury adoption.

Ethereum Price Predictions Summary Table

Fundamental Drivers Supporting Higher Prices

Ethereum's rally isn't purely speculative. The network currently hosts over 60% of tokenized real-world assets, a figure Lee expects will grow if stablecoins reach the $2 trillion mark as Treasury officials have forecast. Nearly 30% of ETH supply remains locked in staking, reducing liquid supply available for trading.

The tokenization trend represents a massive addressable market. As traditional assets like real estate, bonds, and commodities move onto blockchain rails, Ethereum's first-mover advantage in this space becomes increasingly valuable.

Market Structure Changes

Benjamin Cowen highlighted that altcoins are underperforming relative to Ethereum, suggesting ETH is "capturing a disproportionate share of market flows" and behaving more like Bitcoin did in previous bull cycles. This structural shift indicates Ethereum is maturing from an altcoin into a digital asset class of its own.

Who didn’t give up on #ETH when it went home https://t.co/iMXlEI89V5

— Benjamin Cowen (@intocryptoverse) July 20, 2025

The emergence of spot ETFs has created new demand channels while corporate treasury adoption provides sustained buying pressure. These structural changes suggest the current rally has more durable foundations than previous crypto market cycles.

Understanding why Ethereum is going up requires looking beyond short-term price movements to these fundamental shifts in market structure, institutional adoption, and network utility. While Ethereum price today reflects immediate momentum, the longer-term Ethereum price predictions depend on these underlying trends continuing to develop.

Why Has Ethereum Surged?

Ethereum's recent surge past $3,800 stems from several converging factors that have created a perfect storm for price appreciation. The primary catalyst has been unprecedented institutional adoption, with U.S.-listed spot ether ETFs recording $2.18 billion in inflows during a single week.

Can Ethereum Reach $10K?

Based on current analyst projections and market fundamentals, Ethereum can absolutely reach $10,000. Multiple respected analysts have issued price targets that exceed this threshold, with some seeing it as a conservative estimate.

Fundstrat's valuation model provides the strongest case for $10,000+ prices. Using EBITDA-based multiples similar to those applied to private firms like Circle, the research firm estimates ETH could be worth up to $15,000. Tom Lee supports this logic by noting that Layer-1 platforms warrant higher valuation multiples because they power entire ecosystems, similar to how software companies command premium pricing over consumer businesses.

How High Will ETH Go in 2025?

Price predictions for 2025 vary significantly among analysts, but most serious forecasts place ETH well above current levels by year-end. Conservative estimates suggest ETH could reach $6,000 to $8,000 by December 2025. These projections assume steady but not explosive growth in institutional adoption and tokenization usage.

Moderate bullish scenarios point to $10,000 to $12,000 by year-end. This range assumes continued corporate treasury adoption, successful ETF growth, and steady progress in tokenizing traditional assets