Ethereum has seen an uptick in institutional interest in recent weeks; however, the price is consolidating in a tight range.
On-chain data has revealed that selling pressure from US-based whales and institutions has steadily declined over the past month despite the altcoin’s lackluster price performance.
Ethereum Demand Holds Strong Among US Investors
According to data from CryptoQuant, Ethereum’s Coinbase Premium Index (CPI) has remained consistently above the zero mark over the past month. This is a signal of sustained buying interest from U.S.-based investors.
This metric measures the difference between the ETH’s prices on Coinbase and Binance, and it is a good indicator for tracking US investor sentiment.
When the CPI rises, ETH trades at a premium on Coinbase compared to international exchanges. This reflects stronger buying pressure from US-based investors.
Conversely, when the CPI falls—or worse, turns negative—it signals that demand on Coinbase is lagging behind global markets due to profit-taking or waning interest among US buyers.
Therefore, despite its lackluster price performance in recent weeks, ETH’s steady CPI above the zero line suggests that US investors are continuing to buy rather than exit the market. This points to a measured accumulation trend rather than a sell-off.
Moreover, the consistent weekly inflows into ETH-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) confirm the sustained interest from key investors. Per SosoValue, these funds have recorded consistent weekly net inflows since May 9.
Total Ethereum Spot ETF Net Inflow. Source: SosoValue
This reflects a sustained appetite among institutional investors for exposure to ETH, even as its price action remains relatively muted.
ETH Trapped in Tight Range
Readings from the ETH/USD one-day chart confirm that ETH has been consolidating within the $2,750 to $2,424 price range since early May. If institutional investors increase their buying pressure and broader market sentiment improves, the coin could rally toward the $2,750 resistance level and potentially attempt a breakout above it.
If successful, ETH’s price could climb further to around $3,067.
However, if investors’ participation weakens and bearish pressure builds, ETH may fall back toward $2,424. It could decline toward $2,185 if that support fails to hold.
Layer-1 (L1) coin LTC is today’s top gainer, climbing 10% in the past 24 hours. The double-digit surge comes following a regulatory setback, as the US SEC delayed its decision on Canary Capital’s application for a spot Litecoin ETF.
However, the current LTC token upward momentum may be on shaky ground as technical indicators suggest a potential bearish reversal.
On Tuesday, after the SEC called for public comments on Canary Capital’s application for a spot Litecoin ETF, LTC plunged to a two-week low of $81.03.
However, the resurgence in trading activity across the broader crypto market over the past day has helped LTC rebound from this dip. It now trades at $91.68, with daily trading volume exceeding $850 million.
But, there is a catch. Key technical and on-chain indicators suggest a potential bearish reversal in the short term, as buyer exhaustion appears on the horizon.
For example, despite LTC’s rally, its Chaikin Money Flow (CMF), which measures buying and selling pressure, has declined, forming a bearish divergence. Readings from the daily chart show that this momentum indicator is declining and poised to breach the center line.
A CMF bearish divergence occurs when the price of an asset makes higher highs while the indicator makes lower highs. This suggests that buying pressure is weakening despite rising prices. The trend indicates a potential reversal or loss of upward momentum in the LTC market.
Moreover, on-chain readings show that LTC’s Network Realized Profit/Loss (NPL) is rising, indicating that coin holders are sitting on unrealized gains and may be tempted to sell. At press time, the NPL sits at 1.7 million.
This metric reflects the net profit or loss of all coins moved on-chain, based on the price at which they were last moved. A rising NPL suggests increasing profitability across the network.
This, in combination with LTC’s weakening buy pressure as reflected by its CMF, heightens the risk of short-term selling pressure as traders look to lock in profits.
Can Litecoin Hold Its Gains?
With strengthening bearish pressure, LTC buyers risk facing exhaustion soon. If new demand fails to come into the spot markets to support the LTC token rally, it could lose its current gains and fall to $82.88.
However, a bullish shift in market sentiment could prevent this. If buying activity soars, it could drive LTC’s price to $95.13. A breach of this resistance could catapult the altcoin toward $105.04.
Since peaking at an intraday price high of $0.0000176 on May 12, the leading meme coin, Shiba Inu (SHIB), has witnessed a 33% decline.
Due to the coin’s lackluster performance, on-chain data reveals that a significant portion of SHIB holders are currently at a net unrealized loss, signaling a state of capitulation in the market. What does this mean for investors?
SHIB Bleeds as 87% of Addresses Now ‘Out of the Money’
According to Glassnode, SHIB’s Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) metric shows that the meme coin is firmly in the capitulation zone.
SHIB Net Unrealized Profit/Loss. Source: Glassnode
The NUPL metric measures the difference between all holders’ total unrealized profits and unrealized losses relative to an asset’s market cap. It offers insight into whether the market, on average, is in a state of profit or loss.
Per Glassnode, market participants are in capitulation when an asset’s NUPL is negative. This occurs when the total unrealized losses in the market exceed unrealized gains, suggesting that most holders are underwater. It reflects a period of loss where investors either panic sell or hold in distress.
IntoTheBlock’s Global In/Out of the Money confirms this bearish sentiment. At press time, the metric shows that over 87.34% of all SHIB holders are currently “out of the money.”
SHIB Global In/Out of the Money. Source: IntoTheBlock
An address is considered “out of the money” when the current market price of the asset it holds is lower than the average acquisition cost of the tokens in that address. This means the holder would incur losses if they sold their assets at the market price.
SHIB Capitulates—But Is a Price Bottom Closer Than It Looks?
Historically, negative NUPL readings mark the late stages of a bearish cycle. It usually precedes a price bottom and eventual rebound in an asset’s price. This happens for two reasons.
First, when many holders are sitting on losses, they are often unmotivated to sell. Instead, they choose to wait for a recovery to break even. This behavior reduces selling pressure, which can help stabilize the asset’s price over time. As volatility declines and the price begins to consolidate, it creates conditions that encourage fresh SHIB buying and potentially drive the price upward.
Also, periods of capitulation tend to flush out “weak hands” while paving the way for “diamond hands” (more confident, long-term investors) to enter the market. These more resilient buyers accumulate during market distress, bringing in capital that could support a bullish price reversal.
Will SHIB Reclaim Higher Ground Above $0.000012?
At press time, SHIB trades at $0.00001180. If selling pressure wanes and fresh buying resumes, it could propel the meme coin past the immediate resistance at $0.0000198. A breach of this price barrier could propel SHIB toward $0.00001362.
However, if bearish pressure strengthens and the decline continues, SHIB’s price could fall to $0.00001105.
Adding to the short-term bearish outlook is SHIB’s declining burn rate. Over the past day, this has dropped by 92%. As fewer tokens are being taken out of circulation, it makes it harder for SHIB’s price to rally in the absence of new demand.
BeInCrypto sat down with members of the LBank team to analyze the possible resurgence of the meme coin market as a leading crypto narrative and what their fusion with artificial intelligence (AI) can have on their reach.
LBank also discussed the impact of the four-month-old Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation on its operations across Europe. They described a fundamental change in investor confidence in light of greater regulatory clarity and simplified accessibility.
Have Meme Coin Highs Given Way to Devastating Lows?
In recent years, the meme coin market has largely been characterized by overwhelming highs and devastating lows. The first few months of 2025 have further confirmed the volatile nature of these tokens, to the point that a vocal part of the crypto community believes that their recent lows have marked the end of the meme coin lifecycle.
These claims are not unfounded, especially now that the US President has become a meme coin player. When Trump launched his meme coin in mid-January, TRUMP reached a market capitalization of nearly $8.8 billion, a number never before seen by a meme coin launch.
When insider traders capitalized on the surge to sell off their holdings and retain millions of dollars in gains, retail investors bore the brunt of the massive sell-off, suffering hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
“The decline in meme coin market cap since January can be attributed to a combination of market dynamics and sentiment shifts. A key driver was the rapid rise and subsequent crash of the TRUMP token, which drew significant market capital due to its viral appeal but collapsed sharply, eroding investor confidence and triggering a broader risk-off sentiment,” Eric He, Community Angel Officer and Risk Control Adviser at LBank told BeInCrypto.
After similar experiences with the MELANIA token and the LIBRA launch, some of these retail investors realized that meme coins —as unregulated and unpredictable as they are— may not be the best investments.
Is the Meme Coin Frenzy Coming to a Halt?
Given the devastating effects that these episodes have had on the meme coin market, trading has reduced significantly. The crypto community seems to have become saturated with news of pump-and-dump schemes and rug pulls, likely contributing to a halt in the meme coin frenzy.
The total meme coin market capitalization has been free-falling since January’s peak following the presidential token launches. Now, its levels resemble those of September 2024. The greater economic downturn that traditional and crypto markets experienced over the past several weeks has only worsened prospects.
Yet, despite this downward pressure, the market still experiences a high level of activity. It has a $14.5 billion trading volume and a $57 billion market capitalization.
Total meme coin market capitalization. Source: CoinGecko.
According to the LBank team, the meme coin industry is due for a revival.
LBank’s Belief in the Revival of the Meme Coin Market
Though the decline in meme coin performance has been significant, the LBank team expressed that these circumstances are far from unexpected. Meme coins are inherently tied to community support and social momentum.
The sustained trading volumes and large market capitalization serve as tangible indicators that, even in a downturn, the market is seeing active community engagement and liquidity. Investors still see value in the tokens’ cultural and speculative appeal.
“We see it as a healthy market correction rather than a fundamental shift. Meme coins have always been volatile, but the fact that trading volumes remain high shows continued interest. What’s happening now is not the end of the trend—it’s just a recalibration before the next wave,” Mario Iemma, Head of Spanish Markets at LBank, told BeInCrypto.
In fact, Iemma believes that meme coins will not be dying out anytime soon.
AI agents represented the first significant shift in the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry. These autonomous systems proved that they could make decisions and perform tasks independently. This technology enhances intelligence, adaptability, and fairness in financial mechanisms.
Now, developers have unlocked artificial intelligence’s potential on tokens. Systems like Grok have already made news by using AI to automatically and independently design and launch tokens.
However, with a nascent technology like AI, the LBank team emphasized the need for responsible and thorough deployment for the long-lasting success of AI-generated tokens. This success hinges on two particular factors: accessibility and security.
Security and Accessibility Challenges for AI-Generated Tokens
The concept of security is frequently associated with any emerging technology. Artificial intelligence is no exception, especially in a particularly unregulated industry like crypto.
According to He, AI-generated token projects’ degree of security and transparency will determine their success.
Iemma agreed, adding that if AI-generative tokens become widely accessible, this development will also require additional layers of oversight.
“That same accessibility demands better filters, vetting, and AI-based security audits—areas where exchanges like LBank are already investing resources,” he said.
While reflecting on the security risks associated with artificial intelligence and the breaches in consumer trust that meme coins have had on the crypto community, the LBank team also emphasized the need for greater regulation in the industry.
The development of cryptocurrency regulations varies significantly across the globe. Notably, the European Union implemented comprehensive rules almost five months ago, while key markets such as the United States are still establishing adequate frameworks.
MiCA’s Effect on the European Crypto Market
Last December, with the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, the European Union became the first jurisdiction to establish a comprehensive and unified regulatory framework for crypto-assets across all its member states, marking a significant milestone.
According to the LBank team, MiCA gives users and institutions a trustworthy framework. This development has proven critical for industry growth across the region.
“MiCA has forced firms to become more transparent and compliant, which is a good thing for long-term trust. We’ve seen exchanges accelerate their legal and operational upgrades. For users, it creates a safer, more predictable environment,” Iemma said, adding, “With clearer rules, banks and investment firms are more willing to explore crypto partnerships, custody solutions, and even tokenized assets. Regulation reduces reputational risk, and MiCA is helping bridge that gap.”
However, this experience can be largely attributed to established firms in the industry and investors with access to substantial resources. Other players, however, have struggled to gather the requirements to apply for a MiCA license.
Future Accommodation for Smaller Crypto Businesses
In discussing the impact of MiCA since its enactment last December, He highlighted how different industry players have responded to the landmark regulation. He noted that startups struggle the most to obtain an operational license.
When evaluating the cost-effectiveness of an operational license, He’s conclusions make sense.
MiCA is an expensive regulation. It mandates minimum capital requirements based on the crypto services offered. These requirements range from €50,000 for advisory and order-related services to €125,000 for exchange and trading platforms and up to €150,000 for custody services. Businesses must maintain this capital as a financial safeguard.
Beyond minimum capital requirements, companies must factor in government and legal fees, local presence costs, bank setups, and ongoing operational costs. But for prominent exchanges like LBank, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Future MiCA updates could address the high compliance costs for smaller businesses. Meanwhile, other regions developing their crypto regulations should consider this aspect to avoid creating similar barriers.
