The crypto market cap currently stands at $3.93 trillion, with Bitcoin holding steady above $118,000. Ethereum is trading at $3,557 and XRP at $3.43, both showing minimal movement in the day.
In a major move, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law on July 18, creating the first clear U.S. framework for stablecoin regulation. This is expected to unlock a wave of institutional capital and accelerate crypto adoption.
Ethereum Hits 6-Month High with 50% Rally
Ethereum is making headlines and has jumped to a six-month high of $3,677 on July 18, marking a 50% rally since it dipped near $2,400 earlier this month. One big reason for its recent surge is the passage of the GENIUS Act, which finally brings some clear rules for stablecoins and is crucial for Ethereum’s ecosystem.
Rising institutional interest and record inflows into spot ETH ETFs and staking activity are also fueling the price run.
ETH ETFs Overtake Bitcoin in Daily Inflows
For the first time ever, Ethereum ETFs outpaced Bitcoin ETFs in daily inflows. On Thursday, US spot Ether ETFs pulled in $602 million, beating the $522.6 million that went into Bitcoin funds. The surge follows a record-setting $726 million inflow into ETH ETFs the day before.
BlackRock’s ETHA led the charge, pulling in $550 million and outperforming its own Bitcoin product. James Seyffart noted the rise in demand for Ethereum ETFs and shared that they’ve pulled in over $5.5 billion since launch, with $3.3 billion of that coming in just since mid-April.
Analysts See Long-Term Upside for Ethereum
Analyst Michaël van de Poppe highlights a strong shift in market sentiment that began back in April. He notes that the CNH/USD and ETH/BTC pairs bottomed, while gold peaked, signaling a move from a risk-off to risk-on environment. Since then, ETH has outperformed BTC by 70%, with more upside likely over the next 12–24 months.
He also notes that the massive ETH ETF inflows outpacing Bitcoin’s and the approval of the Stablecoin Bill have kicked off a new phase for Ethereum, possibly signaling the start of the bull market.
Ethereum Treasuries Surge
More companies are adopting Ethereum as a treasury asset, mirroring MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin strategy. BitMine has acquired 300,000+ ETH, aiming to stake 5% of the total supply. SharpLink Gaming and Bit Digital are also building large ETH reserves, raising billions to expand holdings.
With both hype and real progress behind it, many analysts believe ETH’s rally may have much more room to run.
