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Ether Breaks $2,500 for the First Time in Wake of Berlin Fork

The hype around ether is also reflected in the derivatives market.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 12:41 p.m. Published Apr 15, 2021, 9:27 p.m.
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Ether continued its rally on Thursday after the Berlin hard fork on the Ethereum blockchain went live earlier the day, surpassing $2,500 for the first time in history.

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  • The No. 2 cryptocurrency by market capitalization traded around $2,498.91 at press time, just slightly down after it briefly went as high as $2,503.92.
  • Ether's price has been outperforming bitcoin's on Thursday, as the Ethereum blockchain's much anticipated Berlin hard fork went live earlier in the day.
  • The upgrade, which sets up the network for the much bigger London hard fork in July, incorporates four Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs).
  • The hype around ether is also reflected in the derivatives market, as open interest in ether's options market rose to a record high above $3 billion on Wednesday.
  • The late-day surge also could be due to news that the Rothschild Investment took at initial $4.75 million stake in the Grayscale Ethereum Trust. Grayscale is owned by CoinDesk parent company Digital Currency Group.

UPDATE (April 15, 23:48 UTC): Adds news of Rothschild's investment.

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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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.

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Key bitcoin price levels to watch as downward pressure builds

True Market Mean Price (Glassnode)

As bitcoin remains in a downtrend, several technical and onchain levels stand out as critical areas of support.

What to know:

  • The 100-week moving average at $87,145 remains the main line of defense.
  • Below this, the cost basis of U.S. spot bitcoin ETF buyers at $84,099 has provided support during recent consolidation.
  • A sustained break below $80,000 would likely open the door to a revisit of the April 2025 low near $76,000.