Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), has surged 45% in the last 30 days, outperforming both the broader DeFi market and Bitcoin (BTC). The rally marks a powerful comeback for ETH, which had a rocky start to 2025.
Institutional Inflows Fuel ETH Rally
A major driving force behind Ether’s recent momentum is institutional demand. According to market analysts, record-breaking inflows into spot ETH ETFs have ignited buying pressure. This growing interest has helped ETH rebound from a low of $1,472 in April to its current price of $2,651.
“ETH’s rise is largely driven by institutional capital and renewed confidence in Ethereum’s long-term role in DeFi,” analysts noted.
Ethereum Beats Solana in DeFi TVL Growth
Ethereum’s DeFi protocols have seen massive growth in Total Value Locked (TVL), significantly outpacing rival Solana-based platforms:
- Ethereum restaking platforms:
- Lido, EigenLayer, Ether.fi TVL up 41–48%
- Binance Staked ETH up 63%
- Solana protocols:
- Jupiter TVL up 7%
- Kamino TVL up 9%
- Marinade TVL up 29%
“Ethereum is regaining control of the DeFi market,” says CoinDesk’s Omkar Godbole.
Breaking the Downtrend Against Solana
ETH has broken an 18-month downtrend against Solana, reclaiming its dominance in the smart contract and DeFi arena. This trend reversal is critical, especially after Solana’s memecoin frenzy took the spotlight earlier in the year.
“Ether is beginning to wrangle back control from other layer-1 competitors,” Godbole noted in his analysis.
ETH Outperforms Major Crypto Assets
In the same period:
- ETH is up 45%
- DeFi market overall is up 21%
- Bitcoin is up just 13%
“ETH is clearly leading the crypto resurgence in Q2,” say market watchers.
Conclusion
Ether’s strong recovery in May reflects both increased institutional participation and superior DeFi protocol performance. As Ethereum continues to dominate staking and restaking platforms, it is reasserting its leadership in the broader crypto ecosystem.
