Bitcoin climbed above $82,000 as institutional buyers returned to the market, while Ethereum climbed back above $2,500 after gaining nearly 5%. Bitcoin ETF inflows have outpaced Ethereum's, and on-chain data shows ether's network activity still lagging the price bounce.
The gap between the two tokens shows up clearly once ETF flows, whale activity and on-chain data are compared side by side, and it points to unequal appetite among institutional buyers.
Bitcoin's ETF Bid Outpaces Ethereum's
Bitcoin ETFs have attracted nearly a billion dollars since the start of the month, a haul that helped the token reclaim $82,000. Ethereum's ETF activity has shown signs of strength but has been less consistent: the highest daily inflow figure in September was $59.3K, capping a 12-session streak that brought in more than a billion dollars. Institutional investors have not abandoned ether, but bitcoin is currently receiving the more decisive institutional bid.
On-Chain Data Still Lags the Price Move
Ethereum's daily active addresses have been decreasing since August 9 and have stayed below 500K this month, down more than 5% from year-ago levels. That suggests price is recovering faster than network participation. A decisive break higher would look more convincing if wallet activity picked up alongside it.
Whale Transfers Cloud the Picture
Ethereum whale activity has intensified, with more than a million ETH moving across 650 transactions in the past couple of days, worth close to $5 billion. One holder reportedly moved more than 70K ETH, worth $174 million, into exchanges over 48 hours while keeping another 97,114 ETH. Large transfers like these could reflect custody moves or settlements rather than accumulation, so the data reads as elevated positioning, not clear buying.
The $2,560 Resistance Test
Ether's rally has repeatedly stalled near the $2,560 resistance zone, the level it needs to clear before extending toward $2,600 and beyond. The weekly RSI has moved above its average range, pointing to firmer momentum, and the $2,000 to $2,500 area shows relatively heavy historical trading volume. A decisive break above $2,650 could open the path toward $3,000 and on to the $3,300–$3,500 range; another rejection could send ether back toward $2,000–$2,100.
Source: Coinpedia Fintech News
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