As of May 14, Ethereum's market capitalization reached $306.68 billion, surpassing Alibaba's $303.72 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. This increase was due to a significant inflow of investment and network improvements as part of the Pectra upgrade.
Abraxas Capital stated that substantial funding from institutional market participants demonstrate renewed confidence in the cryptocurrency among major investors. The company itself has recently purchased $500 million worth of ETH.
CoinMarketCap reports the Ethereum ecosystem saw increased staking and Layer 2 token activity. These dynamics correlate with expanded mainnet usage, reflecting robust market conditions and investor optimism.
Analysts quoted on the website say the historical surge in demand for Ethereum following the Pectra update strengthens its position in financial markets. They expect regulatory and investor interest in the coin to further strengthen.