Ethereum rebounds after $8B sell-off — are whales secretly plotting a $5K comeback?

Time of India

11 hours ago

Ethereum is staging a comeback just a day after one of its heaviest blows of 2025 — an $8 billion sell-off that sent shockwaves through the market. Whales appear unfazed, scooping up the dip as institutional futures trading on the CME hit a record $118 billion in July.
With ETH now rebounding and technicals hinting at a possible breakout, traders are asking the big question: is $5,000 back on the table sooner than expected?
On-chain data reveals that much of the selling pressure came from long-standing whale wallets, but equally significant inflows suggest these same players may be repositioning rather than exiting. Coupled with a record $118 billion in futures trading volume, the setup points to calculated accumulation — a move that could pave the way for Ethereum's long-anticipated push toward the $5,000 mark.
Current Price:
$4,616.17 USD
24-Hour Change:
+$79.97 (+1.76%)
Intraday High:
$4,696.77
Intraday Low:
$4,464.23
Market Cap:
Approximately $556.85 billion
24-Hour Trading Volume:
Around $61.4 billion
A brutal sell-off with a twist
Ethereum (ETH) has just endured one of its most aggressive sell-offs this quarter — roughly
$8 billion worth of ETH
offloaded in less than 48 hours, according to Glassnode data published on
August 14, 2025
. While such a dump would normally send the market into panic mode, this time the reaction was different. Instead of collapsing, ETH briefly dipped below
$4,500
, then clawed its way back above
$4,600
, closing yesterday with a 7% daily gain — its strongest rebound since May.
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The most striking detail? Blockchain trackers show that much of the selling came from addresses linked to early whale wallets and possibly Ethereum Foundation-linked accounts. Yet on-chain flow analysis also revealed
parallel inflows into centralized exchanges totaling $116 billion in the same 24-hour window
— a near-perfect offset. That's not the behavior of a market in freefall; it's the signature of coordinated repositioning.
Record-breaking futures activity signals institutional games
The other piece of the puzzle is the
$118 billion in Ethereum futures volume
recorded on the CME and Binance combined — the highest in ETH's history. Analysts at Kaiko point out that a large share of this came from
short-term leveraged positions
, often used by institutional traders to hedge during high-volatility swings.
But here's where it gets interesting: open interest hasn't dropped. In fact, it's up 4% since Monday. This suggests whales aren't leaving the table; they're
rotating positions
and potentially gearing up for a higher move. In trader circles, that's often interpreted as 'accumulation in disguise.'
Why $5,000 is still on the table
The psychological
$5K mark
isn't just a nice round number — it's a historically important resistance zone dating back to the 2021 bull run projections. Technical analysts like Michaël van de Poppe note that ETH's current chart is forming a
bullish cup-and-handle pattern
on the weekly timeframe, with $4,600 acting as the neckline. If that holds and volume keeps climbing, a push toward $4,900–$5,050 could come faster than most retail traders expect.
This is also supported by fundamentals:
ETH staking deposits
hit 33.2 million ETH this week (Beacon Chain data), locking up roughly 27% of total supply.
Layer-2 activity
continues to surge, with Optimism and Arbitrum transaction counts surpassing 4 million combined daily.
ETF speculation
is heating up after the SEC's recent approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF, prompting whispers of an Ethereum equivalent.
What retail traders should watch
If you're holding ETH, there are three pressure points to monitor:
The $4,600 support
— losing this could trigger a drop to $4,350 before any rebound.
Whale wallet activity
— sudden transfers of 10K+ ETH to exchanges often precede volatility spikes.
Futures funding rates
— persistently positive rates can signal over-leveraging, which sometimes leads to sharp flush-outs.
For now, the narrative appears to be shifting from 'panic sell' to 'smart money repositioning.' As one veteran derivatives trader told:
'Retail sees a dump, pros see an entry point.'
Ethereum just proved it can absorb billions in sell pressure and still keep its bullish roadmap intact. Whether whales are orchestrating a stealth accumulation or simply hedging for volatility, the market's resilience suggests the $5,000 conversation isn't over. The next few weeks could determine whether ETH breaks that ceiling or stalls under the weight of leveraged bets. Either way, this is not the time to ignore the charts — the whales certainly aren't.
FAQs:
Q1: What is the current Ethereum price target?
Analysts say the $5,000 target remains in play despite recent volatility.
Q2: Why is Ethereum futures volume important?
Record $118 billion futures volume shows strong institutional trading interest.