Live Ethereum Price Chart
The interactive chart below shows the Ethereum spot price (ETH/USD) in real time. Use the timeframe buttons to view Ethereum price movements from intraday trading to multi-year trends.
Latest Ethereum News & Analysis
Stay informed with our latest coverage of Ethereum markets, price movements, network upgrades, and expert analysis.
How to Invest in Ethereum
Investors have several options for gaining exposure to Ethereum, each with different characteristics, costs, and risk profiles.
Cryptocurrency Exchanges
The most direct way to buy Ethereum is through regulated cryptocurrency exchanges, which allow you to buy, sell, and hold ETH in a digital wallet:
Coinbase
User-friendly platform ideal for beginners. NASDAQ-listed, regulated in multiple jurisdictions. Offers staking services and a self-custody wallet.
Kraken
Advanced trading features with a strong security track record. Offers margin trading, futures, and staking for ETH.
Binance
World’s largest exchange by trading volume. Wide range of trading pairs, staking options, and DeFi integrations.
Gemini
Strong regulatory compliance and institutional-grade security. Founded by the Winklevoss twins, popular with US investors.
Ethereum ETFs
Since July 2024, spot Ethereum ETFs are available in the US, providing convenient exposure through traditional brokerage accounts without direct crypto custody:
iShares Ethereum Trust
BlackRock’s spot Ethereum ETF. The largest ETH ETF by assets under management, benefiting from BlackRock’s institutional distribution network.
Fidelity Ethereum Fund
Fidelity’s spot Ethereum offering. Backed by Fidelity Digital Assets’ custody infrastructure. Competitive expense ratio.
Grayscale Ethereum Trust
Converted from closed-end trust to spot ETF in July 2024. Long track record, though higher fees than newer competitors.
Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust
Low-cost spin-off of ETHE with a reduced expense ratio. Designed for cost-conscious investors seeking ETH exposure.
Ethereum Staking
Unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum uses Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus, allowing ETH holders to earn rewards by helping secure the network. Current staking APY ranges from 3-5% depending on network conditions:
Solo Staking
Run your own validator node for maximum decentralization and full rewards. Requires 32 ETH and technical knowledge to maintain uptime.
Liquid Staking (Lido, Rocket Pool)
Stake any amount and receive liquid tokens (stETH, rETH) usable in DeFi. Lido dominates with over 28% of all staked ETH.
Exchange Staking
Simplest option — stake directly through your exchange account. Lower yields due to platform fees, but zero technical complexity.
Restaking (EigenLayer)
Emerging protocol allowing staked ETH to secure additional networks simultaneously, potentially earning extra rewards on top of base staking yields.
Ethereum Futures
Ethereum futures trade on the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) with standard contracts of 50 ETH and micro contracts of 0.1 ETH. Futures offer leverage but require understanding of contract specifications, margin requirements, and rollover procedures. CME Ethereum futures are primarily used by institutional traders and hedge funds for both speculation and hedging.
Self-Custody Wallets
For maximum security and control over your Ethereum, self-custody wallets let you hold your own private keys. Hardware wallets like Ledger and Trezor provide cold storage with the highest security, while software wallets like MetaMask and Rainbow offer hot wallet convenience with full DeFi compatibility. The crypto principle “not your keys, not your coins” reflects the importance of self-custody for long-term holders.
Historical Ethereum Prices
Ethereum has experienced dramatic price cycles driven by technological milestones, DeFi booms, NFT manias, and broader crypto market sentiment. After reaching a new all-time high of $4,953 in August 2025 — driven by record ETF inflows and institutional adoption — the price has since retraced over 60%.
Ethereum Price History Chart
Key Price Milestones
| Date | Event | Price |
|---|---|---|
| August 2025 | New all-time high (ETF inflows, institutional adoption) | $4,953 |
| November 2021 | Previous all-time high (DeFi / NFT bull market) | $4,878 |
| March 2024 | Post-ETF approval rally | $4,090 |
| January 2024 | Pre-spot ETF anticipation | $2,700 |
| April 2023 | Shanghai upgrade (staking withdrawals enabled) | $1,900 |
| September 2022 | The Merge (PoW to PoS transition) | $1,600 |
| June 2022 | Bear market low (Terra/Luna, 3AC collapse) | $880 |
| January 2018 | ICO boom peak | $1,432 |
| December 2018 | Crypto winter bottom | $83 |
| June 2017 | First major rally | $400 |
| July 2015 | Ethereum mainnet launch | $0.75 |
| October 2015 | All-time low | $0.42 |
Major Network Upgrades
Ethereum’s price has been significantly influenced by major network upgrades that expanded its capabilities and improved scalability:
| Upgrade | Date | Key Changes | ETH Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier | July 2015 | Initial mainnet launch | $0.75 |
| Homestead | March 2016 | Stability and security improvements | $12 |
| Byzantium | October 2017 | Privacy and scalability enhancements | $300 |
| London (EIP-1559) | August 2021 | Fee burn mechanism — ETH becomes deflationary | $2,800 |
| The Merge | September 2022 | PoW to PoS transition — 99.95% energy reduction | $1,600 |
| Shanghai | April 2023 | Staking withdrawals enabled | $1,900 |
| Dencun | March 2024 | Proto-danksharding (blobs) — cheaper L2 fees | $3,500 |
| Pectra | 2025 | Account abstraction, validator improvements | — |
Ethereum surged over 110% in 2025, rising from approximately $2,255 in February to a new all-time high of $4,953 in August — fueled by record ETF inflows, corporate treasury adoption (59+ public companies holding ETH), and growing Layer 2 activity. However, the rally faded sharply in the final months of 2025, with ETH losing over 60% from its peak by early 2026 amid broader crypto market deleveraging.
See also:
Ethereum Key Statistics
What Drives the Ethereum Price?
Multiple factors influence Ethereum’s price movements, often simultaneously. As both a technological platform and a financial asset, ETH is uniquely sensitive to on-chain activity, macro trends, and competitive dynamics:
- Network usage and gas fees — Higher transaction volume and DeFi activity drive gas fees, which burn ETH via EIP-1559. Periods of high network usage make ETH deflationary, reducing circulating supply and supporting price.
- ETH burn rate (EIP-1559) — Since August 2021, a portion of every transaction fee is permanently burned. When burn exceeds issuance, ETH becomes net-deflationary — a powerful supply-side narrative unique among major cryptocurrencies.
- Staking dynamics — With approximately 23% of all ETH staked, a significant portion of supply is locked and earning yield rather than being traded. This reduces effective circulating supply and dampens sell pressure.
- Institutional adoption and ETF flows — The approval of spot Ethereum ETFs in July 2024 opened ETH to traditional finance. Net inflows from ETHA, FETH, and other ETFs have become a key demand driver, with record weekly inflows exceeding $2 billion in 2025.
- Layer 2 ecosystem growth — Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and zkSync process an increasing share of Ethereum transactions at lower costs. L2 growth drives ETH demand for settlement and security while expanding the overall user base.
- DeFi and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization — Ethereum hosts the majority of DeFi protocols with over $60 billion in total value locked. The growing trend of tokenizing real-world assets (bonds, equities, real estate) on Ethereum adds a new demand layer.
- Corporate treasury adoption — Over 59 public companies have added ETH to their balance sheets, attracted by staking yields and Ethereum’s role as blockchain infrastructure. This trend mirrors early Bitcoin corporate adoption.
- Network upgrades and roadmap progress — Ethereum’s ongoing roadmap (proto-danksharding, full danksharding, statelessness) signals continuous improvement. Each successful upgrade reinforces the bull thesis.
- Competition from alternative L1s — Solana, Avalanche, and other Layer 1 blockchains compete for developers and users. Ethereum’s dominance in DeFi and NFTs faces ongoing challenges from faster, cheaper alternatives.
- Macroeconomic environment — Like other risk assets, ETH is sensitive to interest rates, inflation expectations, and global risk sentiment. A risk-on environment typically benefits crypto, while tightening conditions weigh on prices.
Ethereum vs Bitcoin — Comparison
| Feature | Ethereum | Bitcoin |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Smart contracts, dApps, DeFi | Store of value, payments |
| Consensus mechanism | Proof of Stake (PoS) | Proof of Work (PoW) |
| Supply model | ~120.7M (deflationary post-Merge) | 21M hard cap (fixed) |
| Block time | ~12 seconds | ~10 minutes |
| Staking rewards | 3-5% APY | N/A (mining rewards only) |
| Energy usage | 99.95% less than PoW | High (mining-intensive) |
| All-time high | $4,953 (Aug 2025) | $109,241 (Jan 2025) |
| Smart contracts | Full (Solidity, Vyper) | Limited (Bitcoin Script) |
