ETH Surpasses $4,000 for the First Time Since December Rally

Ether Tops $4K for First Time Since December as Altcoin Momentum Builds

Ethereum (ETH) climbed past the $4,000 mark on Thursday, its highest level since December, as capital continues to rotate into altcoins amid a backdrop of easing monetary policy expectations and renewed regulatory clarity.

The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency gained 3.5% in the past 24 hours, extending its year-to-date performance to +25% and its year-over-year return to +112%.

Bitcoin (BTC), by contrast, remained rangebound near $116,800, showing minimal movement over the same period. The divergence lifted the ETH/BTC ratio by 3% in the past hour and 42% over the last month — one of its strongest stretches this year. That said, the ratio remains lower year-to-date (-4%) and is still down 20% compared to this time in 2025.

Market sentiment has been bolstered by three primary catalysts:

Expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts
A rise in crypto treasury adoption among companies
The resolution of the SEC’s legal case against Ripple

Elsewhere in the market, XRP advanced 9% over the past 24 hours, Solana (SOL) added 3.5%, and Dogecoin (DOGE) gained 5.3%.

Equities linked to Ethereum treasury strategies also rallied: Bitmine Immersion (BMNR) jumped 13% on the day, while Sharplink Gaming (SBET) climbed 4%.