The cryptocurrency market is witnessing a stark divergence in institutional behavior, with the Ethereum Foundation making a significant long-term commitment while corporate treasuries continue to liquidate holdings. According to reports from CoinDesk, the Ethereum Foundation deposited $93 million worth of ETH into staking validators on April 3, 2026, completing its target of 70,000 ETH. This move represents a strategic shift from selling to earning yield, potentially reducing sell pressure on the Ethereum network in the longer term.
This action contrasts sharply with the actions of several public companies. Genius Group liquidated its entire crypto treasury of 84.15 BTC on April 1, joining other firms like Riot, MARA, and Nakamoto in offloading over 19,000 BTC during the first quarter of 2026, as reported by CryptoPotato. This sell-off highlights growing pressure on corporate balance sheets during the ongoing market downturn.
Amid this backdrop of uneven institutional flows, a new project called Pepeto is generating presale momentum ahead of a confirmed Binance listing. Pepeto, a contract scanning and zero-fee trading platform, has raised $8.68 million in its presale at a token price of $0.0000001862, despite a market Fear and Greed Index reading of 9 (extreme fear). The project, which scans tokens across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana, is backed by a founder involved with the Pepe meme coin and has been audited by SolidProof. Its presale FDV is approximately $78 million, and it offers staking at 188% APY.
Meanwhile, Ethereum's price action remains under pressure. Trading at $2,023 on April 5, ETH is down 58% from its August 2025 peak of $4,953. The asset faces key resistance at $2,250 and $2,500, with critical support at $2,000. Analysts like those at Standard Chartered hold a year-end price target of $7,500, but reaching a level like $10,000—which would imply a $1.2 trillion market cap—is considered more realistic for the 2027-2028 timeframe, contingent on a broader macro recovery and post-halving momentum.
In a separate development, EthereumPoW (ETHW) is showing tentative signs of recovery after a prolonged bearish phase that pushed its price from above $0.32 to a low near $0.24. The token is currently testing resistance near $0.27, with its Relative Strength Index (RSI) climbing from oversold conditions. Holding the $0.255 support level is seen as critical for sustaining any short-term recovery. Long-term price predictions for ETHW suggest a potential range of $0.30 to $0.38 for 2026, extending to $0.60 to $0.80 by 2030, dependent on broader market conditions and ecosystem adoption.
