Institutions Move $3B Into ETH & SOL as ETFs Gain Traction

- Institutional investors channel $3 billion into Ethereum (ETH) and $531 million into Solana (SOL). - ETFs, staking incentives, and corporate treasury allocations drive demand. Recent market reports show institutional investors reallocated $3 billion into Ethereum (ETH) and $531 million into Solana (SOL) by mid-July 2025, a shift driven by spot ETF growth and staking incentives. This trend underscores a pivot in cryptocurrency portfolio strategies as large financial entities adopt more diversified, yield-focused investment approaches. On July 21, 2025, Cryptopolitan reported that institutional investors had collectively acquired over $3 billion in ETH and $531 million in SOL as of July 18. According to the report, Coinbase attributes these acquisitions to the rise of staking as a long-term strategy, with institutions now actively staking significant portions of ETH and SOL to generate yield alongside their token holdings. Ethereum ETFs have seen massive inflows, netting $2.27 billion in investments in July alone. Meanwhile, Solana ETFs are gaining traction among U.S. institutions. While a spot Solana ETF awaits SEC approval, the REX-Osprey Solana + Staking ETF has already drawn $73 million in early institutional allocations. Regulatory experts predict a high likelihood—up to 99%—that staked crypto ETFs will gain approval, which could spark additional demand for Solana. Corporate treasury strategies amplify this shift. As of mid-July, institutional entities have allocated 825,000 ETH (valued at approximately $3 billion) and 2.95 million SOL (valued at approximately $531 million) to corporate account holdings. These treasury acquisitions showcase cryptocurrency's growing status as a stable asset on institutional balance sheets. Liquidity flows, ETF developments, and speculative events appear to influence short-term price movements more than blockchain upgrades, a trend that holds true for both Ethereum, with its network-scaling EIPs, and Solana, with its Alpenglow upgrade for faster transactions. For example, in its July 21 analysis, Coinbase highlighted a key driver of recent price trends that surpassed technological advancements: the $897 million liquidation of ETH shorts during a dramatic May squeeze. According to market data from July 21, 2025, Ethereum (ETH) was trading at $3,749.51 as of 20:15 UTC, a 0.35% change over 24 hours, while Solana (SOL) was priced at $195.96 at 20:14 UTC, an 8.37% rise over the same period.