ETH 15-minute intraday rally up 1.02%: A whale cumulatively adds 140,000 ETH, combined with ETF fund flows turning positive, driving the rise

From 10:15 to 10:30 (UTC) on May 26, 2026, ETH rapidly surged within 15 minutes, with a return of +1.02%. The price range was 2099.98-2122.68 USDT, with a swing of 1.08%. Against the backdrop of Bitcoin consolidating near $68,000 and Ethereum still trading within the 50% pullback range from its 2025 highs, the short-term anomaly has drawn market attention, with long-side sentiment slightly warming.

The primary drivers behind this anomaly are the behavior of mega whales accumulating near key support levels and a turning point in spot ETH ETF fund flows. In the first month of May over 96 hours, mega whales collectively bought more than 140,000 ETH (about $322 million). Their holdings rose from about 13.78 million ETH to 13.98 million ETH, indicating that institutional investors are building a bullish stance below $2,000. Meanwhile, spot ETH ETFs switched from $4 billion of outflows to net inflows starting in mid-March. The highest single-day inflow was $57 million, showing a significant improvement in institutional fund sentiment.

Second, bullish signals from technical formations strengthened short-term momentum. The MACD showed a golden-cross crossover and has remained stable above the signal line, while the daily RSI is at a neutral position around 55, suggesting the upside has not yet reached the overbought zone. In addition, expectations for Ethereum network upgrades (Glamsterdam and Hegota) and the RWA tokenization trend (projected to reach a $300 billion market in 2026) provide medium- to long-term narrative support, aligning with short-term liquidity conditions.

Be mindful of short-term volatility risks: ETH’s correlation with the S&P 500 is 0.75, so volatility in U.S. stocks could quickly transmit to the crypto market. Current prices are already close to the $2,100 resistance level; if they fail to hold, profit-taking could be triggered. Going forward, focus on monitoring whale wallet address trading activity, the continued net inflows of spot ETFs, and changes in exchange ETH reserves.