On February 13, 2026, from 15:00 to 15:15 (UTC), ETH gained 1.49% in just 15 minutes, with the price rising from approximately $2,017.15 to $2,047.23. Market volatility was evident, with trading activity and attention levels increasing in tandem, reflecting the rapid impact of structural capital flows on short-term price movements.
The primary driver of this movement was sustained inflows into ETH ETFs, resonating with the simultaneous expansion of on-chain stablecoin supplies. Data shows that ETH ETF holdings have reached 5.44% of circulating supply, with an annualized growth of 4.1% since early 2026, continuously attracting institutional capital. Meanwhile, USDC supply has nearly doubled year-over-year, and emerging stablecoins like Ethena USDe have seen significant expansion. During the 15:00–15:15 window, on-chain stablecoin balances increased noticeably, effectively boosting ETH buying pressure.
Additionally, decentralized exchanges (DEXs) continued to surpass centralized platforms in trading volume, intensifying short-term price discovery and liquidity migration. Active on-chain trading of perpetual contracts on DEXs and leveraged chasing amplified price elasticity. Within this 15-minute window, on-chain data showed increased interaction with DeFi protocols and NFT trading demand, along with rising RWA asset locking and higher ecosystem user activity. Coupled with macroeconomic expectations of Federal Reserve easing policies and inflows of institutional funds, market sentiment remained optimistic. Multiple factors resonated to push ETH higher in the short term.
Although ETH’s current volatility range is likely to maintain an upward trend, the behavior of high-leverage funds and ongoing liquidity shifts also pose hidden risks. Investors should monitor on-chain stablecoin movements, ETF capital flows, DEX liquidity changes, and DeFi protocol data; additionally, closely watch macro policy developments and key technical support levels. With short-term risks and volatility increasing, it is advisable to stay attentive to real-time market data and on-chain signals, and remain cautious of potential sentiment reversals that could trigger price corrections.
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