Ethereum sees billions in inflows — So why is ETH still stuck near $3,200?

Ethereum remains firmly on investors’ radar, with buying activity accelerating across the market. This trend points to early signs of bullish accumulation.

Billions of dollars have been spent on ETH since the start of the year, and this buying trend has remained consistent up to press time. Despite the sustained inflows, price reaction has remained relatively muted, with ETH trading around the $3,200 level.

Liquidity flows into Ethereum

Capital continues to flow into the Ethereum ecosystem as investor sentiment strengthens.

Data from Artemis showed that capital inflows into Ethereum through Bridged Liquidity Netflows reached $35 million in the past 24 hours, ranking as the second-largest inflow across tracked networks within this period.

The bridged capital primarily originated from other Layer-2-backed blockchains, including Base and Polygon.

Bridged Liquidity often reflects capital rotation across ecosystems. The rising inflow into Ethereum suggests that ERC-20 tokens are likely to benefit from this shift.

As liquidity concentrates within the Ethereum network, ecosystem assets typically see increased activity and demand.

At the same time, Stablecoin Supply on Ethereum has expanded, indicating that more capital is sitting on the sidelines and may soon be deployed into the market.

At press time, the Ethereum-based Stablecoin Supply stood at approximately $164.86 billion. With more stablecoins circulating on the network, there is a higher likelihood that ERC-20 tokens will benefit from this available liquidity.

As the flagship asset, ETH is positioned to capture a significant share of this potential deployment.

Billions in capital inflows support ETH

Beyond the growing likelihood of capital flowing into ERC-20 tokens, Ethereum has also recorded direct gains in market participation, as Total Value Locked (TVL) across Ethereum protocols continues to climb.

Likewise, from the 1st to 7th of January, Ethereum’s TVL has increased by approximately $6.52 billion. In the past 24 hours alone, capital inflows into TVL reached $178 million.

A rising TVL reflects growing investor confidence in Ethereum’s medium-to-long-term outlook. It indicates that more participants are locking assets with expectations of future gains, often anticipating higher prices.

As investors remove large amounts of ETH from circulation and demand rises, this dynamic is driving strong upward pressure on the price.

Where is the capital coming from

Demand for ETH has increased across exchanges, supported by both Spot traders and institutional participants.

Spot Exchange Netflow data showed a clear accumulation trend, suggesting that traders held stronger conviction in Ethereum’s potential to rally.

To put this into perspective, between the 3rd and 6th of January, investors spent just $20.76 million on Ethereum. At press time, purchases exceeded five times that amount, as investors moved $108.66 million worth of ETH off exchanges—a move typically associated with bullish sentiment and long-term holding strategies.

Institutional players have also remained active.

This group has accumulated approximately $457.2 million worth of Ethereum between the 4th and 7th of January, recording consecutive net inflows throughout the period.

Sustained buying at this scale over several weeks could significantly influence Ethereum’s price dynamics and strengthen the case for a broader market rally.

Final Thoughts

• Ethereum’s inflow strength suggested growing conviction, even as price lagged behind capital movement.
• If deployment follows accumulation, ETH could see delayed upside, though timing remains the key uncertainty for traders.