Bitcoin, Ethereum Now Operate In ‘different Monetary’ Universes: Data

Bitcoin is turning into a savings-focused asset while Ethereum is becoming a high-velocity utility engine, a split that some analysts say is an emerging structural risk.

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) continue to diverge, and they currently operate in different monetary universes, according to a new joint report from Glassnode and Keyrock. The study noted that Bitcoin is drifting deeper into a savings-driven, low-velocity profile, while Ether is rapidly evolving into a productive onchain asset powering staking, collateral, and institutional wrappers.

Bitcoin’s dormancy and turnover now resemble gold far more than fiat.

Ether’s long-term holders are spending coins 3 times faster than BTC holders.

Both assets are leaving exchanges for ETFs, DATs, and staking at accelerating rates.

Glassnode highlighted that 61% of Bitcoin hasn’t moved in a year, with turnover at just 0.61% of free float per day, one of the lowest-velocity profiles among major global assets. “Bitcoin sits firmly in Store-of-Value territory,” the report noted, behaving more like gold than money in motion.

However, Ether is shifting in the opposite direction. ETH long-term holders are mobilizing dormant coins three times faster than BTC holders, a pattern Keyrock explained reflects “utility-driven behavior rather than hoarding.”

ETH’s turnover sits around 1.3% per day, double Bitcoin’s, and 1 in 4 Ether is now locked in staking or ETFs, creating a massive productive float that continues to power DeFi and liquid staking systems.

Exchange balances for both assets are collapsing—BTC by 1.5%, ETH by almost 18%, as coins flow into spot ETFs and digital asset investment vehicles. Analysts say this migration into “sticky” institutional custody may be the most important structural shift as Bitcoin is becoming more like a digital savings bond, while Ether is becoming the operational backbone of onchain activity.

Related: 3 reasons Bitcoin struggles to overcome each new overhead resistance level

Source: CoinTelegraph