Google searches for “How to Buy Ethereum” have reached their highest level since 2021, according to Google Trends data. Interest began climbing in early August 2025 and accelerated sharply in the past week, surpassing every peak recorded in the last three years.
The surge comes as Ether (ETH) traded between $4,670 and $4,700 on Aug. 13. This is within 5% of its all-time high of $4,878 set in November 2021. North Macedonia, Switzerland, Singapore, Slovenia, and Austria recorded the highest search activity.
Ethereum-focused treasuries now hold $16.4 billion worth of ETH, up from about $15 billion at the start of August. These holdings belong to corporations, institutions, and other large entities.
Standard Chartered Bank estimates that since early June 2025, corporate treasuries and Ethereum ETFs have purchased about 3.8% of all ETH in circulation. Treasury-focused companies acquired roughly 2.3 million ETH — about 1.9% of supply — in just two and a half months, with ETFs accounting for the remainder.
Ethereum’s network activity is also at record levels. CryptoQuant data shows 1.875 million transactions were processed on Tuesday — the highest daily count since Ethereum’s launch in 2015.
Jamie Elkaleh, chief marketing officer at Bitget Wallet, said companies are staking ETH to earn rewards while helping secure the network. Vitalik Buterin has warned that heavy leverage on such holdings could lead to forced liquidations in a downturn.
Spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds recorded $1.01 billion in net inflows on August 11. This is the largest single-day total since their launch. BlackRock’s ETHA and Fidelity’s FETH led the activity.
Two days later, on August 13, U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs logged $729.1 million in net inflows. This is the second-highest daily figure. Analysts linked the demand to Ethereum’s role in decentralized finance (DeFi) and Web3. Many also believe that improved sentiment following softer U.S. inflation data has contributed to demand for ETH.
President Donald Trump’s executive order allowing cryptocurrencies in 401(k) retirement plans could further boost long-term demand for Ethereum ETFs by opening them to retirement account allocations.
Ethereum has gained 25% so far in August, compared to Bitcoin’s 3% rise. Over the past 40 days, ETH has risen 90%, breaking through resistance levels between $4,300 and $4,500. Ethereum’s performance often precedes increased investment in other altcoins.
Standard Chartered Bank has raised its year-end 2025 Ethereum price forecast from $4,000 to $7,500. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s Head of Digital Assets Research, cited a combination of market momentum, policy changes, and technology developments as reasons for the revision.
Companies including BitMine and SharpLink have increased their ETH holdings by several hundred percent in recent weeks. While exact figures were not disclosed, such large-scale acquisitions have helped push ETH through technical resistance levels and supported the broader rally.
With public search interest at a three-year high, ETF inflows breaking records, and institutional and corporate holdings expanding rapidly, Ethereum is approaching a price range where a new all-time high could be tested in the near term.
