Share this article
Ether Volatility Spikes on Rally as Bitcoin Edges Back Toward Record Highs
ETH’s strength has been underpinned by pro-crypto regulatory signals and heavy inflows into ETFs, with traders betting on a retest of its all-time high, some say.
Updated Aug 11, 2025, 4:45 a.m. Published Aug 11, 2025, 4:29 a.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- Ether (ETH) surged over 21% in the past week, reaching $4,300, while Bitcoin (BTC) rose 3% to hit record highs.
- The S&P 500 and Nasdaq reached near all-time highs, driven by strong earnings despite political and economic challenges.
- ETH's performance is bolstered by regulatory support and ETF inflows, with expectations of continued price increases for both ETH and BTC.
Crypto markets began Monday on a high note, with ether up more than 21% over the past seven days to $4,300 and bitcoin climbing 3% to within touching distance of record highs.
BTC led gains among majors in the past 24 hours, with Solana’s SOL , XRP , , and BNB Chain’s BNB rising nearly 1%, but reversing all profit-taking from the weekend to start the week in green.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
The S&P 500 recovered from last week’s post-payrolls dip to near all-time highs, while the Nasdaq set a new record on strong earnings, shrugging off political noise and fresh U.S. import taxes.
ETH has outperformed sharply against this macro backdrop, driving a divergence in short-dated implied volatility between majors.
“BTC IV remains near all-time lows while ETH has jumped materially,” said Augustine Fan, Head of Insights at SignalPlus, told CoinDesk in a Monday note.
“Term structure on ETH is inverted, with long-dated vol expected to settle near 70%, while BTC’s curve is the opposite — short-dated vol heavily compressed with spot stuck around $120K. A month ago, markets priced just a 5% chance of ETH hitting $4.5K in August; spot has far outpaced those expectations," he added.
ETH’s strength has been underpinned by pro-crypto regulatory signals and heavy inflows into ETFs, with traders betting on a retest of its all-time high. Bitcoin, which has been slower to respond, is now showing signs of catching up, suggesting that institutions are less hesitant to add exposure across the board.
“Given the strong rally over the weekend, we expect prices for both BTC and ETH to continue to rise, barring any tariff shocks,” said Jeff Mei, COO at BTSE, told CoinDesk in a Telegram message.“Traders should also watch developments around the next Fed chair nomination, plus this week’s CPI and PPI releases, which could shape rate-cut expectations,” Mei added.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Gold tops $5,000 as bitcoin stalls near $87,000 in widening macro-crypto split: Asia Morning Briefing
Bitcoin’s onchain data points to supply overhang and weak participation, while gold’s breakout is priced by markets as a durable macro regime shift.
What to know:
- Gold’s surge above $5,000 an ounce is increasingly seen as a durable regime shift, with investors treating the metal as a persistent hedge against geopolitical risk, central bank demand and a weaker dollar.
- Bitcoin is stuck near $87,000 in a low-conviction market, as on-chain data show older holders selling into rallies, newer buyers absorbing losses and a heavy supply overhang capping moves toward $100,000.
- Derivatives and prediction markets point to continued consolidation in bitcoin and sustained strength in gold, with thin futures volumes, subdued leverage and weak demand for higher-beta crypto assets like ether reinforcing the cautious tone.
Top Stories
