CryptoQuant’s Realized Ethereum price by accumulating addresses is flashing a buy signal that foreshadows a massive bull rally for ETH if history rhymes. The last time this on-chain metric flashed this exact buy signal was in 2020, which led to a massive uptrend to new highs. Will history rhyme?
Ethereum Price Buy Signal Forecasts Massive Uptrend for ETH
As of Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Ethereum price trades around $1,900, down 47% from its yearly open. This bearish performance could come to an end soon as CryptoQuant data shows a buy signal for ETH.
The Realized Ethereum price by accumulating addresses indicator has slipped below the realized price, indicating that the holders are in loss. The last time this indicator flashed a buy signal was in March 2020, which was followed by a 5,560% rally to a new all-time high (ATH) of $4,868 in roughly the next two years.
Realized Ethereum Price by Accumulating Addresses
Ethereum Fundamentals Support A Massive Bull Rally for ETH Price
Although the Ethereum price performance for the past two years has been poor, time will tell if history will repeat or rhyme. Regardless, the ongoing crypto market consolidation is likely marking an end to the meme coin-based rally. The next phase of the bull run will most likely be driven by utility rather than vanity or hype.
If this is the case, then Ethereum is positioned as the best cryptocurrency, especially with the spot ETF already approved. Moreover, institutions are also going to flock to the Real-World Asset (RWA) or tokenization sector. Since RWA or tokenization sector is concentrated on Ethereum, it will likely enjoy a monopoly and the capital inflow is likely going to propel ETH’s value to new highs, potentially surpassing $5,000.
As noted in the previous CoinGape article, the key Ethereum price levels include $2,100. $2,200, $2,602 and $2,768.
If ETH price manages to produce a daily candlestick close above $3,000, it will signal the persistence of buying pressure and likely catalyze an extension of the uptrend to $4,000 and the current ATH at $4,868.
In a highly bullish case, Ethereum could also attempt a retest of the $5,000 psychological level.
After several days of price declined followed by sideways price movement, the crypto market has again turned in bulls’ favor. Like most crypto, Shiba Inu (SHIB) price is also benefiting from it. To be precise, the meme coin’s value pumped by more than 4% in just the last 24 hours.
Following this promising surge, SHIB’s value is standing at $0.00001258 with a market capitalization of over $7.41 billion, making it the 16th largest crypto. In fact, things can get even better, as an analyst suggested that the chances of SHIB’s price skyrocketing are high—a sign of an upcoming bull run.
Shiba Inu Price Analysis—A Bull Rally Soon?
As Shiba Inu price gains momentum, several analysts are prediction SHIB’s surge to the moon. One of them is a popular crypto analyst $SHIB KNIGHT. The analyst recently posted a tweet on X mentioning that ill make history again. It is one of the hottest token on the market. The tweet also mentioned that the analyst is waiting for the accumulation phase to end, which will be followed by a massive boom.
$SHIB will make history again. It is one of the hottest token on the market.
However, other datasets revealed not much buying activity was taking place around SHIB. This was evident from the closely knit supply on exchanges and supply outside exchanges charts.
Source: Santiment
Additionally, after a sharp spike, SHIB’s weighted sentiment also entered the negative zone—a sign of declining bullish sentiment. Hyblock Capital’s data further established the fact that investors were not buying SHIB, one of the top meme coins.
Analysis revealed that SHIB’s sell volume touched 86 in the last few days. For starters, a number closer to 100 means that selling pressure is high. This can negatively affect Shiba Inu price action as it suggested that there are chances of SHIB’s ongoing price uptrend to end soon.
Source: Hyblock Capital
What Lies Ahead For SHIB
Since there are mixed signals in the market, we then took a closer look at Shiba Inu price chart to better understand whether the meme coin is ready for a bull run. Mentioning Shiba Inu price prediction, in order for the meme coin to sustain its bull rally, it must first go above the $0.00001514 resistance level. A breakout above that will allow SHIB price to reclaim its January 2025 high.
Source: TradingView
Conclusion
Shiba Inu price analysis shows promising short-term momentum, but mixed market signals suggest caution. A breakout above key resistance could confirm a bull run, making it crucial for investors to closely monitor SHIB’s next moves.
Ethereum reached a notable milestone earlier this month when the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved options trading for several spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The move is expected to increase liquidity, attract interest from institutional investors, and solidify Ethereum’s position as a major cryptocurrency.
Yet Ethereum’s smaller market cap relative to Bitcoin means it is also vulnerable to gamma squeezes, thereby increasing investor risks. BeInCrypto consulted an expert in derivatives trading and representatives from FalconX, BingX, Komodo Platform, and Gravity to analyze the potential impact of this new characteristic.
This week marked the official debut of options trading for spot Ethereum ETFs in the United States. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) was the first to list options, with trading commencing on the Nasdaq ISE.
Shortly after, a broader availability of options followed, including those for the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) and the Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH), as well as the Bitwise Ethereum ETF (ETHW), all of which began trading on the Cboe BZX exchange.
This move allows a wider range of investors, beyond crypto traders, to benefit from hedging and speculation opportunities on Ethereum’s price through options on familiar investment vehicles like ETFs without direct ownership.
The timing of this news is particularly positive, as Ethereum has been losing some ground in the market lately.
Options Trading to Bolster Ethereum’s Market Position
A significant decline in market confidence surrounded Ethereum this week, with BeInCrypto reporting its price had plummeted to its lowest point since March 2023. This drop coincided with a broader market downturn, worsened by Donald Trump’s Liberation Day.
Meanwhile, large Ethereum holders are increasingly selling off substantial amounts, putting downward pressure on their prices. Ethereum’s value has fallen sharply by 51.3% since the beginning of 2025, and investor confidence has waned, as evidenced by a decrease in addresses holding at least $1 million in ETH.
Holders with at least $1 million worth of ETH. Source: Glassnode.
With options trading now accessible to more traders, experts anticipate that Ethereum’s market position will improve.
“ETH’s been leaking dominance, stuck sub-17%. Options give it institutional gravity. It becomes more programmable for fund strategies. More tools mean more use cases, which then in turn means more capital sticking around,” Martins Benkitis, CEO and Co-Founder of Gravity Team, predicted.
This newfound accessibility of options trading will create additional opportunities for investors and the broader Ethereum ecosystem.
Greater Investor Access and Liquidity
The SEC’s approval of Ethereum ETFs in July 2024 was significant because it allowed traditional investors to enter the crypto market without directly holding the assets. Now, with options trading also available, these benefits are expected to be even greater.
The Ethereum ETF market will naturally become more liquid with increased participation through options trading.
High Trading Volumes and Hedging Demands
The SEC’s fresh approval of options trading for Ethereum ETF investors suggests that the market will likely initially experience a high trading volume. As a result, market makers must be prepared.
An increase in call options will require institutional market makers to hedge by buying more Ethereum to meet demand.
Ethereum will also secure a unique advantage, particularly in institutional trading, enhancing its perceived quality and driving optimism among key market participants.
“ETH just got a serious institutional tailwind. With options now in play, Ether is stepping closer to BTC in terms of tradable instruments. This levels up ETH’s legitimacy and utility in hedging strategies, narrowing the gap on Bitcoin’s dominance narrative,” Benkitis told BeInCrypto.
Yet, rapid surges in options trading could also have unintended consequences on Ethereum’s price, especially in the short run.
Will Investors Suffer a Gamma Squeeze?
As market makers rush to acquire more of the underlying asset in case of a higher volume of options calls, Ethereum’s price will naturally increase. This situation could lead to a pronounced gamma squeeze.
When market makers hedge their positions in this scenario, the resulting buying pressure would create a positive feedback loop. Retail investors will feel more inclined to join in, hoping to profit from Ethereum’s rising price.
The implications of this scenario are especially pronounced for Ethereum, considering its market capitalization is notably smaller than that of Bitcoin.
Retail traders’ aggressive buying of ETHA call options could compel market makers to hedge by acquiring the underlying ETHA shares, potentially leading to a more pronounced effect on the price of ETHA and, by extension, Ethereum.
“We believe option sellers will generally dominate in the long-run but in short bursts we could see retail momentum traders become massive buyers of ETHA calls and create gamma squeeze effects, similar to what we’ve seen on meme coin stocks like GME. ETH will be easier to squeeze than BTC given it is only $190 billion market cap vs BTC’s $1.65 trillion,” Joshua Lim, Global Co-head of Markets at FalconX, told BeInCrypto.
Arbitrage involves exploiting price differences for the same or nearly identical assets across different markets or forms. This is done by buying in the cheaper market and selling in the more expensive one.
According to Grant, traders will increasingly look for and exploit these price differences as the market for ETH options on different platforms develops.
While arbitrage activity is expected to refine pricing and liquidity within the Ethereum options market, the asset continues to operate under the shadow of Bitcoin’s established market leadership.
Will Landmark Options Approval Help Ethereum Close the Gap on Bitcoin?
Though Ethereum achieved a major landmark this week, it faces competition from a major rival: Bitcoin.
In late fall of 2024, options trading started on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), becoming the first US spot Bitcoin ETF to offer options. Though not even a year has passed since the original launch, options trading on Bitcoin ETFs experienced strong trading volumes from retail and institutional investors.
According to Kadan Stadelmann, Chief Technology Officer of Komodo Platform, options trading for Ethereum ETFs will be comparatively underwhelming. Bitcoin will still be the cryptocurrency of choice for investors.
“Compared to Bitcoin’s Spot ETF, Ethereum’s ETF has not seen such stalwart demand. While options trading adds institutional capital, Bitcoin remains crypto’s first mover and enjoys a greater overall market cap. It is not going anywhere. It will remain the dominant crypto asset for institutional portfolios,” Stadelmann told BeInCrypto.
Consequently, his outlook does not include Ethereum’s market position surpassing Bitcoin’s in the immediate term.
“The once-promised flippening of Bitcoin’s market capitalization by Ethereum remains unlikely. Conservative and more-monied investors likely prefer Bitcoin due to its perceived safety compared to other crypto assets, including Ethereum. Ethereum, in order to achieve Bitcoin’s prominence, must depend on growing utility in DeFi and stablecoin markets,” he concluded.
While that may be the case, options trading doesn’t harm Ethereum’s prospects; it only strengthens them.
Can Ethereum’s Options Trading Era Capitalize on Opportunities?
Ethereum is now the second cryptocurrency with SEC approval for options trading on its ETFs. This single move will further legitimize digital assets for institutions, increasing their presence in traditional markets and boosting overall visibility.
Despite recent significant blows to Ethereum’s market position, this news is a positive development. Although it might not be sufficient to surpass its primary competitor, it represents a step in the right direction.
As investors get used to this new opportunity, their participation level will reveal how beneficial it will be for Ethereum.
The recent depeg incident involving sUSD from Synthetix has highlighted that this sector remains fraught with risks despite the immense potential of algorithmic stablecoins.
The sUSD incident is not the first to expose the vulnerabilities of algorithmic stablecoins. From technical challenges and regulatory pressures to dwindling community trust, projects in this space must navigate numerous obstacles to survive and thrive.
The Landscape of the Algorithmic Stablecoin Market
Algorithmic stablecoins, which maintain their value without direct asset backing, were once hailed as a breakthrough in decentralized finance (DeFi). However, according to CoinMarketCap data from April 2025, the total stablecoin market capitalization stands at $234 billion, while algorithmic stablecoins account for about $458 million, equivalent to just 0.2%.
This stark disparity reflects the reality that algorithmic stablecoins have yet to gain widespread trust from the community. High-profile failures like the collapse of UST/LUNA in 2022, coupled with regulatory uncertainties such as the EU’s MiCA framework, have fueled skepticism.
More recently, the depeg of Synthetix’s sUSD is a typical example of this model’s inherent risks.
A Deep Dive into Synthetix’s sUSD Depeg
Synthetix is a well-known DeFi protocol celebrated for its synthetic asset system. Within this ecosystem, sUSD is an algorithmic stablecoin designed to peg its value at 1 USD, backed by the SNX token and price data from Chainlink.
However, sUSD has faced significant challenges with a prolonged depeg recently. At the time of BeInCrypto’s report, sUSD was trading at 0.77 USD, which has persisted since late March 2025. The primary cause was a major liquidity provider withdrawing from the sBTC/wBTC pool on Curve, which triggered intense selling pressure on sUSD. This forced users to convert other synthetic assets like sETH or sBTC into sUSD, exacerbating the price decline.
On April 21, 2025, Kain Warwick, the founder of Synthetix, announced on X that the team had implemented an sUSD staking mechanism to address the issue. However, he noted that the mechanism remains manual and lacks a fully functional user interface (UI), which is expected to launch in a few days.
“Update on the sUSD depeg. We have implemented an sUSD staking mechanism but it’s very manual until the UI goes live in a few days. Here was my hot take from discord though,” shared Kain Warwick, founder of Synthetix.
Warwick further stated that if the incentive mechanism (carrot) proves ineffective, Synthetix would adopt stricter measures (stick) to compel stakers in the 420 pool to participate more actively. He emphasized that, with the collective net worth of SNX stakers reaching billions of USD, Synthetix has the financial resources to stabilize sUSD and resume development of derivative products on Layer 1.
No Successfully Algorithmic Stablecoin Project
Before the sUSD depeg incident, the market witnessed the dramatic collapse of UST/LUNA in 2022. UST, Terra’s algorithmic stablecoin, suffered a severe depeg, dragging LUNA’s value down from $120 to near zero. This event caused billions of USD in losses and significantly eroded trust in the algorithmic stablecoin model.
More recently, the ‘Godfather of DeFi’, Andre Cronje, behind Sonic (formerly Fantom), also shifted direction. Sonic initially developed a USD-based algorithmic stablecoin but later pivoted to a stablecoin pegged to the UAE dirham.
“Pretty sure our team cracked algo stable coins today, but previous cycle gave me so much PTSD not sure if we should implement,” Cronje stated.
Beyond technical risks, algorithmic stablecoins face mounting regulatory pressures. The EU’s MiCA regulation, effective since June 2024, imposes strict standards on stablecoin issuers to ensure consumer protection and financial stability. Under MiCA, algorithmic stablecoins are classified as ART (Asset-Referenced Token) or EMT (E-Money Token), requiring projects to meet complex compliance demands.
This intensifies the pressure on developers, especially as other jurisdictions also tighten crypto regulations.
These examples show the vulnerability of algorithmic stablecoins to liquidity shocks and market sentiment, particularly due to their lack of direct asset backing.
The Potential of Algorithmic Stablecoins
Despite the challenges, algorithmic stablecoins still hold developmental potential. A March 2025 post on X by CampbellJAustin suggested that a next-generation decentralized algorithmic stablecoin is feasible if lessons are learned from past failures.
“I actually think a next-gen decentralized algorithmic stablecoin is possible. I also think it will not be done correctly by the crypto community because the primary constraints are economic and risk management, not technological,” CampbellJAustin shared.
However, projects must focus on building more price stability mechanisms, combining algorithms with liquidity safeguards to succeed. Additionally, they should prepare for regulatory requirements, particularly in regions with stringent rules like the EU. Transparency in operations, regular audits, and clear communication with users are crucial to rebuilding community trust.
By addressing these factors, projects in this space can seize the opportunity to regain confidence and drive innovation.