Why Tom Lee’s BitMine Is Buying Ethereum (ETH) Aggressively Despite Market Fear

BitMine Immersion Technologies, the largest corporate holder of Ethereum (ETH), has doubled down on its acquisition of ETH in December, highlighting confidence in the asset.

The renewed buying comes despite a tough environment for Ethereum. Rising exchange inflows and ongoing exchange-traded fund (ETF) outflows point to short-term pressure across the market.

BitMine Scoops Up 138,452 ETH in a Week, Now Controls 3.2% of Supply

According to a recent disclosure, BitMine acquired 138,452 ETH last week, representing a 156% increase over the previous four weeks. Its total holdings stand at 3.86 million ETH.

This accounts for over 3.2% of Ethereum’s circulating supply. Furthermore, it puts BitMine two-thirds of the way toward its goal to control 5% of ETH’s supply.

Since adopting ETH as a reserve asset, BitMine has continued to make large-scale purchases. Between June 30 and October 5, BitMine accumulated 2.83 million ETH. Since October 5, it has added another 1.03 million ETH to its holdings.

Ethereum’s weakness throughout the fourth quarter makes BitMine’s steady accumulation even more notable. Since early October, ETH has shed about 24.8% of its value, reflecting persistent downward pressure.

December has offered a small break from that trend. The price has climbed more than 4% since the start of the month, and with it have climbed BitMine’s ETH purchases.

According to BitMine Chairman Tom Lee, the company’s accelerated purchasing activity reflects its confidence that ETH will likely see gains in the coming months, supported by several key catalysts.

These include the Fusaka upgrade, which was activated last week and delivers meaningful improvements to Ethereum’s scalability, security, and overall network efficiency. BitMine also points to the broader macro backdrop, with the Federal Reserve ending quantitative tightening and potentially introducing another interest rate cut tomorrow.

Together, these developments form the basis for the company’s view that market conditions could turn more supportive for ETH after weeks of volatility.

“We are now more than 8 weeks past the October 10th liquidation shock event, a sufficient length of time to allow crypto to again trade on forward fundamentals,” Lee added.

Market Conditions Point to Near-Term Volatility

Despite this, on-chain data signals caution. CryptoOnchain noted that Ethereum exchange netflow to Binance has surged. The exchange received 162,084 ETH on December 5, 2025. This was the largest single-day inflow of ETH to the exchange since May 2023.

Large deposits on exchanges often suggest impending sell pressure, since investors typically transfer tokens to platforms before liquidating.

“Given the magnitude of this inflow, market participants should remain cautious. A supply shock of this size, if executed as market orders, could lead to heightened volatility or a short-term price correction,” the analyst stated.

Furthermore, Ethereum exchange-traded funds are also signaling weakened demand. The ETFs experienced a record $1.4 billion in net outflows in November 2025, marking the largest monthly withdrawal on record.

The trend has continued into December. According to SoSoValue, an additional $65.59 million exited ETH-focused ETFs in the first week of the month.

“Historically, ETF flow reversals tell you more about liquidity pressure than about long term fundamentals. When redemptions spike, it’s usually a sign that broader risk sentiment is cracking, not that the asset itself broke. If ETF outflows continue, near term price action stays choppy as liquidity gets drained at the edges,” Milk Road posted.

The ongoing divergence between direct accumulation and ETF redemptions highlights a market split, with retail and institutional players following diverging strategies regarding Ethereum’s outlook.