Ethereum price forecast: ETH eyes $4,300 amid choppy price action

Key takeaways

  • ETH is trading around $4k per coin, down 1.7% in the last 24 hours.
  • The leading altcoin could rally towards $4,300 soon amid choppy price action.

Ethereum Foundation deploys 2,400 ETH and $6M on Morpho

Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has been underperforming over the past 24 hours despite the Ethereum Foundation announcing its DeFi expansion to Morpho.

The Ethereum Foundation announced on Wednesday that it is deploying 2,400 ETH, valued at about $9.3 million, and $6 million worth of stablecoins into the decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Morpho.

The team added that the funds will be deposited into Morpho’s yield-bearing vaults as it looks to expand its recent treasury policy. In its announcement, EF stated that, 

“Morpho is a pioneer in permissionless DeFi protocols and consistently demonstrates a commitment to Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) principles. FLOSS licenses ensure that builders are free to fork and build on existing protocols, making the DeFi ecosystem more resilient and permissionless.”

The Ethereum Foundation is the non-profit that manages research and protocol updates for the Ethereum blockchain. Currently, the foundation holds about $823 million worth of ETH assets in its treasury.

ETH could reclaim $4,300 as price action remains volatile

The ETH/USD 4-hour chart remains bearish and efficient as the price action in recent days has been choppy. The volatile price action resulted in $124.7 million in futures liquidations in Ethereum over the last 24 hours, with another $77.1 million in long liquidations also recorded. 

The momentum indicators are currently weak, but could turn bullish as market sentiment improves. ETH lost the $4,100 support on Wednesday after hitting the $4,300 level on Monday.

ETH/USD 4H Chart

The RSI of 47 is below the neutral 50, indicating that the bears are losing control of the market. The MACD lines are also within the negative zone after flashing a sell signal earlier this week. 

If the bearish trend continues, ETH could drop to the support near $3,470 in the coming hours. However, if the bulls keep ETH’s price above $4k, it could rally towards the $4,300 resistance level. An extended rally would bring the 4H TLQ of $4,513 into focus.

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ZCash price forecast: ZEC eyes $300 as bearish sentiment fades

Key takeaways

  • ZEC has outperformed other cryptocurrencies in the top 30, adding 5% to its value in the last 24 hours.
  • The coin could rally above $300 as bullish momentum returns.

ZEC outperforms the broader crypto market

ZEC, the native coin of the Zcash ecosystem, is the best performer among the top 30 cryptocurrencies by market cap. Up 90% in the last seven days, the coin remains bullish despite the recent market crash.

The privacy-focused coin formed a four-year high of $298 on Saturday, recovering excellently from the crash to $149 recorded during Friday’s market crash. However, it has dipped since then and is currently trading at $249 per coin.

The Open Interest (OI), which has been on a decline over the past three days, is now recovering as retail interest in the coin resumes. ZEC could target the $300 psychological mark over the next few hours or days as the bulls regain full momentum of the market.

ZEC eyes the $300 psychological mark amid bullish momentum

The ZEC/USD 4-hour chart is bullish and efficient as the coin has added 5% to its value in the last 24 hours. It has closed above the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level of $235 and could be set to rally higher in the near term. 

The technical indicators on the 4-hour chart remain bullish, suggesting that ZEC could rally higher in the near term. The RSI of 52 shows that ZEC is still not within the overbought region, indicating further room for growth. The MACD lines also flashed a buy signal following the recent dip. 

ZEC/USD 4H Chart

By closing above the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level at $235, ZEC could bounce back to challenge the $300 resistance level over the next few hours. An extended rally would allow the coin to hit $320 for the first time since May 2021. 

However, a bearish close below the $235 level over the next few hours could see the bears take the price to the $200 region. An extended bearish run would see ZEC threaten the next major support level at $193.

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SOL dips below $200 as US-China trade tension escalates

SOL, the native coin of the Solana blockchain, has underperformed in recent days as the trade tension between the United States and China escalates. The coin has dropped below the $200 mark, with market volatility still in display.

SOL dips below $200 as US-China trade tension triggers risk-off sentiment

Solana’s SOL has lost 1% of its value in the last 24 hours and is now trading at $195 per coin. The performance comes as the trade disputes between the US and China triggered uncertainty and a risk-off sentiment in the cryptocurrency market.

The Chinese government announced that its levies are designed to safeguard the country’s shipping industry from “discriminatory” measures. It will also ensure that the levies are applied to US-owned, operated, built, or flagged vessels but not to Chinese-built ships.

This comes in retaliation for US fees on Chinese ships, with the U.S. government claiming that it is in support of American shipping companies. 

The Fed Chair is also expected to speak later today. Traders will focus on Powell’s speech to gain insights into the upcoming monetary policy meeting. However, it remains unclear whether the Fed will cut interest rates later this month, with no major economic data release in recent weeks thanks to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.

SOL could dip lower amid a bearish market trend

The SOL/USD 4-hour chart is bearish and efficient as Solana has underperformed in recent weeks. The coin tanked by nearly 20% over the weekend, retesting $170 level for the first time in weeks. 

However, it rallied on Monday to hit the $213 mark but failed to build on the momentum. It has now declined below $200 and could dip lower in the near term. 

SOL/USD 4H Chart

If Solana continues its correction and dips below the daily support at $192.74, it could extend the decline towards the weekend low of $171. The RSI of 48 means that bears remain in control. The MACD lines also remain within the bearish region, suggesting a further downward trend in the near term. 

However, if the bulls regain control, SOL could retest the $213 high of Monday before rallying towards the $221 TLQ and resistance level at $221 over the next few hours or days.

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BTC price forecast: Bitcoin stays below $112k ahead of Powell speech

TL;DR

  • BTC is down 3% in the last 24 hours and trading around $111,200 per coin.
  • The negative performance comes amid the ongoing U.S.-China tariff war and Powell’s speech later today.

BTC dips to $111k

Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency by market cap, is down 3% in the last 24 hours and is now trading around $111,200 per coin. The bearish performance comes amid rising US-China trade conflict, with traders expecting further volatility in the market.

In addition to that, the spot Bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) recorded an outflow of over $320 million on Monday, indicating that investors are taking a cautious approach to the market. 

Fed chair Jerome Powell is set to speak later today, with market participants focusing their attention on the event, which could spark fresh volatility across risk assets, such as Bitcoin.

Investors will be looking for fresh hints on the possibility of an interest rate cut later this month. However, with the ongoing US government shutdown limiting new economic data releases, Powell might offer little information on the upcoming FOMC meeting. 

Finally, on-chain data reveals that the wallet, referred to as BitcoinOG, which shorted BTC right before Friday’s dump last week, has increased its open short position earlier today. This latest development brings the total short position to over 4,394 BTC. 

Two other whales with significant profits on Hyperliquid have also opened large short positions in the market as they expect a further dump in the near term. 

BTC remains bearish as traders adopt a cautious approach

The BTC/USD 4-hour chart is bearish and inefficient as Bitcoin has underperformed over the last 24 hours. BTC slightly recovered on Monday, hitting the $115k mark following Friday’s sharp decline. 

However, it has failed to maintain the momentum and is now trading at $111,200 per coin. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reads 42 on the 4H chart, which is below its neutral level of 50. The RSI indicates momentum is gaining traction. Furthermore, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) showed a bearish crossover on Friday, remains bearish, suggesting further selling pressure. 

BTC/USD 4H Chart

If the BTC correction continues, the coin could dip lower towards the next major support level at $107,245. However, if the bulls regain control of the market, they could push the price towards the $115k resistance level once again.

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ASTER price bounces back, but DeFiLlama exit and unlock threaten rally

  • Aster is rebounding after a sharp market crash, regaining key price levels.
  • DeFiLlama delisting, however, sparked trust concerns across the DeFi community.
  • Upcoming token unlock and delayed airdrop also pose new volatility risks.

After suffering one of its steepest crashes to date, the Aster (ASTER) cryptocurrency is once again showing signs of life.

The decentralised exchange token has rebounded more than 13% in the past 24 hours, recovering from a deep selloff that wiped out over half of its market value earlier this month.

The rebound follows a chaotic week in the crypto market that saw more than $20 billion in leveraged positions liquidated — the largest single-day wipeout in digital asset history.

Aster, which had climbed to prominence after rebranding from APX, was hit particularly hard, plunging nearly 52% from its September highs around $2.30 to as low as $1.10.

The crash came after a string of damaging events, including its abrupt removal from DeFiLlama, a $12 million token transfer to Binance, and a delay in its highly anticipated Stage 2 airdrop.

DeFiLlama delisting raises deeper questions

Aster’s removal from DeFiLlama last week was more than a simple data correction. It reignited a broader debate about transparency and trust in decentralised finance (DeFi).

The analytics platform flagged Aster’s reported volumes for suspicious similarities with Binance’s perpetual market data, suggesting the exchange’s activity might not be entirely organic.

For a project that had quickly climbed to the top of the DEX leaderboard, the delisting was a major credibility blow.

The controversy highlighted a deeper issue within DeFi of how much the supposedly trustless system still depends on centralised gatekeepers to define what’s real.

Experts note that roughly a quarter of exchanges still display signs of inflated activity through wash trading or automated self-dealing.

When DeFiLlama pulled Aster’s data, some, like Bolivian, accused the aggregator of acting as a centralised authority.

Others, like Simon Dedic, defended its decision, saying it protected the integrity of market data. The incident served as a reminder that in a world built on transparency, trust remains the weakest link.

Aster airdrop delay and token unlock weigh on outlook

Adding to the uncertainty is Aster’s upcoming Stage 2 airdrop, which the team postponed from October 14 to October 20 after complaints about allocation discrepancies.

The developers have, however, confirmed that 4% of the token supply will soon move from the Airdrop Reserve to the project’s Treasury contract, ready for the unlock.

While the delay has temporarily eased selling pressure, it has also raised concerns about future dilution.

More than half of Aster’s total supply remains designated for upcoming airdrops, and the lack of clear vesting details could spark volatility once tokens enter circulation.

Bulls return, but resistance looms

Despite these challenges, Aster’s price has rebounded sharply, trading around $1.56 after recovering key support at $1.50.

Technical indicators show improving sentiment. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has climbed above the neutral 50 mark, while the MACD has turned positive, suggesting renewed buying pressure.

A clean break above $1.60 could open the path to $1.70 and eventually the psychological $2 level if momentum holds.

On-chain data also supports the bullish turn. Aster’s total value locked (TVL) has risen slightly to $2.16 billion, signalling that liquidity is slowly returning to the protocol.

The rebound in TVL, while modest, suggests users are regaining confidence after last week’s panic.

However, analysts caution that the pattern resembles a “dead cat bounce” common after steep selloffs.

If the bullish pressure fades, the price could retreat toward $1.25 or even $0.97.

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