Despite the negative market trend faced by the crypto ecosystem over the past days, Ethereum has continued to make waves in key metrics. On August 20, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization set a new record on the leading Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), according to data provided by Maartunn, a community analyst at CryptoQuant. According to the source, over 14,250,000 ETH worth about $8.3 billion was committed in active futures contracts on the exchange, marking the highest level of open interest ever recorded for ETH derivatives on CME. Ethereum OI surges despite price slump This major milestone is coming at a time when the broad crypto market is facing massive price losses, with the prices of leading cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and top altcoins returning to bare lows. Ethereum also had its share of the downtrend, with its price falling significantly below key resistance levels. However, Ethereum has broken major grounds in open interest despite the declining momentum. The surge in Ethereum’s OI despite the negative sentiment is largely attributable to the spike in institutional engagements. During the period, institutions and large ETH holders have shown resilience in accumulating large amounts of ETH, with spot Ethereum ETFs consistently recording daily inflows despite ETH’s price slump. While Ethereum’s open interest in CME has remained consistently on the high side since the beginning of 2025, institutions and high-profile investors appear to have continuously opened ETH futures as efforts to boost its future price actions while maximizing gains. Ethereum flips positive Following this major milestone achieved on CME, Ethereum has seen a sudden reversal in its price amid a broad crypto market resurgence witnessed during the late hours of the day. While rising open interest has often preceded sharp price movements, as leveraged positions historically spark both rallies and corrections, investors' interests appear to have been restored. Notably, speculations suggest that the surge in ETH’s OI on CME, which appears to have been triggered by new institutional positions on the exchange, may have fueled the fresh momentum as Ethereum retraces back above $4,300. Amid the sudden shift in market sentiment, Ethereum has seen its price reflect an increase of 4.09% over the last day, with its price currently sitting at $4,326 according to data provided by CoinMarketCap.