On-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant has identified a significant divergence in 
the demand structures driving Bitcoin and Ethereum&#8217;s recoveries in 2026, with 
Bitcoin attracting sustained institutional spot buying while Ethereum&#8217;s price 
stability reflects reduced selling pressure rather than genuine new demand — a 
distinction that carries major implications for the broader market&#8217;s next 
move. Related Reading: Bitcoin Reclaims Short-Term Holder Cost Basis—What It 
Means According to CryptoQuant&#8217;s analysis of on-chain and exchange data 
covering April and early May 2026, Bitcoin and Ethereum are operating under 
fundamentally different demand regimes. Bitcoin&#8217;s recovery has been driven by 
real spot purchases — investors buying and withdrawing BTC from exchanges into 
long-term storage — a dynamic that removes available sell-side supply and 
creates a structural tailwind for price even during low-volume periods. 
Ethereum&#8217;s stabilization, by contrast, appears to be largely a function of 
sellers stepping back rather than buyers stepping in. Bitcoin v. Ethereum: 
Spot and Leverage Distinction The difference matters more than it may 
initially appear. When demand comes through spot ETFs or direct purchases, 
coins leave exchange inventories and are effectively taken off the market. 
When demand is primarily expressed through futures and perpetual contracts, 
coins stay on exchanges and positions can be unwound quickly — returning 
supply and amplifying volatility when sentiment shifts. CryptoQuant&#8217;s data 
makes the institutional gap between the two assets concrete. US spot Bitcoin 
ETFs recorded $532 million in net inflows on May 4 alone, per the firm&#8217;s 
analysis, and $2.44 billion across the full month of April — the largest 
monthly institutional buying figure in nearly eight months. US Ethereum spot 
ETFs logged $61.29 million in net inflows on the same day, a positive data 
point, but the scale and consistency of ETH&#8217;s institutional flows have not 
matched Bitcoin&#8217;s trajectory, per CryptoQuant&#8217;s assessment as reported by 
Bitcoin.com News. The Bitcoin price follows the spike in fund holdings, while 
the Ethereum price remains stalled due to less institutional interest. Source: 
CryptoQuant What It Takes For ETH To Catch Up CryptoQuant&#8217;s central finding 
points toward a clear threshold: Bitcoin dominance — BTC&#8217;s share of total 
crypto market capitalization, which currently sits above 60% — is likely to 
hold until Ethereum demonstrates the kind of sustained spot buying that has 
underpinned Bitcoin&#8217;s recovery. Should ETH eventually mirror BTC&#8217;s spot demand 
pattern, the firm&#8217;s analysis suggests a broader altcoin rally could follow, as 
capital rotates outward from Bitcoin into the wider market. Until that 
rotation materializes, the current environment reflects capital concentration 
rather than broad-based recovery — a distinction the nascent sector&#8217;s most 
attentive observers are tracking closely heading into the second quarter. 
Related Reading: Dogecoin (DOGE) Back Under Pressure, Rebound Chances Face Big 
Test As of this writing, Bitcoin trades at around $81,500, consolidating above 
the critical $80,000 level as institutional accumulation continues to provide 
structural support for the asset&#8217;s near-term price floor. BTC&#8217;s price trends 
to the upside on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview Cover image 
from Grok, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

This 1 Chart Explains Why Bitcoin Is Winning And Ethereum Is Losing Right Now

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The post Bitcoin faces new tariff risk as EU races to finalize US trade deal 
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This 1 Chart Explains Why Bitcoin Is Winning And Ethereum Is Losing Right Now

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