Ethereum (ETH) has struggled by means of the primary quarter of the 12 months and the opening stretch of the second, nevertheless it has managed to carry a vital line close to the $2,000 mark.
A brand new report from market skilled Sam Daodu breaks down three potential paths for ETH for the rest of 2026, with every situation tied to catalysts that might push the community’s main altcoin again above $4,000.
Bullish Pathway For Ethereum
Daodu’s evaluation begins with the worth motion. Ethereum, he notes, has been trending downward for the reason that begin of the 12 months, with solely a short-lived restoration. ETH started 2026 round $3,100, later sank to a low of $1,743 in February—its weakest level since early 2023.
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After that, the token has spent a lot of the 12 months transferring sideways between roughly $2,000 and $2,400, suggesting consolidation relatively than a transparent rebound. A key driver within the report is the upcoming Glamsterdam improve, which Daodu says may very well be the deciding issue for whether or not ETH revisits the $4,000 degree throughout 2026.
In his bullish situation, Glamsterdam is assumed to launch on schedule in June. The improve would reduce fuel charges by 78.6% and elevate throughput to as a lot as 10,000 transactions per second.
On the identical time, the information across the improve is predicted to speed up Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows, and the report additionally assumes Bitcoin (BTC) breaks above $90,000. With these circumstances in place, Daodu suggests ETH might transfer above $4,000 within the third quarter, and end the 12 months between $5,000-$7,500.
ETH May Retest The February 2026 Low
Within the base case, the story is extra subdued. Daodu expects Glamsterdam to ship, however with no sturdy rapid market response. ETF inflows stay optimistic however gradual, and Bitcoin is assumed to rise above $85,000 with out delivering a decisive breakout that might strongly re-ignite threat urge for food.
Underneath this situation, Ethereum continues to be projected to clear $3,000 within the third quarter, then check $4,000 within the final stretch of 2026. The year-end final result, nonetheless, is extra restrained: ETH would shut between $3,000 and $4,200.
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The bear case is constructed round delays and macro stress. Daodu assumes Glamsterdam is both pushed again till the final quarter of the 12 months or launches with deployment bugs.
He additionally provides a extra risk-off setting by projecting that Bitcoin might fall under $70,000, pushed by inflation knowledge or renewed hawkishness from the Federal Reserve (Fed), together with ETF outflows returning.
If these assumptions play out, ETH would probably fail to carry present assist and break under $2,085. From there, the report suggests Ethereum might retest the February 2026 low close to $1,743, after which finish the 12 months at or under right now’s worth.
On this bearish situation, the concept of Ethereum transferring previous $4,000 would probably shift right into a 2027 dialogue relatively than remaining a 2026 goal. For now, the main altcoin trades at $2,134.
Featured picture created with OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com