Bearish Pressure Still Dominates as ETH Fails to Reclaim $3K: Ethereum Price Analysis

Ethereum continues to range around the $3,000 zone, with neither bulls nor bears taking full control. The market is in a consolidation phase after its failure to hold above $3,100, and traders are now closely watching key levels on both the daily and 4H charts. While the macro structure is still under pressure, short-term sentiment and positioning hint at possible volatility ahead.

Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

On the daily chart, ETH remains trapped below both the 200-day and 100-day moving averages, which are still acting as dynamic resistance above the $3,500 level. The price failed to sustain above the $3,100-$3,200 resistance block and is now hovering just under that range, near $2,980. The lack of higher highs signals continued bearish pressure.

Still, the $2,700 support zone remains a strong demand area, having supported the price on multiple occasions in the past couple of months. As long as ETH stays above that zone, the downside risk is somewhat limited. But any loss of that support could accelerate the move lower, potentially opening the door to the $2,300 area.

ETH/USDT 4-Hour Chart

Zooming into the 4-hour chart, the asset has been consolidating between $2,800 and $3,000 for the past week. The Fibonacci retracement levels drawn from the early December rally show that the 0.618-0.5 zone below the $3,000 zone has acted as a strong ceiling recently. So far, every breakout attempt above that has been rejected.

Meanwhile, the RSI on the 4-hour is slowly climbing back toward 60, indicating building momentum, but it is not convincing yet. Buyers need to break and hold above the $3,000 level to gain short-term control. Until then, it is still a choppy range with a slight bearish bias. Therefore, the price action remains reactive, not proactive.

Sentiment Analysis

Ethereum’s open interest has steadily declined since the mid-November peak, showing a reduction in aggressive positioning from both bulls and bears. From a high of around $32B, OI has now dropped below $20B, reflecting uncertainty and a lack of conviction in the current market direction.

This cooling off in leverage is often seen ahead of a major move. The market is essentially reset. Now, if OI starts rising again while the price remains flat, it could signal speculative interest returning, which would likely bring volatility. So, traders should stay alert for sudden spikes in both OI and volume, which could confirm a breakout attempt or a new leg lower.

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