TLDR

Vitalik Buterin updated his 2023 Ethereum roadmap to compare it with the network’s current “Strawmap.”
Quantum resistance, privacy, and AI-assisted security are now bigger priorities than in 2023.
Ethereum researchers are using STARKs and AI-assisted formal verification to check the protocol works correctly.
The roadmap also includes native rollups and looks at ideas beyond the current EVM setup.
The update follows earlier 2026 moves, including a dedicated post-quantum team and the “Lean Ethereum” overhaul plan.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin shared an update to his 2023 roadmap this week. He compared it against Ethereum’s current long-term plan, known as the “Strawmap.”

Buterin posted the comparison on X on Monday. He said the update shows how the network’s goals have shifted over the past few years.

“What’s most striking, however, is that some completely new things are in the strawmap that are not in this diagram, because they were not in the 2023 roadmap at all,” Buterin wrote. He said this reflects changing priorities within the project.

Quantum Safety Moves to the Center

Quantum resistance is one of the clearest new additions. Buterin said Ethereum needs designs that can survive a future where quantum computers can break current cryptography.

This concern is often called “Q-Day,” the point where quantum computers could threaten existing blockchain security. Buterin has raised this issue several times in 2026.

In January, he urged developers to adopt quantum-resistant cryptography early rather than wait for the threat to become urgent. The Ethereum Foundation later formed a team focused only on post-quantum research.

In February, Buterin laid out a phased plan to replace four parts of Ethereum’s cryptographic system that could be vulnerable to quantum attacks. That plan is now part of the broader roadmap.

Privacy is tied closely to this quantum work. Buterin wants scaling methods that protect user data while still working under quantum-safe rules.

AI Tools Support New Verification Methods

Buterin said Ethereum is leaning more on STARKs, a cryptographic method used to verify computations without redoing all the work. This helps confirm that code runs the way it should.

He also pointed to AI-assisted formal verification as a growing part of Ethereum’s security process. Formal verification is a way of mathematically checking that software behaves as intended.

“This can only be safe with formal verification, which is itself only feasible with modern AI tools,” Buterin wrote. He said AI has made this kind of checking more practical at scale.

Rather than trying to scale every type of Ethereum activity equally, Buterin described a plan to build specialized systems. These would handle common tasks like token transfers and swaps, along with future needs like privacy tools.

He also mentioned “lean-ification,” a push to simplify Ethereum’s technical specifications. Native rollups and ideas that move beyond the current Ethereum Virtual Machine are also part of the roadmap.

Building on July’s Lean Ethereum Plan

This update follows Buterin’s July proposal for what he called “Lean Ethereum.” That plan already placed quantum safety and privacy at its core.

At the time, Buterin said Ethereum would aim to be quantum safe, privacy focused, secure, and resistant to censorship. He added that the network should stay fast and scalable while meeting those goals.

The latest roadmap comparison builds directly on that framework. It shows quantum security and AI-assisted verification as consistent themes running through Ethereum’s plans for the rest of 2026.

Buterin has not given a set timeline for when these changes would be fully implemented across the network.

Arbitrum [ARB] has been in a strong downtrend for two years, despite the chain’s performance. However, the altcoin appears to be forming a bottom at $0.07 as tokenization on the chain gains pace.

Notably, the market cap of tokenized stocks on Arbitrum by issuer grew to $173 million, a 476% increase. Reality accounted for $135 million, while Robinhood, Dinari, and xStocks were capped at $24 million, $13.9 million, and $3.8K, respectively.

Over the past ninety days, the market cap of the top 10 tokenized stocks surpassed the $100 million mark. They included Micron, Nvidia, SanDisk, SpaceX, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), Tesla, and Intel, among others.

Moreover, the Arbitrum Platform has the highest RWA count at 3,208, making it the first chain to surpass 3,000, according to rwa.xyz. It is followed by Solana [SOL], Ethereum [ETH], Avalanche [AVAX], and BNB Chain, respectively.

Despite the momentum in tokenization, bearish sentiments did not lurk.

In addition to the daily token unlock of 479.06K ARB, a larger unlock is approaching. On the 16th of August, Abritrum will unlock 93.19 million ARB tokens worth $7.41 million. This adds selling pressure to the existing strong downtrend.

Such consistent selling pressure from token unlocks partially explains why ARB’s price is weak.

ARB’s market structure after a 2-year downtrend

The market structure has been bearish for the past two years, but things could be about to change. The 4-hour chart shows a structure that is in transition at around the $0.07 zone.

ARB’s price is making higher lows alongside the RSI Divergence which was at 50.99 as of writing, a typical institutional accumulation pattern. As big players build positions, the bigger crowd is fading.

This is evident as the Aggregate Crypto Open Interest dropped from $64.5 million to $46.63 million, indicating that the broader market was losing interest in the token.

Therefore, the price of Arbitrum remains in a downtrend due to the existing market structure and tokenomics.

But the growth in tokenization may help speed up the formation of a bottom between the $0.07 and $0.09 zones. However, if the slanting trendline breaks down, it could indicate the continuation of the downtrend.

Final Summary

The market cap of tokenized stocks on Arbitrum One has grown by 476%, but the token remains under intense selling pressure. 
ARB price has been declining for the past two years but has hinted at bottoming at the $0.07 zone. 

TLDR:

Ethereum’s Binance NUPL has dropped near -0.35, a level historically tied to major bottoms.
The metric shows exchange-held ETH supply carrying unrealized losses near 35% of its value.
Past -0.35 readings coincided with the 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2025 ETH bottoming phases too.
Ethereum traded near $1,866.93, down 3.01% daily despite a 0.38% weekly price gain overall.

 

Ethereum’s exchange-level Net Unrealized Profit and Loss reading on Binance has slipped into a historic bottoming zone.

The metric, known as NUPL, now sits near negative 0.35. That level appeared during the 2019 lows, the March 2020 crash, and both 2022 bottoming phases. It also showed up in the 2025 correction.

Ethereum traded at $1,866.93 at the time of writing. The asset fell 3.01% over the past 24 hours despite a 0.38% gain across the week.

Reading the Binance NUPL Level

NUPL measures the gap between unrealized profits and unrealized losses held by a given supply cohort. A positive reading means that the cohort holds an aggregate paper profit. A negative reading means the same supply sits underwater against its estimated cost basis.

This particular calculation covers only ETH held on Binance rather than the full Ethereum holder base. That distinction matters because exchange-based supply tends to be more available for immediate trading. It offers a narrower but more reactive view of market stress.

A reading near negative 0.35 signals considerable financial stress among that group. The tracked supply is carrying unrealized losses equal to roughly 35% of its current market value. This level has not appeared often across Ethereum’s trading history.

Cryptoquant Analyst @MorenoDV_ noted that “Ethereum’s exchange-level NUPL on Binance has returned to a region that has historically appeared near important price floors.”

Past occurrences of this threshold coincided with several of Ethereum’s most notable market bottoms. Those episodes span both the 2019 and 2020 lows.

What The Pattern Suggests About ETH

As weaker holders capitulate near this threshold, the remaining exchange supply grows less willing to sell at depressed prices. Once the most loss-sensitive sellers have exited, further declines may generate less additional supply pressure.

That dynamic can allow even modest buying demand to stabilize price levels over time. Traders often watch for this shift as an early signal of a possible trend reversal.

Previous cycles show mixed outcomes after the first breach of this zone. In some cases, price found support quickly. In others, a retest or a final lower low preceded the eventual recovery.

A move back above the negative 0.35 threshold while ETH holds its recent low would strengthen the bottoming case. Continued NUPL deterioration alongside fresh price lows would instead suggest that capitulation remains incomplete.

Ethereum’s price action over the coming weeks will likely determine which outcome plays out this cycle. Traders watching on-chain metrics will look for confirmation through price stabilization and a corresponding recovery in the NUPL reading.

Until that confirmation arrives, the current reading remains a signal worth monitoring rather than a guaranteed floor for Ethereum’s price.

On-chain observers typically treat the metric as one input among several. Spot volume, funding rates, and broader macro conditions also shape the outlook.

Institutional demand for Ethereum [ETH] eased slightly ahead of U.S. inflation data and rising oil prices. The U.S. spot ETH ETFs saw $14.59 million in daily net outflows on the 10th of August. This broke its recent four days of consecutive outflows. 

Will selling pressure keep ETH stuck below $2K?

Besides the slow institutional appetite, there was a broader uptick in selling pressure across exchanges. According to CryptoQuant data, the weekly Exchange Netflow has been climbing higher in August.

The metric tracks the net difference between ETH entering exchanges and ETH being moved out. 

A positive and rising number implies increasing selling pressure across spot exchanges. On the contrary, a negative reading (or downslope on the chart) suggests more ETH is being withdrawn, a bullish signal. 

After slowing in July, the metric’s continued rise in August meant increased selling pressure. On the 10th of August, the metric spiked higher again. This coincided with ETH’s sharp 3% price drop as the altcoin slipped from $1920 to $1875. 

Ethereum price vs. CPI data

That said, traders have been using the $1800-$1960 price range for opportunities. Notably, there is scheduled U.S. inflation data (CPI) on the 12th of August. The price range could still be exploited for potential trading opportunities ahead of the data.  

Cooler inflation data could raise the odds of another Fed rate cut. However, higher inflation figures would reinforce the ongoing Fed rate hike fears. This may send markets lower, including ETH. 

Currently, the market is 50/50 on the Fed’s next move. This makes Wednesday’s inflation data a crucial catalyst that could sway the odds and directly affect market sentiment. 

That said, the Options market positioning leaned more toward a potential extension of the Q3 sideways structure. 

Notably, institutional players were betting on a possible move towards $2K by the end of August or September (green bars tracking bullish calls). Moreover, there was considerable hedging against downside moves towards $1700 and $1650.  

ETH’s overall selling pressure has remained elevated despite the improved institutional demand in the past few days. Still, the price could be impacted by Wednesday’s inflation data. The $1800 and $1700 could be lower targets if the data is negative for ETH. 

Otherwise, if inflation cools, ETH price may reclaim $1900, and eye the $2000 psychological level. 

Final Summary

ETH has seen rising selling pressure across exchanges in August. 
Whether the Q3 price range of $1800-$1960 holds or extends may partly be influenced by Fed rate expectations.

Ether treasury company Sharplink has bought Ether for the first time in eight months as the token sank to its lowest price this year on Thursday.

On-chain data from Arkham shows a wallet associated with Sharplink received 5,000 Ether (ETH), worth $7.85 million, from crypto prime brokerage FalconX on Thursday. The last time it received Ether from FalconX was on Oct. 26, when it bought $78.3 million worth of ETH. 

The purchase comes as Ether hit $1,537 on Thursday, its lowest price in 2026. The latest purchase could suggest a revival of the company’s active Ether accumulation strategy.

“I’m seeing genuine corporate accumulation conviction holding strong amid subdued price action,” Andri Fauzan Adziima, the research lead at Bitrue Research Institute, told Cointelegraph. 

Sharplink CEO Joseph Chalom told Cointelegraph in May that he saw three catalysts that could spur growth in the price of Ether.

The first was the passage of the CLARITY Act in the US, while the second was a return to market risk appetite, which will depend on an easing in geopolitical tension and cooling of the artificial intelligence investment thesis. Chalom’s third catalyst was the continued growth of real-world asset tokenization. 

The Senate is yet to vote on its version of the CLARITY Act, and the House Financial Services Committee said it would hold a hearing on the bill on July 17. The US and Iran are working toward a final peace agreement to end months of conflict and tokenized real-world assets have now reached a distributed asset value of $31.55 billion, close to its highest level this year.

Sharplink now holds 876,285 ETH

Sharplink was founded in 2019 as an affiliate marketing service provider to the sports betting and gambling industries, but pivoted to become an Ethereum treasury company in June 2025, with Consensys co-founder and CEO Joe Lubin named as chairman.

It became the largest publicly traded corporate holder of ETH, but lost the title to Bitmine in August, just two months after Bitmine launched its own Ether buying strategy. 

Related: Bitmine, Sharplink and Joe Lubin back Ethereum R&D nonprofit

The company now holds 876,285 ETH and ETH equivalents, which it has accumulated over time through active ETH purchases and staking rewards. Its competitor, Bitmine, holds 5.67 million ETH after acquiring another 52,203 ETH last week. 

Source: Sharplink

“We continue to maintain a steady pace of accumulation throughout 2026. We believe we are in the early stages of crypto spring,” Bitmine chairman Tom Lee said. 

Sharplink added to the Russell indexes

The purchase also comes just days before Sharplink is expected to join the Russell 2000 and Russell 3000 indexes on Monday. 

Inclusion in the indexes is widely viewed as positive because many active and passive funds, including exchange-traded funds, typically buy stocks from them.

Chalom in May said that joining the Russell indexes would broaden the company’s shareholder base and strengthen its access to capital markets.

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Kraken is delisting 21 tokens, narrowing options for holders, but still allowing withdrawals until the 27th of August at 14:00 UTC, following the earlier halt of trading and deposits.

The decision now shifts attention toward the broader market quality of the affected assets. Several already operate across thin or inactive markets, where trading volume and available liquidity remain limited.

Kraken’s exit also removes a major venue for these tokens, potentially concentrating activity across fewer exchanges. Yet holders withdrawing before the deadline could move liquidity toward surviving markets, helping preserve trading activity elsewhere.

The TEER token presents a different challenge because its network has ceased operations, restricting normal transfers. Therefore, the broader impact depends on whether trading activity successfully relocates or declines as Kraken withdraws support.

Liquidation window raises execution concerns

The liquidation phase goes beyond Kraken simply converting balances after withdrawals close. Trading and deposits have already been paused since the 29th of May, leaving withdrawals as the remaining exit route.

That option disappears after the 27th of August, when unresolved balances move into automatic liquidation. From the 1st to the 5th of September, Kraken will convert those holdings according to prevailing market conditions rather than a fixed valuation.

This means the final amount received will depend on available prices during execution. The five-day window also allows liquidation to occur across changing market conditions rather than at a single fixed point.

Once this process starts, holders no longer control when their balances are converted. Therefore, the key transition after the 27th of August is from voluntary withdrawals to exchange-managed execution, making prevailing market conditions central to the final settlement value.

Will liquidity migrate after Kraken’s exit?

That execution risk also depends on how much supply remains on Kraken after withdrawals close. Exact balances are unavailable, making the potential sell overhang difficult to quantify. Still, some markets have relatively low daily volume and limited bid depth.

Larger residual balances could therefore strain available liquidity during liquidation. Yet continued withdrawals may reduce that burden before the 27th of August deadline. Liquidity could also migrate to other exchanges.

If that happens, disruption may remain temporary; otherwise, wider spreads and weaker market depth could persist.

Final Summary

Kraken’s 21-token delisting gives holders until August 27 to withdraw before automatic liquidation.
Affected tokens face a liquidity test as remaining balances shift toward thinner markets.

TLDR:

Ethereum median mainnet fees fell over 99%, from above $2 in January 2024 to below $0.02 by March 2026.
U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs drew $244.9M in weekly inflows, extending their positive streak to five weeks.
Ethereum mainnet throughput roughly doubled while median Layer 2 transaction fees declined by about 95%.
Crypto Patel’s fractal marks $1,000-$1,500 support, $4,000 resistance, and a $10,000-$16,000 target.

Ethereum is gaining fresh market attention as three measurable trends converge: cheaper network use, stronger institutional inflows, and an improving technical structure. Together, those developments provide a clearer framework for assessing whether the current recovery has broader support beyond short-term price action.

At press time, ETH traded near $1,914, remaining well below previous cycle highs and far beneath the long-term targets circulating among analysts. However, recent data shows network costs, throughput, and U.S. spot ETF flows have improved, giving the bullish case more factual support.

Ethereum Fractal Maps $4K Resistance and $10K-$16K Target

Market analyst Crypto Patel’s long-term chart places Ethereum within a roughly four-year expansion pattern associated with earlier Bitcoin halving cycles. According to Patel, the latest correction held within a historically important accumulation zone, helping preserve the broader technical structure.

Building on that setup, the chart identifies $1,000 to $1,500 as a major support range, while resistance remains near $4,000. If the structure continues to hold, Patel’s fractal also maps a potential Wave 5 expansion toward $10,000 to $16,000.

Source: X

From Ethereum’s price near $1,914, a move to $10,000 would require an increase of about 422%, while reaching $16,000 would represent approximately 736% upside. However, Patel described the scenario as a fractal-based projection rather than a guaranteed price forecast.

Therefore, the outlook remains dependent on technical confirmation rather than expectation alone. Nonetheless, for the bullish structure to remain intact, ETH would need to continue forming higher highs and higher lows while staying above its broader support range.

Ethereum Mainnet Fees Plunge 99% as Throughput Doubles

Besides, the technical structure is developing alongside a sharp reduction in transaction costs. Data presented by BMNR Bullz, citing Ambrosia & Mizrach, showed median mainnet fees falling dramatically.

According to the report, Ethereum’s median transaction fee dropped from more than $2 in January 2024 to below $0.02 by March 2026. That decline represents a reduction exceeding 99%. Meanwhile, mainnet throughput roughly doubled, according to the same data.

Median fees across Layer 2 networks also fell by about 95% during the period. Those figures show that the network processed more activity while users paid substantially less for blockspace. Consequently, lower costs can improve accessibility for decentralized finance, transfers, and frequent on-chain transactions.

Ethereum ETFs Extend Inflow Streak to Five Straight Weeks

Institutional demand has also strengthened through U.S. spot ETF products. SoSoValue data shared by BMNR Bullz showed $244.9 million in weekly net inflows through August 7. That marked a fifth consecutive positive week following approximately $273.3 million in net outflows during the week ending June 26.

Source: X

Subsequent weekly inflows reached about $84.4 million, $105.4 million, $103.9 million, $27.4 million, and $244.9 million. Cumulative U.S. spot Ethereum ETF net inflows reached roughly $11.46 billion.

The broader institutional footprint extends beyond fund flows. BMNR Bullz also cited BlackRock and JPMorgan tokenization activity, a 52.5% tokenized-ETF share, and $148 billion in stablecoins.

Tether stablecoin USDt has become the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization as Ether fell to its lowest price of the year on Friday

Ether’s market capitalization dropped below $185 billion following a 5.2% price crash over 24 hours, sending the asset tumbling to $1,510 on Coinbase, according to TradingView. This allowed USDt, with a $186 billion market capitalization, to surpass the cryptocurrency. 

“[The] stablecoin overtake really highlights how the market still favors stability over ETH’s volatility right now,” Andri Fauzan Adziima, research lead at Bitrue Research Institute, told Cointelegraph. 

The development reflects accelerating stablecoin growth, which currently represents almost 15% of the entire crypto market capitalization. Stablecoin supply contracted more than 30% in the last bear market, but they’re hitting record highs this time, wrote 21Shares on Thursday, adding:

“To us, that is the strongest evidence yet that stablecoins are one of crypto’s defining use cases – demand that no longer depends on the cycle.”

USDt flipped ETH in market capitalization. Source: CoinGecko

Alvin Kan, chief operating officer of Bitget Wallet, told Cointelegraph that the flip is a “notable milestone that highlights the explosive growth and dominance of stablecoins in today’s crypto ecosystem.”

“It demonstrates strong demand for reliable, liquid on- and off-ramps during periods of volatility, while serving as a reminder that ETH must continue delivering compelling utility and narrative momentum to maintain its position.” 

Kan said the development is positive for the broader market, as deeper stablecoin liquidity supports higher trading volumes and ecosystem innovation.

Related: Sharplink buys ETH after 8-month pause as token hits 2026 low

ETH prices are back at crucial support levels last visited in October 2023 and April 2025.

The Ethereum ecosystem has also faced internal changes recently, following several executive departures and a 20% workforce reduction at the Ethereum Foundation.

However, a new nonprofit organization called Ethlabs was launched this week by key EF developers and researchers and backed by Ether treasuries Bitmine and Sharplink. 

ETH prices are at a critical long-term support level. Source: TradingView

Not all are bearish  

Some have taken Ether’s decline as an opportunity.

Ether treasury company Sharplink bought the dip, making its first purchase in eight months, scooping up 5,000 ETH on Thursday. Bitmine, chaired by Tom Lee, has also been accumulating at these low prices, adding a further 76,881 ETH last week. 

Meanwhile, Circle’s USDC (USDC) also flipped Ripple’s XRP (XRP) in market capitalization as XRP fell back towards $1, its lowest level since November 2024, leaving XRP with a market capitalization of $64 billion compared with USDC’s $73.6 billion.

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Binance will conduct two amendments this weekend, while SOL and DOGE have been the subject of numerous price predictions.

Binance will delist four trading pairs on Saturday and pause certain services the following day.

Solana is at risk of plummeting to $50, while Dogecoin (DOGE) might be on the verge of a major revival.

The Latest Binance Announcements

The world’s biggest crypto exchange will remove the spot trading pairs QNT/BTC, RPL/USDC, SIGN/BNB, and SKL/USDC on August 7. The decision comes after its most recent analysis, which checks whether all supported pairs meet important criteria like adequate liquidity and volume.

The company will also briefly pause US stock trading on the platform on August 8 due to a scheduled system upgrade carried out by a partner broker. The process is set to be completed in about three hours, and after that, operations should resume.

This won’t be the first time Binance has halted certain services to support advancements. At the start of July, it temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals on the Bitcoin (BTC) network to perform wallet maintenance.

Later that month, it briefly stopped TRX deposits and withdrawals due to an improvement related to the Tron Network and supported a Zcash hard fork, making ZEC transactions unavailable for a short period.

There haven’t been reports or complaints of major issues in all of the aforementioned cases, meaning the upcoming wallet maintenance shouldn’t be a concern to users.

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What’s Next for SOL?

Solana’s native token has dropped just below $73.50 after witnessing a 5% monthly decline. Its current level puts it under the crucial zone of $73.70, which analyst Ali Martinez recently labeled as a “make-or-break” moment.

He claimed that over 50 million coins were purchased around that mark, predicting that a sustained close to the downside could open the door to a collapse to as low as $50.

In contrast, Michael van de Poppe and Pepesso issued more optimistic forecasts. The former envisioned a potential uptrend to $120 if the price breaks $76, while the latter argued that the “clean accumulation setup” remains valid as long as SOL stays above $45.

DOGE’s Chance to Break Free

Several days ago, the OG meme coin dropped to a three-year low of around $0.067, representing a staggering 90% crash from its ATH reached in 2021. It currently trades slightly above that zone, and when it reached its bottom, some market observers identified a major bullish signal.

X user Ash Crypto told their more than two million followers that DOGE’s monthly Relative Strength Index (RSI) has reached its most oversold level since the 2022 bear cycle. Such a development could indeed benefit the bulls because it points to seller exhaustion and an increased possibility for a strong rebound. Conversely, overbought territory is typically interpreted as a warning for an incoming pullback.

MikybullCrypto echoed a similar theory, saying:

“You don’t remain bearish at this current macro support level. The most oversold level in RSI. $1 is coming next during its bullish reversal.”

Another positive signal coming from Dogecoin’s ecosystem is the rise of weekly active DOGE addresses that have jumped 16%: from approximately 38,000 toward the end of July to roughly 44,000 by August 5.