BTC vs ETH: The two giants are experiencing fork-style rise, with Ethereum aiming for $10,000, while Bitcoin holds firm to the "digital gold" narrative.

From 2025 to now, the two core assets of the crypto market, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), have both achieved significant growth, but Ethereum has outperformed Bitcoin with a rise of 30% year-to-date compared to Bitcoin's 25%. This difference mainly stems from the native staking rewards brought by Ethereum's Proof-of-Stake (PoS) and the growing demand for new corporate treasury accumulation. Against this backdrop, Standard Chartered has raised its price target for Ethereum to $7,500 by the end of 2025 and expects it to reach $25,000 by 2028, highlighting institutional confidence in the long-term role of Ethereum as the foundational layer for Web3.

Ethereum Strongly Outperforms: PoS Mechanism Brings "Yield" Narrative

Ethereum demonstrated strong market momentum in 2025, with its price achieving more than double the rise from May to September, quickly reversing its earlier weak performance relative to Bitcoin. The core driver of this outperformance lies in the fundamental differences between its fundamentals and those of Bitcoin:

· The revolutionary advantages of the PoS mechanism

The transition of Ethereum to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) is a key differentiating factor compared to Bitcoin's Proof-of-Work (PoW) mechanism. This technological choice has far-reaching investment implications. PoS allows investors to stake their held ETH (Staking) and earn passive income through staking rewards. This dynamic introduces a yield component to Ethereum's ownership, which Bitcoin cannot replicate through its native protocol.

· Strong support for corporate treasury funds

Another important factor that amplifies the bullish momentum for Ethereum is the entry of institutional funds. This summer, two new Ethereum treasury companies were established and began to accumulate ETH on a large scale and actively. The market expects that these ongoing accumulation plans will create a stable and long-term demand floor for the asset, significantly enhancing Ethereum's market resilience.

· The institution's super bullish forecast

Investor optimism has been confirmed by Wall Street giants. Standard Chartered recently raised its price target for Ethereum again, expecting it to reach $7,500 by the end of 2025, and set a stunning long-term target of $25,000 for 2028. Over the past year, Ethereum's price has recorded a cumulative rise of 59%, strongly indicating that institutions and businesses are increasingly confident in Ethereum's role as a fundamental settlement layer in the future Web3 economy.

Bitcoin's "digital gold" status is solid: security and resilience are core values

Although Ethereum benefits from its staking economy and the practicality of smart contracts, Bitcoin still firmly holds the top position in digital assets due to its unparalleled resilience and decentralization characteristics, becoming the most favored anchored asset by institutions.

· BlackRock's endorsement: Irreplaceable seismic resistance

In September 2024, global asset management giant BlackRock released an analysis report that particularly highlighted Bitcoin's exceptional resilience to political, economic, and geopolitical shocks. Over the past five years, Bitcoin has maintained its status as a safe-haven asset, validating its role as "digital gold."

· The firm belief and long-term goals of Wall Street giants

Ark Invest's CEO Cathie Wood further reinforced this viewpoint, referring to Bitcoin as a "global currency system" and believing that this revolutionary concept sets it apart from all other crypto projects. Wood emphasized that Bitcoin's security record is unmatched to date: this Layer-1 blockchain has never been hacked, and not all networks can claim this honor. As an early supporter of the Bitcoin bull market since 2017, Ark Invest continues to back the asset through direct exposure as well as holdings in Bitcoin-related companies like MicroStrategy (MSTR). The company's long-term forecast is extremely optimistic, with a target of reaching $2.4 million per Bitcoin by 2030.

· Strong momentum in short-term technical support

From a short-term technical perspective, Bitcoin's bullish stance is strongly supported. The 20-day EMA (green) and the 50-day EMA (blue) show a steep upward slope, confirming strong buying momentum during price corrections. The support zone between $117,000 and $115,000, where these two EMAs converge, is a key level for maintaining the current bullish structure. Additionally, the 100-day EMA (orange), currently near $113,000, provides mid-term support, and Bitcoin's recovery of this level at the end of September triggered the recent upward move.

Conclusion

In summary, the market trajectories of Bitcoin and Ethereum are showing a "forked growth" trend. Ethereum, with its continuously improving infrastructure, native yield mechanisms, and aggressive accumulation by institutions, is poised to advance towards $10,000, demonstrating strong potential for Web3 infrastructure expansion. Meanwhile, Bitcoin continues to serve as a safe haven for institutional funds in the crypto market, thanks to its value anchoring as "digital gold", undeniable decentralization, and security. For investors, the dual bull market trends of these two giants indicate the overall maturation of the digital asset market, but when choosing, one must weigh Ethereum's yield and utility potential against Bitcoin's scarcity and resilience value.

Disclaimer: This article is for news information only and does not constitute any investment advice. The crypto market is highly volatile, and investors should make cautious decisions.