ETH/USD: Ether Tops $3,900 in Monster July Run — Up 60% as Bitcoin Can’t Even Play Catch Up

Ether is the new sheriff in town — at least in July and if we’re talking returns. Bitcoin, on the other hand, is up just 11% in the same time span.

🚀 Blazing July Rally

• Ether prices ETHUSD hit $3,940 early Monday, climbing 60% in July alone, while Bitcoin crawled up just 11%. In terms of pure performance, Ether is crushing it, becoming the go-to crypto for July gains.
• As Bitcoin cools from its $123,000 high, altcoin season is heating up, with capital rotating into Ethereum and other smart-contract plays. Traders are clearly shifting out of BTC and into faster-moving, smaller-cap names.
• Momentum is driving the narrative — Ether is now less than 20% off its all-time high of $4,800, and traders are wondering if a breakout above $4,000 is just the start of something bigger.

🏦 Institutional Demand on the Loose

• SharpLink Gaming added 77,210 ETH over the weekend — a $295 million buy, bringing their total holdings to 438,017 ETH, now worth over $1.6 billion. That’s not retail noise — that’s whale conviction.
• Earlier this month, VC veteran Peter Thiel revealed a 9.1% stake in BitMine, a crypto miner holding more than $500 million in ETH, in a massive vote of confidence in the growing institutional footprint behind Ethereum.
• Exchange-traded funds are also enjoying elevated interest. Spot Ethereum ETFs absorbed $1.85 billion in inflows last week, compared to just $72 million for Bitcoin’s spot ETFs. BlackRock’s ETHA ETHA ETF now holds over $10 billion.

📈 Ether Targets $500 Billion

• Ethereum’s market cap is now brushing up against $470 billion, with bulls eyeing the $500 billion mark as the next psychological milestone.
• Even with the recent surge, Ether still needs to do a lot of heavy lifting to reach its record. That gap may look tempting to momentum traders — especially with Bitcoin already cruising near its own highs.
• Indeed, the second half of the year kicked off on a promising note. With ETF inflows accelerating, on-chain activity climbing, and institutional sentiment growing, Ether looks increasingly like the main character in crypto’s next act — not just a supporting role.