Ethereum (ETH) Price Soars 15% as Trump Confirms ETH Inclusion in Crypto Reserve

Ethereum price action came under intense scrutiny over the weekend as markets reacted to Trump's official confirmation of the much-anticipated Crypto Strategic Reserve.

President Trump's Sunday announcement detailing the assets to be included in the U.S. government's Crypto Strategic Fund sparked a frenetic reaction in the crypto market, propelling Ethereum price up 15% within an hour.

After initially omitting ETH in his announcement of the assets to be included in the strategic reserve bucket, Trump later clarified that both BTC and ETH would be among the assets the U.S. Treasury would be acquiring.

"And, obviously, BTC and ETH, as other valuable Cryptocurrencies, will be at the heart of the Reserve. I also love Bitcoin and Ethereum!" -Donald Trump, via Truth Social, March 2, 2025

Following the announcement around noon (ET) on Sunday, the prices of SOL, ADA, and XRP all went into double-digit gains, while ETH remained at the $2,200 level.

However, nearly two hours after the initial announcement, Trump issued another post clarifying that both ETH and BTC were also included on the list of assets to be acquired by the United States Treasury.

Following this clarification, ETH price promptly joined the rally. Within one hour of Trump's second post, Ethereum surged 15%, moving from $2,200 to reclaim territory above the $2,550 level.

Considering that XRP and Cardano have now recorded gains exceeding 20% at press time, ETH could potentially witness further upside, especially as U.S.-based investors holding ETH ETFs could mount major buy orders when markets reopen on Monday.

Meanwhile, movements observed in the derivatives market show that some strategic traders deployed massive leverage on Sunday in hopes of booking amplified profits if the trading week begins on a positive note, as widely anticipated after Trump included ETH in the Crypto Strategic Reserve.

Coinglass Liquidation Map data, which measures the real-time balance of leverage deployed on active long futures contracts against shorts, shows bulls established significant dominance on Sunday, hinting that the majority of traders are betting on further gains when markets reopen for the week.

The ETH liquidation map chart above shows that bulls mounted a total of $1.14 billion at press time on Sunday, while short leverage has dwindled to just $333 million. This reflects that bulls now dominate the ETH market, with long leverage exceeding shorts by approximately 70%.

Aligning with the trending news events, it appears short traders are opting to close out their positions early rather than risk bigger losses, as the current ETH price rally has the backing of the United States government.

With the U.S. government set to begin the official process of purchasing ETH, BTC, SOL, and ADA, the current bullish setup in the derivatives market could persist.

Unless another comparable bearish catalyst arises, ETH is poised to face weakened resistance levels as it approaches the $3,000 mark in the week ahead, as implied by the dwindling short positions in the derivatives market.

Ethereum Foundation’s Leadership Shuffle also Lifted Market Sentiment

Another key factor contributing to the positive swing in Ethereum's market momentum was the leadership change announced by the Ethereum Foundation on Saturday.

The Foundation appointed Hsiao-Wei Wang, a core researcher with seven years of experience, and Tomasz Stańczak, CEO of Nethermind, as co-Executive Directors. This leadership restructuring aims to enhance technical expertise and improve communication within the Ethereum ecosystem.

Following recent controversies surrounding network updates, this leadership shuffle has lifted investor sentiment ahead of President Trump's major announcement on Sunday.