ETH Open Interest Up 26% as Market Rally Signals Renewed Trader Interest

Ethereum has managed to keep the price above the $2,300 level, pulling away from the mid-March dip near $1,940. The latest price action arrives amid a broader sense of resilience, underpinned by spot demand and a resurgence in futures activity that traders are watching closely for signs of a lasting momentum shift after a long run of attempts to reclaim the $2,400 mark.

According to CoinGlass, ETH futures open interest has climbed to about $25.4 billion, suggesting growing appetite for leveraged exposure even as spot demand plays a key role in supporting prices. The move comes as the market consolidates a more constructive tone after weeks of struggle to reestablish the $2,400 threshold, with price action stabilizing near the current range as macro headlines ebb and flow.

Key takeaways

• Spot demand and institutional inflows anchor the rally: US-listed Ether spot ETFs saw about $248 million in net inflows over the past 10 days, reinforcing a narrative of solid cash-based buying. Bitmine Immersion’s ETH holdings have grown to 4.87 million ETH, equating to roughly $11.46 billion at current prices.
• Abstract risk remains despite price momentum: The perpetual ETH funding rate has struggled to stay above 5% since Friday and has dipped into negative territory at times, signaling cautious sentiment among bulls even as futures exposure expands.
• DApp activity wanes even as demand indicators hold: Ethereum weekly DApps revenue has slipped to about $11 million, down from roughly $24 million in early February, raising questions about near-term on-chain demand and ETH’s ability to sustain a broader network activity rebound.
• Market backdrop and ETF flows temper the upside: Ether ETFs report about $13.7 billion in assets under management, down from $20.5 billion three months earlier, while the S&P 500 hit new all-time highs—creating a mixed macro environment for crypto risk assets.

Spot demand versus on-chain activity

From a price perspective, ETH’s current zone of support around $2,300 has coincided with a pickup in spot-market interest. The net inflows into U.S.-listed Ether spot ETFs over the last 10 days provide a tangible signal that some market participants prefer owning ETH outright rather than relying solely on derivatives to express exposure. Those inflows come at a time when spot demand appears to be the primary driver behind recent price stability, even as derivatives metrics present a more nuanced story.

Bitmine Immersion—a digital asset treasury company—announced a fresh tranche of ETH purchases totaling about $312 million, boosting its holdings to 4.87 million ETH. That stockpile is valued today at roughly $11.46 billion. However, data from CoinGecko shows those holdings are trading approximately 13% below their acquisition cost, underscoring that the profitability of such stockpiling is sensitive to price swings and timing. The broader ETF ecosystem reflects a similar narrative: Ether’s US-listed ETF assets under management sit around $13.7 billion, down from $20.5 billion three months prior, highlighting a shifting appetite for passive exposure alongside ongoing volatility in crypto markets.

Complicating the picture is a macro backdrop where traditional equities have shown strength, with the S&P 500 reaching new highs on the same trading day as ETH’s rally. In this environment, investors appear to be weighing the potential for a systemic crypto rebound against competing macro drivers and sector-specific headwinds.

Derivatives sentiment and price action

Despite rising futures exposure, the market’s sentiment signals remain cautious. The ETH perpetual futures funding rate has not convincingly held above the 5% annualized threshold since last Friday, with several readings dipping below zero. In theory, a healthy long-speculation premium would be expected when bulls are confident, but the data suggests that the market continues to price in considerable risk and a need to justify the rally with more concrete on-chain activity or macro catalysts. Still, some analysts argue that the current price action is more reflective of spot demand supporting prices than of a wholesale shift in derivatives positioning.

Data from Laevitas tracking perpetual funding rates paints a nuanced picture: periods of neutrality—roughly in the 5% to 10% range under typical conditions—have given way to readings that imply a tilt toward neutral-to-cautious positioning. In other words, while more capital appears to be entering ETH futures, the cost of carry signals a measured approach rather than an unreserved bullish bet.

All told, the divergence between rising open interest and middling funding signals suggests a market in which investors are content to accumulate exposure through a mix of spot and regulated derivatives, yet remain wary about extending momentum without clearer catalysts. In this context, the rally to the mid-$2,300s—around the $2,350 mark at times—could prove to be a test of whether spot demand alone can sustain a more durable upside, or if a fresh burst of on-chain activity and ecosystem development is needed to push ETH back into the $2,400 realm and beyond.

DApps activity and competitive dynamics

One of the more telling questions for ETH’s medium-term trajectory is whether on-chain activity can rebound alongside price. Data tracked by DefiLlama shows Ethereum’s weekly DApps revenue sliding to about $11 million, down from roughly $24 million in February. While the burn mechanism built into Ethereum’s consensus layer continues to be cited by supporters as a structural incentive for long-term holders, near-term on-chain throughput and usage have not yet picked up in a way that would meaningfully lift network activity across the board.

Investors are also contending with an increasingly competitive landscape. While Ethereum remains the dominant smart contract platform, other blockchains focused on specialized use cases—such as high-throughput cross-chain solutions and niche dApp ecosystems—are drawing developers and users with tailored incentives and efficiency gains. This competition complicates the narrative that ETH is simply a one-way bet on rising on-chain demand. The divergence between rising price and stagnating or contracting on-chain activity underscores a nuanced risk-reward balance for traders and long-term holders alike.

What to watch next

As ETH hovers in a $2,300–$2,350 corridor, investors will be watching for a few key signals. A sustained increase in spot ETF inflows would reinforce the case for a renewed, spot-driven uptrend, especially if institutional buyers continue to accumulate ETH rather than diversify into alternatives. Conversely, a meaningful rebound in DApps activity or a shift in the funding-rate dynamic that points to stronger bullish conviction could catalyze a more decisive move toward the $2,400 level and beyond.

Macro drivers remain pivotal: any acceleration in risk appetite among traditional markets, or a rollback of tethered risk within the broader crypto ecosystem, could alter ETH’s trajectory. For now, the market presents a mixed picture—spot demand and institutional buying provide a floor, while on-chain activity and competitive pressures keep the upside under scrutiny.

This article reflects data from CoinGlass, SoSoValue, CoinGecko, Laevitas, and DefiLlama, among others, and is intended to illuminate how recent developments might shape ETH’s near-term path. As always, readers should monitor evolving liquidity, funding signals, and real-world usage to gauge whether the current rally can translate into a sustained recovery or remains a tactical pause before the next leg.