$25K Ethereum target ignites market buzz

August 13, 2025

 

Reading time: 5 minutes

Ethereum nears record as Standard Chartered lifts target to $25K by 2028

Key points:

  • Standard Chartered raises ETH price forecasts to $7,500 in 2025 and $25,000 by 2028, citing surging institutional demand, stablecoin growth, and network upgrades.

  • ETH trades near $4,700, just shy of its all-time high, as ETFs and treasury buying hit record levels.

News - Ethereum (ETH) is approaching its November 2021 record of $4,878 after climbing to an intraday high near $4,715, buoyed by heavy institutional inflows and bullish forecasts from Standard Chartered. The bank has more than doubled its 2025 target to $7,500 and now sees $12,000 in 2026, $18,000 in 2027, and $25,000 in 2028–2029.

Geoff Kendrick, the bank’s Head of Digital Assets Research, cited three primary catalysts: unprecedented treasury and ETF buying, the GENIUS Act’s regulatory boost for stablecoins, and upcoming Ethereum network upgrades. Treasury companies and spot ETFs have purchased 3.8% of all ETH in circulation since June: twice Bitcoin’s fastest institutional accumulation pace. Stablecoins, over half of which are issued on Ethereum, account for 40% of blockchain fees, with their market cap expected to grow to $2 trillion by 2028.

ETF demand is surging, with $2.3 billion in inflows over the past six days, including a record $1 billion on Monday. Treasury holdings now exceed $16.5 billion, led by BitMine Immersion Technologies’ 1.2 million ETH. More than 30% of ETH supply is staked, limiting sell pressure.

NFT market follows ETH higher - The NFT market cap has surged 40% since July to $9.3 billion, driven by Ethereum-based collections like CryptoPunks and Pudgy Penguins.

Analyst views - While Standard Chartered’s targets are ambitious, analysts say maintaining support above $3,350 is key. Some see ETH reaching $6,000 within a year, while others predict $10,000–$13,000 in a price discovery phase.

Dogecoin jumps as golden cross and whale bids fuel bullish sentiment

Key points:

  • DOGE surged 12.53% in 24 hours and 24.6% on the week, far outpacing the market’s 3.64% gain.

  • A first golden cross since November 2024 and over 1 billion DOGE in whale buys have strengthened near-term momentum.

News - Dogecoin outperformed the broader market in its latest rally, jumping 12.53% in the past day and 24.6% over the week, compared to the market’s 3.64% rise. Whale accumulation has been a key driver, with large holders scooping up more than 1 billion DOGE, worth about $200 million, in recent sessions.

Intraday action saw DOGE climb 5.6% from $0.225 to $0.233, touching a high of $0.238 before late profit-taking set in. Support has formed at $0.232 and $0.220, while resistance is evident at $0.235–$0.238.

Traders are closely watching Dogecoin’s first golden cross since November 2024, when the 50-day simple moving average crossed above the 200-day. The last signal on November 6, 2024, preceded a 130% rally in just four weeks. While analysts caution that the golden cross is not foolproof, many see it as a catalyst in memecoin cycles, especially when paired with strong accumulation trends.

DOGE’s rally has also reignited discussion of past milestones. The coin reached an all-time high of $0.57 in October 2021 and climbed to $0.47 during a sharp run in December 2024. Some market watchers now eye targets in the $0.45–$0.50 range if momentum holds, with the $1.00 mark seen as a long-term psychological barrier.

Levels to watch - DOGE is currently holding above $0.232 and $0.220, which traders see as key near-term supports. Immediate resistance sits between $0.235 and $0.238, and a breakout above this range could open the door to $0.45–$0.50, levels that acted as rally peaks in late 2024. Should momentum expand alongside broader market strength, bulls may set sights on the $1.00 milestone, though such moves require strong sector-wide participation.

Market context - Altcoins have also been on the move, with ETH up 27.8% over the past week, SOL climbing 22.4%, ADA rising 19.9%, and LINK leading with a 43.5% surge, underscoring strong risk appetite across the market.

Metaplanet’s Bitcoin play delivers record profits, outpaces Japan’s top stocks

Key points:

  • Metaplanet’s Q2 profit hit ¥11.1B ($75.1M), reversing a ¥5B loss last year, as BTC holdings swelled to 18,113 BTC worth about $1.85B.

  • The Tokyo-listed firm’s YTD gains of nearly 190% outperformed Japan’s TOPIX Core 30 index, beating giants like Toyota, Sony, and Mitsubishi.

News - Metaplanet Inc. has delivered the strongest quarter in its history, with aggressive Bitcoin accumulation driving a sharp turnaround in profitability and market performance. The Tokyo-listed firm reported a Q2 net income of ¥11.1 billion ($75.1 million), up from a ¥5 billion loss a year earlier. Ordinary profit surged to ¥17.4 billion ($117.8 million), while revenue rose 41% quarter-on-quarter to ¥1.239 billion ($8.4 million).

The company now holds 18,113 BTC, including 16,351 acquired in 2025, generating over ¥146.9 billion ($940 million) in unrealized gains. These holdings rank Metaplanet fourth globally and first in Asia among public corporate Bitcoin owners.

Year-to-date, Metaplanet’s share price has climbed almost 190%, far outpacing the TOPIX Core 30’s 7.2% average gain and outperforming top performers like Mitsubishi, Nintendo, and SoftBank Group. Shareholder numbers have grown to over 180,000, up 350% since its BTC pivot in late 2024.

BTC-backed expansion plans - Metaplanet has unveiled “Metaplanet Prefs,” a perpetual preferred equity instrument aimed at scaling its Bitcoin treasury, modeled after MicroStrategy’s approach. The firm also plans to develop a Bitcoin-backed yield curve for Japan’s fixed-income market, enabling BTC-collateralized instruments tailored for institutional investors.

To fund its long-term goal of acquiring 210,000 BTC, about 1% of total supply, by 2027, Metaplanet raised ¥242.4 billion ($1.64 billion) in Q2 through stock acquisition rights and is seeking further equity offerings. The company has also proposed increasing its authorized shares from 1.61 billion to 2.723 billion.

Market context - The record results come as Bitcoin trades near $120K, with analysts noting that macro drivers such as rising US debt and potential monetary easing could bolster BTC’s long-term outlook. This environment could indirectly benefit corporate holders like Metaplanet as they pursue aggressive accumulation strategies.

OKB triples to record high as OKX executes $7.6B token burn, overhauls X Layer

Key points:

  • OKX permanently burned 65.26M OKB worth $7.6B, slashing supply by 52% and capping it at 21M.

  • OKB’s price spiked over 200% to $142.88, shattering resistance amid record trading volumes.

News - OKB, the native token of OKX, surged to an all-time high of $142.88 after the exchange carried out its largest burn in history, permanently removing 65,256,712 tokens valued at $7.6 billion. The move cut total supply by 52% and fixed it at 21 million, mirroring Bitcoin’s scarcity model.

The burn, sourced from historical buybacks and treasury reserves, coincided with a sweeping upgrade to OKX’s Polygon-powered X Layer blockchain. The “PP Upgrade” increased throughput to 5,000 transactions per second, reduced gas fees to negligible levels, and improved Ethereum compatibility. OKX outlined plans to focus on DeFi, global payments, and tokenized real-world assets, while phasing out its OKTChain and Ethereum-based OKB in favor of X Layer-native tokens.

Ecosystem and market impact - Trading volume jumped 13,000% to $723 million as traders rushed to capitalize on the supply shock. OKB’s breakout cleared a 525-day descending resistance trend line, doubling its previous $73 peak before retracing around 25% as profit-taking set in.

Analysts note that sustained gains will depend on user adoption of X Layer and its integrated services, including OKX Wallet, OKX Exchange, and OKX Pay. The platform will also roll out an automatic smart contract burn mechanism, eliminating manual burns and minting to maintain strict supply discipline.

Strategic positioning - The supply cut positions OKX alongside major exchange tokens like Binance’s BNB in using deflationary economics to drive value. With a fixed cap and expanding utility, OKB could see continued institutional and retail interest, though volatility may remain elevated in the short term.

Did you know?

  • Divorcing couples in Australia are increasingly using cryptocurrency to hide assets during settlements, leveraging privacy coins or unregulated exchanges that complicate asset tracing despite digital footprints.

  • Do Kwon, co-founder of Terraform Labs, pleaded guilty on August 12, 2025, to U.S. charges including conspiracy to defraud tied to the $40 billion collapse of TerraUSD and Luna.

  • Standard Chartered raised its year-end Ether forecast to $7,500 on August 13, 2025, citing a 50% price surge in the past month and growth in stablecoin usage that could boost Ethereum network demand.

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Top 3 coins of the day

Dogecoin (DOGE)

Key points:

  • At press time, DOGE traded at $0.24, marking a 4.90% gain over the last 24 hours.

  • The price hovered near the upper Bollinger Band, while the CMF remained positive at 0.08, reflecting steady capital inflows.

What you should know:

Dogecoin prolonged its recent rebound, climbing toward the $0.25 mark after confirming a Golden Cross between the 50-day and 200-day SMAs on August 13, a historically bullish signal. This rally was reinforced by over $200M in whale purchases over the past two days, tightening sell-side liquidity and boosting sentiment. The price maintained a position near the upper Bollinger Band, while Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) values stayed in positive territory, indicating sustained buying pressure. A breakout above the $0.25 resistance could open the door to a retest of the $0.27–$0.30 zone. However, failure to hold above $0.24 may invite short-term profit-taking.

Key points:

  • At press time, SOL traded at $200, up 4.80% over the last 24 hours.

  • The Supertrend indicator remained in buy territory, while the EWO stayed positive at 4.77, suggesting sustained bullish momentum.

What you should know:

Solana extended its rally past the $200 mark after breaking through recent resistance levels, with the Supertrend indicator confirming a bullish signal since early August. The Elliott Wave Oscillator (EWO) stayed firmly positive, reinforcing upward momentum as daily trading volumes remained elevated. Additional tailwinds came from Pump.fun’s $16.2M SOL transfer to Kraken alongside 2.08B PUMP token unlocks, boosting on-chain activity. Institutional support also played a role, with Upexi holding $316M in SOL and forming a Solana-focused advisory team. If buying pressure holds, SOL could retest the $213 resistance, while $190 now acts as a near-term support to monitor.

Cardano (ADA)

Key points:

  • At press time, ADA was trading at $0.87, reflecting a 4.53% rise in the last 24 hours.

  • The price stayed above its 9-day SMA, while the Awesome Oscillator remained in positive territory at 0.0326, indicating bullish momentum.

What you should know:

Cardano climbed past the $0.86 level, extending its recent bullish streak as buying pressure persisted above the 9-day Simple Moving Average (SMA). The Awesome Oscillator’s green bars signaled continued upside bias, supported by a notable volume pickup. A key catalyst was Grayscale registering a Delaware trust for a potential Cardano ETF, a move viewed as a precursor to formal SEC filings. This spurred institutional optimism and speculation-driven inflows. If momentum holds, ADA could test resistance near $0.93, last seen in early August, while $0.85 now acts as immediate support to watch.

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