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.
The largest Ethereum-focused crypto treasury firm lifted holdings to 4.17 million ETH but signaled limits ahead without authorization to issue fresh equity.
Buterin emphasizes the importance of quantum resistance and scalability, aiming for the Ethereum blockchain to handle thousands of transactions per second.
In a recent interview with CoinDesk, Ethereum Foundation co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang described zero-knowledge as part of Ethereum’s midterm roadmap, pointing to “many amazing breakthroughs” in the past one to two years.
CoinDesk sat down with Robinhood’s head of crypto, Johann Kerbrat, to get an update on its upcoming layer-2 network, its tokenized stocks program, and its staking offerings.
Ethereum is struggling to reclaim the $3,100 level as price action tightens and the market braces for a decisive move. After weeks of choppy trading, ETH remains caught between fading bullish attempts and persistent overhead resistance, leaving analysts sharply divided on what comes next. A minority still expects Ethereum to regain strength and eventually challenge its all-time highs, while the dominant narrative points toward a bearish 2026 marked by weaker demand and tighter liquidity conditions. Related Reading: Bitcoin Remains In A High-Risk Zone As Short-Term Holders Stay Underwater Amid this uncertainty, a CryptoQuant report offers a longer-term perspective that cuts through short-term noise. The analysis focuses on Ethereum’s Accumulating Addresses Realized Price, a metric that tracks the average cost basis of addresses that consistently accumulate ETH rather than trade it actively. Unlike momentum indicators, this measure reflects where long-term participants are willing to commit capital over extended periods. Notably, this accumulation cost has trended steadily higher since 2020. Even during the severe 2022–2023 drawdown, when ETH price corrected sharply, long-term holders largely held their ground instead of capitulating. That behavior established a durable foundation beneath the market. Today, this realized price has stabilized in the $2,700–$2,800 range, effectively forming a structural cost zone for Ethereum. As ETH hovers just above this area, the market faces a critical question: whether this long-term support continues to anchor price, or if shifting macro conditions finally challenge a regime that has held for years. Ethereum Long-Term Accumulation Regime Faces a Critical Test The report argues that the debate around Ethereum is shifting. The key issue is no longer whether the $2,700–$2,800 accumulation zone holds in the short term, but whether this long-standing accumulation regime can persist indefinitely. According to data from CryptoQuant, Ethereum stands out sharply from the broader altcoin market when viewed through this lens. Since 2022, most altcoins have suffered deep drawdowns without ever forming a durable accumulation cost base. That absence of consistent long-term buying helps explain why recoveries across the altcoin complex have been weaker and more fragile. Ethereum, by contrast, has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to retain long-term holder conviction through multiple stress periods, including 2018, 2020, 2022, and even the volatility seen in 2025. However, markets evolve, and structural regimes do not last forever. Periods of apparent stability are often when underlying assumptions are most vulnerable to change. From a forward-looking perspective, two scenarios stand out. As long as ETH price trades near or above its accumulation cost, it signals that long-term buyers remain engaged, reinforcing Ethereum’s relative resilience compared with most altcoins. On the other hand, a sustained break below this cost zone would imply a meaningful behavioral shift among long-term holders—one that could challenge the idea that Ethereum has permanently escaped its pre-2020 valuation framework. In today’s environment, short-term price swings dominate attention, but it is this structural battle beneath the surface that may ultimately define Ethereum’s next major cycle. Related Reading: Bearish Signal Emerges For Ethereum As US Spot Demand Fades Price Consolidates as Bulls Defend the $3,000 Zone Ethereum is currently consolidating around the $3,100 level after failing to reclaim higher resistance zones, reflecting a market caught between stabilization and continuation risk. The chart shows ETH trading below its short- and medium-term moving averages, with the 50-day and 100-day averages now acting as dynamic resistance rather than support. This shift confirms that the broader structure remains corrective following the rejection from the $4,000–$4,200 region earlier in the cycle. Notably, the $3,000–$3,100 area has emerged as a critical pivot. Price has repeatedly defended this zone, suggesting the presence of demand and short-term accumulation. However, upside momentum remains limited, as each bounce has been met with selling pressure near descending moving averages. This behavior is typical of markets attempting to form a base after a prolonged drawdown rather than initiating a clean trend reversal. Related Reading: Bitcoin Tests Key Resistance While $4.7B In Sell-Side Liquidity Builds From a structural perspective, ETH remains above the long-term moving average, which continues to slope upward. This indicates that the broader macro trend has not fully broken down, even though short-term momentum is weak. Volume has also declined during recent rebounds, reinforcing the idea that buyers lack conviction. For bulls, a sustained reclaim of the $3,300 level would be required to shift momentum and challenge the bearish structure. Until then, Ethereum appears locked in a consolidation phase, with downside risks persisting if the $3,000 support fails to hold. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Ethereum continues to trade within a prolonged accumulation phase, signaling that the market may be approaching a pivotal transition. As ETH/BTC firmly defends long-term cycle support, the structure points to quiet strength building beneath the surface, often a precursor to rotation and a decisive next move. Ethereum’s Inverted Monthly Chart Signals Late-Stage Accumulation EGRAG CRYPTO made a post, showing that Ethereum’s inverted monthly chart continues to reflect a familiar cyclical pattern, though with notable evolution. Each market cycle follows a similar rhythm, but as the asset matures, volatility compresses, and price behavior becomes more controlled. Related Reading: Ethereum’s Q1 Outlook: Analyst Shares Historical Setup As Price Nears Key Resistance In the first cycle, Ethereum experienced a brief accumulation phase followed by a sharp and violent drop. The second cycle extended the accumulation period, resulting in a more gradual decline. Meanwhile, in the third and current cycle, accumulation has lasted significantly longer, suggesting that any corrective phase should be comparatively shallow. It is important to note that the chart is inverted, meaning what appears as a drop on this view actually represents a breakout on the standard price chart. In this context, the current structure suggests that accumulation is nearing completion, and the market may be approaching its next decisive move. This setup points to a less explosive move compared to earlier cycles, but more controlled. From a price roadmap perspective, initial resistance is projected between $3,800 and $4,500. A successful flip of that zone into support could open the door toward the $6,000 to $7,500 region. The primary risk scenario remains a deeper retest toward the $1,800 to $2,200 range before a broader upside continuation. Why ETH/BTC Is A Key Market Barometer Right Now In a recent post on ETH/BTC, CyrilXBT emphasized that this remains one of the most important charts to monitor. Ethereum continues to defend the 2018 cycle support, consistently printing higher lows while price action tightens just below key resistance levels. This kind of compression often signals that the market is preparing for a larger move rather than breaking down. Related Reading: Here’s The Ethereum Descending Triangle Structure That Threatens A Crash Below $2,800 Importantly, there is no sign of panic or structural damage. Sellers have failed to force a decisive breakdown, while buyers continue to step in at higher levels, reinforcing the strength of the underlying support. The longer this base holds, the more meaningful the eventual breakout or rotation becomes. At this stage of the cycle, Ethereum does not need to outperform aggressively. Simply holding its relative value is usually enough to signal the early stages of capital rotation. Historically, sustained stability on the ETH/BTC pair tends to precede periods where Ethereum begins to take the lead once momentum fully returns. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
Ethereum has once again failed to hold above a critical resistance zone, retracing from the $3,300 level back toward the $3,100 area. The pullback highlights the market’s ongoing struggle to establish a sustainable recovery, as bullish momentum continues to fade near key technical thresholds. While buyers have managed to prevent a deeper correction for now, the inability to reclaim higher levels has reinforced a cautious tone across the market. Related Reading: Bitcoin Tests Key Resistance While $4.7B In Sell-Side Liquidity Builds Beyond price action, on-chain data adds an important layer to this weakness. According to data from CryptoQuant, Ethereum’s Coinbase Premium Gap has dropped sharply into negative territory. This metric, often used as a proxy for US institutional demand, reflects the price difference between Coinbase and offshore exchanges. A negative reading suggests that buying interest from US-based investors is lagging behind global activity, reducing the probability of a strong upside continuation. Historically, sustained Ethereum rallies have coincided with a positive Coinbase Premium, signaling consistent institutional accumulation. The current divergence between price attempts to stabilize and weakening US demand creates a structural headwind for bulls. As long as this premium remains negative, reclaiming the $3,300 level becomes increasingly difficult. For now, Ethereum appears trapped in a fragile range, where price stability depends less on aggressive buying and more on the absence of renewed selling pressure. The coming sessions will be decisive in determining whether this consolidation evolves into a recovery or resolves to the downside. Coinbase Premium Weakness Undermines Recovery Attempt A new on-chain signal is reinforcing the cautious outlook for Ethereum as it trades below key resistance. Analysis shared by CryptoQuant and highlighted by CryptoOnchain shows that the Coinbase Premium Gap has deteriorated sharply, reaching its most negative level in nearly a year. The 14-day moving average of the metric has fallen to around -2.3, indicating that ETH prices on Coinbase are trading at a notable discount compared to Binance. This divergence matters because Coinbase activity is often used as a proxy for US institutional demand. When the premium turns deeply negative, it typically signals that buyers in the US spot market are either stepping aside or actively distributing rather than accumulating. That dynamic is unfolding as Ethereum remains capped below the $3,300 resistance zone, following its sharp correction from the October peak near $4,700. The combination of weak price follow-through and declining Coinbase demand creates a bearish divergence. While ETH attempts to stabilize, the lack of institutional participation reduces the probability of a sustained breakout. Historically, strong Ethereum rallies have required a positive Coinbase Premium, reflecting consistent inflows from US-based investors. Until this gap narrows and flips back into positive territory, Ethereum’s upside appears constrained. For now, the data suggests caution is warranted, as the persistence of weak US demand increases the risk that recent consolidation resolves into another leg lower rather than a confirmed recovery. Related Reading: XRP Sees Back-to-Back Liquidation Waves: Binance Absorbs Majority Of Liquidations Ethereum Struggles As Recovery Lacks Confirmation Ethereum’s price action remains fragile after failing to reclaim the $3,300 resistance zone. On the daily chart, ETH is trading near the $3,100–$3,150 area, a level that has acted as a short-term pivot but has not yet attracted strong follow-through from buyers. The broader structure still reflects a corrective phase rather than a confirmed trend reversal. From a technical perspective, ETH remains below its key moving averages. The 50-day moving average is sloping downward and continues to cap upside attempts, while the 100-day and 200-day moving averages sit higher, reinforcing a heavy overhead supply zone between roughly $3,300 and $3,600. Each rally into this region over recent weeks has been met with renewed selling pressure, highlighting persistent distribution. Related Reading: Bitcoin Enters Accumulation Regime: Market Supported By Seller Exhaustion, Not Buying Surge The sequence of lower highs since the October peak near $4,700 remains intact. Although price has stabilized compared to the sharp November sell-off, the rebound so far resembles consolidation within a bearish structure rather than a new impulsive move. Volume has also moderated during recent advances, suggesting limited conviction behind the bounce. On the downside, the $2,900–$3,000 range stands out as a critical support area. A sustained break below this zone would expose Ethereum to a deeper retracement toward the mid-$2,600s. For bullish momentum to regain credibility, ETH must reclaim $3,300 with strength and hold above the declining moving averages. Until then, the chart argues for caution, with downside risks still present despite short-term stabilization. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
The Ethereum staking ecosystem is showing clear signs of tightening as demand for validators continues to rise. Participants now face a multi-week wait to enter the network. This growing staking queue reflects a structural shift in how ETH is being held and deployed less as a liquid supply and more as long-term productive capital. As more ETH becomes locked in validation, the dynamics of supply, yield, and network security are quietly being reshaped. Why Validator Delays Add Friction To Supply Re-Entry The current state of Ethereum staking highlights a growing problem with predictability. Crypto expert Dave has pointed out on X that the ETH staking entry queue is now showing an estimated wait of 25 days and 4 hours to enter. Previously, the wait time was around 7.55 days, which is a more than threefold increase in wait time over a relatively short period. Related Reading: Ethereum Staking Deposits Just Surpassed Withdrawals, Why This Could Send ETH Price Above $4,000 At the same time, the exit queue is reporting a wait time of 14 minutes, which previously sat for 44.25 days, representing a reduction of well over 4,000 times, from weeks to minutes. According to Dave, staking on a blockchain with this level of variance between entry and exit requirements is uncertain. Waiting weeks to enter while exit clears almost instantly makes staking behavior highly state-dependent and unpredictable. This contract is exactly why the expert prefers staking on Cardano, because there is no entry queue. Also, delegation is reflected on-chain immediately, and stake changes are transparent and deterministic. The only delay is a fixed active stake period of two epochs, which is 10 days before delegation changes take effect. This consistency is the difference because there are no dynamic queues, no sudden shifts, and no surprises driven by changing network states. If demand to stake on Cardano increases rapidly, it will make absolutely no difference, because predictability matters especially with monetary investments. Why Throughput Without Context Is Meaningless The headline claim of $8 trillion in stablecoin transfers on Ethereum sounds impressive, but it’s a completely meaningless metric. Crypto analyst DBCrypto noted that a single entity can move $1 billion back and forth between two wallets ten times, creating a sudden $10 billion in volume, but generating zero economic activity. Related Reading: Big Bet On Ethereum: CEO Sees 10X TVL Growth In 2026 This is why banks don’t advertise transfer volume as a growth metric, as volume without context tells nothing about utility or growth. However, crypto continues to elevate these numbers as milestones because big figures pump bags. What’s being measured here is motion and activity, not progress or value. DBCrypto concluded that until the industry stops celebrating vanity metrics, it will continue to confuse noise for signal. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
The system will bring together various elements of the payment stack, including liquidity, orchestration, and regulatory controls.
Under the proposal, which is set to move to a governance vote on January 22, Optimism would begin monthly buybacks starting in February.