Ethereum’s Big Moment

Ether is on a blistering run, surging 8.5% on Wednesday to hit $4,683 - just a whisper away from its November 2021 record high of $4,861. The rally isn’t just retail hype; corporate heavyweights are piling in, adopting the same aggressive accumulation strategy that Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy (now Strategy) used to dominate Bitcoin holdings. Strategy famously raised billions through share issuances to buy Bitcoin, turning itself into a Wall Street proxy for the crypto. That playbook worked so well it sparked an industry-wide copycat wave — and now Ether is in the crosshairs. The biggest corporate Ether holder, Bitmine Immersion Technologies (NYSE:BMNR), disclosed it owns over 1.15 million tokens valued at $4.9 billion, alongside a bold plan to raise $24.5 billion, mainly to purchase Bitcoin. Sharplink Gaming Ltd (NASDAQ:SBET) also joined the action, securing $400 million to grow its Ether stash of about 598,800 tokens. Meanwhile, billionaire Peter Thiel grabbed headlines by revealing a 7.5% stake in 180 Life Sciences Corp (NASDAQ:ATNF), which is rebranding to ETHZilla. The announcement sent the company’s shares soaring more than threefold in one day, with disclosures showing it holds roughly 82,186 Ether. This corporate gold rush has powered Ether’s year-to-date gains to 39.4%, leapfrogging Bitcoin’s 27.9% rise. With institutional adoption heating up and the price flirting with record territory, Ethereum isn’t just keeping pace with Bitcoin in 2025 - it’s threatening to steal the crown.