Ethereum Faces Critical $4,640 Resistance as $806 Million Options Expire Today
Ethereum (ETH) is currently worth $4,590, which is over the psychologically key $4,500 barrier. This is despite the fact that today's

Quick overview
- Ethereum is currently valued at $4,590, surpassing the critical $4,500 level despite challenges from today's options expiration.
- A significant $806 million worth of ETH options will expire today, with the maximum pain point at $4,500, potentially leading to short-term volatility.
- Technical analysis indicates a bullish breakout potential for Ethereum, with key resistance levels at $4,640, $4,685, and $4,765, while support is found at $4,580 and $4,535.
- Recent whale accumulation signals institutional confidence, with large holders purchasing approximately 820,000 ETH, suggesting a bullish outlook for the cryptocurrency.
Ethereum ETH/USD is currently worth $4,590, which is over the psychologically key $4,500 barrier. This is despite the fact that today’s options expiration is making things harder for the currency. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is at a very important technical point right now, with a number of elements coming together to make things both good and bad in the near future.

$806 Million ETH Options Expire Today – Maximum Pain at $4,500
Today is a big day for Ethereum traders because $806.75 million worth of ETH options will expire on Deribit. This is 177,398 contracts. The highest pain level is exactly $4,500, which could mean that ETH values will go down as contracts get closer to their 8:00 UTC expiration deadline.
Ethereum has a Put-to-Call Ratio (PCR) of 0.99, which is barely below 1.0, which is different from Bitcoin’s bearish options attitude. This shows that there are a few more call options than put options, which shows that derivatives traders are cautiously bullish. The balanced ratio shows that traders are hedging their risks while keeping their hopes for a small rise.
The maximum pain theory says that ETH might move toward $4,500 as options get closer to their expiration date. This could cause short-term volatility. But in the past, markets have usually stabilized swiftly after high-volume expirations when traders become used to the new price environment.
ETH/USD Technical Analysis Points to Bullish Breakout Potential
From a technical point of view, Ethereum is still quite positive, even though it is currently consolidating. Since July, the cryptocurrency has been making an ascending triangle pattern, with each pullback making higher lows and hitting resistance between $4,640 and $4,700.
ETH is currently trading above both the $4,600 level and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. This shows that the market is moving up in the short term. The hourly chart shows a contracting triangle pattern, which means that prices are likely to move a lot.
$4,640 (immediate), $4,685, and the important $4,765 level are all key levels of resistance to keep an eye on. If the price breaks over $4,765 cleanly, it might start a methodical rise toward $5,800, which is the target for the ascending triangle.
On the downside, support levels are set at $4,580, $4,535 (major support), and $4,420. If the price goes below $4,535, it might break the present bullish pattern and start a deeper decline toward $4,350.
Massive ETH Whale Accumulation Signals Institutional Confidence
Data from the blockchain that shows a lot of whale activity is probably the most convincing bullish sign for Ethereum. According to researcher Ali Martinez, large holders bought about 820,000 ETH worth almost $3.8 billion in just three days.
Since mid-June, Santiment data has shown that wallets with 10,000 to 100,000 ETH have been steadily growing. This is at the same time that Ethereum started to rebound from its July lows of around $3,000. This institutional-level stance signals that big players are getting ready for a big move up.
The size and timing of this accumulation, which is happening close to important resistance levels, suggests that smart money thinks that current prices are good places to buy longer-term investments.
Federal Reserve Impact and Market Dynamics
The Federal Reserve’s move on Wednesday to lower interest rates by 25 basis points was good news for risk assets, including cryptocurrencies. At first, markets fell because people thought the rate drop would go more slowly. But in general, the rate cut environment is good for digital assets as alternative stores of value.
Vitalik Buterin, one of the co-founders of Ethereum, recently talked about concerns over staking withdrawals, which also helped calm people’s feelings. Buterin said that the 2.49 million ETH in the exit queue that will take more than 43 days to clear are purposeful delays to protect the stability of the network.
Ethereum Price Prediction: $5,200-$5,800 Target If Resistance Breaks
Ethereum is ready to make a big breakout effort based on a combination of technical and fundamental considerations. The immediate problem is the $4,640-$4,700 resistance level, where several technical indications come together.
If ETH can break through $4,700 with a lot of volume, the ascending triangle pattern suggests a rise to $5,800. Targets that are more conservative point to a jump to the $5,200-$5,500 area, which is what analysts think will happen in 2025.
But if the price doesn’t stay above the $4,535 support level, the bullish setup might be invalidated and the price could drop to $4,350 or lower. The options expiration today adds danger of short-term volatility, but any weakness is expected to be short-lived because of the strong underlying accumulation tendencies.
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