The Second-Largest Cryptocurrency by Market Capitalization, Ethereum

has lately been the subject of some heavy market movements because of—well, it's not quite clear what yet.

The second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, Ethereum, has lately been the subject of some heavy market movements because of—well, it’s not quite clear what yet.

On March 27, hackers executed a series of coordinated moves, dumping large amounts of Ethereum onto the market. This has, understandably, raised some concerns about volatility and security within the Ethereum ecosystem. Not to mention, those hackers probably shouldn’t be doing what they’re doing. This has all been happening alongside a severe downturn in Ethereum-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Not fun times for investors in the digital asset world.

The Hack: Large ETH Dump and the Impact on the Market

As per the latest reports, a fresh wallet has obtained 3,433 ETH from the THORChain decentralized liquidity network. It then promptly sold the same for 6.8 million DAI, putting the price per ETH at $1,981 during the time of the sale. This transaction, albeit a large one, was just an appetizer. Two other wallets, possibly linked to the same group of intruders, were served the main course—a total of 14,064 ETH obtained from THORChain and the Chainflip decentralized exchange. These wallets then flipped their Ethereum for 27.5 million DAI at an average price of around $1,956 per ETH.

The dump of ETH is very concerning, and the amount involved — more than 17,000 ETH — is a substantial portion of what’s available on the market. The pressure this forced onto Ethereum opened a window for speculators to take the price down. And for a token that has been struggling to find legs lately, the market did not need any help from the outside to lower it further.

Meanwhile, the hackers behind the hack have plenty of other avenues they could use to put their DAI to work. They could convert it to another asset, still using a pseudo-anonymous method through mixers and other tools. Or, they could find a way to put it to work, which is honestly something we should all be holding our breath for.

Ethereum ETFs See Outflows Amid the Market Disturbance

Continuing with the relevant financial products, there was a total net outflow of $4.22 million from Ethereum-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on March 27. Notably, none of the nine Ethereum ETFs that we tracked during this timeframe were able to muster any net inflows. This fact, coupled with the total outflow, indicates a pronounced turn in investor sentiment toward these Ethereum products.

There was a total net inflow of $89.06 million from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs on March 27, marking the tenth consecutive day of net inflows. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw a total net outflow of $4.22 million, and none of the nine ETFs clocked any net inflow.

This is a big step for Ethereum. For ETF, see “Ethereum ETF.” An Ethereum ETF would allow institutional investors to invest in the Ethereum blockchain and Ether, the cryptocurrency that blockchain “powers,” without holding Ethereum directly. This is a great way for institutional investors to get exposure without having to hold the underlying asset. The problem is that it makes Ethereum a far less stable investment in the long run. And this is quite clearly because there are security issues with Ethereum.

Broader Implications for Ethereum and the Crypto Market

The actions of these hackers and the liquidations of Ethereum ETFs could have broader implications for the cryptocurrency market.

As these ETFs are pulling back, they’re selling ETH in big quantity—perhaps in response to the recent price drop or as part of some broader portfolio adjustments. The thinking here is that if these ETFs are pulling back, they may be selling ETH to decrease their risk exposure, which could be a factor in the continuing decline of the digital asset.

However, hackers haven’t been sitting idle, either. They’ve also been busy selling off a big pile of ETH. According to Lookonchain, a crypto analysis firm, two fresh wallets—likely linked to the same group of intruders—were served a main course of 14,064 ETH, obtained from both THORChain and the Chainflip decentralized exchange. They flipped this ether for 27.5 million DAI at an average price of around $1,956 per ETH.

The thinking here is that if these ETFs are pulling back, they may be selling ETH to decrease their risk exposure, which could be a factor in the continuing decline of the digital asset. But if we're thinking about broader implications, then we should also be thinking about the fact that these hackers are pulling back, too. According to Lookonchain, a crypto analysis firm, two fresh wallets—likely linked to the same group of intruders—were served a main course of 14,064 ETH, obtained from both THORChain and the Chainf