Ethereum (ETH) is recording a fresh uptick in retail interest, with on-chain data showing a surge in new wallets. In the last week, an average of 327,100 new wallets have been created on the network. This rise comes amid highly anticipated upgrades and increased network usage, with Standard Chartered forecasting that ETH may reach $7,500 in 2026.
Ethereum Sees Surge in New Wallets
Data from Santiment reveals that on average, 327,100 new ETH wallets were created daily. The highest number of wallets ever created on a single day was 393,600, marking a new record high for the network.
Ethereum Network Growth)The report attributed the surge to a wide range of factors, including the Fusaka upgrade that happened on the Ethereum blockchain in December 2025. This upgrade made the network cheaper and easier to use, driving a large number of new users to create wallets and to use the network.
The surge in the new wallet count also coincides with increased stablecoin activity. According to Santiment data, stablecoin transfer volume on the network reached a record high of $8 trillion in the last quarter of 2025. This suggests that more people are creating wallets to transact with stablecoins and other crypto assets on the network.
Thirdly, many traders flipped bullish on Ethereum towards the end of 2025. On-chain data show that social trends in December 2025 surged and have continued in 2026. The surge is being driven by increased interest in decentralized finance (DeFi), Web3 games, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The report further added that, “Around the turn of the year, overall sentiment in crypto tends to improve as investors and developers reset their strategies for the new year.”
Amid this growth, bullish forecasts have emerged, suggesting that the largest altcoin is set to grow by over 2x in 2026.
Standard Chartered Eyes $7,500 ETH Price in 2026
Standard Chartered has shared a bullish outlook on how ETH might perform before the end of 2026. The institution noted that by the end of the year, the ETH price could surge to as high as $7,500. At the same time, it added that the price might reach $40,000 by the end of 2030.
Meanwhile, whale interest in Ethereum appears to be surging. Data from OnChain Lens shows that a newly created wallet moved 2,400 ETH tokens, valued at more than $7.52 million, from the Binance exchange.
If whale interest surges as the number of new Ethereum wallets grows, it could drive significant gains for the price in the coming weeks.
Source: https://zycrypto.com/ethereum-new-wallet-growth-hits-record-high-as-standard-chartered-eyes-explosive-move-to-7500-in-2026/
