Dr_dee

TLDR:

Ethereum price breaks above $2.63K as whale activity rises, and non-empty wallets reach a record 207.17M.

More than 40M ETH is staked, while Ethereum DeFi holds roughly $50B in total value locked across markets.

Analysts spot $2,800 and higher levels ahead, but those targets depend on resistance holding or breaking.

Ethereum’s wallet, staking, and DeFi growth adds utility beyond simple price speculation for holders now.

The Ethereum price climbed above $2.63K on Friday, reaching its highest level since January. Santiment reported rising whale transactions as ETH pushed higher.

The move coincides with record network participation and stronger on-chain activity. Ethereum now has 207.17 million non-empty wallets, according to Santiment data.

ETH was trading at $2,651.97 in the latest price data by CoinGecko. The token gained 5.63% over 24 hours and 4.80% across seven days.

ETH price on CoinGecko

Ethereum Price Gains Meet Rising Whale Activity

The increase in whale transactions adds another dimension to Ethereum’s latest price recovery. Large transactions generally indicate greater activity among holders controlling substantial ETH balances.

However, rising whale activity does not identify whether those holders are buying or selling. Traders therefore need to distinguish transaction activity from direct accumulation.

Ethereum’s holder base is also expanding. Santiment recorded a new high of 207.17 million wallets containing non-zero ETH balances.

That figure reflects wallet addresses rather than unique individuals or investors. One user can control multiple addresses, so the metric measures network participation differently.

Ethereum has pushed above $2.63K Friday, its highest market value since January. At the same time, whale transactions are climbing, showing large holders are becoming increasingly active as $ETH breaks higher.

The #2 market cap’s holder base is expanding alongside price.… pic.twitter.com/3IDPlzR7FN

— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) September 18, 2026

Ethereum’s price structure has also attracted attention from market analysts. DamiDefi said ETH completed a breakout from its one-year downtrend and gained roughly 41% afterward.

The analyst now identifies a major resistance zone around current levels. A sustained break could expose $2,800 first, followed by $3,300 to $3,400, according to the analyst.

Staking and DeFi Strengthen Ethereum’s Network Utility

Ethereum’s expanding holder base sits alongside significant staking activity. More than 40 million ETH is currently staked across the network.

Staking allows ETH holders to help secure Ethereum while earning rewards. Pooled staking also gives smaller holders access without operating their own validators.

DeFi provides another use case for ETH beyond holding. Santiment estimates roughly $50 billion in total value locked across Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem.

That ecosystem includes stablecoins, lending platforms, decentralized exchanges, and liquid-staking applications. These markets create demand for ETH within financial applications rather than simple price speculation.

Another analyst, Cryptocupra, compared the current structure with Ethereum’s earlier bottom, retest, and expansion cycles. The analyst projected potential levels of $4,200, $7,000, and above $12,000.

THIS $ETH CHART IS FUCKING INSANE.

THE EXACT SAME STRUCTURE THAT LAUNCHED ETHEREUM FROM DOUBLE DIGITS INTO THOUSANDS IS PRINTING AGAIN.

BOTTOM → RETEST → EXPANSION.

WE ARE RIGHT AT THE LAUNCH ZONE.

$4,200 GETS ERASED.
$7,000 IS NEXT.
THEN $12,000+ ENTERS THE CONVERSATION.… pic.twitter.com/ruAN2J8mbY

— Cup (@cryptocupra) September 19, 2026

Those figures represent an analyst forecast rather than established price targets. ETH must first navigate the current resistance area before those scenarios become technically relevant.

For traders, the immediate focus remains price acceptance above resistance. For investors, whale activity, staking, wallet growth, and DeFi usage provide broader network context.

Ethereum’s latest move therefore combines price momentum with expanding network participation. The key mechanism is simple: more ETH remains engaged through staking and applications while market activity increases.

The post Ethereum Price Breaks Above $2.63K as Whale Activity Rises appeared first on Blockonomi.

Kurzfassung:

Mexikanische Polizei beschlagnahmte 300 GPUs und 80 Mittelspannungs-Terminals in einer versteckten Krypto-Mininganlage in Puebla.

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Drogenkartelle zielen zunehmend auf günstigen oder gestohlenen Strom, um Kosten zu senken und Mining-Operationen auszuweiten.

Das Mining eines einzigen Bitcoins kostet mittlerweile fast 45.000 US-Dollar – bei den aktuellen Preisen bleiben dennoch breite Gewinnspannen.

Krypto-Mining-Operationen werden laut der Blockchain-Analysefirma Chainalysis zunehmend zu Werkzeugen für organisierte Kriminalität in Lateinamerika.

Ein Gesetzentwurf, der einst wie ein sicherer Gesetzesbeschluss aussah, liegt nun laut den Live-Quoten des Prediction-Markets auf Polymarket bei ungefähr 15% Chance. In Februar wurde für denselben Vertrag noch eine 82%ige Wahrscheinlichkeit für die Verabschiedung eingepreist. An der zugrunde liegenden Gesetzgebung hat sich nicht wirklich viel geändert. Was sich geändert hat, ist der Kalender des Senats – und Kalender sind es, wo Krypto-Gesetze sterben.
Am 15. September wird der Senat eine Cloture-Abstimmung zu H.R. 3633, dem „Digital Asset Market Clarity Act“, der allgemein als CLARITY Act bekannt ist, abhalten. Es handelt sich um eine Verfahrensabstimmung, nicht um eine endgültige, aber es braucht dieselbe 60-Stimmen-Schwelle, die auch für die Schlussabstimmung erforderlich wäre. Das macht sie zum klarsten verfügbaren Signal dafür, ob dieser Gesetzentwurf vor dem Auslaufen des Jahres tatsächlich eine realistische Chance hat, auf den Schreibtisch des Präsidenten zu gelangen.