Ethereum’s Rising Star: ARK Invest Bets Big on BitMine and Nvidia

In a bold move signaling strong confidence in Ethereum's decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, Cathie Wood's ARK Invest has significantly reshuffled its portfolio. The firm has doubled down on BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) and Nvidia (NVDA), while exiting positions in crypto-centric stocks like Coinbase and Robinhood. ARK Invest acquired 572,853 BMNR shares worth $20 million, further solidifying its stake in what Wood views as a pivotal player in Ethereum's DeFi landscape. BitMine now boasts over $2.1 billion in ETH treasury assets, underscoring its growing influence in the space. This strategic shift highlights ARK's bullish outlook on Ethereum's long-term potential and the infrastructure supporting it, including Nvidia's role in powering blockchain technologies. As of August 2025, these moves reflect a broader trend of institutional investors deepening their commitments to blockchain and DeFi innovations.

ARK Invest Shifts Portfolio: Buys Into BitMine and Nvidia, Exits Coinbase and Robinhood

Cathie Wood's ARK Invest made significant portfolio adjustments this week, doubling down on BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) and Nvidia (NVDA) while divesting from crypto-centric stocks. The firm acquired 572,853 BMNR shares valued at $20 million, increasing exposure to what Wood sees as a key player in Ethereum's DeFi ecosystem. BitMine now holds over $2.1 billion in ETH treasury assets.

Nvidia positions were bolstered as the chipmaker's stock continues breaking records, reflecting ARK's confidence in AI infrastructure plays. Meanwhile, the fund liquidated stakes in Coinbase (COIN), Robinhood (HOOD), and Block Inc. (XYZ) - a MOVE that suggests strategic reallocation rather than sector abandonment.

The purchases were split between ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) with $14 million in BMNR shares and Ark Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) adding $4.5 million. BitMine now represents 0.193% and 0.194% of these funds respectively, signaling measured but growing conviction in Tom Lee-backed ethereum infrastructure plays.

Linea Unveils ETH-Centric Roadmap to Boost Ethereum Alignment

Linea, Consensys' layer-2 solution, has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to position itself as Ethereum's most aligned rollup. The plan introduces native staking for bridged ETH, a protocol-level ETH burn mechanism covering 20% of net fees, and an 85% token allocation targeting builders and users. These measures aim to enhance ETH's productivity while deliberately constraining supply.

The strategy appears calibrated to avoid pitfalls experienced by Blast, which attracted $2 billion in TVL through stETH yield mechanisms before suffering rapid liquidity depletion post-airdrop. Linea's approach maintains ETH's native status while promising future staking yields and fast withdrawals—though implementation timelines reveal staggered deployment across Status L2 before reaching Linea Mainnet.

Notably, Linea functions as both a standalone network and a modular zkEVM stack, drawing parallels to Optimism's OP Stack and Polygon's AggLayer CDK. This dual architecture suggests broader ambitions in the rollup infrastructure space beyond its immediate ETH-centric upgrades.

SEC Initiates Review of BlackRock's Ethereum ETF Staking Proposal

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has formally acknowledged Nasdaq's proposal to amend BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), potentially allowing the fund to stake its ETH holdings. The revised filing removes previous restrictions on staking and introduces a dedicated section authorizing direct or third-party staking, with rewards treated as taxable income.

Analysts anticipate accelerated approval timelines despite the 2026 deadline noted in Nasdaq's submission. Competing exchanges are pursuing similar staking capabilities for Ethereum ETFs, with Cboe seeking authorization for Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and others, while NYSE Arca advances Bitwise and Grayscale's proposals.

180 Life Sciences Pivots to Ethereum with $425M Treasury Plan, Rebrands as ETHZilla

Nasdaq-listed biopharma firm 180 Life Sciences is abandoning anti-inflammatory drug research to become ETHZilla, a corporate Ethereum powerhouse. A $425 million private placement—backed by Electric Capital, Polychain, and founders of Lido and Compound—will fuel the creation of what could rank among the largest corporate ETH treasuries.

The move reflects institutional confidence in Ethereum's yield-generating potential. ETHZilla plans to actively deploy its holdings in DeFi protocols, with Electric Capital managing staking, liquidity provisioning, and lending strategies. Standard Chartered's prediction that corporate treasuries may eventually hold 10% of ETH's supply lends credence to the strategy.

This pivot exemplifies a broader trend of traditional finance embracing crypto-native strategies. The involvement of Ethereum ecosystem heavyweights suggests institutional-grade infrastructure is now mature enough for Wall Street entrants.

Ethereum (ETH) Price Prediction: $4,800 Target in Sight as Institutional Interest Grows

Ethereum's bullish momentum continues to build as July's 80% rally sets the stage for a potential push toward $4,800. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization currently trades at $3,766, demonstrating resilience above key moving averages despite minor resistance at $3,917.

Institutional accumulation appears to be accelerating, with blockchain analytics platforms reporting notable wallet activity from corporate entities. SharpLink Gaming among others has shown increased involvement, though specific transaction volumes remain undisclosed. This institutional interest coincides with massive ETF inflows and declining Bitcoin dominance—factors contributing to ETH's strong performance.

"A clean break above $3,880 could trigger the next leg up," observes crypto analyst Lark Davis. The asset's stability above both 100-day and 200-day exponential moving averages suggests maintained bullish structure, with 24-hour trading volume reaching $32.95 billion.

Corporates Could Control 10% of Ethereum Supply, StanChart Reports

Publicly traded Ethereum treasury companies are emerging as a distinct asset class, separate from traditional crypto investment vehicles, according to a new Standard Chartered report. These firms are leveraging staking yields, DeFi integrations, and equity market conditions to trade at premiums relative to their ETH holdings.

Unlike U.S.-regulated ETFs, which cannot stake, these corporate holders benefit from structural advantages—deploying assets into on-chain protocols for additional yield. BitMine Immersion Technologies leads the group, holding 0.5% of ETH’s circulating supply with ambitions to 10x its position.

The trend highlights regulatory arbitrage opportunities, with companies often trading above net asset value. Their balance sheets function as de facto ETH ETFs—offering yield, leverage, and operational flexibility unavailable in mainstream products.