As Ethereum celebrated its tenth year, a new landmark was achieved: cryptocurrency treasuries held by institutions surpassed a collective $100 billion this past Thursday, showcasing the growing embrace of digital assets by established entities.
Ethereum’s decade milestone has sparked heightened interest in Ether (ETH) among corporations. A report released Tuesday by Standard Chartered reveals that the ten largest corporate crypto treasury firms have collectively acquired more than 1% of the total Ether in circulation since June began.
The financial institution forecasts that corporations could ultimately control 10% of the total Ether supply, potentially driving the price of the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency beyond their predicted year-end value of $4,000 per Ether.
According to Enmanuel Cardozo, a market analyst at Brickken, an asset tokenization platform, corporate adoption of Ether is “progressing at a more rapid pace than Bitcoin’s adoption during its initial treasury phase.” He explained that Ether allows businesses to leverage staking rewards and “actively generate value.”
A Decade of Ethereum: Key Moments That Shaped Its Trajectory
Ethereum commemorated its 10th anniversary recently, with fresh institutional momentum igniting hopes that Ether (ETH) might soon challenge its all-time high set back in November 2021.
Over the last ten years, Ethereum has risen to prominence as the foremost decentralized finance (DeFi) blockchain, currently boasting nearly $85 billion in total value locked (TVL), according to available data.
Vitalik Buterin, one of Ethereum’s co-creators, shared a preliminary version of the project’s white paper in 2013. Following a successful initial coin offering (ICO) that raised $18.3 million, the project officially launched in 2015 as a blockchain designed to facilitate smart contracts. Ether, its native cryptocurrency, is now the second-largest by market capitalization, trailing only Bitcoin (BTC).
Here’s a look back at Ethereum’s formative decade, covering the ICO mania, the DeFi surge, and the rise and subsequent correction of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Corporate Crypto Holdings Exceed $100 Billion Amid Increased Ether Acquisitions
Corporate cryptocurrency treasuries are becoming a significant bridge between traditional finance and the digital asset world, demonstrating a growing institutional appetite for crypto.
Companies like Strategy, Metaplanet, and SharpLink, dedicated to holding cryptocurrency on their balance sheets, now collectively manage approximately $100 billion in digital assets, according to a Galaxy Research report published on Thursday.
Bitcoin (BTC) dominates these holdings, with over 791,662 BTC, valued at roughly $93 billion, representing 3.98% of the total circulating supply. Ether (ETH) treasuries hold 1.3 million ETH tokens, worth over $4 billion, accounting for 1.09% of the total Ether supply, according to the report.
Corporate buyers are emerging as a key source of Ether liquidity, alongside U.S. spot ETH exchange-traded funds, which recently achieved a record-breaking 19 consecutive days of net inflows.
Farside Investors data reveals that Ether ETFs have amassed $5.3 billion worth of ETH since July 3, contributing to their record-breaking streak.
Increased corporate buying activity and sustained ETF inflows could contribute to Ether surpassing the $4,000 price point, aligning with Standard Chartered’s year-end price target, as outlined in their Tuesday research report.
“We believe they may eventually hold 10% of the total ETH supply, representing a tenfold increase from current holdings,” the bank stated, adding that Ether treasury firms have greater growth potential than Bitcoin treasuries from a “regulatory arbitrage perspective.”
Bitcoin Miner Phoenix Group Launches $150 Million Crypto Treasury, Including BTC and SOL
Phoenix Group, a Bitcoin mining company based in Abu Dhabi, has established a $150 million strategic cryptocurrency reserve, becoming the first publicly traded company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) to create a digital asset treasury.
The company announced on Thursday that the reserve includes 514 Bitcoin (BTC) and 630,000 Solana (SOL), which it described as a long-term investment strategy.
This initiative makes Phoenix Group the pioneering company listed on the ADX to establish a dedicated cryptocurrency treasury, according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph.
“Holding Bitcoin and other select digital assets is more than just exposure – it’s about alignment,” said Munaf Ali, co-founder and CEO of Phoenix Group. “We firmly believe in the long-term value represented by these networks, and our treasury strategy reflects that conviction.”
Phoenix Group was among the most actively traded and best-performing stocks on the ADX during the second quarter of 2025, with its share price increasing by over 72% between April and June.
An increasing number of Bitcoin mining firms are considering adding altcoins to their balance sheets, indicating growing institutional demand for cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin.
Publicly listed Bitcoin mining company BitMine Immersion Technologies recently announced plans to acquire up to 5% of Ether’s supply, potentially making it the largest Ether (ETH) treasury holder.
Metaplanet Aims to Secure $3.7 Billion to Expand Bitcoin Holdings
Metaplanet, a Japanese investment firm, plans to raise 555 billion yen (approximately $3.73 billion) through a new stock offering to support its ambitious Bitcoin accumulation strategy.
The company, often referred to as “Asia’s Strategy,” announced on Friday that it will issue perpetual preferred shares to fund its objective of acquiring 210,000 Bitcoin (BTC) by the end of 2027. The shares will offer an annual dividend of up to 6%, contingent on market conditions and investor interest.
“The Company intends to actively pursue equity financing as part of its ‘Bitcoin Strategy,’ which aims to acquire 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027,” they stated. “We believe that introducing Bitcoin-backed preferred shares represents a groundbreaking effort to fill this gap.”
Metaplanet’s stock offering follows a report by Cointelegraph that corporate crypto treasury firms had collectively surpassed $100 billion in investments, with Bitcoin-focused treasuries holding a substantial $93 billion of that value.
Continued accumulation by companies like Strategy and Metaplanet, combined with a growing money supply, could potentially propel Bitcoin’s price above $132,000 by the end of 2025, based on Bitcoin’s correlation with the global M2 money supply.
Strategy, the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin treasury holder, has undertaken similar capital-raising initiatives. On July 22, they announced a new form of Bitcoin-backed stock, priced at $100 per share, offering an initial monthly dividend of 9% annually.
Former SEC Official Joins Veda as General Counsel Amid DeFi Expansion
Veda, a decentralized finance platform, has appointed a former official from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to its leadership team as it accelerates its expansion of cross-chain yield products targeting institutional investors.
TuongVy Le, who dedicated nearly six years to the SEC as chief counsel and senior advisor within both the Enforcement Division and the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, has joined Veda as their General Counsel, the company announced on Tuesday.
During her time at the SEC, Le provided counsel to Congress on early drafts of digital asset legislation and served on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Global Markets Advisory Committee.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Le played a role in some of the SEC’s initial crypto-related enforcement actions.
She served in the SEC’s Enforcement Division from 2016 to 2021, a pivotal period in the agency’s crackdown on unregistered securities offerings associated with initial coin offerings (ICOs).
During this period, the SEC initiated actions against the promoters of BitConnect’s lending program and against LBRY, alleging that both entities conducted unregistered securities offerings. In 2021, the agency also launched one of its earliest enforcement actions related to DeFi, charging Blockchain Credit Partners with securities fraud.
DeFi Market Update
According to data sourced from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, the majority of the top 100 cryptocurrencies, ranked by market capitalization, finished the week with losses.
The Solana-based meme token Fartcoin (FARTCOIN) experienced the most significant decline within the top 100, falling by 28% over the week, followed by the Bonk (BONK) memecoin, which decreased by over 23% on the weekly chart.
Thank you for reading our summary of the most impactful DeFi developments this week. Join us next Friday for additional news, analysis, and insights pertaining to this dynamically evolving sector.