2026 Ethereum Critical Bottom (I) — Price Action
Smart money builds the bottom and defines the future winner.
The bottom in Ether is not determined solely by price action. More often, it is the result of a combination of factors — technological upgrades, institutional participation, and the broader macro environment working together. This article focuses on Ether’s price action.
Perfect Bottom
On February 11, 2026, Tom Lee stated at Consensus 2026 in Hong Kong: “If Ethereum touches $1,890 again, it will form a perfect bottom.” Regarding Ethereum, he noted that since 2018, Ether has experienced drawdowns exceeding 52% on eight separate occasions, and in every instance, it went on to achieve a V-shaped bottom reversal.
Source: X@SAMALTCOIN_ETH https://x.com/SAMALTCOIN_ETH/status/2021711461970808862
This suggests that the current reversal is far from accidental. Instead, it reflects the underlying strength of the Ethereum network itself.
Historically, each major drawdown has primarily flushed out short-term, weak-handed capital. Meanwhile, Ethereum’s core development has continued to advance steadily. Key roadmap milestones — including the Pectra and Fusaka upgrades planned for 2025, followed by the Glamsterdam and Hegota upgrades in 2026 — remain firmly on track.
At the same time, many mission-critical applications across the ecosystem have yet to migrate meaningfully to alternative chains. As a result, this recovery in price is supported by a highly resilient and fundamentally grounded foundation.
Market Microstructure Signals
Signal 1: Derivatives market sentiment
Ethereum perpetual funding rates have recovered from extremely negative levels to near-neutral or modestly positive territory, suggesting that panic-driven shorts and excessive leverage have been largely unwound — a clear sign of sentiment repair.
Source: Coinglass — https://www.coinglass.com/FundingRate/ETH
Signal 2: Implied volatility in the options market
A continued compression in option pricing suggests that demand for downside protection following the recent sell-off is fading. As illustrated by Binance’s options data below, implied volatility on the right tail remains noticeably lower than on the left, indicating that the market is not aggressively pricing in extreme downside risk.
Source: Binance — https://www.binance.com/en/eoptions-data/ETHUSDT/IV
The current market environment appears to reflect a release of panic rather than a return of euphoria. Historically, successful trades are often initiated when markets are deeply pessimistic — not when optimism has already returned.
Signal 3: On-chain holder behavior
When price revisits a key level, the behavior of long-term holders becomes particularly revealing. If long-term holders maintain highly stable positions — or even continue accumulating — while short-term holders steadily reduce exposure, it suggests that supply is migrating from weak, conviction-light hands to participants with stronger long-term conviction.
A recent report by NEWSBTC highlights this dynamic clearly:
“Long-term Ethereum holders own about 27 million ETH, or roughly 23% of the total supply. These addresses have shown no outflows and have remained active for over seven years. Instead, long-term holders continue to expand positions while the market faces pressure.”, which represents another strong signal of accumulation beneath the surface.
Source: NEWSBTC — https://www.newsbtc.com/ethereum-news/long-term-ethereum-holders-expand-positions-while-market-faces-pressure-rare-signal-emerges/
Technical Structure
From a broader cycle perspective, following the pullback from Ethereum’s 2025 all-time high, price action is beginning to form a more constructive base. Patterns such as consolidation ranges or large symmetrical triangles are starting to emerge. These formations typically require extended periods to develop, as price oscillates repeatedly between key support and resistance levels.
Throughout this process, the market continuously tests both sides of the range, gradually exhausting supply and demand imbalances. Ultimately, price converges toward a relatively reasonable equilibrium zone — one that reflects a more sustainable valuation supported by both structure and participation.
Echo
A so-called “perfect bottom” is not defined by a precise price level.
Instead, a true bottom is formed through the full release of panic-driven positioning, the steady conviction of long-term investors, and a final layer of technical confirmation. Only when these three conditions align can a bottom be considered structurally sound.
The encouraging reality is that the market appears to be moving through this alignment process today.
Smart money builds the bottom and defines the future winner.
2026 Ethereum Critical Bottom (I) — Price Action was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.