Ether hovered near $3,946 at 13:57 UTC on October 25 after a rejection of high volume around $4,000 left the price rolling below resistance as analysts outlined five-figure scenarios and on-chain data pointed to larger wallets adding.
Analyst’s view
Analyst Ali Martinez predicted a long-term path to $10,000, warning it may take longer than some expect; his weekly sketch suggests a pullback to 2026 followed by a rise towards five digits around 2027-2028.
Separately, The Long Investor set a target of $13,500 by 2029, framing a multi-year trajectory rather than a short-term call.
On the flow side, Santiment said “whales and sharks” with 100-10,000 ETH have added about a sixth of the coins they sold between October 5 and October 16, describing it as a sign of improving confidence among larger accounts.
Taken together, the views lean constructively over a multi-year horizon, but they also imply that clearing major resistance levels must come first before momentum can build.
Session overview
According to CoinDesk Research’s technical analysis data model, ether moved from $3,955.91 to $3,937.05 during the previous 24-hour session ending this morning (UTC), a swing of about $120 (about 3.1% intraday) that ended near the lower end. The pattern marks resistance in the $3,945-$4,000 zone and supports around $3,870-$3,880, with an immediate shelf near $3,930. The structure reflects a narrowing area below a round-figure ceiling and above a newly defended buttress area.
Volume and intraday context
The key inflection came as volume jumped 188% above its 24-hour average – peaking at 444,887 contracts – during a failed push through the $4,000 level. The price briefly touched $4,001.69 before sellers capped the move.
After this rejection, ETH made lower peaks and settled into a late session rectangle between $3,930 and $3,940 as activity cooled. A minor breakout of 23,884 contracts lifted the price towards $3,948, but it disappeared without a follow-through above $3,945, reinforcing the idea that $3,945-$4,000 is the local ceiling that needs a decisive break.
What to see next
A clean break and hold above $4,000 on UTC closes would open $4,100 and put the early month highs back in view; Otherwise, a loss of the immediate $3,930 shelf is likely to send the price to the $3,870-$3,880 demand area identified by the model. Analysts’ projections are multi-year and do not depend on a single day’s band, but in the near term traction still depends on converting the high $3,900 into support.
CoinDesk 5 Index (CD 5)
Over the same window, the CoinDesk 5 index rose from 1,945.13 to 1,953.72 after reversing from an intraday low of 1,922.57 and stalling near 1,961.57, with support reinforced around 1,920-1,925 after several checks.
Latest 24-hour and one-month chart read
From At 13:57-13:58 UTC on October 25, ETH was $3,946 (up 0.5% for the period). On the 24-hour chart, the session opened near $3,926, reached a high of $3,957 and a low of $3,876. In practical terms, $3,900-$3,920 served as intraday buy zones, and $3,950-$3,960 capped rebounds ahead of the next attempt at $4,000.
On the one-month chart, ETH has rebounded from the mid-October dip and is grinding back towards $4,000, still below the highs at the beginning of the month – a setup that supports the analyst’s view of a longer path higher, provided resistance gives way and recovered levels hold on subsequent retests.
Disclaimer: Portions of this article were generated with the help of AI tools and reviewed by our editorial staff to ensure accuracy and compliance with our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI policy.
