Ethereum (ETH) Price Could Rise Despite Being Stuck at the Same Level for Now

The latest Ethereum network data shows promising signs that the price could go up despite being stuck at the same level for now.

The latest Ethereum network data shows promising signs that the price could go up despite being stuck at the same level for now. Ethereum USD leverage is growing quickly on every major trading platform.

The chart shows that since mid-2022, the leverage ratio kept rising and reached its highest point of 0.612 in January.

Traders are showing more confidence in Ethereum’s future by using more borrowed money to make larger trades, hoping prices will go up.

The growing leverage ratio matched Ethereum’s price trend, with the cryptocurrency increasing from $2,500 before July to $3,200 by January.

When traders didn’t reduce their leverage during a price standstill in late December, they bet on Ethereum USD prices to jump upward rather than decline.

When people take on more leverage (borrowed money to invest), the market becomes more unstable, and prices could soon move.

The ongoing increase in leverage proves traders are optimistic while relying more heavily on derivatives to enlarge their investment positions.

Increased Open Positions Suggest Investor Confidence in Ethereum’s Potential Rally

Besides the leverage ratio, Ethereum’s growing open interest shows more investors are participating. Ethereum contracts jumped from roughly $8 Billion in August 2024 to over $19.5 Billion in January 2025.

The huge growth in Ethereum futures markets shows that traders are becoming more active by making bets about where prices will go.

Combining the growing open interest with leverage data shows stronger evidence for a price increase. A growing number of trading contracts, shown by higher open interest, means market participants have regained trust in trading.

Ethereum’s price hasn’t moved beyond its current trading range of $3,200 to $3,400 for weeks. The gap between growing open interest and steady prices suggests that traders are preparing for a big market shift while markets gather more funds.

When open interest grew fast in the past, but prices stayed still, we saw big price changes coming soon after. Participants in Ethereum’s market are maintaining their investments, anticipating a decisive event that would confirm if their guess was correct.

The current high open interest means small market movements might be pushed to larger price changes.

The breakdown of the open interest numbers tells us as much as the total amount itself. Professional investors and institutions are moving in, making up most of the growth, which we can see from the rise of regulated exchanges in the market.

On-Chain Signals Point to Possible Ethereum USD Price Recovery in the Near Term

How funding rates behave in Ethereum’s network gives more clues about where market participants stand. From late 2022 to January 2025, funding rates stayed mostly positive, showing that buyers of rising positions were paying extra to borrow from those selling short.

Despite the current price stability, traders clearly prefer buying now in hopes of future price gains.

In mid-November, funding rates hit important high levels while Ethereum’s price was close to $4,000. Although Ethereum’s market price has fallen, the lasting positive funding rates prove that market participants still have confidence in higher future prices.

Traders are willing to pay extra fees to keep their buy positions open because they strongly believe Bitcoin’s price will rise.

However, long stretches of good funding can create market problems when traders stay too positive and prices suddenly drop.

Further data from the blockchain strengthens the case for price recovery. Even though Ethereum’s price hasn’t changed much, people continue making many network transactions.

More active accounts on the platform tell us people are staying engaged, which tells us what price direction might come next.