Ethereum Breaks $3,000 Mark as Institutional Demand and Zero-Knowledge Upgrades Fuel Rally
11/7/2025
Ethereum (ETH) surged past the $3,000 threshold, driven by rising institutional interest via spot ETFs and significant advancements in its zero-knowledge (ZK) proof technology.
At present, ETH trades around $3,012, reflecting an 8.22% increase over the last 24 hours, according to CoinDesk Research. Meanwhile, the wider crypto market, tracked by the CoinDesk 20 Index, rose by 6.39% during the same period.
Institutional Adoption and ZK Innovations Take Center Stage
A recent study titled “Blockchains as Emerging Economies” from a major asset manager highlights ether’s growing stature as both a medium of exchange and a store of value—signaling increased institutional confidence.
In tandem, the Ethereum Foundation announced plans to embed zero-knowledge proofs throughout its protocol, starting with a Layer 1 zkEVM upgrade. This will enable validators to verify multiple off-chain proofs efficiently without re-executing entire blocks, enhancing network security with minimal changes.
Though adoption of ZK clients will initially be limited, increasing trust is expected to unlock higher gas limits and make proof verification the default process. To facilitate this, the Foundation is setting rigorous standards for “realtime proving,” emphasizing low latency, strong security, compact proof sizes, open-source development, and accessible hardware requirements. This will support decentralized, home-based proving alongside cloud solutions.
These initiatives are slated to advance rapidly before Devconnect Argentina, positioning zkVMs as foundational to Ethereum’s future.
Market Momentum and Technical Insights
Blockchain data provider Glassnode reported a rare milestone: ether’s 24-hour futures trading volume briefly surpassed Bitcoin’s, reaching $62.1 billion compared to Bitcoin’s $61.7 billion.
From July 10, 09:00 to July 11, 08:00, ETH climbed from approximately $2,789 to $2,976, gaining over 7% within a $266 range. The most intense price action came at 21:00 on July 10, with volume nearly quadrupling the daily average.
Resistance emerged near $3,028, but strong institutional support formed around $2,818 helped ETH consolidate above $2,950, setting the stage for potential further gains.
Ethereum’s recent price surge, backed by institutional demand and groundbreaking zero-knowledge upgrades, cements its position as a leading blockchain asset at the intersection of market strength and technological progress.
