Ethereum beats Bitcoin in Q2, but is BTC still the safer long-term bet?

• Ethereum’s Q2 outperformance got here from a single month, whereas Bitcoin confirmed regular power.
• Is ETH’s momentum simply short-term rotation, or an indication of deeper fragility?

Ethereum [ETH] closes out Q2 with a pointy 37.04% acquire, outperforming Bitcoin’s [BTC] 31.08% and as soon as once more showcasing its historic tendency to outpace BTC throughout risk-on phases. 

On the floor, it’s a robust sign of ETH’s cyclical leverage. However a better have a look at the month-to-month construction tells a special story. Midway by 2025, ETH has recorded just one inexperienced month, pushed by a single, explosive +40% transfer. 

That makes this Ethereum’s weakest H1 efficiency since its inception. In distinction, BTC has logged 4 inexperienced month-to-month closes, underscoring its structural resilience and low-volatility profile.

Supply: CoinGlass

So what’s actually occurring underneath the hood? Ethereum’s +37.04% Q2 acquire got here nearly totally from one month, highlighting a pointy, reactive transfer slightly than a sustained uptrend.

BTC, however, is displaying grind-up power. 

4 months of steady green closes level to constant spot demand and managed volatility, particularly spectacular given the macro headwinds nonetheless pressuring danger belongings.

For allocators, this divergence issues.

Ethereum is buying and selling like a rotation asset, explosive, however inconsistent. However BTC is delivering reliability. In order H2 begins, the setup forces a tactical query: Do you chase beta, or place round resilience?

Genesis-era Ethereum strikes: Rotation sign or revenue probe?

Lookonchain flagged a dormant Ethereum ICO participant shifting simply 1 ETH from a 1,000 ETH treasury, untouched since Genesis. 

At present costs, the pockets’s remaining 999 ETH holds a notional worth of $2.20 million, with an entry price of simply $310, marking a staggering ROI.

Now distinction that with Bitcoin. A $310 allocation at Bitcoin’s early $0.10-$0.30 value vary would have netted 1,000-3,000 BTC. At right this moment’s $107,000 value, that’s $107 million-$321 million, a return that dwarfs even ETH’s Genesis beneficial properties.

But the technical divergence runs deeper.

Supply: Glassnode

Ethereum’s Coin Years Destroyed (CYD) is surging, reflecting renewed activity from dormant holders. For context, these are sometimes exit or rotation flows, not accumulation.

In the meantime, Bitcoin’s CYD is declining. Previous BTC isn’t budging. Even with costs breaking above $100k, the long-term holders are staying put, highlighting a transparent present of conviction.

Overlay this with the decade-long return profile, and the distinction is sharp: Bitcoin instructions stronger long-horizon perception, whereas Ethereum’s capital base is extra reactive to danger cycles. 

In that context, if ETH’s rotational power continues to depend on episodic volatility, whereas BTC rides on constant spot demand, even robust quarters like Q2 may begin wanting fragile, as capital rotation into BTC turns into structurally extra frequent.