Ethereum Gains Institutional Traction as AI Agents Seek Crypto Integration
Ethereum surpasses Bitcoin in perpetual futures volume amid institutional demand, while AI agents explore blockchain for interoperability.
Ethereum (ETH) is gaining significant institutional momentum, now accounting for 45% of perpetual futures volume, surpassing Bitcoin (BTC) at 38.1%, according to OKX Chief Commercial Officer Lennix Lai. ETH is trading at $2,770, up 11% this month, while BTC rose only 5%. Lai attributes this to ETH's role as a bridge between decentralized finance (DeFi) and traditional finance (TradFi).
- Glassnode reports (link) show long-term BTC holders realized $930M daily profits during rallies, yet supply grew, indicating accumulation outweighs distribution.
- ETH's rise is fueled by regulated DeFi access, while BTC benefits from ETF inflows.
- Macro risks remain, but Lai predicts $3,000 ETH is likely.
The stablecoin market hit an all-time high of $228B, with Tron leading inflows ($6B in May). Ethereum and Solana saw outflows as capital rotated to faster chains like Base and Solana.
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a16z Crypto (link) argues AI agents require blockchain for cross-platform transactions.
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Projects like Halliday and Catena are building protocols for agent-to-agent payments.
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DappRadar (link) reports gaming dominance fell to 19.4% due to lack of engaging gameplay.
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Venture funding dropped to $9M in May from $220M in late 2024.
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BTC: Fell 2% to $108.5K amid geopolitical tensions.
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ETH: Rose 5% to $2,800 on $815M ETF inflows.
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Gold: Up 0.97% to $3,363 on cooling U.S. inflation.
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About the Author
Dr. Lisa Kim
AI Ethics Researcher
Leading expert in AI ethics and responsible AI development with 13 years of research experience. Former member of Microsoft AI Ethics Committee, now provides consulting for multiple international AI governance organizations. Regularly contributes AI ethics articles to top-tier journals like Nature and Science.