Michigan State Pension Fund Expands Crypto Holdings With $10M Investment in Grayscale's Ethereum Trust (ETHE) Shares

The Michigan State Pension Fund has expanded its crypto holdings by acquiring $10 million in Grayscale's Ethereum Trust (ETHE) shares.

The Michigan State Pension Fund has disclosed a recent purchase of $10 million in Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust (ETHE) shares, making Michigan the first U.S. state pension fund to invest in Ethereum ETFs.

The fund’s latest 13-F filing with the SEC revealed the Ethereum purchase. This marks the second time the fund has invested in crypto assets. Earlier this year, Michigan added $6.6 million in ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF shares to its portfolio, following SEC approval for Bitcoin ETFs in Jan. 2024.

With the latest ETHE purchase, Michigan’s Ethereum holdings now exceed its Bitcoin investments. This shift in preference comes as Ethereum faces increasing institutional interest despite regulatory pressures and market volatility.

One analyst, CryptoBullet, highlighted that the ETH/BTC chart may be forming a bottom, resembling a pattern observed in late 2016. At the time, ETH went on to rally 2,738% over the following months.

While expecting a 2,738% surge in today’s market might be unrealistic, even a fraction of such a rally would yield substantial returns. If ETH/BTC does indeed confirm a bottom, it could pique investor interest, especially given ETH’s resilience amidst macro uncertainty.

Another market veteran, 360Trader, also weighed in on Ethereum’s outlook, dismissing recent criticism of the asset. “$ETH will lead once again soon… nothing is happening that hasn’t already happened before,” he stated, urging patience as Ethereum navigates its market cycle.

Meanwhile, a recent analysis of on-chain data by Footprint Analytics revealed a large Ethereum whale accumulating over $137 million in ETH. As highlighted by EmberCN, the whale purchased 19,772 ETH over three days, while withdrawing a total of 54,272 ETH from Bybit and Binance since September 17.

Footprint Analytics data also showed a surge in total Ethereum holders, with an increase of 3.64 million to 130.52 million — 40% higher between September and October than in July and August. This indicates a growing appetite for Ethereum (ETH) among investors.