Another exciting — and dramatic — week in crypto just wrapped up, and I wanted to share some key insights and my take on the market action.

Let’s start with Ethereum. ETH surged to a one-month high of $2,820, driven by steady institutional inflows into spot ETH ETFs. The growing interest is hard to ignore, especially with a potentially staking-enabled version of these ETFs on the horizon. The SEC is set to make a decision in October, and if it’s a green light, that could send ETH into a whole new orbit.

Altcoins followed ETH’s lead, logging some modest gains, but this week was clearly Ethereum’s time to shine. Bitcoin, on the other hand, took another run at reclaiming its all-time high of $112,000. It didn’t quite make it, but the attempt shows bullish intent is still there — despite some headwinds.

Speaking of macro, we got softer-than-expected U.S. inflation numbers, which briefly boosted risk appetite. Even more surprising was a tariff rollback deal between Washington and Beijing, returning to February levels. That’s a big move in a tense geopolitical climate and could signal some economic thawing.

But there’s a twist.

While spot ETH ETFs pulled in $281 million in net inflows (marking 15 consecutive days of gains), Bitcoin ETFs saw $132 million in outflows for the second week in a row. That shift in capital tells a compelling story about where institutions are leaning right now — and Ethereum seems to be in favor.

However, the week didn’t end on a high note.

By Friday, geopolitical tensions flared in the Middle East, sparking a brain-wave" target="_blank">wave of risk aversion across the markets. BTC dropped sharply to $103,000, and ETH lost all of its weekly gains. It was a brutal reminder that no matter how strong the fundamentals look, global events can flip the script in an instant.

So, where do we go from here?

Keep your eyes on the SEC’s October decision regarding ETH staking ETFs, watch how institutions continue to position themselves, and stay alert to global macro shocks. The market remains volatile, but within that chaos lies opportunity.

Let’s see how next week unfolds — and as always, stay smart, stay informed.