The Fusaka upgrade raised usage, but pressure from layer-2 networks and rival blockchains continues to cloud Ethereum's long-term growth outlook.
Nearly equal losses across long and short positions showed traders were wrong-footed as crypto prices swung violently within hours.
Ethereum has slipped below the $3,000 level again as selling pressure returns across the broader crypto market, keeping bulls on the defensive after a brief recovery attempt. The move back under this psychological zone suggests that traders remain cautious, with downside volatility re-emerging as risk appetite fades and liquidity thins near key support levels. Related Reading: Binance Order Flow Suggests Ethereum Is In Correction Mode: Demand Still Missing However, while price action looks heavy in the short term, on-chain data is flashing a different signal beneath the surface. According to Arab Chain, Ethereum reserves held across centralized exchanges have dropped to around 16.2 million ETH, marking their lowest level since 2016. That milestone matters because it highlights a steady, long-duration trend of withdrawals rather than a sudden one-off event. In practical terms, fewer coins sitting on exchanges typically means less immediate supply available for spot selling, especially during periods of market stress. This behavior can reflect a shift away from short-term trading and toward longer-term holding, self-custody, or deployment in DeFi. Ethereum remains vulnerable as price struggles below $3,000. Still, the persistent reserve decline suggests that supply conditions may be tightening in the background, setting the stage for a sharper reaction if demand returns. Binance Reserves Keep Falling The CryptoQuant analysis also points to a similar reserve drawdown on Binance, reinforcing the broader exchange supply contraction narrative. Since the beginning of 2026, Binance’s Ethereum reserves have dropped from roughly 4.168 million ETH to around 4.0 million ETH, signaling steady withdrawals even as the price remains under pressure. This matters because Binance is often the main liquidity hub for ETH spot and derivatives, so shifts in its reserve balance can reflect real changes in market positioning. What stands out is that this decline is happening without a meaningful rebound in inflows. In other words, ETH is not rotating back onto exchanges aggressively, suggesting sellers are not rushing to increase liquid supply at current levels. That dynamic typically aligns with a market where investors prefer holding behavior over active distribution. Either moving ETH to cold storage or deploying it across DeFi. While reserves falling does not guarantee an immediate rally, it can change the supply-demand equation over time. With fewer coins sitting on exchanges, the market becomes more reactive if demand returns suddenly, as there is less readily available ETH to absorb buy pressure. If Ethereum manages to reclaim key resistance levels, this supply tightening could amplify upside follow-through. Related Reading: XRP Leverage Builds Without Overheating: Open Interest Climbs And Volatility Spikes Ethereum Loses $3,000 as Bears Regain Control Ethereum is showing renewed weakness after failing to hold above the key $3,000 level, with price now hovering near $2,970 on the daily chart. After briefly stabilizing earlier this month, ETH attempted a rebound toward the $3,300–$3,400 supply zone. But momentum faded quickly as sellers stepped back in and pushed the market lower. From a technical perspective, Ethereum remains trapped below its major moving averages, reinforcing the bearish structure. The recent rejection near the descending trend of the 200-day average signals that upside attempts are still being capped by overhead resistance. Keeping bulls on the defensive. At the same time, the breakdown below $3,000 shifts market sentiment back into risk-off mode. Especially as crypto traders remain sensitive to broader macro uncertainty. Related Reading: Trade War Headlines Trigger $800M In Liquidations Overnight: Longs Get Wiped Out Across Crypto Markets The current price action also reflects a fragile recovery attempt rather than a confirmed reversal. ETH’s latest drop places focus on the $2,850–$2,900 region as the next support area. An area where buyers previously stepped in during earlier selloffs. If this zone fails to hold, the market could revisit deeper levels from the previous correction phase. For bulls to regain control, Ethereum must reclaim $3,000 quickly and build stronger demand above that threshold.
Ethereum has taken a sharp turn after facing a firm rejection at the $3,220 level, with price breaking structure and slipping into a weaker posture. The speed of the drop and lack of strong buying interest raise an important question for traders: Is this merely an early warning sign within a broader uptrend, or the start of a deeper distribution phase that could pressure ETH further in the near term? Rejection At $3,220 Signals Distribution, Not A Shakeout Crypto analyst PEPE is Friend highlighted that Ethereum’s sharp rejection at the $3,220 level was deliberate rather than random. The drop was clean, with key structure breaking down, selling pressure accelerating, and price quickly flushing toward the $3,106 area, aligning with a classic distribution behavior rather than a simple shakeout. Related Reading: Ethereum Poised For $4,000 Breakout? Expert Pinpoints On-Chain Triggers For Potential Rally Assessing the current price reaction, there are still no signs of a true reversal. The bounce has been notably weak, trading volume remains thin, and buyers have yet to show a strong commitment. Instead of signaling renewed bullish momentum, the move higher appears to be a technical pullback within a broader weakening structure. The key technical zone remains well-defined. ETH is trading below the former support band between $3,170 and $3,200. As long as the price stays below this range, any upside move is likely to be viewed as a selling opportunity rather than the start of a sustained recovery. When this price action is viewed alongside Ethereum spot ETF data, the picture becomes clearer. While ETF flows remain positive daily, they lack strong momentum or a standout confirmation day. Capital appears to be absorbed rather than aggressively deployed, suggesting institutional demand is not yet strong enough to drive a decisive breakout. Until that changes, sellers are expected to remain in control below the $3,170–$3,200 resistance zone. Ethereum Slips Below $3,062 As Bears Regain Short-Term Control In an X post, Kamile Uray noted that Ethereum has closed below the $3,062 level, shifting attention toward the next major downside zone at $2,623. This level is now critical, as holding above it could allow ETH to stabilize and attempt another recovery move. Related Reading: Ethereum Maintains Structural Strength Despite Resistance Near $3,400 On the upside, a clean break above the pink-box resistance near $3,445 would activate bullish formations such as a cup-and-handle or an ascending triangle, opening the door for a move toward the $3,894 area. Further strength would be confirmed if ETH manages to close above the $3,661 high, which would mark the first higher high on the daily chart relative to the previous downtrend, improving the bullish outlook. Still, $3,894 remains a key level, as it aligns with the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement of the last decline. On the downside, a clear break below the $2,623 low would expose ETH to deeper losses, with the $2,274–$2,104 zone emerging as the next major support area. This region hosts a potential bullish “Libra” reversal setup, and Ethereum could once again attempt a bounce toward its previous all-time high if reversal confirmation appears there. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
Also: Neobanks trending, DVT staking proposal and Solayer $35M fund
The aim is to make staking more resilient while dramatically reducing technical complexity for large ETH holders.
Ethereum is trying to stabilize above the $3,100 level after failing to break the $3,400 resistance, as the broader crypto market struggles to recover momentum. While bulls managed to defend key support in recent sessions, price action remains fragile and highly reactive, with sellers still showing up on rallies. ETH is stuck in a tight range, and traders are watching closely to see whether this pullback turns into a deeper correction or simply a reset before the next move higher. Related Reading: Trade War Headlines Trigger $800M In Liquidations Overnight: Longs Get Wiped Out Across Crypto Markets A report from Arab Chain highlights that Binance data is signaling a sensitive phase for Ethereum at the start of 2026. According to the analysis, ETH is trading near the $3,200 zone, but market flow conditions remain tilted to the downside. The Accumulated Order Flow (CVD) indicator sits at approximately -3,676, suggesting that net selling pressure is still dominating short-term activity. In simple terms, more aggressive sell orders are hitting the market than buy orders, even as price attempts to hold recent levels. This divergence between price stabilization and negative flow reflects a market that is not collapsing, but also not attracting strong demand yet. As Ethereum defends support, the next test will be whether buyers can reclaim $3,300 and challenge the $3,400 ceiling again, or if weakness drags price back toward deeper support zones. Ethereum Holds Despite Negative Binance Order Flow Arab Chain notes that even though Ethereum’s CVD remains negative, the relationship between price and liquidity flows is not fully broken. According to the report, the 30-day correlation between ETH price and CVD sits near 0.62, which is a relatively constructive reading. This pattern suggests that price action partially aligns with volume behavior, even though liquidity currently tilts toward selling rather than fresh buying. In other words, Ethereum is not trading in a vacuum—flows still matter—and the market is reacting in a way that reflects real positioning. From a broader perspective, ETH’s gradual decline to its current levels signals a correction phase following its previous upside surge. Historically, this is the type of environment where short-term investors take profits and reduce exposure, while larger players begin to rebalance portfolios and slowly rebuild positions. Instead of an immediate trend reversal, the market often transitions into sideways price action as both sides test liquidity. The key issue is that CVD remains negative, meaning demand has not yet become strong enough to flip the short-term flow structure. However, Ethereum’s ability to hold above the $3,000 level points to underlying support that is limiting downside acceleration. This mismatch—weak momentum in volume flows but stable price behavior—often precedes quieter consolidation periods that can later set the foundation for stronger upside once liquidity conditions improve. Related Reading: XRP Longs Get Wiped: Binance Leads $5M Liquidation Wave EETH Bulls Fight to Reclaim $3,100 Ethereum is trying to stabilize above the $3,100 level after a sharp rejection from the $3,400 supply zone, with price now trading near $3,111. The chart shows ETH still recovering from the broader downtrend that started after the November breakdown, but the structure remains fragile as sellers continue defending every attempt to push higher. From a technical perspective, the $3,300–$3,400 region stands out as the key resistance cluster. Price has repeatedly failed in this area, and the latest rejection confirms it remains a major distribution level. At the same time, Ethereum is holding above its short-term moving average near $3,050–$3,100. Suggesting buyers are still active, defending the current range. Related Reading: Monero Triggers Retail Alert That Preceded ZEC And DASH Drops As Privacy Coin Hype Returns However, ETH remains capped below the mid-term moving averages, which are trending lower and acting as dynamic resistance. This keeps the market in a “recovery inside a downtrend” setup unless bulls can flip those levels back into support. Volume has also remained relatively muted during the rebound, signaling that the move still lacks aggressive follow-through. Ethereum appears stuck in consolidation. With $3,000 as the critical floor and $3,400 as the breakout trigger needed to shift market sentiment. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Ether is the worst performer among the major cryptos, down more than 6% over the past 24 hours and tumbling below $3,000.
The company now holds 4.203 million ETH, 193 BTC, a $22 million stake in Eightco Holdings, and nearly $1 billion in cash.
As Ethereum (ETH) kicks off the year with a recovery past the critical $3,000 threshold amid a broader cryptocurrency market rally in early 2026, it continues to struggle against a key resistance level at $3,400. Currently, the second-largest cryptocurrency is entering a consolidation phase below this significant mark. Technical analyst Ali Martinez has suggested that should the buying momentum observed in recent weeks persist, Ethereum could soon embark on a new rally that might bring it closer to reaching all-time high levels. Ethereum Poised For Potential Price Breakout In a recent update shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Martinez pointed to on-chain indicators suggesting a fresh bullish sentiment among Ethereum investors. Notably, daily active addresses on the Ethereum network have surged, doubling to exceed 800,000 in just two weeks. Related Reading: XRP Price Could Surge Another 30% If This Trend Is Confirmed Martinez’s analysis further hints at a potential correlation with the rising demand for Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Since December 29, these investment vehicles have accumulated approximately 158,545 ETH, a sum valued at around $520 million, adding to the positive outlook for the altcoin. This heightened on-chain activity has created substantial support levels for Ethereum’s price action looking ahead, particularly between $2,772 and $3,109 that could prevent a new drop below these key marks. Martinez believes that if these support levels remain intact and buying pressure continues, a breakout above the crucial $3,400 resistance could pave the way for a significant rally toward $4,000—representing an increase of approximately 24.33% from its current trading level of around $3,217. What Lies Ahead For The Altcoin? Other analysts, such as those from BitBull, share an optimistic view of ETH’s price trajectory. The analyst has identified a potential inverse head and shoulders pattern forming in the 10-day chart, which could lead to a bullish price target of $5,000. This projection implies a remarkable 55.48% increase, exceeding last year’s record highs. However, despite these bullish forecasts, Ethereum’s price has fallen by 3% within a 24-hour period, according to CoinGecko data. The cryptocurrency has yet to demonstrate the bullish momentum necessary to meet these targets. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Fired Up As Saylor Teases ‘Bigger Orange’ After Huge Buy Another encouraging factor for investors looking for upward price movement is liquidity. Market expert Ted Pillows recently noted that, following Ethereum’s latest price drop, the maximum pain point appears to lean upward. Historically, large investors and institutions have tended to “hunt” liquidity levels, which helps to reset positioning in the market and evacuate numerous retail investors. With approximately $3.4 billion in short positions at risk if Ethereum successfully breaches the $3,400 mark in the days ahead, the possibility of a significant price movement looms. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
Data suggests much of the recent spike in Ethereum transactions is tied to address poisoning, a scam that relies on cheap “dust” transfers to contaminate transaction histories rather than organic user demand.
The Ethereum (ETH) 4-hour chart is flashing warning signs as price hovers around a critical support zone. After months of sideways trading, ETH remains trapped in a consolidation, signaling weakening momentum amid uncertain broader market conditions. According to a crypto analyst, ETH’s 4-hour chart suggests that the cryptocurrency could be heading for a major price dump if buyers fail to regain control. Ethereum Price Chart Signals Major Crash Ahead A new market analysis by crypto expert Tyrex draws attention to a 4-hour chart, warning that ETH may be preparing for another price crash. Tyrex noted that Ethereum recently bottomed inside the purple rectangle on the lower timeframe, where price dipped below a key support around $3,260, briefly triggering a liquidity sweep. The move, however, was quickly reversed, indicating it was a fakeout rather than a true bearish breakdown. Related Reading: The Ethereum MACD Crossover That Could Lead To A Massive Bull Wave Even after the rejection, the analyst revealed that Ethereum’s broader 4-hour pattern remains largely unchanged. He stated that ETH has also repeatedly returned to the same support area, raising concerns that demand may be weakening. Notably, when price keeps revisiting the same lows, it often signals growing pressure, not strength. On the chart, Ethereum is now consolidating just above the highlighted support zone. Momentum has slowed compared to the earlier impulsive rally, and the price is still struggling to gain upward traction. Instead of continuation, the market appears to be hesitating at a critical area. According to Tyrex, this hesitation could be a major risk. Repeatedly retesting the same lows makes the market more vulnerable, increasing the likelihood of a deeper price dump. Notably, each retest makes it easier for sellers to break through support as buyers gradually lose control. The analyst’s chart also outlines a potential path lower if support gives way. A drop beneath the purple zone would put Ethereum at risk of sliding toward the next downside area between $3,209 and $3,221. At the time of Tyrex’s analysis, ETH was trading around $3,312, which means a move to this range would have represented a roughly 3% decline. However, as of writing, Ethereum has dropped to $3,200–which is already below the analyst’s initial breakdown target. This suggests that upward momentum has weakened further, and the recent price drop could signal an even larger decline, according to Tyrex’s analysis. Analyst Recommends A “Wait And See” Approach While the Ethereum price navigates bearish trends, Tyrex has advised investors and targets to adopt a wait-and-see approach. He indicated that ETH’s outlook is not entirely bearish. According to him, if Ethereum can hold above $3,230, it would shift his bearish bias to a cautiously bullish one. Related Reading: Ethereum Chart Turns Bullish: New Cycle Energy Points To $5,000 Maintaining that level suggests buyers are defending the range and preventing further downside. In that scenario, ETH could stabilize and potentially climb toward $3,420, as highlighted by the green zone on the chart. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
He called for a new wave of DAOs that focus on critical functions, like data maintenance and dispute resolution, with more sophisticated governance.
Ethereum continues to show resilience, holding its ground above key support levels even as price faces firm resistance near the $3,400 zone. The ability to sustain strength after recent gains highlights improving market structure, suggesting that buyers remain in control. As long as ETH stays supported above its critical trend levels, the broader upside narrative remains intact despite near-term hesitation. Daily Bull Market Support Band Holds As Key Reversal Zone Luca, in a recent ETH update shared on X, pointed out that Ethereum’s market structure has strengthened considerably over the past several days. The price has been able to hold above the 1D Bull Market Support Band, a level that has acted as a reliable reversal zone multiple times over the last couple of months. This sustained hold suggests improving market confidence and a reduction in immediate downside risk. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Pushes Toward Breakout Levels, Bulls Smell Opportunity Alongside this structural improvement, ETH successfully reclaimed the 0.618 Fibonacci point of interest around the $3,100 region. This level is often viewed as a critical threshold in corrective phases, and holding above it typically signals that buyers are gaining the upper hand. Despite the positive developments, Ethereum has not moved higher without hesitation. ETH’s price recently faced rejection near the 0.5 Fibonacci level around $3,400, an outcome Luca noted was largely expected. Historically, this area has acted as a significant decision point, often attracting selling pressure and temporary pullbacks before the market decides on its next direction. Looking forward, Luca believes the overall outlook remains constructive as long as ETH continues to trade above the 1D Bull Market Support Band and the 0.618 Fibonacci level. Maintaining these supports would keep the path open for renewed upside attempts, even if short-term consolidations occur, and the analyst’s positioning remains unchanged. ETH Above Daily 200MA, Structure Remains Constructive According to a recent post by Daan Crypto Trades, Ethereum is still advancing gradually while respecting the Daily 200-day moving average against Bitcoin. This type of slow, methodical grind often signals strength beneath the surface, suggesting that buyers remain in control even without aggressive momentum. Related Reading: Ethereum’s Q1 Outlook: Analyst Shares Historical Setup As Price Nears Key Resistance The analyst explained that prolonged consolidations and steady climbs like this typically resolve with an acceleration phase. Should ETH break out with stronger upside momentum, it could serve as a trigger for renewed interest across the altcoin market, helping lift sentiment and price action. However, the structure remains conditional. Holding the Daily 200MA, highlighted in purple, is critical to maintaining this constructive setup. In parallel, Bitcoin must stay above the $94,000 level to maintain the broader low-timeframe bullish structure. As long as these conditions are met, the path of least resistance continues to favor further upside. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
Ethereum finds itself in an unusual position where the fundamentals are strengthening, but capital flows remain hesitant. On-chain activity and the real-world tokenization of assets point to a network that is becoming increasingly useful and more deeply embedded in financial infrastructure. The price action movement shows that ETH is stuck in a range where it is struggling to attract sustained momentum. Why Fundamentals And Price Are Diverging Ethereum is stuck in the middle, with the price hovering around $3,300, which is slightly up from earlier this month, but it remains compressed within the same triangle that has been forming since November. An investor known as Pepeisfriend mentioned on X that this kind of price action usually means pressure is building and a move is coming. However, the direction hasn’t been specified. Related Reading: Ethereum Outlook Has Improved, And It Could Outperform Bitcoin – Here’s What To Know As a result of this move, big money doesn’t seem very excited. ETH whales have been slowly reducing their exposure since mid-December, with no panic selling, just lightening positions. This kind of behavior signals a lower willingness from large investors to carry risk at these levels. The ETF flows have shown that there have been a few days of positive inflows, but the overall net flows are still negative, showing institutions haven’t truly rotated back into ETH the way they did during the previous hype phase. Meanwhile, Decentralized Finance (DeFi) activity looks weaker, and total value locked (TVL) has dropped noticeably, suggesting that on-chain capital is either leaving or just sitting on the sidelines. When DeFi isn’t active, ETH struggles to generate sustained upside momentum. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Finds Balance at Support—But the Next Move Matters Investor Pepeisfriend concluded that ETH isn’t bearish, but also not inspiring confidence for a breakout. This is a clear “wait for confirmation” phase that must be held, but probably still too early to go all-in or expect an immediate breakout. The Moment That Will Look Obvious In Hindsight While the market is obsessed with layer-1 competition, Ethereum is transitioning from a speculative asset into a yield-bearing, productive asset. Analyst Senior pointed out that on January 15, 2026, Sharplink Gaming deployed $170 million worth of ETH into a combined staking and restaking strategy on Linea. This move shows that institutional treasuries have moved beyond simple accumulation to active yield generation. At the same time, Visa is piloting stablecoin payouts directly on-chain, and EIP-7702 infrastructure is finally going live to eliminate biometric authentication seed phrases via Face ID. The user experience gap that once held ETH back has officially closed. This is the moment ETH is positioning itself as the most secure and liquid on-chain neobank financial platform in the world, and why the $3,500 breakout attempt will feel obvious. Featured image from Pexels, chart from Tradingview.com
Ethereum is showing bullish technical strength, with momentum indicators beginning to tilt back in favor of buyers. After weeks of uneven price action, the ETH/USD chart on the 3-day timeframe is now printing a MACD bullish crossover, a signal that has preceded some of Ethereum’s rallies in the past. The setup is notable because it proposes a situation where Ethereum is laying the groundwork for another sustained rally that plays throughout the entirety of 2026. Bullish MACD Crossover For Ethereum The latest analysis shared by Javon Marks points to Ethereum climbing steadily following another MACD bullish crossover in December 2025. This bullish crossover is visible on the 3-day chart, where the MACD line crossed above the signal line from below. Related Reading: Ethereum Chart Turns Bullish: New Cycle Energy Points To $5,000 This is a change that shows downside momentum has faded and bullish pressure is starting to rebuild among Ethereum traders. At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading around the $3,300 region, about 33% below its August 2025 peak, but holding above swing lows in November 2025. According to Javon Marks, this recent price action is potentially the early stages of a much larger bull wave. This projection is based on the fact that the current crossover looks like an earlier crossover that occurred before Ethereum transitioned into an extended upside move in early 2025. Back in April 2025, the 3-day MACD also recorded a bullish crossover after an extended period of consolidation and pullbacks that lasted for a few months. That signal was the start of a multi-month rally that steadily pushed Ethereum higher, eventually culminating in a new all-time high in August 2025. Price action following that April crossover did not explode immediately. Ethereum first stabilized for a few days, then began forming higher lows above $1,500. Once resistance at $2,000 gave way, the rally gained much momentum and carried Ethereum from the mid-$2,000 range all the way above $4,800, broke above its old record of $4,878 that had stood since Nov. 2021, before finally peaking at $4,946 in late August. Price Targets To Look Forward To The final message of this technical analysis is that Ethereum is about to embark on a comparable rally and break out to new all-time highs. According to the updated outlook by Javon Marks, the first major level that defines this potential continuation is $4,811.71. This price acted as an important resistance level during the previous rally in 2025. Related Reading: Ethereum Enters Overbought Levels With Weekend Pump, Why A Crash Could Be Coming A decisive break and sustained hold above $4,811.71 would confirm that Ethereum has exited its corrective phase and re-entered into a broader expansion move. If that breakout unfolds as expected, the measured move projected from the chart points to $8,557.68 as a target to look forward to. This target is based on the magnitude of Ethereum’s last MACD-driven advance and would translate to a 160% increase from current price levels. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
Etherealize co-founders Vivek Raman and Danny Ryan believe Ethereum is exiting a regulatory "purgatory" to become the premiere destination for Wall Street.
New validators now need to wait more than 44 days to start earning staking rewards, the biggest backlog since late July 2023.
Bitcoin steadies near $95K as prediction markets, market makers, and desks point to a momentum-driven run at $100K rather than a decisive breakout.
BitMine Chair Tom Lee told investors that the company could generate over $400 million income on its $13 billion worth of ether holdings, primarily via staking.
Ethereum is back to trading just above $3,300 per ETH in a slow bullish extension over the past week. After months of wide swings and failed follow-throughs above $3,000, the structure on the monthly timeframe chart is beginning to look bullish in a way that traders should take seriously. A recent technical breakdown shared by Merlijn The Trader on X shows that Ethereum is approaching a moment where consolidation could give way to forceful expansion, with $5,000 as the most important inflection point. Bullish Pennant Says Bullish Momentum About To Be Unlocked The chart showing the technical analysis from Merlijn shows a bullish pennant forming on Ethereum’s monthly timeframe. This bullish pennant shows that price action has been compressing between a rising support line and a descending resistance line, and this has created a narrowing structure since 2021. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Dogecoin Prices Are Surging Today Ethereum briefly pushed above the upper boundary of this pennant in 2025, rallying to just under the $5,000 mark before momentum faded and corrective moves followed. Since then, price action appears to be gravitating back toward the former resistance line, now acting as a key area of interest. As it stands, Ethereum is now retesting the upper trendline of this bullish pennant for a final upward move. Based on this projection, the first major barrier for Ethereum to break is around $3,300. A clean break above that level would likely open a path toward $3,600, an area that previously acted as a turning point during past rallies. The most consequential zone, however, is around the August 2025 all-time high of $5,000. A break above this zone would unlock bullish momentum based on the bullish pennant and play out in the majority of 2026. How Can This Breakout Play Out? Merlijn’s chart doesn’t stop at the breakout trigger once it breaks above the upper trendline of the pennant. It sketches a full road map for how the move could unfold once Ethereum leaves the pennant. The first step in that projection is a push above $3,600 before a more meaningful test around $5,000. Once Ethereum is able to break above $5,000, then the door is open for new price highs. Related Reading: Why The Ethereum Price Could Bounce Above $3,500 Soon However, the breakout is expected to come with volatility and retests, not a straight line upward, but still resolves higher if the pennant thesis holds. From $5,000, the projection turns into a two-stage expansion. The first stage shows a force move, where Ethereum goes on a rally to as high as $6,000, then chops through another sharp dip to $4,000 and another recovery sequence before the larger leg higher. The larger leg, higher projected on the chart, points to $8,400 as the final price target zone for Ethereum. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin's breakout above $95,000 rejuvenated risk appetite, with one market strategist saying that the crypto rally has legs.
Ethereum’s outlook has been improving its case. After a prolonged period of underperformance and skepticism, the network is starting to exhibit signs of renewed structural and fundamental strength. While BTC continues to anchor the market as the primary store of value and digital gold, conditions are emerging that could allow ETH to outperform BTC over the coming period. Why The Ethereum Narrative Is Gaining Strength Ethereum has been seen outperforming Bitcoin. In a recent post on X, Walter Bloomberg revealed that Standard Chartered says that the ETH outlook has improved, and now ETH might outperform BTC, citing rising institutional demand and stronger fundamental positioning across key on-chain sectors. Related Reading: Altcoin Season In Q1? Bitcoin, Ethereum Breakdown Maps Out Performance While weakness in BTC has weighed on the broader crypto market, ETH has continued to benefit from institutional-driven demand, and its dominance in stablecoins, decentralized finance (DeFi), and real-world assets (RWA) tokenization. Standard Chartered also points to the increased throughput and potential US regulatory clarity that it could provide additional upside. In terms of valuation, the bank forecasts ETH at $7,500 this year and $30,000 by 2029, reflecting the expectations of sustained network growth. The Co-founder of PinkBrains_io, a DeFi Creator Studio, DefiIgnas, has highlighted that Ethereum could outperform Bitcoin this year, and the reason is roadmap execution. While BTC will likely keep facing recurring waves of quantum FUD into 2026, ETH has a clear roadmap to prepare for future cryptographic risks. Furthermore, ETH is actually scaling. Gas limits on layer 1 keep rising, and zkEVMs will get full production readiness, making ETH cheap and fast enough for high-value transactions, while layer 2s will handle most of the trading and high-frequency activity. Related Reading: Bitcoin And Ethereum Market Structure Points To Crypto Winter – Details These upgrades are incremental, which means there’s no breaking news moment for ETH, but progress is happening fast. Early in the cycle, a lot of Degens loaded up on ETH before the bull run, but many got disillusioned and sold their ETH for BTC. “It would be fun to see the playbook reverse higher,” DefiIgnas noted. A Different Liquidity Cycle Than Previous Bull Markets Crypto liquidity quality witnessed a change in 2025. A technical analyst and show host of Crypto Banter, Kyledoops, reported that Wintermute noted that capital in 2025 stopped rotating broadly across the market. Instead, liquidity is concentrated into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a small group of large-cap tokens. As a result, the long-anticipated wave of altcoin-wide liquidity never really arrived. Meanwhile, the rise of spot ETFs and crypto treasury vehicles created a new, highly structured inflow channel that funneled flow into the top of the market. These vehicles break the crypto’s oldest playbooks. Price action is no longer driven by broad market expansion. It’s driven by where new liquidity can actually enter. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
Also: Zcash token falls after developer quits, Smart Cashtags and BTC quantum computing defense
The study suggests that Ethereum's role in financial systems makes its token economics a concern for regulators, who may need to consider safeguards for its use in regulated finance.
Standard Chartered has set a new long-range target of $40,000 for Ethereum (ETH) by end-2030, while cutting its end-2026 forecast sharply, arguing that Ethereum’s relative setup is improving even as Bitcoin-led weakness has weighed on absolute crypto price targets. In a research note, the bank’s digital assets analyst Geoff Kendrick framed 2026 as a potential inflection point for Ethereum versus bitcoin, despite revising down its medium-term ETH-USD path. “We think ETH’s prospects have improved. We therefore expect the cross to gradually return to its 2021 highs,” Kendrick wrote, pointing to a rebound in the ETH/BTC relationship as the core expression of his thesis. Standard Chartered Recasts Ethereum Outlook Standard Chartered now expects ether to end 2026 at $7,500, down from its prior $12,000 estimate, before rising to $15,000 in 2027 (cut from $18,000) and $22,000 in 2028 (cut from $25,000), with $30,000 penciled in for 2029 (raised from $25,000) and $40,000 by end-2030. Related Reading: This Ethereum Triangle Breakout Puts Price Above $24,000, Here’s The Path “I think 2026 will be the year of Ethereum, much like 2021 was,” Kendrick writes. The bank attributes the near-term markdown to Bitcoin’s drag on dollar-denominated crypto performance, with Kendrick noting that weaker BTC action has “weighed on the outlook for digital assets priced in dollars,” forcing lower absolute targets through 2028 even as Ethereum’s relative fundamentals strengthen. Kendrick highlighted a set of Ethereum-specific supports that, in his view, are more likely to show up in relative performance than in immediate spot-price upside. He pointed to continued accumulation by Bitmine Immersion Technologies, which the note described as the largest Ethereum-focused digital asset treasury company, at a time when ETF inflows have “temporarily stalled” and broader corporate treasury buying has cooled. Related Reading: Ethereum Long-Term Cost Basis Holds Firm: Structural Floor Forms Near $2.8K He also cited Ethereum’s centrality to stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and DeFi as structural demand drivers, and emphasized execution on plans to increase Ethereum layer-1 throughput by roughly 10x over the next two to three years. “Analysis shows that higher throughput translates into higher market cap,” Kendrick wrote. Regulation was flagged as a further potential tailwind. Kendrick pointed to the US CLARITY Act as a development that could be supportive for the sector and “particularly ETH” if it helps unlock another phase of DeFi activity. The US Senate is due to review the bill on Jan. 15 with possible passage in Q1. For traders, the framework implies that Standard Chartered’s highest-conviction expression is less about pinning an exact ETH-USD level in the next 12 months and more about whether Ethereum can reclaim relative ground versus bitcoin as throughput, stablecoin-heavy activity, and policy clarity compound into 2026 and beyond. At press time, ETH traded at $3,126. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin and ether traders are betting on low volatility and reduced near-term risks despite resilient dollar index and tepid demand for spot ETFs.
Traders rotated to Monero (XMR), Zcash (ZEC) and Railgun (RAIL) as bitcoin, ether remain stuck under key resistance levels.
Ethereum is nearing a decisive phase that could unlock a major long-term price expansion. A higher-timeframe analysis shared by a TradingView analyst suggests that, despite current short-term weakness, Ethereum remains structurally positioned for a significant upside move. If the ongoing formation resolves as expected, the projected breakout places Ethereum’s price well above $24,000. Ethereum’s Long-Term Structure Remains Intact From a broader perspective, the analyst emphasizes that Ethereum has not broken its established trend since 2020. Over that period, price action has continued to form higher highs, reinforcing the view that the long-term structure remains valid. Rather than signaling failure, the prolonged consolidation seen over recent years is framed as stabilization within a large and defined range. Related Reading: Analyst Predicts Strongest XRP Price Rally In History Is Coming, Here’s Why This range sits between $1,000 and $3,000, with the $1,000 level identified as a critical psychological and structural support. According to the analysis, Ethereum’s ability to hold above this zone is central to the bullish thesis. Remaining above it allows the asset to continue developing a massive ascending triangle, a formation often associated with strong continuation moves once completed. Within this triangle, the analyst outlines a clear progression of internal price phases. Two major legs of the structure have already formed, and Ethereum is now moving through the final phase needed to complete the setup. This phase has brought short-term bearish signals, but they remain part of the broader structure rather than a structural breakdown. As the price approaches the lower boundary of the triangle, several layers of support converge. These include the rising structural trendline and key moving averages that have historically supported Ethereum’s price. The analyst notes that stabilization and a bounce are likely in this area, provided Ethereum does not break below the triangle’s lower limit. Such a break would invalidate the structure, but current conditions suggest that risk remains contained. Why A Breakout Opens The Door To $24,000 The bullish scenario hinges on confirmation. Once the triangle is fully formed and Ethereum breaks above its upper boundary, the analyst expects a continuation move to follow. Based on the size of the formation and prior market behavior, the projected expansion points to a move of roughly 300% from current levels. When applied to Ethereum’s existing range, that expansion places the primary bullish target above $24,000. This projection is not presented as a short-term price call, but as the potential outcome of a multi-year structure finally resolving upward. Related Reading: XRP Mirrors Gold’s Trajectory: What A Similar ATH Rally Would Mean Additional context strengthens this outlook. Ethereum continues to benefit from growing institutional participation, and recent data shows record stablecoin transfer volumes exceeding $8 trillion on the network. These developments suggest increasing reliance on Ethereum’s infrastructure, which could support sustained price expansion following a confirmed breakout. Ultimately, the analyst believes Ethereum’s next major move depends on how this consolidation phase concludes. If the structure holds and the breakout is confirmed, the path toward prices above $24,000 becomes a technical continuation rather than an outlier scenario. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
From fully staked ETFs to customizable institutional vaults, staking is evolving from a secondary consideration into a foundational pillar of Ethereum’s market structure.