Ethereum Price Forecast: ETH faces $4,000 hurdle amid impressive ETF inflows

Ethereum price today: $3,900

• Ethereum ETF's impressive growth is ‘just a tip of the iceberg,’ says a BlackRock executive.
• Ethereum ETFs could outpace their Bitcoin counterparts if the SEC allows issuers to stake their assets.
• ETH needs to maintain its move above a key symmetry triangle to overcome the resistance near the $4,000 psychological level.

Ethereum (ETH) experienced a 1% increase on Friday, following predictions of heightened inflows into ETH exchange-traded funds (ETFs). With a change in leadership at the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), asset managers anticipate that the regulator will permit staking within these products. This development could drive ETH's price to new heights as it aims to surpass the significant $4,000 psychological barrier.

Ethereum ETFs could continue their impressive run in 2025

The story keeps improving for Ethereum ETFs as they continue their impressive flows, recording $273.7 million in net inflows on Thursday, per Coinglass data. As a result, the products have stretched their inflow streak to 14 consecutive days.

Notably, BlackRock's iShares Ethereum (ETHA) and Fidelity's Ethereum Fund (FETH) have been responsible for most of the money flowing into ETH ETFs, with cumulative flows of $3.19 billion and $1.37 billion, respectively.

The sustained flows into both products have particularly been responsible for helping the entire ETH ETF category reach total net inflows of $2.24 billion while weathering $3.52 billion in outflows from Grayscale's ETHE.

In a statement at Bloomberg ETF In Depth, Jay Jacobs, US Head of Thematic and Active ETFs at BlackRock, noted that the current inflows in both BTC and ETH ETFs are "just a tip of the iceberg," despite their impressive record. He added that BlackRock will focus on expanding the reach of both products rather than launching new ETFs for other altcoins.

Meanwhile, asset manager VanEck predicted that Ethereum ETFs will include staking in 2025. Prior to launch, issuers amended their filings to remove the capacity for staking after allegedly receiving signals that the SEC wasn't comfortable with the feature.

However, with Paul Atkins nominated as the upcoming SEC Chair, the agency may change its stance on staking within ETH ETFs. According to European cryptocurrency provider Bitcoin Suisse, such changes could spark a new wave of inflows into the products and catapult them above Bitcoin ETFs.

Ethereum Price Forecast: ETH needs to maintain move above symmetry triangle to overcome $4,000 resistance

Ethereum saw $24.75 million in liquidations in the past 24 hours, with liquidated long and short positions accounting for $13.98 million and $10.77 million, respectively, per Coinglass data.

The leading altcoin is trading above the upper boundary of a symmetry triangle pattern after posting a long-tailed candle that bounced off the support level near $3,550. The candle shows bears couldn't keep prices down after ETH saw a sharp decline earlier in the week.

ETH/USDT weekly chart

If the upper boundary of the symmetry triangle proves to be a good support level, it could help ETH overcome the resistance near $4,000 to $4,100 — a critical level that has proven to be a major selling zone among traders.

A breakout above this level could send ETH to test its all-time high resistance at $4,868.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is above its neutral level, indicating dominant bullish sentiment. 

Meanwhile, the Stochastic Oscillator is in its oversold region, indicating ETH could see a correction.

A weekly candlestick close below $3,550 will invalidate the thesis.