
Standard Chartered Bank says Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)-focused corporate treasuries have already purchased 1% of all ETH in just two months and could grow to own as much as 10% of the total supply.
What Happened: The projection reflects a shift in digital asset allocation strategy among public companies, with Ethereum gaining preference over Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) due to yield-generating capabilities and regulatory arbitrage advantages.
According to a July 29 research note by Standard Chartered’s Digital Assets division, the volume of ETH bought by corporate treasury companies since early June has matched the strongest recorded flows into ETH exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
These ETH treasury companies are outpacing their Bitcoin-focused counterparts, both in pace and potential.
The report argues that ETH treasuries offer structural benefits over BTC ones: they can participate in staking, access decentralized finance (DeFi) yields, and benefit from inefficiencies in jurisdictional regulations, unlike U.S.-based Ethereum ETFs that are restricted from staking.
These advantages, Standard Chartered suggests, make ETH corporate treasuries more compelling long-term investment vehicles.
The bank forecasts that ETH treasury holdings, currently at 1% of the total circulating ETH, could expand tenfold to reach 10% of the total supply.
This shift may reflect a broader institutional pivot toward Ethereum as a productive asset, rather than a static store of value.
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Why It Matters: Ten publicly traded companies collectively hold 1,367,800 ETH, valued at approximately $5.24 billion, as Ethereum trades at $3,830 per token, according to data posted by Milk Road on X.
This significant accumulation underscores Ethereum's growing role as a corporate treasury asset.
Bitmine (AMEX:BMNR) leads with 566,700 ETH, valued at $2.17 billion, making it the largest public company holder of Ethereum.
Sharplink Gaming (NASDAQ:SBET) follows with 438,200 ETH, worth $1.68 billion, reflecting its strategic focus on blockchain and digital assets.
Crypto exchange Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) holds 137,300 ETH, valued at $525.86 million, representing a substantial portion of its corporate treasury.
Bit Digital (NASDAQ:BTBT) owns 120,300 ETH, with a valuation of $460.75 million, having diversified from Bitcoin mining to Ethereum staking.
BTCS Inc. (NASDAQ:BTCS) holds 70,000 ETH, worth $268.1 million, leveraging its assets for staking revenue.
Bitcoin Group (OTC:BTGGF) possesses 10,300 ETH, valued at $39.45 million, while GameSquare (NASDAQ:GAME) holds 10,100 ETH, worth $38.68 million, as part of its expanded treasury mandate.
Intchains (NASDAQ:ICG) owns 7,000 ETH, valued at $26.81 million, integrating blockchain into its operations.
KR1 plc (OTC:KROEF) holds 5,400 ETH, worth $20.68 million, maintaining a presence in the crypto space.
Exodus Movement (AMEX:EXOD) rounds out the list with 2,500 ETH, valued at $9.58 million, benefiting from significant unrealized gains.
These corporate holdings, which now surpass the 1% mark of total ETH supply, align with Standard Chartered’s data and underline the accelerating role of corporates in ETH's market structure.
The ETH-BTC trading pair has also strengthened notably since these purchases began.
According to Standard Chartered, the ETH/BTC cross has risen from 0.018 in April to 0.032 by late July, marking Ethereum's best relative performance period this year, supported in part by treasury and ETF inflows.
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