TL;DR
- Standard Chartered reports that corporate treasuries now hold 1% of Ethereum’s total supply, surpassing Bitcoin’s pace of accumulation.
- The bank expects this figure could reach 10% as companies leverage staking and DeFi opportunities unavailable with Bitcoin.
- Major players like BitMine Immersion Tech and Sharplink are leading this trend, with new firms planning substantial ETH acquisitions and listings to expand their on-chain positions.
Corporations are quietly pivoting away from Bitcoin and doubling down on Ethereum, according to Standard Chartered’s latest research. Since June, companies have collectively secured 1% of all Ether in circulation. This move comes as Ether’s tenth anniversary approaches, marking a decade of evolution from a smart contract experiment to an institutional-grade asset.
Standard Chartered’s analysts highlight that Ether’s unique appeal lies in its staking yield and its deep DeFi ecosystem. Unlike Bitcoin, ETH allows corporations to generate passive income through staking rewards, currently hovering around 3% annually, while also opening doors to decentralized finance strategies. These incentives have pushed Ether-focused corporate treasuries to outpace Bitcoin-focused ones in the last two months.
Major Players Accelerate Ether Holdings
Companies like BitMine Immersion Tech have disclosed ambitious buying sprees. BitMine, already holding over 625,000 ETH—about 0.52% of the entire supply—aims to grow its share to as much as 5% through a massive repurchase program valued at $1 billion. Nasdaq-listed Sharplink follows closely behind, having acquired nearly half a million Ether in late July at an average price just under $3,800 per token.
Another new entrant, the Ether Machine, plans to take things further. It recently announced intentions to launch one of the largest on-chain ETH reserves ever held by a public entity, with a target of acquiring over 400,000 ETH. This aggressive strategy comes as Ether’s performance has consistently outshone Bitcoin’s since April, with the ETH/BTC ratio steadily climbing.
Ethereum ETFs And Corporate Demand Fuel Price Optimism
Alongside direct treasury buying, the performance of Ether spot ETFs has been a significant catalyst, marking record inflows that add momentum to corporate accumulation. Despite being about 21% below its 2021 all-time high, Standard Chartered maintains its end-of-year target of $4,000 for ETH.
Looking ahead, Standard Chartered believes that Ether’s combination of staking income, DeFi access, and favorable regulatory positioning gives it an edge over Bitcoin in corporate portfolios. With treasury holdings potentially reaching 10% of total supply, the bank sees this as a sign that institutions are not just hedging with crypto, they’re actively choosing Ethereum’s multi-utility framework for long-term growth.
