Gate News reports that after a 6% correction, Ethereum’s price has retested the $2,050 level, with the market remaining cautious about a potential rebound to $2,400. Analysis shows that to break through, Ethereum needs to meet three key conditions: a rebound in decentralized exchange (DEX) activity, renewed confidence from institutional investors, and futures market premiums returning to a reasonable range.
Since early 2026, Ethereum’s price has fallen by 31%, mainly due to declining activity in decentralized applications (DApps) and overall cautious market sentiment. Continued outflows from ETFs and weakening on-chain trading activity have led to softening market demand. Data indicates that since March 18, U.S.-listed Ethereum spot ETFs have experienced a net outflow of approximately $298 million, while weekly average DEX trading volume has only been $9.4 billion—about 50% lower than in the last three months of 2025. These indicators suggest Ethereum lacks sustained upward momentum in the short term.
Additionally, the monthly futures premium for Ethereum is only 2% over the spot market, below the market-neutral range of 4% to 8%, indicating insufficient leverage demand from bulls. Outflows driven by institutional investors and risk-averse sentiment further limit ETH’s short-term rebound potential. Regulatory pressures also add uncertainty, with the U.S. Senate considering restrictions on exchanges holding stablecoin yield payments, and FATF tightening global anti-money laundering regulations.
Nevertheless, large crypto institutions like BitMine, SharpLink, and The Ether Machine have increased their holdings, which could support Ethereum when market confidence recovers. To sustain a rally, ETH needs not only on-chain activity to rebound but also increased institutional demand and futures premiums to return to a healthy range. These three factors will determine whether ETH can break through the $2,400 level.
Overall, Ethereum remains under pressure in the short term, but as DEX trading activity picks up and institutional confidence strengthens, a breakout may become possible. Investors should closely monitor on-chain data and market capital flows.