Crypto

Ethereum Reclaims $2,600 as August Inflation Prints and the Fed Decision Approaches

By Omar aka Crypt0 · Sep 12, 2026

Ethereum buyers came back with force on Friday, lifting ether through the $2,600 level after the August consumer price report landed in line with forecasts and soothed nerves left on edge by a hot wholesale inflation print the day before. Ether changed hands near $2,613 in the afternoon UTC session, up about 7.4% over 24 hours, with trading volume around $21.5 billion and a market value near $318 billion, according to CoinGecko data reported by The Crypto Times.

The producer price index surprised to the upside on Thursday, rising 0.4% for the month and 5.4% over 12 months, with diesel fuel jumping 24.1% in a single month. Friday's consumer price index then printed at 0.4% for August and 3.4% over the year, with core inflation at 2.4%, numbers that traders read as already priced in. That completes the inflation data for this policy cycle, and all eyes now turn to the Federal Reserve meeting on September 15 and 16, where Chair Kevin Warsh will hold a press conference alongside fresh economic projections.

Bitcoin shared in the relief, trading in a Friday range from about $76,000 to nearly $79,900 and holding near $79,000 into the afternoon UTC session. Ether's move stood out on a relative basis, lifting the ETH to BTC ratio to 0.03303, up 4.9% on the day, a clear signal that appetite for the second largest crypto asset ran stronger than the market leader's during the session.

ETF flows split into two stories. United States spot Ether funds posted roughly $29.8 million in net outflows on September 10, with the older unstaked funds seeing redemptions, while BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Staking Trust, a spot product that stakes between 70% and 95% of its ETH holdings and pays the yield to holders, pulled in $13.95 million and led inflows for a second straight session. The message in the flows reads clearly: capital prefers yield over idle balances, rotating toward products that put ETH to work. Bitcoin funds recorded $282.7 million in net outflows the same day, their third straight session of withdrawals, which makes ether's relative bid even more visible.

Corporate treasuries keep adding to the ether specific bid. BitMine Immersion Technologies disclosed that its crypto treasury reached 5,929,198 ETH on September 7, about 4.9% of the circulating supply, putting the firm within reach of its stated Alchemy of 5% target. More than 5 million of those tokens are staked, producing a projected $330 million in annualized staking revenue at a 2.61% trailing yield. Exchange balances continue to shrink alongside, with independent trackers placing reserves at the lowest readings in years, between 14.9 million and 15.5 million ETH, while network fees sat near 1.2 gwei, a calm level that shows blockspace had plenty of room during the bounce.

What this sets up for anyone holding ETH or watching it: the biggest macro week of the quarter arrives with ether bid, staking demand steady, corporate treasuries still accumulating, and fewer coins parked on exchanges ready to sell. A calm press conference from Chair Warsh on September 16 could give this rally fresh legs, and ether has rebuilt a strong base just in time for it.

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