Ethereum’s price has been nearing the much-anticipated $4,000 mark, yet the rally seems to have hit a temporary halt.
Although the market has shown signs of saturation, Ethereum is far from finished with its upward movement. The recent consolidation is likely a short-term pause before another leg up.
Ethereum Is Showing Signs Of A Rally
Ethereum’s trading volume is sharply increasing, a signal that retail investors are showing renewed interest. While Ethereum’s price ratio to Bitcoin dropped by nearly 6% this week, the surge in trading volume mirrors a pattern seen in May earlier this year. Such a spike often precedes a local top, but this time it may be different.
Should both trading and social volume decrease for the rest of the week, this could indicate that the market is preparing for another bullish surge. The impatience and profit-taking behavior from retail investors may set the stage for the next upward wave.
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Looking at broader technical indicators, the NUPL (Net Unrealized Profit/Loss) suggests that Ethereum is poised for a significant rally. The NUPL indicator, when reaching a threshold of 0.5, historically has signaled a pause in the uptrend, followed by a sharp rally.
Ethereum is currently nearing this threshold, which, in the past, has marked the beginning of powerful upward price action. As the NUPL indicator continues to rise, it provides a strong historical precedent for Ethereum’s next price rally.
Ethereum is currently trading at $3,666, just 9% away from the critical $4,000 resistance that many investors have been waiting for over the past seven months. The altcoin is expected to continue its upward momentum despite the recent consolidation, with the potential to breach the $4,000 mark soon.
The continuation of the bullish trend is supported by strong market sentiment and technical indicators. As long as Ethereum remains above its key support levels, the price is likely to surge toward $4,000.
If Ethereum can maintain its momentum, a breach of $4,000 could act as a catalyst for further gains.
However, should unforeseen selling pressure arise, Ethereum’s price could slip below the $3,530 support level. In such a scenario, Ethereum may fall to $3,131, invalidating the current bullish outlook. The key will be maintaining support and capitalizing on the retail-driven surge.
HBAR has experienced considerable volatility over the past month, struggling to recover recent losses and break the month-and-a-half-long downtrend.
Despite these challenges, the altcoin remains in a critical position as traders remain optimistic about its potential breakout. However, a failure to break key resistance levels could lead to further price declines.
HBAR Traders Are Bullish
Throughout this month, traders have shown strong bullish sentiment toward HBAR. The funding rate has remained positive consistently, indicating a dominance of long contracts in the market.
This suggests that traders are confident about a potential price recovery and are positioning themselves to capitalize on a rise in value. The consistent optimism reflects a belief that HBAR can rebound from its current downtrend.
Also, the positive funding rate shows that more investors are willing to place bets on the future of altcoin despite the ongoing challenges.
The macro momentum for HBAR reveals that short traders could face substantial losses if the price rises. The liquidation map indicates that approximately $38 million worth of short contracts could be liquidated if HBAR breaks its current downtrend and rises to $0.163.
This would have a significant impact on the market, potentially fueling further buying momentum.
Short traders have been betting on continued price declines, but a breakout above key resistance levels could force them to exit their positions. This would create additional buying pressure, supporting the potential for a larger upward move.
At the time of writing, HBAR is trading at $0.148, just under the critical resistance level of $0.154. The altcoin is looking to breach this resistance and break the downtrend line that has been holding it back.
A successful push past this level would be a key milestone in HBAR’s recovery.
The factors supporting a potential breakout indicate that HBAR could rise to $0.163 if it manages to flip $0.154 into support. Reaching this level could trigger the liquidation of short positions, further driving the price up.
This could help HBAR gain momentum and recover from its recent downtrend.
However, if the broader market turns bearish, HBAR’s price could fall to $0.139. Losing this support would be a bearish signal, potentially driving the price further down to $0.133.
Such a decline would invalidate the bullish thesis and shift the market outlook back toward the bears.
Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee as we discuss the growing influence of stablecoin issuers in the US Treasury market. With growing institutional adoption and regulatory legitimization of US dollar-pegged stablecoins, experts warn of artificial inflation of demand for the dollar.
Crypto News of the Day: Using Government Debt Instruments To Back Digital Dollars is Risky, Keiser Warns
The influence of stablecoin issuers in the US is growing, so much that Tether, which already issues the USDT stablecoin, plans to launch a US-only stablecoin by 2025. Tether aims to position stablecoins as strategic financial tools under the Trump administration.
Stablecoin supply by issuer in billions of US dollars. Source: Bain & Company
This chart shows Tether’s dominance in the stablecoin market, with overall supply going from $2 billion to more than $200 billion in recent years.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury projects stablecoins could reach a $2 trillion market by 2028, which could attract more players.
Nevertheless, as stablecoin influence in the Treasury market grows, the House Financial Services Committee is concerned.
Perhaps, however, the greater concern is stablecoin issuers’ using Treasury yields to buy Bitcoin. According to experts, this could undermine US government reserves.
A recent US Crypto News publication indicated reports of stablecoin issuers using Treasury yields to buy Bitcoin. Some say this could undermine initiatives like the proposed US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which aims to bolster national holdings of the pioneer crypto.
Growing Influence of Stablecoin Issuers in US Treasuries Market is Concerning, Max Keiser Says
Among them is Bitcoin pioneer Max Keiser, who voiced concerns over the growing influence of stablecoin issuers in the US Treasury market. Keiser warns that their use of government debt instruments to back digital dollars may have broader implications for the global financial system.
As of Q1 2025, Tether reported holding nearly $120 billion in short-term US Treasury securities and reverse repos. This makes it one of the largest non-sovereign holders of American government debt.
Meanwhile, Circle, issuer of USDC, disclosed more than $22 billion in Treasury bills in a February 2025 attestation.
These holdings collateralize dollar-pegged stablecoins, helping issuers maintain liquidity and trust. The issuers benefit from the interest income generated by the bonds.
While this practice is common and legal, Keiser contends it contributes to deeper systemic issues tied to fiat currency dynamics.
“This is exactly why the stablecoin issuers are buying Bitcoin, this is called a speculative attack on the US dollar. Feeding the debt spiral with fiat stablecoins, buying treasury bills, and then investing the interest into Bitcoin, allowing the stablecoin issuers to buy billions in Bitcoin for free,” Keiser told BeInCrypto.
Stablecoin issuers purchase US debt on secondary markets and earn interest, which they may or may not deploy into digital assets like Bitcoin. Keiser is critical of the broader financial architecture underpinning stablecoins.
“Issuing new stablecoins backed by US T-bills printed out of thin air is not a monetary system, but a financial hologram,” he said.
US Treasury bills are debt instruments issued by the federal government and sold to investors, including private companies like Tether and Circle, through regulated markets. These stablecoin issuers tokenize existing fiat currency held in reserve.
Keiser elaborated on what he sees as the long-term consequences of this model.
“It’s a speculative attack by private banks. It is financial repression, pushing rates down as ‘malinvestments’ increase. It is rinse and repeat,” he explained.
His critique also extends to the broader outlook for the US dollar, which, according to the Bitcoin pioneer, “is a quick, deadly fix; a USD hospice. Cue the final death throes of the US dollar.”
BeInCrypto has contacted Circle and Tether for comment and will update this article if they respond.
Max Keiser Proposes AI To Invent Novel Security Structures
Keiser also highlighted what he views as an emerging trend. He said high-profile investors and technologists use artificial intelligence (AI) and novel corporate strategies to increase Bitcoin exposure.
The Bitcoin maxi referenced Strategy Executive Chair Michael Saylor and investor-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy.
“Financial engineers like Michael Saylor and Vivek Ramaswamy are using AI to invent novel security structures to maximize the Bitcoin Treasury model. Vivek Ramaswamy plans to take his company, Strive Asset Management, public by merging with Asset Entities and starting to accumulate Bitcoin using the model that Saylor’s Strategy has already successfully adopted — using proceeds from stock and debt issuance,” Keiser remarked.
Though no confirmed public filings detailing Ramaswamy’s use of AI in this context, Keiser sees these developments as significant.
“The results are redefining finance globally and adding significantly to the Bitcoin demand. OG’s like myself, who have watched Bitcoin outperform everything for 15 years, are seeing, for the first time, investment strategies that are outperforming Bitcoin, and the implications are profound,” he said
Keiser believes such strategies could push Bitcoin’s market value even higher. He also implied that the extraordinary compounding rates of the past could be extended. This sentiment comes as Bitcoin captures more of the total addressable market and scales even higher price points.
The views expressed are those of Max Keiser and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BeInCrypto.
Chart of the Day
International holdings of US Treasuries in billions of dollars. Source: Bain & Company
This chart shows that stablecoins have become a large holder in US treasuries.
Byte-Sized Alpha
Here’s a summary of more US crypto news to follow today: