💥 Gate Square Event: #PostToWinPORTALS# 💥
Post original content on Gate Square related to PORTALS, the Alpha Trading Competition, the Airdrop Campaign, or Launchpool, and get a chance to share 1,300 PORTALS rewards!
📅 Event Period: Sept 18, 2025, 18:00 – Sept 25, 2025, 24:00 (UTC+8)
📌 Related Campaigns:
Alpha Trading Competition: Join for a chance to win rewards
👉 https://www.gate.com/announcements/article/47181
Airdrop Campaign: Claim your PORTALS airdrop
👉 https://www.gate.com/announcements/article/47168
Launchpool: Stake GT to earn PORTALS
👉 https://www.gate.com/announcements/articl
Ethereum Aiming for Strongest Q3 Since Its Inception, Forecast to Reach 7,500 USD
Ethereum is on track to reach its highest level in Q3 since the network launched in 2015, up 83% so far and boosting forecasts that the price could reach $7,500 by the end of the year. Ethereum Aiming for the Best Q3 Since Its Inception Ethereum is on track to achieve its highest profit level in the third quarter since this network went live in 2015. Data from Coinglass shows that ETH has delivered a profit of over 83% in the third quarter of 2025, far exceeding the historical average of 8.19% and nearly ten times the long-term average of 9.3%.
No third quarter has achieved this level. The last time was in 2020, when Ether increased by 59.5%, followed by 31.86% in 2021. The price surge began in July, when Ethereum rose by 49% in just one month, the best growth since July 2022. This increase continued into August, when the price reached $4,946 on August 25, surpassing the all-time high set in November 2021. At the time of writing, ETH is trading at around $4,550, down more than 8% from the peak.
Price volatility is particularly noteworthy when considering Ethereum's seasonal performance. In the last nine third quarters, six quarters have ended in the negative. Q3 2018 saw a decrease of 48.69%, Q3 2019 decreased by 37.43%, and Q3 2022 only achieved a modest increase of 24.09% after significant losses earlier in the year. In this context, 2025 is breaking long-standing patterns. History also shows that strong growth in Q3 often lays the groundwork for further advances. In 2017, the price of ETH increased by about 27% in the third quarter before tripling in the next six months. In 2021, the price of ETH rose by 31.86% in the third quarter, followed by a spike that brought the price of this token from around $2,300 at the end of September to nearly $4,900 in November. Amidst the many activities surrounding the price of Ethereum, the current question is: where will the price of Ethereum go next? Cash Flow, ETF, and the Position Behind the Price of Ethereum Capital flows from institutions are a key factor determining the price performance of Ethereum in the third quarter of 2025. Data from CoinShares shows that in the week ending August 15, digital asset funds recorded an inflow of $3.75 billion, the fourth highest in history. Of this, Ethereum-related products accounted for $2.87 billion, or 77% of the total. By mid-August, the flow of money into Ethereum funds has reached 11 billion dollars since the beginning of the year, supported by an increase in assets under management across multiple providers. The United States is the main driving force behind this growth momentum. Spot Ethereum ETFs listed in the United States have attracted $7.1 billion in net inflows this year, of which $5.3 billion came just in the last month. The iShares Ethereum Trust has expanded its assets from under $2 billion in mid-April to nearly $13 billion. The total amount held in ETH ETFs listed in the United States has now exceeded $23 billion, creating a foundation of stable demand that was absent in previous cycles. At the same time, buying activity continues to outpace selling demand, indicating that investors are focusing more on seizing the upward trend rather than hedging against the downward trend. Liquidity has also improved along with this influx of capital. The bid-ask spread on major exchanges has narrowed more compared to the beginning of 2025, reflecting deeper participation from both ETF and derivative traders. Overall, the record ETF inflows, increasing exposure to futures contracts, and concentrated options buying indicate why institutional money is driving Ethereum's strongest performance in Q3 so far. The Basic Factors and Upgrades Shaping the Price of Ethereum The network upgrade has played an important role in supporting the price of Ethereum this year. The Pectra upgrade, activated in May 2025, introduced several Ethereum Improvement Proposals aimed at enhancing scalability, user experience, and validator efficiency. The most notable is EIP-7702, which adds features such as account abstraction, allowing wallets to operate more flexibly without compromising security. Meanwhile, EIP-7251 has raised the maximum validation limit, making it easier to consolidate staking activities. The higher blob target also helps reduce transaction costs on roll-up packages by improving data availability for layer 2 networks. These changes have affected the usage pattern. The average transaction costs on large contract packages, including Arbitrum ( ARB ) and Optimism ( OP ), have decreased since May. The cheaper data storage has helped applications scale more easily on Ethereum than switching to rival chains. This change is reflected in the increase of total value secured on layer 2 platforms, which has now exceeded 44 billion dollars, according to L2Beat.
The staking data also shows a similar trend. Currently, there are over 35 million ETH being staked, equivalent to about 29% of the circulating supply.
The betting rate has steadily increased since the merger in 2022, indicating growing confidence in Ethereum's long-term yield model. At the same time, the issuance activity remains nearly neutral. The burn mechanism introduced in EIP-1559 continues to offset new issuance during high activity phases, keeping the net supply growth close to 0. The development process is currently shifting towards the next upgrade, Fusaka, expected to launch by the end of 2025. Key proposals include PeerDAS, a distributed data sampling system designed to further reduce costs for aggregation, along with improvements to blob creation operations. If implemented on schedule, these changes will help reduce costs for developers and strengthen Ethereum's position as the foundational layer for decentralized applications. Ethereum Price Prediction and Technical Analysis The price of Ethereum is consolidating after setting a new high. Market analyst Ted Pillows notes that Ether is currently testing the support level of $4,560. If this area is broken, the next important level will be around $4,350, where buyers have previously participated.
At the same time, on August 13, Standard Chartered raised its year-end target for ETH from $4,000 to $7,500, citing stable ETF capital flows and stronger fundamentals. Technical analysts point out that a sustained move above the $5,000 level could pave the way for a range of $5,500–$6,000 in the near future, with higher forecasts possible if the cash flow remains stable and the derivatives position is maintained. The challenge lies in volatility. A massive withdrawal of ETF funds in just one day or a broader macroeconomic shock can quickly reverse the growth trend. Currently, the path ahead depends on key thresholds. Staying above $4,560 and reclaiming $5,000 will maintain the upward momentum towards $6,000–$7,500. However, a drop below $4,350 could trigger deeper short-term corrections. The fundamental factors and demand from institutions for Ethereum seem stronger than in previous cycles, but the price remains volatile and closely tied to macro conditions, capital flows, and the timeline of upgrades. As always, trade wisely and never invest more than you can afford to lose.