Ether bulls targeted 2,500 dollars after institutional flows shifted and product filings advanced in the United States. Harvard’s endowment added exposure to BlackRock’s Ethereum trust during the final quarter of 2025, while the asset held above the $1,800 support level. Market participants viewed the move as a signal that large allocators reassessed risk across major digital assets.
The Ethereum price remained under pressure since late January, yet institutional positioning began to diverge from short-term sentiment. Ether traded about 60 percent below its prior cycle peak, even as real-world asset issuance on Ethereum expanded. This divergence framed the debate around whether capital rotation, not retail demand, would drive the next move in the Ether price.
CoinGlass data showed net outflows of $327 million from U.S.-listed Ether spot exchange-traded funds in February. Those withdrawals represented less than three percent of total assets under management, limiting systemic impact. The market reacted cautiously because traders interpreted the redemptions as fading conviction near support.
US-listed Ether spot ETFs daily net flows. Source: CoinGlass
United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings showed Harvard Management Company built an 87 million dollar stake in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust. The endowment reduced its iShares Bitcoin Trust position to $266 million from $443 million previously reported in September 2025. This shift occurred because allocators reassessed yield opportunities and differences in product structure between Bitcoin and Ether exposure.
BlackRock amended its staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund proposal to retain 18 percent of staking rewards as service compensation. The filing kept a 0.25 percent expense ratio, positioning the product near other large asset managers. Coinbase would provide staking infrastructure under the revised structure, aligning the trust with network-level yield mechanics.
The rotation did not produce an immediate breakout in the Ether price. However, product architecture often shapes medium-term flows more than daily inflows. Institutions prioritize regulatory clarity and operational custody, and the amended structure addressed those concerns.
DeFiLlama figures showed tokenized real-world assets surpassed 20 billion dollars in aggregate onchain market value. Ethereum hosted nearly half of the 13 billion dollars in deposits recorded across tokenization protocols. That concentration reflected the issuer’s preference for network security and liquidity depth.
RWA aggregate onchain market capitalization. Source: DefiLlama
Tokenized gold accounted for a large share of deposits, while U.S. Treasurys, bonds, and money market instruments expanded to 5.2 billion dollars. Issuers such as BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton deployed products on Ethereum infrastructure. Their presence reinforced the perception that compliance-ready platforms favored established chains.
By contrast, combined listings on BNB Chain and Solana reached $4.2 billion. This gap indicated that institutional issuers valued execution reliability over marginal fee savings. As more assets migrated onchain, secondary liquidity channels formed around custody, trading, and settlement services.
Dragonfly Capital announced a $650 million funding round targeting tokenized stocks and private credit platforms. Venture funding patterns shifted toward infrastructure rather than consumer-facing applications. That allocation strategy suggested capital anticipated revenue from structured products rather than speculative token launches.
The Ether price has failed to reclaim $ 2,500 since Jan. 31. Buyers defended $ 1,744 during a Feb. 6 selloff, establishing a reference low for the current cycle. Momentum indicators flattened after the rebound, reflecting indecision rather than accumulation frenzy.
BTC/USD 1-day price chart. Source: CoinMarketCap
Open interest data stabilized as leveraged traders reduced directional exposure. Spot markets absorbed ETF outflows without cascading liquidations, indicating balanced positioning. This pattern often precedes range compression before directional expansion.
Network staking participation remained elevated, which reduced liquid supply available for exchanges. As staked balances grow, circulating float tightens during demand spikes. This mechanical constraint interacts with ETF structures that integrate staking yield, altering supply-demand dynamics.
If institutions continued reallocating toward yield-bearing Ether products, supply pressure could decline further. Traders monitored whether endowments and pension funds followed Harvard’s allocation example. The Ether price now faced resistance near the 2,500 dollar threshold, which marked the next test of sustained demand.
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