THE LATEST CRYPTO NEWS

A large crypto wallet that recently took a sharp loss on Ethereum has restructured its holdings, moving away from volatile tokens and increasing exposure to stablecoins and tokenized gold, according to on-chain tracking data. Related Reading: A Maduro Bet, A Market Alarm: US Lawmaker Targets Trading Abuses The address drew attention after an aggressive Ethereum purchase late last year went wrong. Between November 3 and November 7, 2025, the wallet spent about $110 million to acquire 31,005 ETH at an average price of $3,581. As prices slid, the position was unwound. Nearly the entire holding was sold for roughly $92.19 million, locking in a loss close to $18 million within two weeks. At current prices near $3,020, that same Ethereum stack would now be valued at around $93.6 million. Shift Away From Ether After Costly Exit Based on reports from blockchain monitoring platforms, the sell-off marked a clear change in behavior. The wallet, once heavily tied to Ethereum, no longer holds a large directional bet on the asset. Instead, balances have been spread across cash-like tokens and commodities. The move reflects caution rather than an attempt to quickly recover losses. An unknown whale, who lost $18.8M on $ETH in just 2 weeks, has abandoned $ETH and rotated into #gold. The whale has spent $14.58M to buy 3,299 $XAUT at $4,421 over the past 7 hours.https://t.co/hit6agWmHd pic.twitter.com/X7k94zV0iQ — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 2, 2026 Gold Buying Shows Preference For Lower Volatility According to on-chain records, the address began building a position in Tether’s tokenized gold product, XAUT. Starting on Friday, the wallet spent $14.58 million in USDT to buy 3,299 XAUT across several transactions. The average purchase price came in near $4,421 per token. This was not the first gold buy. A smaller XAUT acquisition was made on December 13, roughly three weeks earlier. As of the latest data, the wallet holds 3,386 XAUT tokens worth about $14.92 million. The broader portfolio now totals close to $91 million. About $58 million sits in USDT, another $18 million is held in USDC, while the remainder is split between XAUT and a reduced Ethereum balance. The composition points to capital protection rather than high-risk positioning. Metals Outperform Crypto In 2025 Returns from last year help explain the change. Reports have disclosed that Bitcoin fell by 6% in 2025, while Ethereum dropped 11%. Over the same period, gold surged over 60%, and silver rose an even steeper 147%. Related Reading: Bitcoin Dominance Grows As Altcoins Post Another Losing Year: Analyst Major stock indexes such as the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq 100 also posted stronger performance than much of the crypto market. With those results in view, some investors appear more comfortable holding assets linked to metals or cash. Meanwhile, analysts at asset manager VanEck have pointed to 2026 as a possible recovery year for the crypto market. Their view contrasts with the current behavior of large wallets moving into stablecoins and gold-linked tokens. The divide shows how uncertain sentiment remains after a year when metals and traditional assets delivered stronger gains than major cryptocurrencies. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Ethereum is showing renewed signs of strength as it begins to stabilize after months of choppy price action. While recent technical improvements suggest momentum is turning in favor of the bulls, key resistance levels remain overhead, which means the recovery seems promising, but not yet fully confirmed. Market Structure Remains Unconvincing Despite The Bounce In a recent market update, crypto analyst Luca expressed a cautious outlook regarding Ethereum’s current market structure. While the price has managed a technical feat by breaking above the 1D Bull Market Support Band, a zone that has historically served as a reliable reversal point over the past several months, Luca remains unconvinced of a broader trend shift.  Related Reading: Ethereum Price Momentum Rolls Over, Bearish Move Warning The primary hurdle for a definitive bullish reversal lies at the 0.618 Fibonacci Point of Interest (POI), currently positioned at $3,120. Luca emphasizes that Ethereum must durably reclaim this level to shift the lower-timeframe sentiment. Until this specific price target is secured as support, the risk of the current move being a fake-out remains high. Drawing parallels to the current state of Bitcoin, Luca suggests that the most prudent approach for investors is to remain defensive, as the market has yet to confirm a breakout above the Fibonacci resistance. This cautious stance is intended to guard against emotional trading during a period of high uncertainty and potential volatility. To manage this risk, Luca is maintaining a cash reserve to hedge spot holdings in case a rejection occurs. A failure to hold current levels would likely trigger a deeper pullback toward the previous high-timeframe resistance range near $2,700 before a more sustainable and durable reversal to the upside unfolds. Ethereum Opens 2026 With A Key Trend Shift According to StockTrader_max, Ethereum has started 2026 on a clearly positive technical footing. ETH has printed its first daily close above the 50-day moving average since October 9, a period that coincided with the liquidation-driven shock that rippled through the broader crypto market. This close marks a meaningful shift in trend behavior after months of trading below key short-term averages. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Presses Resistance, but Can The Recovery Survive? From a bullish perspective, reclaiming the 50-day MA is exactly the kind of confirmation sought for following an extended corrective phase. It signals improving momentum and suggests that buyers are beginning to regain control, potentially laying the groundwork for a more sustained recovery rather than a short-lived bounce. Looking ahead, StockTrader_max highlighted the 200-day moving average around $3,550 as the next major upside objective. As capital starts to rotate back into Ethereum and risk appetite improves, the analyst expects price action to gravitate toward this level in the coming sessions. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

With 2025 now closed, the crypto market is beginning 2026 with attempts to recover from one of its most challenging years. After a tumultuous period, total market capitalization has surged back above $3 trillion. However, many investors are left wondering what the new year has in store for digital assets. Institutions Forecast Bullish Crypto Prices For 2026 According to a recent report by analysts at Bull Theory, the past year proved to be robust for traditional markets, particularly for metals, while cryptocurrencies fell short of expectations. Silver surged by 160%, and gold followed suit with a 66% increase.  In contrast, Bitcoin (BTC) wrapped up 2025 down approximately 5%, despite several positive indicators, such as consistent purchasing by Strategy, strong inflows into Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and growing institutional interest.  Related Reading: Is The Dogecoin Bottom In? 3 Analysts Break Down the Charts Yet, when one asset class lags significantly while liquidity remains abundant, historical trends show that the gap typically narrows. In terms of specific projections, various major institutions and prominent investors have offered their forecasts for both Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH).  Standard Chartered targets Bitcoin to reach $150,000 by the end of 2026, and JPMorgan projects a price of $170,000. Meanwhile, Citi’s base case stands around $143,000, with a more aggressive bull case suggesting a potential rise to $189,000.  Cathie Wood of ARK Invest envisions a long-term scenario where Bitcoin could hit $500,000, contingent on widespread institutional adoption. Tom Lee from Fundstrat anticipates Ethereum will trade between $7,000 and $9,000 by early 2026, fueled by the tokenization of real-world assets. New Regulations And Economic Optimism The analysts further highlighted that, unlike previous years, this cycle looks distinct in several key aspects. For one, crypto is no longer encumbered by operating within a legal gray area.  New regulatory frameworks, particularly in the US, are poised to offer clearer guidelines, reducing uncertainty and facilitating easier access for institutional investors. The anticipated changes aim for simplified regulations that could enhance market structure while broadening institutional participation beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum.  Moreover, several factors suggest that a sharp movement in the crypto markets could be on the horizon. The end of quantitative tightening on December 1, 2025, coupled with a growing GDP, signals a conducive environment for crypto.  Related Reading: Dogecoin Long-Term Bullish Structure Still In Play And Will Cross $10 With inflation stabilized below 3% and unemployment at 4.6%, there are indications that the Federal Reserve (Fed) may adopt a more dovish stance, especially with a new Fed Chair expected to take office in May 2026.  Overall, as the new year begins, the crypto market finds itself in a position of underperformance rather than excess. This contrasting state often results in rapid repricings as gaps are closed in response to liquidity alignment.  As a result, Bull Theory analysts believe that 2026 could very well be the year when these disparities start to correct, leading to a potentially bullish environment for cryptocurrencies. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, has captured market attention after executing a high-conviction rotation out of Ethereum and into a select group of decentralized finance tokens. On-chain data, later reinforced by his public remarks, shows a deliberate concentration of capital into specific DeFi protocols he believes are positioned to outperform as liquidity conditions evolve. Ethereum Was Sold, Not Abandoned Blockchain data shows that over a two-week period, Hayes reduced his Ethereum exposure by selling a total of 1,871 ETH, valued at roughly $5.53 million at the time of execution. This was not an isolated transaction, as the ETH sales were followed closely by a series of DeFi purchases, indicating that Ethereum was used as a funding source rather than an asset he was exiting on conviction grounds. Related Reading: Can Dogecoin Price Reach $1 In 2026? Analysts Reveal What To Expect This pattern aligns with Hayes’ broader view of Ethereum’s role in the market. ETH increasingly serves as foundational infrastructure and productive collateral, while much of the incremental return potential has migrated to protocols that sit closer to yield generation and cash-flow activity. Hayes had already signaled this thinking earlier, having trimmed ETH exposure in August, making the recent sales part of a continuing reallocation rather than a sudden reversal. Hayes later reinforced the rationale publicly, stating that his portfolio was rotating out of ETH and into “high-quality DeFi names,” based on the expectation that these assets could outperform in an environment of improving fiat liquidity. The speed and coordination of the trades suggest a clear macro-driven move rather than tactical speculation. The Thesis Behind Pendle, Lido DAO, Ethena, And Ether.fi Purchases Following the ETH sales, Hayes redeployed capital across four DeFi protocols, each targeting a different segment of the Ethereum financial stack. Initial purchases included 961,113 PENDLE worth about $1.75 million, reflecting exposure to yield tokenization and on-chain fixed-income markets. He also acquired 2.3 million LDO valued at roughly $1.29 million, positioning into liquid staking infrastructure that continues to play a central role in Ethereum’s staking economy. Related Reading: What Happens If The Bitcoin Price Closes 2025 In The Red? Analyst Answers Additional allocations went to Ethena and Ether.fi, with Hayes buying 6.05 million ENA for approximately $1.24 million and 491,401 ETHFI worth about $343,000. Minutes later, on-chain trackers reported follow-up purchases, showing Hayes doubling down on two positions. He added an additional 4.86 million ENA valued near $986,000 and 697,851 ETHFI worth roughly $485,000, pushing total DeFi deployment well beyond the original allocation. The structure of these buys matters. Pendle targets yield markets, Lido anchors staking liquidity, Ethena focuses on synthetic dollar mechanics, and Ether.fi captures emerging restaking yield. Together, they form a solid exposure to yield, capital efficiency, and infrastructure-level adoption rather than narrative-driven trades. Hayes’ actions underscore a consistent message: Ethereum remains the base layer, but he sees the strongest risk-adjusted opportunities in the DeFi protocols that actively convert ETH into productive, revenue-linked assets. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

As Ethereum (ETH) is set to end the year on a disappointing note, some market observers have shared an optimistic outlook for the altcoin’s start-of-year performance, suggesting that an early 2026 breakout remains possible. Related Reading: Crypto Hacks Swipe Nearly $3 Billion In 2025 Despite Fewer Attacks – Report Ethereum Holds ‘Equilibrium Level’ Ethereum is attempting to end the year above a crucial area following its recent sideways action. Notably, the cryptocurrency has been in a downtrend for the past three months, currently recording a 27.8% decline from its Q4 opening of $4,145. ETH has been trading sideways over the past several weeks, hovering within the $2,800-$3,000 price range. During this period, the King of Altcoins has failed to hold above the upper boundary on the weekly timeframe despite multiple attempts to break out. Amid this performance, market watcher Crypto Batman recently noted Ethereum is trading around the mid-zone of a multi-year bullish channel, which he named “the equilibrium level.” This zone has historically acted as both a strong support and resistance point for Ethereum, he explained, making it the crucial area to hold as we approach the monthly and yearly closes. Despite the recent price action, Crypto Batman suggested that “given how ETH rallied from $1,500 to $4,600, this current move looks like nothing more than a bullish retest to that equilibrium, likely forming the next higher low.” Similarly, analyst Cas Abbé affirmed that the leading altcoin’s structure remains “incredibly bullish” even with the recent volatility, highlighting ETH’s uptrend line on the higher timeframes. According to the post, the cryptocurrency has not only held its ascending trendline over the past eight months but also bounced after each retest, suggesting that a rebound could be possible if this level continues to hold on the higher timeframes. ETH Breakout In Early 2026? Crypto Jelle also shared a bullish outlook for Ethereum, affirming that the altcoin looks strong on the macro chart. “If price can push towards $4k from here, I doubt bears can hold it down again,” the analyst wrote on X, adding that “It might finally be time for ETH to shine again next year.” Market observer Trader Tardigrade underscored a giant Inverse Head and Shoulders pattern on ETH’s weekly chart. Per the post, the cryptocurrency has been forming this bullish pattern for the past two years, with the neckline currently located around the $4,950-$5,000 mark. Notably, the left shoulder and head developed during the Q3-Q4 2024 and Q2-Q3 2025 rallies. Meanwhile, the Q4 2025 correction has started to form the pattern’s right shoulder, which signals that the altcoin could rise to the neckline area in the next few months, and potentially aim for higher levels if the pattern continues to develop. In the shorter timeframe, Man of Bitcoin noted that Ethereum could see a breakout in the first week of 2026. The analyst pointed out a one-month symmetrical triangle formation on ETH’s chart, where the price has been “getting squeezed between both trendlines.” Related Reading: Solana Bearish Formation Hints At Major Correction Until Mid-2026 – Here’s The Target While the altcoin continues to compress between these levels, a break from the pattern becomes more likely, leading the market watcher to suggest a 15%-20% breakout toward the $3,400 resistance. As of this writing, ETH is trading at $2,977, a 1.2% increase in the weekly timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum remains trapped below the critical $3,000 level as price action compresses into an increasingly narrow range. Despite several recovery attempts, bulls have failed to regain control, leaving ETH vulnerable to renewed downside pressure. Market sentiment reflects this weakness, with a growing number of analysts leaning toward a bearish outlook for 2026 as momentum indicators continue to fade and risk appetite remains subdued across the broader crypto market. Related Reading: Bitcoin Supply In Profit Sets The Stage For Bullish Cross In Q1 2026 Amid this fragile technical backdrop, new on-chain data highlights a notable shift in Ethereum’s liquidity structure. According to a CryptoQuant report by analyst Arab Chain, Ethereum reserves on Binance surged to approximately 4.17 million ETH in December. This increase coincided with massive inflows totaling nearly 8.5 million ETH over the month, marking one of the most significant exchange inflow events since 2023. Such a sharp rise in exchange-held ETH suggests a change in investor behavior. Historically, large inflows to centralized exchanges indicate preparation for increased trading activity, hedging, or potential selling pressure, rather than long-term accumulation. While inflows alone do not guarantee immediate downside, they often precede periods of higher volatility, especially when the price is already struggling to reclaim key resistance levels. Exchange Liquidity Rises as Volatility Risks Build The CryptoQuant report emphasizes that the sharp increase in Ethereum reserves on Binance—the world’s largest exchange by trading volume—indicates a significant increase in tradable supply. When ETH moves from cold storage or long-term wallets onto centralized exchanges, it typically reflects a shift toward active positioning. Historically, this behavior has been a key input for assessing short- to medium-term supply–demand dynamics, as higher exchange balances increase the amount of ETH readily available for trading, hedging, or liquidation. However, the report stresses that rising exchange reserves do not automatically translate into immediate selling pressure. In many cases, large inflows are associated with risk management strategies rather than outright distribution. Institutional participants often move assets to exchanges to deploy them as collateral, rebalance exposure, or hedge downside risk through derivatives markets, particularly during periods of macro uncertainty and compressed price action. Still, the scale of December’s inflows stands out. Nearly 8.5 million ETH flowed into Binance over the month, marking the highest net inflows since 2023, with daily net inflows peaking above 162,000 ETH. Such volumes suggest the involvement of large players and point to a potential transition into a more volatile market phase. With Binance commanding a dominant share of Ethereum derivatives trading, this concentration of ETH on the exchange raises the probability of sharp price moves. Whether driven by spot selling or leveraged positioning, elevated exchange liquidity increases the market’s sensitivity to shifts in sentiment, making the current consolidation phase increasingly fragile. Related Reading: XRP Slides To $1.80 While Binance Reserves Continue To Decline Ethereum Price Compresses As Momentum Fades Ethereum price action on the 4-hour chart reflects a market stuck in compression just below the $3,000 psychological level. After a sharp decline earlier in the month, ETH attempted several rebounds but consistently failed to reclaim higher ground, resulting in a tight range between roughly $2,900 and $3,100. This structure signals indecision rather than accumulation, with both buyers and sellers lacking conviction. Technically, Ethereum remains capped below its short- and medium-term moving averages. The 50-period and 100-period averages are acting as dynamic resistance, repeatedly rejecting upside attempts. Meanwhile, the 200-period moving average continues to slope downward, reinforcing the broader bearish trend. As long as ETH trades below these levels, rallies are likely to remain corrective rather than trend-changing. Related Reading: Chainlink Shows Strong Accumulation Signal: LINK Exchange Liquidity Dries Up Trading activity has steadily declined during the consolidation phase, indicating reduced participation and growing apathy. The absence of strong volume expansion on upside moves suggests that buyers are not aggressively stepping in, even near key support. Structurally, the $2,900–$2,950 zone is acting as short-term support, preventing deeper drawdowns for now. However, the longer ETH remains compressed below $3,000, the greater the risk of a volatility expansion. A decisive break above $3,100 would be required to shift momentum to the bullish side. Until then, Ethereum remains vulnerable to renewed downside pressure if broader market sentiment deteriorates. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

The Ethereum blockchain recorded its strongest operational year in history in 2025, processing record transaction volumes and securing the vast majority of the DeFi market. However, the crypto asset that powers the network failed to mirror that growth, posting double-digit losses for the year. According to CryptoSlate's data, ETH is trading down 10% year-to-date at […]
The post Ethereum lost over $100 million in fees this year, and one corporate giant kept the profit appeared first on CryptoSlate.

XRP, Bitcoin, and Ethereum are displaying sharply diverging fund flow trends, with XRP emerging as the most accumulated digital asset in the latest CoinShares Digital Asset Fund Flows Weekly Report. With Bitcoin and Ethereum jointly recorded nearly $500 million in outflows, the data illustrates a shift in investor positioning away from the market’s largest assets toward select alternatives amid ongoing volatility. XRP Inflows Highlight Selective Demand Contrasting sharply with the redemptions sweeping through Bitcoin and Ethereum products, XRP has continued to register major inflows. CoinShares data shows XRP-linked investment vehicles attracted $70.2 million in new capital last week, reflecting ongoing interest from investors in these nascent ETF categories. Since their mid-October US launches, XRP has accumulated about $1.07 billion in inflows, a remarkable trajectory given the prevailing outflow environment for larger assets.  Related Reading: XRP Price May Be Bearish Below $2, But On-Chain Data Tells A Different Story This bifurcation in fund flows underscores a selective repositioning among investors. While broad risk assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum grapple with selling pressure, XRP’s performance shows that certain niche products are still attracting interest even in a downtrend. This pattern may be likely due to different expectations about regulations, adoption, or the impact of newly launched ETF products aimed at specific investors. Bit-Heavy Outflows: Bitcoin And Ethereum Under Pressure Despite their dominant roles in the market, Bitcoin and Ethereum endured significant net outflows during the reporting week ended December 29, contributing the lion’s share of the overall outflow figure. According to CoinShares, Bitcoin-linked products recorded approximately $443 million in redemptions, representing nearly the totality of the weekly withdrawal from crypto investment vehicles. Ethereum-focused products also saw $59.5 million exit, adding to a broader pattern of institutional caution toward the largest digital assets. These negative flows have accumulated since the mid-October US ETF launches, with Bitcoin recording roughly $2.8 billion and Ethereum about $1.6 billion in outflows over this period. The concentration of redemptions in the United States, where $460 million left digital asset funds, highlights a prevailing aversion among domestic investors toward reallocating capital into BTC and ETH during periods of price volatility and regulatory uncertainty. Related Reading: Banks Could Start Holding XRP Due To This Simple Change The sustained outflows amid weak sentiment reflect broader investor behavior during market stress. When capital flees established assets, it often signals profit-taking, risk reduction, or shifts into alternative strategies or cash positions, all of which can exert downward price pressure and prolong short-term weakness. For Bitcoin and Ethereum, this trend suggests that even their extensive adoption and liquidity have not insulated them from pullbacks in institutional demand. Overall, the latest fund flow data signals a clear rotation in investor attention. While Bitcoin and Ethereum continue to experience significant outflows, XRP is drawing capital, emphasizing a market environment where targeted assets are increasingly capturing the focus of both institutional and retail participants as 2026 approaches. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

Crypto is seeing a shuffling of cards of sorts. Long-term holders of Bitcoin have eased up on selling after months of steady reductions, while large Ethereum wallets have been piling on more tokens, according to recent reports. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rules The Decade: Outshines Gold And Silver, Analyst Says Traders remain careful as prices swing and data gives mixed signals about where money is moving next. According to on-chain figures cited in market commentary, wallets that have held Bitcoin for at least 155 days cut their total from nearly 15 million coins in mid-July to a little over 14 million in December. Ether Whales Increase Holdings Based on reports quoting CryptoQuant and a crypto newsletter, addresses holding large amounts of ether have added around 120,000 ETH since Dec.26. Analysts at Milk Road said wallets with 1,000+ ETH now control roughly 70% of the supply, and that share has been climbing since late 2024. Heavy concentration can point to strong conviction from a few players, and it can also leave the market exposed if those same wallets move to sell. Both outcomes would shape liquidity and price swings. Long-term holders have stopped selling $BTC for the first time since July 2025. Things are looking good for a relief rally here. pic.twitter.com/t7Sl2hS9Ub — Ted (@TedPillows) December 29, 2025 Long-Term Bitcoin Holders Pause Selling Crypto investor Ted Pillows was quoted on X saying long-term holders “have stopped selling Bitcoin for the first time since July 2025,” a point that market watchers flagged as a possible turning point in holder behavior. That change in activity is often read as a sign of exhaustion after a long stretch of distribution. It can mean sellers are done for now, but it does not guarantee a fresh uptrend. Capital Moves And Market Chops Garrett Jin, formerly of exchange BitForex, suggested that some capital may be shifting from metals into crypto after a short squeeze in precious metals. Reports referenced gains in silver and platinum as part of the backdrop. At the same time, bitcoin traded in a tight range recently, bouncing between $86,740 and $90,060 over seven days, a pattern that has kept many traders on edge. Silver’s price rose by more than 1,570% this year, a figure that would represent an extreme move and which will need independent confirmation. Meanwhile, bitcoin remains well below its record highs. Some analysts argue that lukewarm ETF demand and market mechanics, including derivatives and liquidity patterns, play a larger role in price action than headline sentiment. Related Reading: Crypto Heat Fizzling Out? US Search Interest Plunges As Retail Shy Away Taken together, the data points to a market that is stabilizing more than rallying decisively. Large ether holders are buying, long-term bitcoin owners have paused selling, and US flows look soft. Featured image from GaijinPot Blog, chart from TradingView

Ethereum price started a decent upward move but failed near $3,050. ETH is now struggling and might continue to move down below $2,900. Ethereum started a recovery wave but struggled above $3,000. The price is trading below $2,950 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a short-term contracting triangle forming with resistance at $2,930 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could continue to move down if it breaks below the $2,880 zone. Ethereum Price Dips Again Ethereum price started a recovery wave above the $2,920 and $2,950 levels, like Bitcoin. ETH price even climbed above the $3,000 resistance before the bears appeared. A high was formed at $3,053, and the price started another decline. There was a sharp decline below $3,000 and $2,980. The bears even pushed the price below $2,950. A low was formed at $2,907 and the price is now consolidating losses below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $3,053 swing high to the $2,907 low. Ethereum price is now trading above $2,950 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If the bulls are able to protect more losses below $2,900, the price could attempt another recovery wave. Immediate resistance is seen near the $2,940 level. Besides, there is a short-term contracting triangle forming with resistance at $2,930 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. The first key resistance is near the $2,955 level. The next major resistance is near the $2,980 level. It is close to the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $3,053 swing high to the $2,907 low. A clear move above the $2,950 resistance might send the price toward the $3,000 resistance. An upside break above the $3,000 region might call for more gains in the coming days. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $3,050 resistance zone or even $3,120 in the near term. Another Decline In ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $2,955 resistance, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2,900 level. The first major support sits near the $2,880 zone. A clear move below the $2,880 support might push the price toward the $2,840 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $2,800 region. The next key support sits at $2,720. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is gaining momentum in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now below the 50 zone. Major Support Level – $2,900 Major Resistance Level – $2,955

With Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) prices facing significant corrections, the two largest publicly traded holders of these cryptocurrencies, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and Bitmine Immersion, have made substantial moves to bolster their portfolios over the past week. Strategy Resumes Bitcoin Acquisitions  On Monday, Strategy announced that, between 22 and 28 December, it had acquired 1,129 Bitcoin at an average price of around $88,568 each, totaling approximately $108.8 million.  This latest purchase increased Strategy’s Bitcoin portfolio to 672,497 tokens, originally acquired for roughly $74,997 per token, making the total investment approximately $50.44 billion.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Nears Red Yearly Close: Galaxy Digital Explains The Setup Alongside these acquisitions, the company sold $108.8 million in Class A common stock under its at-the-market equity offering, leaving a major $11.7 billion still available for future issuance and sale. This follows the week after 24 November, during which the company did not make any new crypto acquisitions or issue any securities. Notably, Strategy also paused its purchasing activities between 15 and 21 December, ending a three-week streak of acquisitions. During this time, it sold common stock amounting to $747.8 million. Bitmine Stashes 4,110,525 Ethereum On the other side, Bitmine Immersion has disclosed a significant increase in its Ethereum holdings, adding 44,463 ETH in just the past week. This move brings its total stash to 4,110,525 ETH, which constitutes about 3.41% of the entire Ethereum supply. Out of this cache, Bitmine has staked 408,627 ETH. Tom Lee, the Chairman of Fundstrat and a key figure at Bitmine, commented on the market’s seasonal activity, noting that trading tends to slow as the year draws to a close. He stated, “Bitmine added 44,463 ETH in the past week, as we continue to be the largest ‘fresh money’ buyer of ETH in the world.”  Lee attributed the downward pressure on cryptocurrency and related equities to year-end tax-loss selling, which typically peaks between December 26 and December 30. Emphasizing Bitmine’s strategic focus, Lee remarked that the company remains dedicated to enhancing shareholder value. This commitment involves accretively acquiring ETH per share, optimizing yields, and income on its Ethereum holdings. Crypto Market Woes Despite these acquisitions, both cryptocurrencies have failed to regain their key levels, with BTC consolidating below $90,000 at around $87,400 and ETH trading just above $2,920. On a year-to-date basis, both ETH and BTC are set to close 2025 with losses of 12% and 6%, respectively.  Related Reading: Ethereum’s Quiet Bounce Faces A Bigger Test Above $3,550 Strategy’s stock, which trades under the ticker name MSTR, is currently priced at around $156 per share. This represents a substantial 71% decline from the all-time high of $540 reached in November 2024.  At the time of writing, Bitmine’s BMNR stock was trading at $28.40, having recorded an even greater loss than Strategy when compared to its all-time high price of $161. This equates to an 82% loss for the company’s stock since July of this year.  Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Ethereum’s recent rebound has brought a brief sense of relief, but the bigger challenge still lies ahead. While price is attempting to stabilize after weeks of sideways action, the broader structure suggests this move remains corrective rather than decisive. Until ETH can clear the $3,550 barrier, the bounce looks more like a pause in consolidation than the start of a sustained upside breakout. Sideways Correction Still Dominates Ethereum’s Structure According to More Crypto Online, Ethereum continues to trade within a sideways corrective structure that has been in place since November 21. Price action remains capped below the upper boundary of this corrective trend channel, signaling that the market has yet to show a convincing shift toward a broader bullish phase. Related Reading: Here’s The Ethereum Descending Triangle Structure That Threatens A Crash Below $2,800 At this stage, a break above the corrective channel is the minimum indication that upside momentum may be developing. Even if Ethereum does push higher, caution is still warranted. Any advance from current levels could simply unfold as a yellow B-wave within a larger circle wave 5, or as an extended phase of circle wave 4. Both scenarios imply that upward movement may be corrective in nature rather than the start of a sustained rally. For the more bullish orange scenario to gain real credibility, Ethereum would need to reclaim the $3,550 resistance level decisively. A clean break and hold above this zone would help confirm a stronger breakout structure and reduce the risk that the move is merely a temporary bounce. Until such confirmation appears, the probability of another downside test remains elevated. Overall, the technical structure still favors consolidation or further downside over an immediate bullish continuation, keeping the market in a cautious mode. ETH Mirrors Bitcoin’s Range-Bound Behavior In a more recent update, Crypto Candy noted that Ethereum continues to mirror Bitcoin’s price behavior, remaining locked in a well-defined range between $2,700 and $3,400. ETH’s price has been largely stagnant over the past few sessions, indicating indecision across the broader market as participants await a clearer directional cue. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Targets Break Above $3K, Bulls Smell Opportunity However, ETH recently found support in the $2,600–$2,700 demand zone, where buyers stepped in and sparked a short-term bounce. This reaction has allowed price to start pushing back toward higher levels within the range, suggesting that downside pressure is easing for now. If momentum continues to build, a move toward the upper boundary around $3,400 could regain focus. For the bullish bias to remain valid, the $2,600–$2,700 support area must continue to hold. A clean breakdown below that zone would weaken the current recovery attempt and reopen the door to deeper downside. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Ethereum has been having a hard time over the last few months after hitting a brand new all-time high back in August 2025. The last quarter of the year has been especially brutal, with the cryptocurrency’s price down more than 29% in Q4 2025. Despite this abysmal performance, things have failed to turn around, with technical indicators continuing to point to further decline for the altcoin. The latest of these is the appearance of a descending triangle structure, that carried the promise of further downside. Ethereum Price Is Still Not Bullish As crypto analyst Alpha Trade Scope points out in a TradingView post, the Ethereum price chart is still showing major signs of weakness. For example, the digital asset saw its price crash below a descending trendline, and this has marked the continuation of the downtrend that began three months ago. Related Reading: XRP Supply Dwindles While ETFs Go On A Buying Spree Before 2026 The current price trend has led to the formation of a descending triangle structure, which emerged after the cryptocurrency completed an impulse move. Not only this, the trend of recording lower highs has been evidence of the increased selling pressure on the cryptocurrency. Doing this below the aforementioned descending trendline just lends credence to the fact that the downtrend is not over. There has also been a major shift in the market structure of the Ethereum price. For one, there was a Change of Character (CHoCH), which shows that the Ethereum price is no longer bullish, but is rather more bearish at this point. Resistance has also mounted at the $3,000 level over time, and the price has been trading well below this resistance for a while now. Also, the Ethereum price is caught in a tight range, trading within the Fair Value Gap (FVG) mapped out between $2,930 and $2,960. This shows the rising resistance at this level, that could serve as a rejection in the case of a recovery attempt. How Low Can The ETH Price Go? If the current bearish trend holds and the Ethereum price does get rejected, then the first target for the downside lies at $2,815. This first target serves as the first support for the cryptocurrency and the destination for an initial liquidity sweep as investors sell into the decline. However, it is not the final target. Related Reading: What Does XRP Really Do? Expert Explains What It Is Built For In the case of a further break, then $2,800 is expected to give way, leading to the second major target at $2,748. This target is more of a major demand zone and is more likely to trigger a bounce due to the mounting buying pressure at this point. “The chart presents a classic bearish continuation setup, favoring downside expansion if support breaks with confirmation,” the analyst said. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum price started a decent upward move above $2,900. ETH is now showing positive signs and might eye more gains above $3,000. Ethereum started a recovery wave above the $2,920 zone. The price is trading above $2,950 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support at $2,930 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could continue to move up if it settles above the $3,000 zone. Ethereum Price Eyes More Gains Ethereum price managed to stay above the $2,880 pivot level and started a recovery wave, like Bitcoin. ETH price climbed above the $2,920 resistance to enter a positive zone. The bulls were able to push the price above the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $3,075 swing high to the $2,888 low. Besides, there is a bullish trend line forming with support at $2,930 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. Ethereum price is now trading above $2,950 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If the bulls are able to protect more losses below $2,950, the price could continue to move up. Immediate resistance is seen near the $3,000 level and the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $3,075 swing high to the $2,888 low. The first key resistance is near the $3,030 level. The next major resistance is near the $3,050 level. A clear move above the $3,050 resistance might send the price toward the $3,120 resistance. An upside break above the $3,120 region might call for more gains in the coming days. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $3,200 resistance zone or even $3,220 in the near term. Another Decline In ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $3,000 resistance, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2,950 level. The first major support sits near the $2,920 zone. A clear move below the $2,920 support might push the price toward the $2,880 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $2,800 region. The next key support sits at $2,720. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is gaining momentum in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now above the 50 zone. Major Support Level – $2,950 Major Resistance Level – $3,000

According to Cryptowzrd’s latest technical outlook, Ethereum ended the session with an indecisive close, offering little clarity on immediate direction. With the weekend likely to bring thinner liquidity, patience remains key as the focus shifts to waiting for a cleaner structure and a more reliable scalp opportunity to emerge. Tight Ranges Signal Indecision As Volatility Wanes Cryptowzrd went on to explain that Ethereum’s daily candle closed indecisively, mirroring the lack of clear direction seen across the broader market. ETHBTC also ended the session without conviction, reinforcing the idea that momentum remains muted for now. Related Reading: $6 Billion In Ethereum Options: What This Means For Price The uncertainty extended to the higher timeframes as well, with the weekly candle closing indecisively across most ETF and CME charts. This type of price behavior suggests hesitation among market participants, making it challenging to establish a strong directional bias in the near term. According to the update, healthier price action from ETHBTC will be required before Ethereum can develop a clearer trend. That process may take time, as the pair often leads Ethereum’s relative strength and overall structure. At the time of the post, Ethereum was trading close to the $2,800 support target zone. Holding this area maintains the broader structure, while a stronger bullish push in the future could open the door for a move toward the $3,700 resistance region. For now, the focus shifts to the lower time frame charts over the weekend, where short-term scalp opportunities may emerge. However, expectations remain measured given the indecisive conditions and typically lower liquidity during weekend sessions.  Range-Bound Action Keeps Ethereum Traders On The Sidelines In a conclusive summary, the analyst observed that the intraday chart remains characterized by choppy and sluggish price action. The market is currently confined to a narrow range, lacking the decisive momentum required to establish a clear trend. This period of consolidation suggests a “wait-and-see” approach is necessary as the asset stabilizes between its immediate boundaries. Related Reading: Ethereum Traders Chase Upside With Historic Leverage – Breakout Fuel Or Fragile Setup? Specific price triggers have been identified to determine the next major move. A break below the $2,880 support level would likely signal a shift toward further bearish decline, whereas a move above the $3,060 resistance would open the door for sustained upside and new long opportunities.  Ultimately, the analyst emphasizes the importance of patience, noting that the current market environment requires a more mature chart structure before the next high-probability trade can be executed. Until the price breaks out of this intraday range and develops a more defined pattern, the strategy remains defensive to avoid the risks associated with the current volatility. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Ethereum has spent much of December under pressure, and the recent fall below $3,000 has left a visible mark on investor positioning.  On-chain data now shows a notable deterioration in profitability across the network, with the share of ETH supply sitting in profit falling below 60%. At the same time, institutional demand has decreased, with data from Glassnode showing how both retail profitability and institutional participation in Ethereum have weakened simultaneously. Related Reading: Could XRP Make Trillionaires? Tech Firm Founder Thinks It’s Possible Ethereum’s Percent Supply In Profit Falls Below 60% The drop in Ethereum’s percent supply in profit has been one of the clearest signals of stress for Ethereum. Ethereum’s investors have fallen into deeper losses, and this is a reflection of recent price action.  Speaking of price action, Ethereum had initially reclaimed the $3,000 price level on December 22. During this time, the percentage of ETH supply in profit pushed back above 60% and reached as high as 63%. However, this break was for only a very brief time, and price action fell back below $3,000 after just a few hours.  As ETH broke below $3,000 again, the share of supply held at unrealized gains fell under 60%, down from above 70% earlier in December. This fall shows that the pullback has not been limited to recent buyers but has begun to impact investors who accumulated during the beginning of the month. ETH Percent Supply In Profit. Source: Glassnode ETF Net Outflows Indicate Waning Institutional Participation The weakness in on-chain profitability and price action is also a reflection of trends in the ETF market. Another data metric from Glassnode shows that since early November, the 30-day moving average of net flows into US Spot Ethereum ETFs has turned negative and remained there. This persistence of outflows points to a phase of muted participation and disengagement from institutional traders. The ETF chart below shows that inflows, which supported Ethereum’s push to new all-time highs in August, have faded, replaced by continued outflows through November and December. This matters for price action because ETF demand has been a key source of incremental buying. As that bid has weakened, Ethereum has struggled to absorb sell-side pressure, contributing to its failure to hold above $3,000. ETH: US Spot ETF Net Flows. Source: Glassnode The combination of negative ETF net flows and Ethereum’s recent price behaviorhelps explain rising unrealized losses. Interestingly, various on-chain data sources also reveal different instances of whale addresses reducing their exposure to Ethereum outside of spot ETFs.  For instance, Lookonchain recently highlighted activity from a wallet believed to be linked to Erik Voorhees, which swapped 4,619 ETH, valued at about $13.42 million, into Bitcoin Cash (BCH) over the past two weeks after having been inactive for nearly nine years. Voorhees later responded by clarifying that the wallet does not belong to him and that he does not hold any Bitcoin Cash. Related Reading: Ethereum’s 2026 Overhaul Aims To Cut Costs, Boost Speed, Limit Censorship Lookonchain also pointed to selling pressure from Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, who has offloaded a total of 1,871 ETH at about $5.53 million in the past week. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

According to Sharplink co-CEO Joseph Chalom, Ethereum could see a major jump in total value locked (TVL) next year if certain onchain trends pick up. Chalom put a bold number on it: 10X TVL in 2026. That claim ties together rising stablecoin use, bigger tokenization of real-world assets, and increased interest from big financial groups. Related Reading: Bitcoin Forecasts For 2026 Range From $65K To $250K As Sentiment Hits ‘Extreme Fear’ Stablecoin Activity On Ethereum Based on reports, the total stablecoin market stands at about $308 billion now and could grow to $500 billion by the end of next year, a rise of roughly 62%. Over half of all stablecoin activity — about 54% — happens on Ethereum. That math matters: more stablecoin flows on Ethereum tends to lift the protocol’s TVL because many of those dollars sit in smart contracts for swaps, lending, and liquidity pools. Sharplink Gaming holds 797,704 Ether, worth roughly $2.30 billion at the time of publication, a signal that some public treasuries are already staking big bets on the network. Tokenized Assets Gain Traction Chalom also expects tokenized real-world assets to expand rapidly, forecasting a $300 billion market for RWAs in 2026 and saying tokenized assets will 10X in AUM next year as funds, stocks, and bonds get wrapped onchain. In 2026, I believe Ethereum’s Total Value Locked (TVL) will increase 10X. Why and how? ???? Views ≠ investment advice. — Joseph Chalom (@joechalom) December 26, 2025 He points to rising interest from mainstream firms like JPMorgan, Franklin Templeton, and BlackRock. Reports note that sovereign wealth funds may increase their Ethereum exposure by five- to tenfold, which could bring large, patient capital into tokenization projects and protocol deposits. Ethereum Price Action Ethereum was trading near $2,921 on December 25, 2025, giving the network a market value of about $352 billion, while 24-hour trading volume came in at roughly $11.47 billion. Over the course of 2025, ETH moved through a full market swing. It opened the year around $3,298, climbed to about $4,390 in August, and stayed below its record high of $4,942, before sliding back to the $2,921 area by year-end. Price swings were heavy, with annual volatility close to 140%. Technical readings show mixed momentum. The weekly RSI sits at 41.7, placing Ethereum in a neutral-to-bearish zone, while the daily MACD histogram remains negative at -0.15. Price action has also been boxed into a narrow band between $2,774 and $3,038. Futures data adds to the cautious tone. Total open interest stands near $37 billion, down 0.62% over the past 24 hours, pointing to reduced exposure from traders. Liquidation data shows more than $100 million in potential long liquidations clustered between $2,880 and $2,910, an area now seen as a key pressure point. Related Reading: Could XRP Make Trillionaires? Tech Firm Founder Thinks It’s Possible Market Signals And Risks Not everyone agrees that token flows will translate into quick price gains. According to crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen, Ether is unlikely to hit new highs next year given current Bitcoin conditions. That caution lines up with technicals that point to range-bound trading and with the fact that open interest has eased slightly. The liquidation cluster near $2,880–$2,910 shows where leveraged positions could be forced out, and that kind of stress can push price moves faster than fundamentals. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView

As the first crypto ETFs targeting Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) near their second anniversary in the US, Galaxy Digital has made optimistic predictions regarding future inflows, projecting that they will outpace 2025 figures.  Institutional Adoption Expected To Skyrocket In its 2026 forecast report, which concentrates on 26 critical areas, the firm anticipates that net inflows into US spot crypto ETFs will exceed $50 billion. This comes on the heels of a successful 2025, which saw net inflows reach $23 billion.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Correction Timeline: Analyst Predicts Potential Bottom In October 2026 Galaxy Digital believes that as institutional adoption continues to grow, these figures will accelerate in 2026. Wirehouses lifting restrictions on advisor recommendations and Vanguard introducing crypto funds, are expected to facilitate this. BTC and ETH exchange-traded funds alone are forecasted to surpass their 2025 inflow levels. In addition to Bitcoin and Ethereum, Galaxy Digital reports an anticipated wave of new crypto ETFs, particularly in the spot altcoin products.  Galaxy Digital Forecasts Over 100 New Crypto ETFs The firm estimates that over 50 spot altcoin exchange-traded funds, along with another 50 crypto ETFs that do not focus on single coins, will debut in the US.  Following the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent approval of generic listing standards, the number of spot altcoin ETF launches is expected to gain momentum in 2026.  In 2025, more than 15 spot crypto ETFs were launched for various altcoins, including Solana (SOL), XRP, Hedera (HBAR), Dogecoin (DOE), Litecoin (LTC), and Chainlink (LINK).  Galaxy Digital anticipates that notable assets yet to file their spot ETFs will soon follow suit, and in addition to single-asset products, the market is also likely to see the introduction of multi-asset ETFs and leveraged crypto ETFs.  Over 290 Crypto Companies Ready For US IPO Beyond Crypto ETFs, Galaxy Digital also predicts that more than 15 cryptocurrency companies will pursue initial public offerings (IPOs) or uplist in the US. Over the past year, 10 crypto-related firms, including Galaxy itself, successfully went public or uplisted.  Related Reading: Ethereum Fails To Surpass $3,000: Predictions For The Final Days Of The Year The firm notes that more than 290 crypto and blockchain companies have completed significant private funding rounds since 2018, positioning them to seek US listings as regulatory conditions improve.  Among the companies believed to be potential candidates for initial public offerings or uplisting in 2026 are CoinShares, BitGo (which has already filed), Chainalysis, and FalconX. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $87,480, which is a 30% retracement from the all-time highs reached in October, and a 3% drop over the past month. Similarly, the gap between Ethereum’s current trading levels of $2,930 and its all-time highs is 40%, with a 3% drop over the past 30 days.  Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

According to Charles Hoskinson, the race between Solana and Ethereum looks different depending on the time frame. Solana may win ground quickly because it moves fast. Ethereum looks set to aim for a broader, slower build that could matter more later. Related Reading: Could XRP Make Trillionaires? Tech Firm Founder Thinks It’s Possible Short-Term Gains For Solana Solana’s appeal is plain. Its network pushes a lot of transactions every day and it can adopt upgrades more quickly, Hoskinson said. That speed has helped projects bring tokenized stocks and other finance tools onto the chain. Reports have disclosed that the total value of tokenized equities on Solana recently hit about $185 million. Platforms such as xStocksFi, Superstate, and Remora Markets are among those building there. For traders and some institutions, low fees and high throughput are hard to ignore. A Large Financial Gap Remains Still, there are big differences under the surface. Solana’s total value locked and stablecoin use sit at about 10% of Ethereum’s levels. That gap means the kinds of financial activity seen on Ethereum are not yet matched on Solana. The size of a chain’s financial ecosystem affects what kinds of services and markets can grow on it. So while adoption on Solana is growing, the scale of on-chain lending, staking and stablecoin volumes is still much smaller when compared with Ethereum. Ethereum’s Research-First Approach Ethereum’s work is focused on research and longer-term upgrades, especially in areas like zero-knowledge proofs and advanced scaling methods. Reports have suggested that Ethereum is aiming to move more of its validation to cryptographic proof systems so it can act as a verification layer for many networks. Speed Now, Strategy Later Hoskinson framed the difference as one of timing. Solana’s leadership and design allow quicker decisions and faster rollout of new features. Ethereum’s path is marked by heavy research and slow coordination. This means Solana may capture use and attention in the near term, while Ethereum’s technical direction could shape broader infrastructure over a longer span. Both approaches come with trade-offs. One focuses on quick adoption, the other on building systems that rely on stronger mathematical proofs. Tokenized stocks on Solana reach a new All-Time High with ~$185M in total value. Solana stands as the institutional infrastructure of choice for leading tokenized stock platforms like – @xStocksFi – @SuperstateInc’s Opening Bell – @RemoraMarkets pic.twitter.com/xr7q54sucs — Capital Markets (@capitalmarkets) December 24, 2025 Related Reading: Ethereum’s 2026 Overhaul Aims To Cut Costs, Boost Speed, Limit Censorship What This Means For Markets For investors and builders, the split is clear: architects chasing rapid growth may prefer Solana today, while those betting on deep financial stacks and broad verification may stick with Ethereum. The $185 million milestone for tokenized stocks on Solana signals rising trust in blockchain-based equity products, but it is small compared with traditional markets. Reports and comments from industry figures like Hoskinson help explain why different teams pick one chain over another. In the end, both chains are being tested by real use, and their paths will be measured by what users and institutions choose to run on them. Featured image from Equiti, chart from TradingView

According to reports, Ethereum plans two major hard forks in 2026 that aim to change how the network runs. Mid-2026 will see the Glamsterdam upgrade, and late 2026 is set for Heze-Bogota. These steps are meant to speed up transaction handling, add new validation tools, and make the chain harder to censor. Related Reading: Could XRP Make Trillionaires? Tech Firm Founder Thinks It’s Possible Ethereum Trading, Options Pressure Ethereum is currently above $2,900 as the market awaits a large options expiry. Reports put the expiring notional at $6 billion, with more call options than puts. Many contracts could end up worthless if ETH fails to rise above $3,100, the so-called max pain level. Analysts see a consolidation range between $2,700 and $3,100 into year-end, and some experts offer a bearish 2026 view, pointing to possible drops toward $1,800–$2,000 if broader market conditions worsen. Parallel Execution Glamsterdam targets parallel processing by letting multiple transactions run at the same time instead of one after another. Block access lists will tell nodes which data each transaction needs, which makes parallel work safer and more efficient. Ethereum will undergo key upgrades in 2026, with the Glamsterdam fork enabling parallel processing and increasing the gas limit to 200 million, up from 60 million. Validators will shift to validating ZK proofs, paving the way for Ethereum L1 to achieve 10,000 transactions per… — Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) December 25, 2025 Protocol-level proposer-builder separation, or ePBS, is also planned. That move is expected to cut some centralization risks and make it easier for validators to use zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs without being penalized for extra compute time. Gas limits are expected to rise in stages, with talk of reaching 200 million per block after key changes land. About 10% of validators could start verifying ZK proofs rather than rechecking all transactions by year-end, based on current projections. The push toward parallel execution could reduce slowdowns that happen when demand spikes. But higher gas limits come with tradeoffs. Running bigger blocks or faster workloads can raise hardware needs, which could make it harder for smaller validators to stay in the network. That balance between speed and decentralization will be watched closely. Layer-2 Throughput Could Jump Sharply A major part of the story is layer-2 scaling. Increasing the number of data blobs per block to 72 or more would give L2 systems much more space to store transaction data, which could let them process hundreds of thousands of transactions per second in aggregate. Designs like ZKsync’s Elastic Network aim to let users keep money on Ethereum while using faster L2s. An interoperability layer is also being discussed to move activity between different L2s more easily. Still, user experience, liquidity splits, and coordination between chains remain open issues that need work. Related Reading: JPMorgan Eyes Crypto Services As Institutional Demand Grows – A Boost For BTC Price? Heze-Bogota: Censorship Resistance Heze-Bogota will add tools to help groups of validators make sure certain transactions are included. Fork-choice inclusion lists are meant to reduce the risk that transactions get blocked if only part of the network remains honest. That change is more about values and permissionless access than it is about raw speed. Featured image from Firi, chart from TradingView

Ethereum (ETH) is approaching a pivotal derivatives deadline as billions of dollars in options contracts near expiration, placing the $3,000 price level firmly in focus for traders. While traders are betting on a move higher, Ethereum’s near-term price action remains uncertain. The outcome of this options expiry could help shape ETH’s next big move, either to the upside or down to lower levels—particularly as investors reassess their expectations following November’s volatility and choppy conditions.  The price of Ethereum is currently sitting above $2,900 as a massive options expiration worth roughly $6 billion approaches. This event is expected to play a major role in shaping short-term price action and could influence investor sentiment heading into 2026.  Ethereum Options Set To Expire This Friday Data from the derivatives platform Laevitas show that $6 billion in ETH options will expire on Friday, 26 December, with call positions outnumbering puts by more than 2.2 times. Despite this imbalance, bears still hold the edge unless Ethereum’s price moves decisively above $3,100. Related Reading: Ethereum Exchange Supply Just Crashed To New Lows, Why This Is Bullish For Price Earlier this year, many traders had positioned for Ethereum to surge significantly by year-end. However, those bullish expectations were undermined by a massive November decline, leaving ETH’s current options expiry vulnerable to further downside pressure.  While call options still dominate Open Interest (OI), many of these positions would expire worthless if the Ethereum price fails to recover and push higher. This creates a fragile setup and leaves the market in a delicate position, where overly optimistic bets could quickly unwind if key price levels do not hold. Notably, the $3,100 price level has emerged as a critical pivot ahead of the options expiration set for this Friday. Traders have called this level “max pain,” as it represents the price at which the most options contracts would expire worthless. A close below this zone could give bears control and potentially open the door to further price declines. On the other hand, a clean break above $3,100 could flip momentum rapidly.  Presently, around $3.8 billion in ETH options are expected to expire on Deribit, the world’s largest Bitcoin and Ethereum options exchange. In addition, more than $23.6 billion in Bitcoin options are scheduled to expire on Friday, potentially adding significant volatility to the already fragile market.  Analyst Expect Further Volatility For Ethereum With the massive $6 billion Ethereum options expiry on the horizon, traders appear to be bracing for significant market volatility, as the event could trigger a sharp, decisive move in ETH’s price. Separately, crypto analyst Ted Pillows anticipates further volatility for ETH if its price moves in either of two key directions.  Related Reading: Major Ethereum Metric Just Hit A New All-Time High – Can Price Reclaim $3,000? He says that Ethereum is currently in a no-trading zone; however, volatility could occur if the price reclaims the $3,000 level or retests the $2,700-$2,800 zone. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

The Ethereum price has struggled to reclaim the critical $3,000 mark for the past 48 hours, raising concerns about potential declines in the cryptocurrency’s value if this essential support level is not regained by the end of the week. Analyst Predicts Further Downside Market analyst Ted Pillows pointed out on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that without a quick recovery above $3,000, Ethereum could face further downside pressures, possibly dropping toward the $2,800 range in the near term.  This scenario would indicate an additional retracement of approximately 5% from its current trading price, which hovers just above $2,940. This ongoing struggle adds to the 16% decline recorded in the monthly time frame, highlighting the precarious situation for broader cryptocurrency prices. Related Reading: This Friday’s Bitcoin Options Expiry Could Shake Up The Market: What To Look Out For Another analyst, Columbus, sought to understand Ethereum’s lackluster performance relative to Bitcoin (BTC). He noted that Ethereum continues to trade below its Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP), struggling to gain traction above this critical metric.  The bounce observed from the $2,800 to $2,850 range appears more responsive than impulsive, in the analyst’s words, suggesting that while there are buying interests, conviction in the rally remains weak. Columbus further remarked that there is considerable liquidity layered overhead, particularly within the $3,050 to $3,250 zone. This liquidity has successfully capped any attempts to push prices higher.  Unless Ethereum can reclaim this area and achieve consistent acceptance above it, upward movements are likely to be more about short-term rotations into supply rather than genuine trend continuation. On the downside, a failure to hold the $2,850 mark could expose Ethereum to deeper losses, potentially leading to a downturn toward lower liquidity levels between $2,400 and $2,700, where the bulk of liquidity is concentrated. Will Ethereum Drop To $1,300 In 2026? Looking further into the future, market expert CryptoBullet painted a more somber picture of Ethereum’s potential trajectory for 2026. He has introduced a new fractal model for Ethereum that suggests bearish outcomes for investors anticipating a bull run next year.  In a social media post, CryptoBullet presented a daily chart of Ethereum, outlining key price targets and indicating that while a price recovery might occur in January and February, subsequent months could see a significant downturn. Related Reading: These Five Key Drivers Could Boost XRP To $5 By 2026, Claims Top Analyst According to this analysis, Ethereum’s brief recovery could falter against existing resistance levels between $3,600 and $3,800, potentially culminating in a dramatic decline to a target price of $1,385.  If this fractal model mimics Ethereum’s performance in 2022, it could signify a staggering 63% drop in value for the leading altcoin. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Recent market dynamics have seen Ethereum (ETH) at the forefront of a significant decline in the altcoin sector, pushing many top cryptocurrencies below crucial price levels.  Market expert CyrilXBT has taken to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to unravel the factors contributing to this downturn and explore the potential for a recovery rally in 2026. Altcoin Struggles CyrilXBT began his analysis by addressing the role of Bitcoin (BTC) dominance in the market. When Bitcoin’s dominance increases, capital tends to concentrate within the asset rather than exiting the broader cryptocurrency market.  Related Reading: Expert Predicts Bitcoin Could Hit $70,000, Drawing Parallels To December 2021 Crash This indicates that Bitcoin becomes a refuge for investors seeking safety, while altcoins transform into sources of liquidity. As a result, risk compresses prior to any expansion, a pattern consistently observed in previous cycles before altcoins regain strength. Another contributing factor to the current turmoil is tax-loss harvesting. Cryptocurrencies are one of the few major asset classes that have seen declines compared to January 1st, with equities and gold demonstrating gains.  To lock in losses before year-end, funds are actively selling off unprofitable altcoin positions, crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other high-risk assets. CyrilXBT noted that this pressure would likely dissipate as the calendar turns to the new year. Liquidity Lag And Exhausted Demand The expert further highlighted that liquidity tends to work on a lagging basis. Although the Federal Reserve (Fed) has started to inject liquidity back into the system, markets typically do not react immediately.  Historically, improvements in liquidity occur first, followed by Bitcoin stabilizing, with altcoins lagging behind. Currently, the market remains in the lag phase, not yet experiencing the anticipated breakout. With low volatility, stagnant Bitcoin prices, and declining altcoins, CyrilXBT asserts that it evokes memories of previous cycles, such as the early 2019 and early 2023 recoveries.  Related Reading: Ethereum Bearish Structure Meets Bullish Supply Signal – What Happens Next Overall, the drop in the altcoin market can be attributed to several interconnected factors: rising Bitcoin dominance, peak tax-loss selling, thin liquidity, exhausted demand, and the delayed effects of macro liquidity.  Instead of a capitulation scenario, the expert suggests that this moment appears to represent compression—a phase that frequently precedes significant recoveries. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Ethereum is facing renewed selling pressure as market uncertainty deepens and confidence continues to erode across the broader crypto landscape. After weeks of fragile price action and failed recovery attempts, ETH has struggled to attract sustained demand, pushing an increasing number of analysts to warn that the market may be entering the early stages of a bear cycle. Volatility remains elevated, sentiment is weak, and traders appear hesitant to commit capital as downside risks grow more pronounced. Related Reading: Bitcoin and Ethereum Coinbase Inflows Collapse While Binance Retains Relative Activity – Details Recent on-chain and technical analysis from CryptoQuant highlights why concerns are mounting. Ethereum’s price structure has tightened into a descending triangle formation, a pattern that often emerges during periods of distribution rather than accumulation. Price remains capped below a well-defined downtrend line, while key moving averages continue to act as overhead resistance, limiting upside momentum. This compression reflects a market where sellers maintain control, even as prices attempt to stabilize. Historically, this type of technical setup increases the probability of a downside resolution. In Ethereum’s case, the $2,800 level has become a critical support zone. A sustained break below it would likely confirm a broader bearish continuation, potentially accelerating losses as stop orders are triggered. On-Chain Supply Tightening Challenges Ethereum’s Bearish Technical Outlook While Ethereum’s price structure continues to reflect stress, on-chain data is telling a more nuanced story. Analysis shared by CryptoOnchain highlights a sharp contraction in the amount of ETH available for immediate sale on major exchanges, particularly Binance. The Ethereum Exchange Supply Ratio on Binance has fallen to 0.032, its lowest reading since September 2024, pointing to a meaningful reduction in liquid supply despite ongoing price weakness. This drop suggests that market participants are moving ETH off exchanges and into self-custody, a behavior typically associated with longer-term positioning rather than imminent selling. In practical terms, fewer coins sitting on exchanges reduces the immediate sell-side pressure that often exacerbates downtrends. The timing is notable, as this supply contraction is unfolding while Ethereum remains locked in a bearish technical formation. The contrast between the chart and the on-chain data is becoming increasingly relevant. From a purely technical perspective, the descending triangle and persistent resistance argue for caution. However, shrinking exchange supply introduces the risk of a supply-driven move if demand stabilizes. Should buyers successfully defend the $2,800 support zone, even modest inflows could have an outsized impact on price due to reduced available liquidity. For now, the market sits at an inflection point. A decisive break above the downtrend line would strengthen the case that accumulation is taking precedence over distribution, potentially shifting the balance away from the prevailing bearish narrative. Related Reading: Gold & Silver Breakout While Bitcoin Chops: Why Capital Is Flowing Into Precious Metals Ethereum Consolidates as Bearish Structure Remains Intact Ethereum is trading around the $2,930 level on the daily chart, continuing to consolidate after an extended decline from its late-summer highs. The broader structure remains technically weak, with price still forming a sequence of lower highs and lower lows since failing to hold above the $4,500–$4,800 zone earlier in the cycle. This rejection marked a clear trend shift, transitioning ETH from expansion into a corrective and potentially distributive phase. From a trend perspective, Ethereum remains capped below its key daily moving averages. The faster moving average has rolled over sharply and continues to act as immediate resistance, while the 111-day and 200-day simple moving averages sit higher, converging in the $3,400–$3,600 range. This layered resistance suggests that any upside attempts are likely to face strong selling pressure unless momentum improves meaningfully. Related Reading: The Gold-to-Bitcoin Rotation Narrative Gains Strength: A Data-Driven Review Price action over recent weeks reflects indecision rather than recovery. ETH has been oscillating in a tight range between roughly $2,850 and $3,050. Indicating short-term stabilization but not a confirmed reversal. Volume supports this view, as selling spikes dominated the initial breakdown, while subsequent rebounds have lacked strong participation from buyers. Technically, the $2,800–$2,900 zone remains critical. Holding this area preserves the possibility of base-building, but a decisive breakdown would open the door to a deeper retracement. For structure to improve, Ethereum would need to reclaim the $3,200–$3,300 region and regain acceptance above its declining daily averages. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Coming out of the weekend, the Ethereum price had attempted another recovery alongside Bitcoin, but eventually, the recovery attempt failed again. Taking to TradingView, crypto analyst DomicChaina explains what is happening behind this phenomenon and why the Ethereum price is unlikely to see any meaningful recovery. As it stands, it seems the leading altcoin is more likely to suffer a rejection toward new monthly lows than actually stage a rebound. Technical Factors Drive Ethereum Price Further Down The crypto analyst highlights some technical developments that point to the Ethereum price being stuck in a bearish phase. One of the major ones has to do with both the EMA34 and the EMA89. According to the analyst, the price performance in relation to these two EMAs suggests that the downtrend will continue. Related Reading: Why This Market Analyst Is Advising XRP Investors Not To Sell Their Coins For one, the EMA39 had actually crossed below the EMA84, and at the same time, both of these moving averages have been moving downward. This means that despite recovery efforts, it still puts the Ethereum price in a medium-term downtrend. Chaina adds that this means that the current trend is sideways or a basing process, rather than pointing downward. For there to be any meaningful recovery, the Ethereum price would have to break out of this range. However, as long as it continues to maintain this structure, then the expectation is that the altcoin will continue to decline, moving toward the next major support at $2,500. Resistance Remains Strong In addition to the overall trend pointing downward, there is also the issue of mounting resistance at $3,090, coinciding with the EMA34. So far, this resistance has been the death of multiple recovery attempts, with the latest being stopped in its tracks earlier this week as well. With the EMA89 also pointing downward, it means that the price is likely to decline and then recover from here. Related Reading: Why This Friday Could Be Very Big For The Bitcoin Price The analysis also highlights the declining volume as evidence that capital inflows into the altcoin remain weak. With the holidays, this is not expected to change as investors move away from the market to focus on the celebrations. “This week falls into a holiday period, leading to reduced market liquidity, which makes price movements more sluggish and lacking breakout momentum,” the post read. Recovery candles also remaining very short and brief show a stifling of the recovery attempts so far, and those that could follow. For now, the Ethereum price continues to trend below $3,000, recording a 37% decline from its 2025 all-time highs. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com

After being rejected from the $3,000 level, Ethereum (ETH) is trying to hold a key support zone and build a base around this area. Some analysts have suggested that the altcoin must reclaim the crucial resistance soon or risk potential drop to new multi-month lows. Related Reading: XRP ETFs Record 25-Day Streak As Price Eyes Key Resistance Level Ethereum Forms Head And Shoulder Pattern Amid the broader market volatility, Ethereum has been attempting to hold the recently reclaimed $2,900 level as support to potentially challenge higher resistance levels in the coming days. The cryptocurrency has been trading within the $2,800-$3,400 price range over the past month, hitting a high of $3,447 nearly two weeks ago. Since reaching the local high, ETH has struggled to hold the range’s high, falling to the lows again during last week’s market correction. Amid this performance, the King of Altcoins is currently registering its worst Q4 performance since 2019, with a negative performance of 28.76%. Moreover, it is also recording a red December so far, trading 1.3% below its monthly opening of $2,991. Some analysts have warned that ETH’s pain may not be over, as it appears to be forming a pattern that could spell trouble for the cryptocurrency. In a Tuesday X post, Ali Martinez suggested that Ethereum started forming a head and shoulder pattern following the massive corrections that the send most cryptocurrencies to multi-month lows. Per the chart, the altcoin formed the left shoulder between late November and early December after bouncing from the $2,780 support. Meanwhile, the pattern’s head was formed during the mid-December rebound that led to the $3,400 local high. Now, as price is rejected from the $3,000 area again, the cryptocurrency appears to be forming the right shoulder. This suggests that ETH’s price could drop to the $2,800 area to complete the pattern’s formation. Martinez noted that if the pattern is completed, it could lead to a 15% potential move toward $2,400, a level not seen since the start of the Q3 breakout. ETH Price In Trouble? Other market observers suggested Ethereum could be in trouble after being rejected from the $3,000 barrier again. Ted Pillows noted that the altcoin tried to reclaim this level but failed, closing Monday around the $2,948 area. To the analyst, If ETH doesn’t reclaim this key barrier soon, it could likely drop towards the $2,700-$2,800 support zone. On the contrary, a daily close above this level would set the base for a rally toward the $3,300 level. Similarly, Sjuul from AltCryptoGems affirmed that Ethereum “is a bit in trouble after that nasty bearish deviation on top of the range.” He highlighted the altcoin’s rejection from the mid-December highs, which sent the price the lower zone of its one-month range. Related Reading: Dogecoin’s 53,000% Surge Shows Renewed Interest, But Why Is DOGE Price Lagging? Based on this, the analyst suggested that investors could expect “the same to happen on the lower band,” which would see the price retest the $2,600-$2,700 area, and drop as low as $2,400, before bouncing toward the range highs again. Nonetheless, Sjuul declared that “bulls need to establish a proper uptrend here because losing $2700 would be a negative sign.” As of this writing, Ethereum is trading at $2,933, a 2.53% decline in the daily timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum price failed to continue higher above $3,000 and dipped. ETH is now showing bearish signs and might slide further below $2,880. Ethereum started a fresh decline below $3,000 and $2,980. The price is trading below $2,950 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There was a break below a rising channel with support at $2,980 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could continue to move down if it settles below the $2,880 zone. Ethereum Price Faces Rejection Ethereum price failed to stay above the $3,000 pivot level and started a fresh decline, like Bitcoin. ETH price dipped below $2,980 to enter a bearish zone. The bears were able to push the price below the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $2,775 swing low to the $3,075 high. Besides, there was a break below a rising channel with support at $2,980 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. Ethereum price is now trading below $2,980 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If the bulls are able to protect more losses below $2,880, the price could start a fresh recovery. Immediate resistance is seen near the $2,980 level. The first key resistance is near the $3,000 level. The next major resistance is near the $3,050 level. A clear move above the $3,050 resistance might send the price toward the $3,120 resistance. An upside break above the $3,120 region might call for more gains in the coming days. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $3,200 resistance zone or even $3,220 in the near term. More Losses In ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $3,000 resistance, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2,880 level and the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $2,775 swing low to the $3,075 high. The first major support sits near the $2,845 zone. A clear move below the $2,845 support might push the price toward the $2,800 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $2,775 region. The next key support sits at $2,720. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is gaining momentum in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now below the 50 zone. Major Support Level – $2,880 Major Resistance Level – $3,000

Ethereum price started a recovery wave above $2,980. ETH is now consolidating and faces a key barrier near the $3,080 level. Ethereum started a decent upward move above the $3,000 zone. The price is trading above $2,980 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a rising channel forming with support at $2,975 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could continue to move up if it settles above the $3,080 zone. Ethereum Price Faces Important Resistance Ethereum price started a decent increase above $2,880, like Bitcoin. ETH price was able to surpass the $2,920 and $2,950 resistance levels to enter a positive zone. The bulls pushed the price above the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $3,175 swing high to the $2,775 low. The price even spiked above the $3,050 resistance zone. However, the bears remained active near $3,080. Ethereum price is now trading above $2,980 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is also a rising channel forming with support at $2,975 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. If there is another upward move, the price could face resistance near the $3,050 level. The first key resistance is near the $3,080 level and the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $3,175 swing high to the $2,775 low. The next major resistance is near the $3,150 level. A clear move above the $3,150 resistance might send the price toward the $3,220 resistance. An upside break above the $3,220 region might call for more gains in the coming days. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $3,250 resistance zone or even $3,265 in the near term. Another Decline In ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $3,080 resistance, it could start a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $2,980 level and the trend line. The first major support sits near the $2,915 zone. A clear move below the $2,915 support might push the price toward the $2,840 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the $2,800 region. The next key support sits at $2,775. Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is losing momentum in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI – The RSI for ETH/USD is now below the 50 zone. Major Support Level – $2,915 Major Resistance Level – $3,080

Ethereum is attempting to reclaim the $3,000 level after showing pockets of bullish strength over the weekend. Buyers briefly managed to push the price higher, but momentum has struggled to build, and ETH remains vulnerable below a key psychological threshold. As volatility compresses, market conviction appears fragile. Many analysts are increasingly calling for lower prices, arguing that recent rebounds lack the follow-through required to shift the broader structure back into a sustained uptrend. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Lags Network Utility: A Valuation Reset Is Underway On-chain data helps explain this hesitation. According to a recent CryptoQuant report, Ethereum’s Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) indicator remains in positive territory, with the latest reading hovering around 0.22. This suggests that the average ETH holder is still sitting on unrealized gains, but those profits are relatively modest. Historically, this zone is associated with a “belief” or cautious optimism phase, rather than euphoria. In other words, the market is neither in panic nor in an overheated state. This positioning places Ethereum at an inflection point. Investors are no longer capitulating, but they are also not aggressively chasing upside. With profits still on the table and sentiment mixed, ETH’s next move will likely depend on whether buyers can regain confidence and absorb lingering sell pressure. Until then, the market remains caught between hope and hesitation. Exchange Outflows Signal Strategic Repositioning According to the Arab Chain report, combining Ethereum’s NUPL data with exchange netflow metrics on Binance provides a clearer picture of current market dynamics. Recent data shows that Ethereum exchange netflows have consistently leaned toward net outflows, with frequent negative readings indicating that more ETH is being withdrawn from Binance than deposited. This behavior is typically associated with reduced immediate selling pressure, particularly when it occurs alongside a stable, positive NUPL reading. What makes this setup notable is the absence of a sharp increase in NUPL despite these outflows. In past cycles, strong withdrawals during periods of rising unrealized profits often coincided with aggressive profit-taking and euphoric sentiment. That pattern is not present today. Instead, the data suggests that holders are choosing to retain exposure rather than exit positions. ETH appears to be moving off exchanges for purposes such as long-term storage, staking, or participation within the broader Ethereum ecosystem, rather than for imminent liquidation. This divergence between sustained exchange outflows and restrained NUPL levels points to a structurally healthier market environment. Profits exist, but they are not excessive, and selling pressure on Binance remains limited. As a result, the probability of abrupt, sell-driven corrections is reduced. The medium-term outlook becomes more dependent on structural and fundamental developments, rather than short-term speculative behavior or emotional market swings. Related Reading: Ethereum Traders Chase Upside With Historic Leverage – Breakout Fuel Or Fragile Setup? Ethereum Consolidates Near a Critical Inflection Zone Ethereum’s weekly chart shows price attempting to stabilize around the $3,000–$3,100 region after a volatile multi-month decline from the 2025 highs near $4,800. This area has emerged as a key technical pivot, aligning closely with the rising 200-week moving average, which historically acts as a long-term trend gauge. ETH is currently trading just above this level, suggesting that bulls are defending structural support, but without strong momentum confirmation. The 50-week and 100-week moving averages are beginning to flatten and converge near current price, reflecting a broader transition from a strong uptrend into a consolidation phase. This compression often precedes a larger directional move. Notably, Ethereum has reclaimed the 100-week average but remains capped below the 50-week average, highlighting the ongoing struggle to re-establish a sustained bullish structure. Related Reading: Bitcoin Faces Elevated Downside Risk: Loss Selling Takes Hold As STH SOPR Falls Below 1 Volume has moderated compared to the distribution phase seen during the sell-off, indicating reduced forced selling rather than aggressive accumulation. This supports the view that the market is digesting prior gains rather than entering a new impulsive trend. From a structural perspective, holding above the $2,900–$3,000 zone keeps the long-term uptrend intact. However, failure to reclaim the $3,300–$3,500 resistance range would leave ETH vulnerable to extended consolidation. For now, price action suggests balance, not resolution. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

A screenshot attributed to Fundstrat Research is stirring debate over whether Tom Lee’s firm is projecting a sharp first-half 2026 correction in crypto markets—despite Lee’s recent public bullishness on Ethereum. Wu Blockchain shared the image via X, describing it as an internal client note titled “2026 Crypto Outlook: Near-Term Headwinds, Second-Half Upside,” timestamped Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 at 7:34 p.m. ET. Fundstrat’s Bearish Call Vs. Tom Lee’s Bull Case The document is credited to Sean Farrell, Fundstrat’s head of digital asset strategy, and includes a base-case scenario calling for a “meaningful drawdown in 1H 2026,” with target ranges of bitcoin at $60,000–$65,000, ether at $1,800–$2,000, and solana at $50–$75. The note adds that those levels would represent “attractive opportunities into year-end,” and that if the view is wrong, the preference is still to “play defense” until strength is confirmed. The ETH range is what set the market chatter off. Ether is trading around the $3,000 area, making $1,800 a material downside scenario if taken at face value. Related Reading: Ethereum ETFs Record Over $600M In Outflows — Warning Signal For Traders? The controversy, such as it is, comes from the proximity to Lee’s own messaging. At Binance Blockchain Week, Lee said ethereum at roughly $3,000 looked “severely undervalued,” a stance that reads very differently than a research framework explicitly mapping a potential move to the high-$1,000s. Over the past few weeks, Lee even publicly shared his predictions that ETH could reach $20,000 next year and $62,000 over the next several years. Farrell responded directly on X on Dec. 20, arguing the framing of “internal conflict” misunderstands how Fundstrat operates. The firm, he said, houses several analysts with independent processes, each designed for different client objectives and time horizons. Lee’s work, Farrell wrote, is aimed at large institutions that might allocate 1%–5% to BTC and ETH and is structured around longer-term macro and “secular” trends. Farrell’s research, by contrast, is positioned for investors with heavier crypto exposure—he referenced portfolios with ~20%+ allocations—where active risk management and rebalancing matter more than maintaining a single long-duration thesis through volatility. Related Reading: Ethereum Exchange Outflows Soar To $978M: Sign Of Dip Buying? That distinction is central to interpreting the leaked-style targets. Farrell’s public explanation wasn’t “we are bearish,” but rather “we are cautious in the near term.” He said markets appear priced for “near-perfection” while risks remain elevated—citing government shutdown dynamics, trade volatility, uncertainty around AI capex, and a Federal Reserve chair transition, alongside tight high-yield spreads and low cross-asset volatility. He also highlighted mixed flow conditions. In Farrell’s telling, long-term ETF demand could improve as wirehouses onboard, but near-term pressures persist from “OG selling,” miners, fund redemptions, and even the possibility of an MSCI MicroStrategy delisting—an item that stood out because it suggests the risk lens extends beyond spot crypto into the crypto-equity complex that has become a key liquidity and sentiment barometer. Farrell’s stated base case: “an early-year bounce followed by another 1H drawdown, creating a more attractive opportunity into year-end.If I’m wrong, I’d rather wait for confirmation (trend breaks, flows, momentum, or a clear catalyst). Crypto is reflexive, and for my objective, patience matters in no-man’s land.” The thread ends on a point many readers missed in the initial screenshot-driven outrage cycle: Farrell still expects BTC and ETH to “challenge new ATHs by year-end,” describing a shorter, shallower bear that could compress the traditional four-year cycle narrative. “For those who tuned into the outlook: I still expect BTC and ETH to challenge new ATHs by year-end, effectively ending the traditional four-year cycle with a shorter, shallower bear,” he wrote via X. At press time, Ethereum traded at $3,043. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com