Ethereum Holds $3,000 as Network Metrics, ‘Post-Quantum’ Pivot Signal Potential Rally to $10K
Ethereum (ETH) is trading at almost $3,000, up more than 2% in the last 24 hours. A combination of technical indications and on-chain metric
Quick overview
- Ethereum is currently trading near $3,000, showing a 2% increase in the last 24 hours despite a 15.9% drop over the past week.
- The layer-2 ecosystem is driving transaction growth, with weekly transactions reaching 128 million and average fees dropping significantly.
- Weekly decentralized exchange volumes in Ethereum's ecosystem hit $26.8 billion, indicating strong competitive performance despite Solana's lead.
- Analysts predict Ethereum could reach price targets between $10,000 and $15,000 if it breaks key resistance levels and maintains steady activity.
Ethereum ETH/USD is trading at almost $3,000, up more than 2% in the last 24 hours. A combination of technical indications and on-chain measures imply that the top smart contract platform may be getting ready for a big breakout, even though the market has been volatile lately.
The second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization has dropped 15.9% in the last week, which caused $910 million in liquidations for leveraged long holdings. But there are a few important things happening in the Ethereum ecosystem that are making traders and experts more hopeful. They still think the price will stay between $10,000 and $15,000 this cycle.
Layer-2 Ecosystem Drives Transaction Growth and Fee Reduction
Ethereum’s plan to scale through layer-2 solutions is working, with total transactions across networks like Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism rising to 128 million per week, which is more than both BNB Chain and Tron. The network handled 16.4 million transactions per week while keeping average rates below $0.20, a big drop from $0.50 in November 2025.
Network fees were up 19% in the last week, even though competitors Tron and Solana had their fees go down. This shows that there is fresh interest in Ethereum’s infrastructure. The Fusaka upgrade in December 2025 greatly increased the network’s data capacity and added transaction batch operations, which set the stage for long-term growth.
Ethereum DEX Activity Reaches $26.8 Billion
Weekly decentralized exchange volumes in the Ethereum ecosystem reached $26.8 billion, with the base layer accounting for $13 billion, up from $8.15 billion four weeks ago. Solana is still in the lead with $30 billion in weekly DEX volume, but Ethereum’s performance across its entire ecosystem shows that it is a strong competitor.
On January 15, daily transactions reached an all-time high of 2.78 million, up 20% from the previous month. Daily active addresses also rose by 50% during the same time period. Even if transaction costs fell to their lowest level in nine years, below 150 ETH ($435,000) each day, smart contract installations hit their highest level ever.
ETH/USD Technical Analysis Points to $10K-$15K Price Targets
There are a number of technical models that support positive price predictions. The Wyckoff approach shows that ETH is finishing an accumulation structure before it might burst out beyond $10,000. Historical cycle patterns show that each upswing has less and less of an effect, therefore assuming these trends persist, probable targets are between $10,000 and $15,000.
A pattern of a connection between worldwide liquidity and the Russell 2000 index suggests that Ether might break out of its current range by 226%, which would put it at $9,500. Analysts say that once the $4,500-$5,000 monthly resistance level is breached, it becomes more likely that the price will rise to $10,000.
Professional Traders Return to Neutral Stance
After a short time of insuring against more losses, professional traders are returning to neutral positions in the derivatives markets. After five days in a row of defensive puts winning, the ETH options put-to-call volume ratio at Deribit leveled down. Sunday’s 2x peak was the highest level in over four months.
Ethereum still has the largest market share in total value locked (TVL), showing that investors still choose decentralization even though there are other chains that compete with it. The network’s $2,800 support level, which has been strong for two months, is still a very important technical level.
Ethereum’s Near-Term Outlook Dependent on Sustained Activity
Analysts say that Ether’s route to $3,200–$3,300 in the near future will probably be helped by steady DEX activity, higher network fees, and the resolution of recent options market confusion. The larger targets of $10,000 to $15,000 depend on breaking through monthly resistance levels and the ecosystem continuing to develop as the crypto market enters what many think will be a “altcoin season.”
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