ETH/USD: Ether Prices Consolidate Near $2,500 as Traders Enter Second Half with Big Hopes

Ether lost 25% of its value over the first half of 2025 while Bitcoin (+15% YTD) punched through a record high. Can the second-largest coin do better in the second half?

✨ Ether Settles In Near $2,500

• Ether hovered around $2,500 on Friday, extending its sideways trading and giving crypto bros a moment to regroup after a bruising first half of the year.
• The second-largest crypto token closed out the first six months with a 25% loss, while Bitcoin grabbed the spotlight with .
• For now, consolidation is the name of the game — traders are watching to see if ETH can build a stable base before chasing fresh upside.

📊 Bitcoin’s Record, Ether’s Lag

• While the OG coin blew through $111,000, Ether struggled to hold key support levels, testing the patience of long-term holders.
• Some see potential: developers continue to push upgrades to Ethereum’s scalability and staking, hoping to shore up confidence. But there’s a key difference between Ether and Bitcoin and that’s the investment appeal where the flagship holds the true advantage.
• Bulls argue that a broader risk-on mood and strong crypto inflows, especially around the crypto-native exchange-traded funds, could spill over from Bitcoin, lifting Ether’s price in the second half.

📣 Next Big Tests: What’s Coming

• Macro tailwinds — possibly a Fed rate cut later this year () — could help revive appetite for risk assets, including altcoins like Ether.
• On-chain data shows mixed signals: whale wallets have been nibbling at these levels, but retail traders remain cautious (because who wouldn’t want a dip, right?).
• With half the year gone, the big question now: will Ether flip the switch and close the gap with Bitcoin, or stay stuck as crypto’s perpetual runner-up?