Ethereum (ETH) Price: BlackRock’s Staked ETF Launches as Whales Accumulate

TLDR

• BlackRock’s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) launched with $15.5M in first-day trading volume
• ETHB started with $106.7M in net assets and offers a 0.25% fee (waived to 0.12% for the first year)
• Ethereum whales have bought around $480M worth of ETH in March, pushing more tokens into profit
• ETH is trading above $2,080 and holding the $2,000 level as a floor
• A breakout above $2,150 could open the door to a move toward $2,800

BlackRock’s staked Ethereum ETF debuted this week, adding a new product to the growing list of crypto investment tools available to traditional investors. At the same time, whale activity and technical patterns are drawing attention from traders watching Ethereum’s price closely.

BlackRock listed the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) on Nasdaq on Thursday. The fund rec

orded $15.5 million in trading volume on its first day, with 592,804 shares changing hands. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart called it a “very, very solid” debut for a day-one ETF launch.

The volume fell short of two comparable Solana staking ETFs. The Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) saw $55.4 million on its debut in October, while the REX-Osprey SOL + Staking ETF (SSK) posted $33.7 million when it launched in July.

ETHB launched with $106.7 million in net assets held in custody by Coinbase. The fund is structured as 80% staked Ether and 20% Ether. It targets a staking yield of around 4% annually, with rewards distributed monthly through validators run by Figment, Galaxy Digital, and Attestant.

The ETF carries a 0.25% sponsor fee, reduced to 0.12% for the first year on the first $2.5 billion in assets under management.

BlackRock’s Growing Crypto Footprint

ETHB joins BlackRock’s existing crypto lineup. Its iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) has pulled in over $62.8 billion in inflows since launching in 2024. The iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA) has attracted $11.9 billion over the same period.

BlackRock is also working on a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF that would sell covered call options on Bitcoin futures to generate yield.

ETH Price and Whale Activity

Ethereum is down roughly 3% over the past week but has held above the $2,000 level. Year-to-date, ETH is down around 30%.

On-chain data from Santiment shows whales have purchased approximately 240,000 ETH tokens, worth about $480 million, since the start of March. The percentage of ETH tokens in profit has risen from 39.8% to 42.3% during that time.

Trading volumes have declined recently, which analysts say may indicate that selling pressure is easing.

Ethereum is currently trading above $2,080, above the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. Immediate resistance sits near $2,135 and then $2,150. A confirmed break above $2,150 could lead to a move toward $2,220 and potentially $2,320.

If the price fails to hold above $2,050, support levels come in at $2,000, then $1,950, with a key floor around $1,920.

A buy signal appeared on the hourly chart during the U.S. trading session on Thursday, though analysts note a confirmed level breakout would be needed before treating it as a strong entry signal.

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