Ether (ETH) is back under fresh pressure from leveraged traders after a sharp push toward the $1,950 area. Tuesday’s uptick helped trigger around $62 million in liquidations tied to bearish positions, as ETH rose roughly 29% from its June 26 low near $1,500 and briefly tested $1,950 for the first time in about seven weeks.
The price move also mirrored a broader improvement in risk appetite. Bitcoin climbed above $66,500, while US equities strengthened after investors reassessed concerns about stretched valuations following the rapid rally in artificial intelligence-related shares.
Key takeaways
- ETH’s breakout attempt near $1,950 came with meaningful leverage-driven liquidations, signaling traders were positioned for downside.
- Ethereum’s fundamentals are not keeping pace: DApp revenues and weekly DEX volumes remain weak versus prior months.
- Record staking participation (34% of ETH supply, per StakingRewards) may dampen sell pressure, but it hasn’t yet translated into stronger onchain demand.
- Derivatives indicators are less bearish than late June, yet ETH perpetual funding has struggled to stay in the typical neutral band.
- Next week’s catalysts from major US tech earnings could determine whether the market’s optimism extends to crypto.
Price rally meets uneven participation across Ethereum
Despite the renewed bullish momentum, Ethereum’s activity metrics suggest caution. The network’s onchain data points to a market that is moving more because of broader sentiment than because usage is clearly re-accelerating.
According to DefiLlama, weekly revenue generated by Ethereum decentralized applications (DApps) fell to $9.8 million—the lowest level since September 2024. That matters because DApp revenue is often seen as a proxy for real demand and user willingness to pay for services, while price strength alone can be driven by derivatives positioning and macro flows.
DefiLlama data also shows decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes sliding to about $7.2 billion per week. In that environment, traders appear to be less enthusiastic about the kinds of high-turnover assets that typically boost activity, including memecoins and certain utility tokens.
The revenue picture is similarly mixed among top applications. DefiLlama notes that some prominent projects have been under pressure on the year, with losses of 50% or more year-to-date reported for tokens including Ethena (ENA), Mantle (MNT), and Arbitrum (ARB). While individual performance doesn’t automatically determine Ethereum’s direction, broad weakness in major ecosystems can limit organic demand during upswings.
Derivatives coolness suggests traders aren’t fully convinced
ETH’s rally has been accompanied by shifts in derivatives sentiment, but not a decisive reset to confident positioning. Laevitas data indicates that the annualized funding rate on ETH perpetual futures has had trouble remaining consistently in a “neutral” 6%–12% range during the past month.
That is an important nuance: when funding stays near neutral, it often indicates more balanced long and short demand. When funding persistently drifts away from that zone, it can suggest one-sided positioning that raises the risk of reversals.
Still, sentiment has improved compared with late June, when funding rates turned negative and reflected stronger bearish demand. The improvement aligns with expectations that staking activity could help reduce downside exposure.
Staking hits a new participation record, but the market still wants catalysts
A key support factor for ETH’s structure has been staking. StakingRewards data shows that a record 34% of the total ETH supply is now staked, up from 33% just one month earlier. In practical terms, higher staking participation can reduce the amount of liquid ETH available for selling, which may lower immediate sell pressure during price rebounds.
The staking narrative is reinforced by continued institutional accumulation activity. The article’s source references Tom Lee’s Bitmine Immersion (BMNR US), which reportedly added 156,719 ETH over the past month, bringing its stake to 4.8% of available supply. Separately, earlier coverage from Cointelegraph highlighted Bitmine’s Ethereum staking generation, underscoring how large holders are positioning through staking rather than liquid trading.
Even so, staking participation alone may not be enough to sustain an upswing if onchain demand remains subdued. The same onchain picture that shows low DApp revenue and declining DEX volumes also helps explain why the derivatives market hasn’t fully “opened the throttle” for longs. In other words: the capital on the sidelines may be more willing to absorb downside than to chase upside.
ETH is also still far from its August 2025 all-time high—reported as 61% below that peak—which can weigh on risk appetite. Traders may remain reluctant to pile in until they see clearer evidence that activity and demand are broadening beyond a macro-driven bounce.
Earnings from US megacaps could influence whether ETH breaks higher
Ether’s ability to extend gains toward the next major psychological level—often framed as $2,100—likely depends on whether risk appetite stays elevated across both traditional markets and crypto. On Tuesday, the immediate backdrop was favorable: stock strength helped ease concerns tied to valuation worries after a fast-moving AI-driven rally.
Looking ahead, the market will be watching corporate results for cues on whether the “risk-on” trend can persist. The report points to 3M Company’s (MMM) earnings after Tuesday’s open as part of the early week catalyst calendar. More importantly for the crypto complex, it also highlights Alphabet’s earnings scheduled for Wednesday after US markets close.
Investors are reportedly focused on cloud services growth, with expectations cited as 64% growth in cloud revenue, amid heavy AI investment. If results and guidance reinforce a stable macro backdrop, it could help restore confidence across risk assets—potentially giving ETH the additional momentum it needs to test higher levels without relying primarily on liquidation-driven moves.
For traders and long-term observers alike, the next signals to watch are straightforward: whether ETH can hold above the recent breakout zone after the liquidation wave, whether DEX volumes and DApp revenue continue to stabilize instead of drifting lower, and whether derivatives funding moves back toward a more sustainably neutral range as macro catalysts land.
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