Institutional demand for Ethereum is accelerating, with exchange-traded products holding about 5.7 million ether—up from 3.3 million in April, a 73 percent jump in less than four months, according to data shared by market trackers. The sharp increase follows a sluggish start when Ether funds launched last year and signals a shift in appetite toward the second-largest cryptocurrency. The build-up in holdings has intensified debate over whether Ethereum’s network value could surpass Bitcoin’s. Fundstrat Global Advisors co-founder Tom Lee said ether could reach US$16,000 if the token’s ratio to bitcoin returns to its 2021 high. A separate monthly report from asset manager VanEck contends that Ethereum’s staking yield, lower inflation rate and holder-aligned governance structure could ultimately make it a preferred store of value over bitcoin. On-chain data also show Ethereum’s realized market-cap growth improving to 6.41 percent this week, outpacing Bitcoin and Solana. Analysts say the momentum reflects growing interest in tokenization projects, stablecoin issuance and other applications built on the Ethereum blockchain, which are drawing fresh institutional allocations even as broader crypto markets enter seasonally slower trading months.