Ethereum Latest Updates: Long-Inactive Ethereum Tokens Reactivate, Altering Market Trends

In late October, Ethereum experienced notable price swings, prompting renewed focus on the blockchain activity of long-standing holders. Data shows that early adopters and major wallets are increasingly transferring coins that have been inactive for some time. As of October 29, the cryptocurrency was valued at $3,949.15, reflecting a 0.88% drop for the day—its steepest single-day decrease since mid-October, according to

. Over the last month, has declined by 5.81%, but it still shows an 18.07% gain since the start of the year, as highlighted by Morningstar. Market analysts and blockchain watchers are monitoring these trends closely, as they may reflect changing attitudes among key players.

One significant trend is the renewed movement from early

holders, who acquired their tokens during the 2014 event. Santiment’s age consumed metric—which multiplies the amount of ETH transferred by the time since it was last moved—jumped to 603 million in late September, the highest since July’s record, according to . This uptick indicates that previously idle coins are circulating again, which could affect both liquidity and price trends. For example, a whale who received 20,000 ETH during that period recently transferred 1,500 tokens to Kraken after remaining inactive for eight years, as reported by Nansen. The original $6,000 investment in that address has now grown to over $78 million, illustrating the potential market impact of such moves.

At the same time, larger holders—referred to as "whales" and "sharks" with 100 to 10,000 ETH—are sending mixed signals. Santiment noted that these wallets have bought back about one-sixth of the ETH they sold between October 5 and 16, suggesting a degree of cautious optimism, according to a

. On the other hand, a major whale with 97,750 ETH (valued at $391 million) has sold 30,300 coins since 2025 at an average price of $3,279, based on data from on-chain analyst . This measured selling approach highlights how large investors can influence market sentiment by gradually increasing liquidity.

Ethereum’s price remains limited by important resistance points. The asset has repeatedly failed to surpass the $4,000 mark, with trading volume spiking 188% above the 24-hour average during an unsuccessful attempt to break through. Analyst Ali Martinez envisions a long-term rise toward $10,000, but warns that a correction into 2026 could come before any sustained rally. Similarly, The Long Investor has set a $13,500 target for 2029, viewing this as a multi-year journey rather than an imminent surge.

Institutional interest is also on the rise. MegaETH, a layer-2 Ethereum project supported by co-founders Vitalik Buterin and Joe Lubin, secured $450 million in an oversubscribed token sale, drawing in 14,491 investors, according to a

. The initiative aims to process 100,000 transactions per second, positioning itself as a high-speed answer to Ethereum’s scalability issues. Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation has introduced a portal that highlights zero-knowledge privacy technology for real-world assets (RWAs) and restaking, reinforcing its leadership in the tokenized finance and stablecoin sectors, as reported by .

As these events unfold, the interaction between blockchain activity, institutional progress, and broader economic trends will likely shape Ethereum’s next direction. Although short-term price swings continue, the reactivation of long-term holders and increased capital inflows into the Ethereum ecosystem may lay the groundwork for future growth.