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Written by Haider Saleem
Journalist and Political Analyst | LinkedIn / X
BlackRock’s $85.4 million Ethereum purchase in July 2025 – here’s the details.
A Bold Bet from the World’s Largest Asset Manager
On July 3, 2025, BlackRock purchased 33,237 ETH, worth $85.4 million.[1] The buy came on the same day U.S. Ethereum ETFs recorded $148.5 million in total inflows – with BlackRock’s own ETHA ETF accounting for exactly $85.4 million of that.[2] This may be a milestone in Ethereum’s journey from crypto experiment to mainstream financial infrastructure.
What Is Ethereum?
Ethereum is a blockchain launched in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin. It supports smart contracts and apps (called dApps), using its native token Ether (ETH) for transactions.
· The Merge (2022): Ethereum shifted to proof-of-stake, cutting energy use and costs.[6]
· ETH Price (June 30, 2025): $2,463.62, up 1.19% that day.[6]
· Focus areas: Speed (rollups), usability (account abstraction), and ETH burning (to reduce supply).
Why Are Institutions Buying?
BlackRock’s ETH purchase wasn’t isolated. It’s part of a broader plan:
· Crypto added in H1 2025: +$24 billion
· ETH holdings rose: From $3.53B to $4.21B (+16.15%)
· Bitcoin holdings: Also up 31.3%[2]
More than 1.17 million ETH is now held in wallets tied to BlackRock’s ETF partners.[2] This isn’t just market exposure — it’s real ETH ownership.
Why Ethereum? Why Now?
Ethereum is evolving into an infrastructure layer – not just a trading token:
· Rollup tech: Faster and cheaper via Arbitrum, Optimism
· EIP-4844: Makes Layer 2 scaling smoother
· ERC-4337: Makes wallets easier to use
· ETH burning: Reduces supply, potentially increasing long-term value.[1][2]
A New Player: Ethereum Community Foundation (ECF)
At the Cannes event, a new group called the Ethereum Community Foundation (ECF) was introduced. It’s led by Zak Cole, a well-known Ethereum developer.
The ECF wants to:
1. Help projects that don’t make new coins
2. Support ways to reduce the total number of ETH
3. Focus on real-world uses like finance and public services
They also want ETH to someday reach a price of $10,000. While that’s not guaranteed, it shows they believe strongly in Ethereum’s future.
Ethereum Foundation’s Long-Term Strategy
Ethereum Foundation exec Tomasz Stańczak says their focus is:
· Interoperability between Layer 1 and Layer 2
· Validator incentives
· Fairness and neutrality for institutions[5]
He says firms care about reliability – not just speed.
Sources
1. Isabella Flores, CryptoNinjas, July 4, 2025. https://www.cryptoninjas.net/news/blackrocks-bold-85m-ethereum-buy-hints-at-crypto-confidence-surge-post-etf-turnaround/
2. Coin World, AInvest, July 4, 2025. https://www.ainvest.com/news/blackrock-buys-85-4-million-ethereum-institutional-surge-2507/
3. MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, July 4, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/04/the-ethcc-crypto-scene-at-cannes-shows-how-far-ethereum-has-come.html
4. OneSafe Blog, July 3, 2025. https://www.onesafe.io/blog/ethereum-community-foundation-eth-growth
5. Marco Castrovilli, Cointelegraph, July 4, 2025. https://cointelegraph.com/news/ethereum-comeback-strategy-foundation-exec-reveals-whats-next6. CE NoticiasFinancieras, June 30, 2025.
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