Ethereum Price Prediction: Bitmine Stakes $4B as Tom Lee Forecasts Recovery

Ethereum price today trades near $3,136 following news that Bitmine is staking nearly $4 billion worth of ETH, representing one-third of its $13 billion total holdings. Chair Tom Lee declared the “mini crypto winter” over and projects annualized staking revenue at $374 million, while ETH tests triangle resistance on the hourly chart amid improving technical momentum.

Bitmine Monday it “will be the largest staking provider in the entire crypto ecosystem” with projected annualized revenue exceeding $1 million daily. The firm, backed by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest, owns 3.45 percent of total ETH supply and targets 5 percent.

Lee stated that Bitmine “has staked more Ethereum than any other entities in the world,” positioning the company as the dominant institutional player in ETH staking. The move comes as the firm purchased another $76 million worth of Ethereum in the second week of January, demonstrating continued conviction despite price trading 37 percent below August all-time highs.

The staking announcement provides fundamental support as it locks substantial supply and generates yield for institutional holders. With Bitmine targeting 5 percent of total supply, the firm would need to acquire significantly more ETH at current levels, creating potential buying pressure.

Tom Lee has long been among the most bullish Ethereum analysts, charting a path to $250,000 per token representing a $30 trillion valuation. Lee argues that 2026 will see stablecoin adoption and tokenization drive blockchain to become the settlement layer of Wall Street, particularly favoring Ethereum.

Standard Chartered echoed the bullish sentiment, predicting ETH will hit $40,000 by 2030 citing institutional adoption. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, stated that “2026 will be the year of Ethereum, much like 2021 was.”

The institutional narrative gained momentum as JPMorgan selected Ethereum for its first-ever tokenized money market fund, an asset class valued at $9 trillion. Morgan Stanley filed for an Ethereum ETF earlier this month, adding to the growing list of traditional finance firms building on or investing in ETH infrastructure.

Exchange flow data shows $41.28 million in spot inflows on January 13, signaling accumulation after extended periods of mixed flows throughout 2025. When institutional players like Bitmine buy alongside positive retail flows, it typically precedes sustained moves rather than temporary bounces.

The spot flow pattern throughout 2025 showed volatility with large outflows during market stress and sporadic inflows during rallies. The current $41.28 million inflow, combined with Bitmine’s $76 million purchase, suggests conviction is building at current levels.

The hourly timeframe shows Ethereum breaking above triangle pattern resistance near $3,140. The RSI reads 58.89, neutral to slightly bullish after recovering from oversold conditions earlier in the week. The MACD shows a bullish crossover at 3.90, typically preceding upside moves on shorter timeframes.

Price is testing descending trendline resistance that has capped rallies since October. A clean break above $3,160 with volume would confirm the triangle breakout and target $3,280 initially. The pattern suggests compression is ending and a directional move is approaching.

Support sits at triangle lower boundary near $3,080. Holding this level keeps the breakout setup intact, while losing it would invalidate the pattern and expose $3,000 support.

The daily chart shows Ethereum trading in a tight cluster of exponential moving averages between $3,087 and $3,337. Key levels show:

Price sits just above the 20 and 50-day EMAs but below the 100 and 200-day averages. This EMA compression creates a neutral zone where either bulls or bears need to take control with conviction. The Parabolic SAR at $3,302 marks the first major resistance that must break to shift momentum firmly bullish.

A descending trendline from October highs sits just overhead near $3,200. Breaking this level along with the SAR would complete a reversal pattern and open a path toward $3,500.

The combination of Bitmine’s $4 billion stake, improving institutional adoption, and positive spot flows creates a bullish fundamental backdrop. If ETH breaks above $3,200 and reclaims the Parabolic SAR at $3,302, the triangle breakout confirms and targets $3,500 initially with further upside toward $3,800 if momentum builds.

If price loses triangle support at $3,080, the breakout becomes a false move. That would expose $3,000 support, with deeper downside toward $2,900 if selling accelerates and the January 15 Bitmine shareholder vote disappoints.

Breaking $3,200 confirms the triangle. Losing $3,080 invalidates the setup.