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Ethereum (ETH) contract holdings have surpassed $14 billion, reaching a record high. This data, reported by CoinGlass, highlights significant contributions from leading exchanges: Binance with $5.54 billion, Bybit with $3.1 billion and OKX with $2 billion. Despite this impressive dollar value, the total ETH contract holdings amount to 3.83 million ETH, which is still below the five million ETH peak seen in 2022.

The surge in ETH contract holdings coincides with a substantial spike in Ethereum’s price, which jumped 18.53% in the past 24 hours, reaching $3,676. This price increase for Ethereum has been accompanied by a dramatic rise in 24-hour trading volume, up 247.20%, now standing at $38.73 billion.

Potential Ethereum ETF approval

This latest surge in ETH's price and contract holdings comes amid heightened speculation about the potential approval of spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by May 23. This optimism follows months of skepticism regarding the approval of such financial products.

Bloomberg ETF analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart have reported that there has been significant chatter suggesting that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is encouraging applicants to expedite their 19b-4 filings. This has led the analysts to increase their estimated odds of ETF approval from 25% to 75%.

The potential approval of spot Ethereum ETFs could have substantial implications for the cryptocurrency market. ETFs are seen as a bridge to institutional investors, providing a more accessible and regulated way to invest in cryptocurrencies. An approval could lead to a significant influx of institutional capital into the Ethereum market, further driving up prices and trading volumes.

The current record high in ETH contract holdings reflects growing confidence among traders and investors in the future of Ethereum. The cryptocurrency’s recent performance shows its pivotal role in the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem. As the second-largest coin by market capitalization, Ethereum’s movements often have a significant impact on the market as a whole.