Thomas Daniels
Corporations have acquired approximately 1% of Ethereum’s circulating supply since June 2025, according to a new report released by Standard Chartered. The bank expects this figure could rise tenfold amid a growing shift in institutional interest toward Ether, surpassing that seen in Bitcoin.
The report, shared with Cointelegraph, highlights a notable trend: corporate treasury firms have accelerated their Ether purchases at double the pace of those acquiring Bitcoin. This momentum has coincided with the upcoming 10th anniversary of Ethereum and has supported the asset’s recent market performance.
Standard Chartered attributes Ether’s relative outperformance to increasing corporate accumulation and robust activity in spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs), noting that, “Buying by these companies, along with the best period for ETH ETFs on record, has certainly contributed to those gains.”
While Ether has recently traded around $3,862, it remains over 21% below its all-time high of $4,890 set in November 2021. However, the bank projects continued institutional inflows could drive the cryptocurrency beyond its current year-end forecast of $4,000.
Corporate Treasuries Eye DeFi and Staking Yield
The report also underscores Ether’s strategic advantage in regulatory flexibility. Standard Chartered notes that Ether-focused treasuries benefit from both staking rewards and exposure to decentralized finance (DeFi) opportunities—advantages not currently accessible through U.S.-based Ethereum ETFs.
“We think they may eventually end up owning 10% of all ETH, a 10x increase from current holdings,” the report adds.
Among corporate holders, BitMine Immersion Technologies stands out as the largest Ether treasury firm, currently holding 0.5% of the total supply. The publicly listed mining company has announced intentions to raise its holdings to 5%, which would require the acquisition of approximately 6 million additional ETH tokens.
In a related development, a new firm called Ether Machine revealed plans to build one of the largest on-chain ETH positions of any public entity. The company aims to acquire over 400,000 ETH—valued at more than $1.5 billion—and pursue a public listing on the Nasdaq under the ticker “ETHM.”
As institutional investment in Ether gains momentum, analysts suggest the market could be entering a new phase of capital rotation favoring Ethereum over Bitcoin, driven by broader utility, evolving infrastructure, and maturing regulatory frameworks.
