Institutional giants increase their holdings by 11,520 ETH: Why are they optimistic about Q1 2026?

【Chain Wen】A well-known crypto investment firm, Trend Research, has been very active recently. Data shows that the firm added a one-time position of 11,520 ETH, sparking market attention regarding the underlying logic.

The institution’s leader subsequently issued a statement clarifying their stance: since ETH fell to around $3,000 after the 1011 event in 2021, they have been firmly bullish on Ethereum. Today, they have become the largest ETH long position holder in the industry. This is not short-term speculation but steady accumulation through dollar-cost averaging, remaining calm amid market volatility.

Why are they so bold? The logic can be divided into three layers. First, the expectation of a major bull market in 2026 is clear, especially considering the first quarter as a critical time window. Large positions are difficult to establish at the absolute bottom, so short-term fluctuations of a few hundred dollars are not a concern. Second, the current market structure hides risks—industry-leading projects are overly hot, and contract holdings have hit new highs, which has become the dominant factor influencing price movements. On some platforms, contract positions are several times the spot inventory, and this imbalance will eventually need adjustment.

The third factor is more macro. Next year, the crypto ecosystem will enter a period of policy benefits: accelerated on-chain financial processes, expansion of the stablecoin ecosystem, a global interest rate cut cycle, and the implementation of crypto-friendly policies. These are all catalysts for a bullish trend.

Based on this logic, the institution’s allocation strategy is also clear: the largest position remains ETH, with a heavy allocation to WLFI as an ecosystem allocation, supplemented by BTC, BCH, and BNB to maintain diversified exposure. The buying points will continue until the true start of the major bull market.