Ethereum Rebound: Institutional Buys and Stripe’s L1 Fuel Bullish Outlook

I feel like Ethereum is back in the spotlight. Institutional activity and ecosystem moves suggest renewed momentum for ETH and the broader Ethereum network.

Bernstein’s analysis highlights that Coinbase stands to gain the most from an Ethereum upswing — higher ETH trading volumes should translate into stronger exchange revenue. I’m watching Base closely as attention shifts there; it’s starting to draw comparisons to Solana, which seems to be losing some of its crypto-community momentum.

BlackRock keeps accumulating their favorite assets: yesterday they added 1,160 BTC and 150,580 ETH. While they remain dominated by Bitcoin positions, their active ETH purchases reinforce growing institutional demand. ETF inflows have now been positive for 13 consecutive weeks, which looks like sustained institutional interest in crypto.

Stripe is also deepening its web3 footprint. In October 2024 they bought Bridge’s stablecoin infrastructure for $1.1 billion, and in June 2025 they integrated Privy to add wallet infrastructure. Now Stripe is partnering with Paradigm to build Tempo, an EVM-compatible L1 focused on payments via stablecoins — a clear signal that payment rails are being rebuilt on blockchain infrastructure.

Overall market sentiment feels bullish to me. I don’t have new data beyond the points above; NFA DYOR — but the institutional flows, exchange exposure, and payments-focused L1 development all point to a favorable backdrop for Ethereum.