Just last week, ETH was cruising right near its ATH. Then, boom, it pulled back, dropping closer to $4,400. But the crowd’s split like it’s a classic office vs. boardroom showdown.
The retail investors? Panic mode. The institutions? Quietly scooping up more coins like they’re on a clearance sale.
Taking a breather
So, what’s really going on behind the scenes? Bitcoin and Ethereum both cooled off after their recent peaks.
BTC slid about 5% from its fresh $124,400 high, dragging the whole crypto market down a notch below the $4 trillion market cap.
Trading volume dropped 32%, so people are definitely taking a breather.
Now, the real eye-opener, the whales are playing a different game. Experts revealed that one lucky ICO investor, who bought a mere $104 worth of ETH back in 2015, just moved his 334.7 ETH, worth around $1.48 million today, after nearly a decade snoozing.
Talk about patience paying off with 14,200 times the return.
Buying the dip
While some early birds cash out, serious players like Bitmine are doubling down big time, snatching up over 106,000 ETH in 24 hours, pushing their treasury to 1.29 million ETH, valued close to $5.8 billion.
Another hush-hush institutional buyer grabbed nearly 93,000 ETH in just four days from Kraken. Talk about confidence.
But it’s not just buying and selling, no, no. Some big private funds are reshuffling. Longling Capital sold 7,000 ETH but still holds $352 million worth.
This shuffle shows institutions are using this dip as a golden opportunity to fortify positions while retail hits the panic button.
Dangerous waters
But unfortunately, hackers are cashing in on this rally too. The Radiant Capital exploiter has sold nearly $44 million in ETH this week, doubling their stolen loot.
Others from the Infini and THORChain hacks are also turning ETH’s jump into profit, laundering and selling millions worth of tokens.
Retail investors are jittery, hitting the panic button, but the big players? They’re calmly buying, stacking those ETH chips like pros.
Analysts say this is a healthy shakeout, setting the stage for what could be Ethereum’s next big breakout.
Disclosure:This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Kriptoworld.com accepts no liability for any errors in the articles or for any financial loss resulting from incorrect information.
Cryptocurrency and Web3 expert, founder of Kriptoworld
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With years of experience covering the blockchain space, András delivers insightful reporting on DeFi, tokenization, altcoins, and crypto regulations shaping the digital economy.
📅 Published: August 17, 2025 • 🕓 Last updated: August 17, 2025
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