Trend Research lifts ETH holdings to $1.8B with $35M buy, is ‘bullish’ on 2026

1 month ago

Hong Kong-based concern steadfast Trend Research has continued accumulating Ether adjacent arsenic 1 of the largest firm ETH holders expects a crisp drawdown during the archetypal 4th of 2026.

Trend Research acquired $35 cardinal successful Ether (ETH), pushing its holdings supra 601,000 ETH worthy astir $1.83 billion, according to blockchain information level Lookonchain.

The institution has borrowed a full of $958 cardinal successful stablecoins from decentralized lending protocol Aave and has an mean purchasing terms of astir $3,265 per ETH, wrote Lookonchain successful a Monday X post.

Trend’s founder, Jack Yi, said helium was “bullish” connected crypto for the archetypal fractional of 2026 and pledged to proceed buying Ether “until the bull marketplace arrives,” with “maximum presumption successful ETH” and a “heavy” presumption successful the Trump family-linked World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token.

He added that “2026 volition besides beryllium an situation with broad positives similar fiscal on-chain, stablecoins, complaint chopped cycles, crypto policies.”

While BitMine Immersion Technologies, the largest firm Ether holder, relies connected dollar-cost averaging, Trend Research pledged to proceed acquiring Ether careless of “fluctuations of a fewer 100 dollars.”

Trend Research is the third-largest Ether holder pursuing Bitmine and SharpLink Gaming, but arsenic an unlisted company, it doesn’t look connected astir tracking websites, specified arsenic the StrategicEthReserve.

FundStrat calls $1.8K ETH bottom, portion astute wealth abbreviated ETH price

Yi’s optimistic outlook contrasts with the insights shared by Fundstrat Global Advisors, who predicted that Ether volition descend to a section bottommost of astir $1,800 successful the archetypal 4th of 2026.

On Dec. 21, screenshots emerged of an interior probe enactment from Fundstrat’s co-founder and managing partner, Tom Lee, who predicted a “meaningful drawdown” for the archetypal fractional of the adjacent year:

“MY basal lawsuit is simply a meaningful drawdown successful 1H 2026, with BTC falling to $60k - $65K, ETH to $1,800 - $2,000, and SOL to $50-$75. These levels would contiguous charismatic opportunities into year-end.”

The aforesaid enactment suggested the marketplace could signifier a “durable low” successful the archetypal oregon 3rd 4th earlier rallying into year-end, resulting successful a shallower carnivore marketplace than anterior cycles.

The bearish prediction came arsenic a astonishment to investors, considering Lee is besides the president of Bitmine, the largest firm Ether holder with astir $12.3 cardinal successful ETH holdings.

Meanwhile, the industry’s astir palmy traders by returns, who are tracked arsenic “smart money” traders connected Nansen’s blockchain quality platform, besides continued to stake connected Ether’s short-term terms decline.

Smart wealth was nett abbreviated connected Ether for a cumulative $117 million, but added $15 cardinal worthy of agelong positions during the past 24 hours, signaling a insignificant betterment successful hazard appetite from this cardinal cohort, Nansen data shows.