New $143m ETH wallet draws eyes as Bernstein tips Coinbase for rally edge

Nansen flagged an unknown entity just parked 33,000 ETH in a freshly minted multisig wallet funded from a BitGo account. Meanwhile, Bernstein says such large-scale ETH moves could herald a broader rally where Coinbase stands to collect the biggest gains.

In a statement shared with crypto.news on August 11, blockchain analytics platform Nansen flagged an unidentified entity moving 33,000 Ether (ETH), worth about $143 million at current prices, into a freshly created multisig wallet. The transfer happened in a single transaction from a BitGo hot wallet.

According to Nansen, the receiving address, deployed just moments before the transfer, bears no prior history, suggesting a deliberate, high-stakes maneuver rather than routine fund reallocation.

“Based on the scale and multisig setup, this wallet is most likely an entity – Institutional Fund or High-Net-Worth Individual – though the exact owner remains unknown,” Nansen told crypto.news.

Such sudden, large-scale movements often precede major market shifts, and with ETH recently reclaiming multi-year highs. Notably, this one coincided with renewed institutional momentum in Ethereum markets, a backdrop analysts at Bernstein believe could benefit platforms like Coinbase that are tightly integrated into the ETH ecosystem.

Ethereum’s resurgence and Coinbase’s hidden leverage

Ethereum’s recent price action tells a compelling story. According to Bernstein’s reported August 11 client memo, ETH has surged 80% since June 5, coinciding with Circle’s relatively successful IPO and growing recognition that Ethereum dominates stablecoin issuance.

The rally accelerated last week, with ETH breaching $4,000 for the first time in eight months before peaking above $4,350. Though it’s since settled around $4,186, the momentum suggests a broader shift: Bernstein declares the “alt rally” has officially begun, with Ethereum leading the charge.

Why Coinbase stands to gain

The analysts argue Coinbase is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this movement. With over 250 supported tokens, including Base chain integrations, the exchange isn’t just a passive observer but an active participant in Ethereum’s ecosystem.

Its staking operations, which derive 10% of total revenue, are heavily ETH-weighted. Then there’s Base: processing 9 million daily transactions, the Layer 2 chain funnels $75 million annually in sequencer fees back to Coinbase while driving trading volume through its embedded token economy.

Coinbase’s 15% post-earnings stock plunge in late July raised eyebrows, but Bernstein dismisses it as noise. The firm contends Q2 was an anomaly, marking a period when crypto markets hadn’t yet awakened.

By July, Coinbase’s trading volumes were already 40% above Q2 averages, hinting at pent-up demand. “Q2 is the quarter that doesn’t matter,” the memo asserts, projecting Q3 and Q4 as the true litmus test. If ETH’s rally sustains, Coinbase’s fee-heavy model could see revenues eclipse expectations.

The bigger picture

The $143 million ETH transfer flagged by Nansen underscores a broader trend: institutional interest in Ethereum is mounting, whether through direct accumulation (like the mystery wallet) or proxies like Coinbase.

Bernstein notes parallels to Bitcoin’s maturation, from spot ETFs to corporate treasuries, and suggests Ethereum is following a similar playbook. For now, all eyes remain on two fronts: the identity behind that multisig wallet, and whether Coinbase can convert Ethereum’s resurgence into a windfall.