Ethereum’s price surge is driven by increased ETF approval odds and a staking-induced supply crunch, potentially pushing ETH towards $4,000.
Due to the increased likelihood that ETH ETFs will be approved, Ethereum (ETH) has experienced an incredible rise recently. Moreover, because a sizable portion of the Ethereum reserve was kept for staking, indications of a supply shortage were noticed. Potentially, a supply shock might push the price of ETH closer to the $4,000 mark.
As per Nansen, a platform that tracks on-chain statistics, 32.5 million ETH are presently staked. Additionally, this reserve makes up about 27% of Ethereum’s entire supply. The current market value of this staked Ethereum is an astounding $121 billion.
Nansen contrasted this amount with Solana’s entire Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV), which is $103 billion, to put things in perspective. The significant amount of Ethereum that is being staked has spurred talk about a possible supply shortage, which would have a significant impact on the price.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Nansen described the problem in further detail and highlighted the two possible outcomes that depend on consumer desire. “It would be good if an ETH ETF is approved and there is demand, either before or after approval,” Nansen said.
According to their suggestions, the introduction of a Spot Ethereum ETF may greatly increase demand for the cryptocurrency, further limiting supply and perhaps raising prices.
Amidst the excitement around ETFs, the price of ETH surged above $3,700, indicating the aforementioned trend. Conversely, Nansen pointed out that the current staking levels might not have a significant effect if there isn’t a demand for ETH.
The price of Ethereum experienced a minor decrease and found it difficult to maintain over $3,700. As of Wednesday, May 22, at press time, the price of ETH had decreased by 2.19% to $3,705.54. In contrast, the market valuation of the second-largest cryptocurrency was $446.16 billion.
In addition, ETH’s 24-hour trading volume fell 42.02% to $27.51 billion. On the other hand, analysts and significant industry players have expressed optimism over the price of ETH. Geoff Kendrick, an analyst at Standard Chartered, restated the bank’s goal of $8,000 for ETH by year’s end.
Furthermore, they think that Ethereum ETF approval is about to happen. The SEC has contacted the ETF applicants, requesting that they submit revised 19b-4 filings.
Furthermore, the agency is anticipated to “sidestep” the Ethereum status debate by using the dynamics of ETH and staked ETH. As a result, Grayscale and Fidelity eliminated the overnight staking option.