Ether has rebounded from a June low near $1,500, but its price has stalled around $1,900 in mid-August even as US spot Ethereum ETFs post fresh inflows and global stock markets hit record highs. Institutional demand is stabilizing rather than accelerating, leaving Ether well below its late-2025 peak.
US spot Ethereum ETFs pulled in $49.6 million on 7 August, led by BlackRock's ETHA and Fidelity's FETH. A $1.76 million outflow on 11 August was followed by a $7.4 million inflow the next day. Yet ETH traded around $1,900 on 13 August, short of its late-July peak and well below its late-2025 high, even as the Dow, S&P 500 and other major indices sit at records.
Ether's July rebound outpaces Bitcoin
Ether entered July after an exceptionally difficult first half, having fallen more than 50% from its late-2025 peak to an over one-year low near $1,505.59 in June as inflation concerns, higher Treasury yields and a more hawkish Federal Reserve triggered a broad risk-off move in digital assets. From trough to peak, Ether gained approximately 30% during July, outperforming Bitcoin's roughly 15% monthly advance. Ether then traded close to $1,975 in late July, but the move lost momentum from there.
ETF flows turn constructive, but unevenly
According to SoSoValue data, US spot Ethereum ETFs attracted approximately $105 million in net inflows during the week of 13-17 July, their strongest weekly haul since April. Inflows continued across three consecutive weeks in July, totaling roughly $84 million, $105 million and $103.9 million.
A further $9.03 million of net inflows landed on 31 July, and the improvement continued into August: $53.1 million flowed in on 4 August, split between roughly $42.5 million into ETHA and $9.3 million into FETH. However, daily flows have grown more volatile since, suggesting demand is stabilizing rather than aggressively accelerating.
Crypto decouples from record-high equities
The Dow, S&P 500 and several global indices sat near record highs on 13 August following favorable inflation data, while Ether remains range-bound well below its previous highs. This does not necessarily mean investors have abandoned crypto; instead, the current risk-on mood may be selective, with investors more willing to hold equities than digital assets. Profit-taking after July's rebound, uncertainty over monetary policy and competition for capital from equities may all be limiting Ether's upside.
Inflation data eases rate-hike fears
Meanwhile, the latest July CPI figures came in line with expectations, easing fears of an imminent rate increase and supporting a more constructive backdrop for crypto. Even so, the market remains sensitive to shifts in inflation, employment and Federal Reserve expectations, and a renewed rise in Treasury yields could quickly undermine the improvement. Ethereum's staking ecosystem and its role as infrastructure for decentralized finance and tokenized assets continue to underpin the long-term case for institutional exposure, even as the token's near-term price action lags its own ETF flows.
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