The post Ethereum Underperforming? Why This “Quiet” Phase Could be a Massive Buy Signal appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

At press time, Ethereum (ETH) was trading at $2,354, having gained 1.78% within the day as it moved in lockstep with Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency, however, is trading more than 50% below its all-time high (ATH) of $4,700. In comparison, Bitcoin now trades at $80,000, having recovered by about 27% from its February low of $63,000 (about half of BTC’s ATH of roughly $126,000). This raises questions about Ethereum’s shortfall and what lies ahead for ETH.

Ethereum real-world developments

Ethereum has achieved certain milestones and is undergoing further developments to cement its place in the crypto industry, and possibly drive mark up ETH prices.

According to blockchain intelligence platform Token Terminal, Ethereum now hosts 95.9% of all tokenized commodities. The market cap of these digital assets is now $5.1 billion, representing a greater than 3x growth in just 12 months.

Source: Token Terminal

The surge in demand for tokenized commodities is attributed to investors’ rotation into safe-haven alternatives amid economic uncertainty. Additional advantages include 24/7 market access, fractional ownership, and DeFi utility (e.g., borrowing stablecoins or generating yield).

Still among institutions, Bitmine just disclosed its recent purchase of over 100,000 ETH worth about $240 million. This marks the company’s third consecutive week of purchasing similar amounts. It also solidifies its position as the first among Ethereum treasury companies worldwide.

Treasuries & #ETFs Board. Crypto Accumulation and Capital Flows

April closed as the strongest month of 2026, with approximately $1.97B in net #inflows across crypto treasury strategies and ETFs. pic.twitter.com/iWdRs4Eu3H

— CryptoDiffer Analytics (@CryptoDiffer) May 4, 2026

In terms of blockchain development, more than 100 Ethereum developers recently met at the Soldogn Interop event. Here, they discussed technical goals for the upcoming Glamsterdam update, including fostering transparency, scalability, and privacy with a final note on the Hegota upgrade.

What’s next for ETH price?

According to analyst Michaël van de Poppe, Ethereum may appear to be lagging behind Bitcoin. He, however, notes that a pickup is expected once the time for altcoins is ripe.

$ETH doesn't look great vs. Bitcoin, and the prime reason for that is just that timing matters.

If the Nasdaq shoots upwards, people will firstly move towards #Bitcoin as a higher beta play than the Nasdaq.

The time for #Altcoins is therefore selective and will likely be taking… pic.twitter.com/zRVsQ2bExN

— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) May 4, 2026

Inflows into accumulation addresses have increased in the past year, according to CryptoQuant, signaling conviction in the coin’s future price action.

Breaking past the $2,400 resistance level on strong volume could pave the way to $2,550. However, rejection of this price could trigger a pullback to $2,270. On the other hand, a larger move to $10,000 would follow a break above $4,350.

The post Bitcoin at $80K: What are the Critical Signals to Confirm a Bullish Breakout? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

In the last 24 hours, Bitcoin (BTC) has repeatedly broken above the $80,000 psychological level, having abandoned it in January. The burning question in the market now is whether this marks a bullish reversal or simply a fakeout.

How Bitcoin got to $80K

Achieving $80K was triggered by a massive short squeeze. According to crypto market data and  analytics platform CoinGlass, short trader liquidations totalled $199.32 million in the past 24 hours, 

Another contributory factor is renewed institutional interest in the flagship coin. This was evidenced by $629.8 million in spot Bitcoin ETF inflows on May 1 and $603.14 million on May 4. 

Even more, Strive recently acquired 444 BTC, bringing its treasury to 15,000 BTC and making it the 9th largest public corporate Bitcoin holder globally. Meanwhile, Strategy announced a temporary pause in its Bitcoin purchases to remain compliant with regulations ahead of its May 5 Q1 2026 earnings report.

Treasuries & #ETFs Board. Crypto Accumulation and Capital Flows

April closed as the strongest month of 2026, with approximately $1.97B in net #inflows across crypto treasury strategies and ETFs. pic.twitter.com/iWdRs4Eu3H

— CryptoDiffer Analytics (@CryptoDiffer) May 4, 2026

As prices crested at $80K, the 2-3 year BTC holding cohort, or those who accumulated just before the crypto ETF launches, ramped up their profit-taking. According to on-chain intelligence platform Glassnode, this group liquidated $209 million/hr, cashing in profits of 60%-100%.

Source: Glassnode

What BTC needs to confirm the bull market entrance

Still, Bitcoin remains indecisive about maintaining the $80K milestone. Multiple closes above this level could ignite a short squeeze, leading to $84,000-$85,500. 

Another sign of a bullish reversal would be BTC forming higher highs while its relative strength index (RSI) forms lower highs. Currently, the RSI reads 65.

Additionally, the 24-hour Bitcoin trading volume rallied to $56.51 billion on May 4, up from $16.76 billion on May 2. While indicating high short-term growth, these trading volumes remain lower than those recorded during previous breakouts. A periststent uptrend would demand even higher volumes, indicating strong institutional conviction and unwavering absorption of overhead supply.

To keep a bullish structure intact, prices must hold above the $72,352 100-day moving average. Defensive zones would be between $73,000 – $75,000, where a fall below this would suggest the upswing was but a bull trap.