From $310,000 to over $4.3 billion: the “million ETH” reactivates. And now? The impact of ETF flows and staking

A purchase in ICO of about 310,000 dollars for 1,000,000 ETH, a wallet that remained dormant for years, and a recent reactivation linked to staking: the emblematic case of Ethereum’s early buyers returns to the center of the debate just as the flows related to ETF products are reshaping the institutional demand for the asset. 

According to data collected from on-chain analysis updated as of September 5, 2025, movements exceeding 100,000 ETH from historical wallets are rare events and generate spikes of attention in spot and derivatives markets. On-chain analysts who monitor the markets observe that the conversion of large balances into staking tends to reduce surrounding liquidity and increase the informational value of such movements. In daily monitoring, intraday volume fluctuations of up to 20–30% have been detected on some centralized exchanges following alerts on dormant wallets.

The on-chain dossier: from the ETH ICO to recent moves

At the ICO of Ethereum (2014), a participant would have purchased 1M ETH for about $310,000, corresponding to a price of approximately $0.31 per token. Today, that allocation, assuming a unit price of ETH equal to $4,300 (reference estimate updated to September 5, 2025), would be equivalent to over 4.3 billion dollars. After a long period of inactivity, the wallet has been reported for new operations, including the staking of about 150,000 ETH, with a potential value in the order of hundreds of millions. It should be noted that the mere reappearance of such a balance tends to capture the attention of operators.

To provide context: the reactivation of a large balance after years tends to impact market expectations more than the immediate supply, especially when the tokens are staked for validation, reducing the circulating liquidity in the short term. That said, the signaling effect can be significant even without spot movements.

Verification and tracking

• On-chain: consult a block explorer like Etherscan to reconstruct the historical balance, movements, and interactions with staking contracts.
• Identification: verify the wallet address and the TX related to deposits in the official staking contract, comparing dates and amounts.
• Corroboration: cross-reference reports from independent on-chain analysts (e.g., reports and alerts on analytics platforms) and the public ICO records.

Ether ETF: how the flows enter the price

The flows towards listed products (ETF/ETP on Ether, both spot and futures, depending on the jurisdictions) are expanding the investor base. The most visible effect is the increase in demand “on a regulated channel,” which often reflects in the spreads, the bases between futures and spot, and the depth of the book. Indeed, such channels also impact the transmission of price information.

• Net flows: the weekly reports from CoinShares provide a gauge of institutional participation in ETH.
• Liquidity: the influx of capital into listed products tends to improve price formation, although it may amplify short-term movements during risk-on/risk-off phases.
• Elasticity: the impact of flows on the price depends on the deep liquidity on the spot side; concentrated outflows can quickly reverse trends built over weeks.

In summary, constant and positive inflows support a supportive context for prices, while sequences of outflows or reversals in macro sentiment can generate marked volatility. However, sensitivity remains a function of market depth.

Staking, liquidity, and development: the structural pillars

Staking and Effective Supply

With the transition to proof-of-stake, the data on the share of ETH in staking is often discussed. While in the past reference was made to high percentages, as of September 5, 2025, the percentage of ETH locked in staking is around 11–12% of the total supply, influencing the price dynamics in the medium term due to the reduction of the liquid supply. The actual rewards generally range from 3–5% annually, varying based on participation, MEV, and network conditions. In this context, the time lock and the entry/exit cycles of validators matter.

Adoption by Developers

The ecosystem remains among the most active in the smart contract landscape. According to the Electric Capital Developer Report, Ethereum maintains a solid base of core developers and open-source “alumni,” supported by layer-2 solutions, rollups, and increasingly mature tools, which drive continuous innovations in areas such as DeFi, NFT, identity, and enterprise solutions. Yet, competition on costs and UX remains an open front.

Prices and Scenarios: Between Models and Reality

Market projections remain heterogeneous. Among the estimates cited by the sector, Standard Chartered has hypothesized, as reported by CoinDesk and Yahoo Finance, a target of $8,000 by the end of 2026 and a long-term “structural” range between $26,000–$35,000 for ETH. In general, these are trajectories conditioned by multiple variables.

The key risk factors and the quantitative context include:

• High historical volatility: public estimates indicate annualized values often exceeding 70% during expansive cyclical phases.
• Deep Drawdowns: ETH has experienced maximum declines exceeding 80% in past bear phases, as highlighted by long-term charts.
• Regulation: updates on ETFs, MiCA in the EU and decisions by US authorities influence access and flows.
• Upgrade of the protocol: optimizations at both the base level and on L2 solutions impact costs, scalability, and adoption.

Exposure Strategies with a Prudential Approach

• Diversification by asset, instruments, and time horizon.
• Use of platforms with reliable custody and clear regulatory compliance.
• Exposure through regulated products (ETF/ETP) if available in your jurisdiction.
• For staking: understand the mechanics of lock-up, variable rewards, slashing risks, and the reliability of the counterparty (carefully selected validators).
• Ex ante definition of risk limits and rebalancing plan.
• Constant monitoring of technical upgrades, fund flows, and the evolution of the regulatory framework.

What to Watch in the Coming Months

• Trend of net flows on ETF/ETP and their correlation with the spot price.
• Evolution of the ETH share in staking and the network rewards.
• Progress of layer-2 solutions, variations in transaction costs, and usage metrics (TVL, volumes, active users).
• Possible updates to the protocol and their impacts on scalability and UX.
• Macroeconomic indicators: global liquidity, interest rates, and risk appetite.

Conclusions

The “million ETH case” demonstrates how time, conviction, and supply dynamics (staking) can amplify an initial investment. Today, the picture is completed with the push of flows towards regulated products and with a constantly evolving technical ecosystem. Opportunities and risks remain high: the interpretation of data—on-chain, market, and regulatory—is the compass for reading the next movements. Yet, discipline in reading the evidence remains central.

Methodological and Transparency Note

• On-chain: the specific wallet address and the relevant TX are not reproduced here; it is necessary to confirm the details through public explorers (e.g., Etherscan) and independent analyses.
• Valuations: the estimate “>4.3 billion $” is illustrative and based on a hypothetical price of $4,300/ETH updated as of September 5, 2025; for updated figures, use current spot data.
• Additional sources: CoinShares (flows), Electric Capital (developers), Beaconcha.in (staking), CoinGecko/CoinMarketCap (price history). Links included in the text.