Cryptocurrency regulation is finally about to be implemented. The Senate this week launched intensive discussions on the "Cryptocurrency Market Structure Act," igniting enthusiasm in the crypto community. Bitcoin broke through $96,000 on Wednesday, reaching a new high in two months. Ethereum also regained the $3,300 threshold. This wave of price surge is indeed fierce.

The background of the bill is very important. Last year, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed this bill with 294 votes, and now the Senate Banking Committee and Agriculture Committee are consecutively scheduled for review. The long-anticipated regulatory clarification is really coming. However, there are also controversies hidden within the bill itself. The amendments aim to prohibit stablecoin holding rewards, but trading and staking rewards can be exempted. Large compliant platforms like certain exchanges have finally breathed a sigh of relief.

So why did the prices suddenly surge? Blockchain consultant Li Sicong provided the answer: major institutions are frantically applying for ETFs and deploying stablecoins. After the Christmas holiday, traders focused on replenishing their positions. Coupled with unstable situations in Venezuela, Iran, and other regions, funds began to chase risk assets. But from another perspective, Bitcoin fell 6% last year, and after a rebound this year, it has only increased by 2%. During the same period, gold rose 76%. Compared to this, Bitcoin indeed needs to catch up.

Expert price forecasts are even more attention-grabbing. Kendrick from Standard Chartered Bank boldly declared that "2026 is the Ethereum Year One," with a target price of $7,500 this year, doubling in value. By 2030, he even predicts Ethereum will surge to $40,000. Li Sicong also supports this judgment. His reasoning is that: Ethereum is fundamentally a computing system rather than a currency. JPMorgan has already been innovating in asset tokenization on top of it. He believes Ethereum will definitely outperform Bitcoin this year, with a target of $7,000. He sees Bitcoin reaching $150,000.

Currently, there are more than 130 amendments awaiting discussion on the bill. Although there may be delays, the overall direction will not change. The implementation of the regulatory framework, continuous inflow of institutional funds, and ongoing technological upgrades—these three factors are converging. In this context, it is not surprising that Ethereum's price doubles.