Ethereum (ETH) reached the mark of US$ 4,500 last Thursday (2), continuing its strong quarterly performance, even in the face of instability in traditional markets. According to data from CoinGecko, the second largest cryptocurrency by market value recorded an appreciation of 1.6% in the last 24 hours.
Although the third quarter is historically seen as one of the most challenging, ETH ended the period with a jump of 74%, according to CoinGlass, accumulating an increase of 34% for the year.
While American stocks and gold are under pressure, the crypto sector shows strength with greater demand for digital assets — a movement intensified by the shutdown of the United States government, which helped drive gains of about 6% and 8% for Bitcoin and Ethereum, respectively.
Favorable winds for Ethereum
A change in trader sentiment is benefiting Ethereum, experts told Decrypt.
According to Habib Rahman, an analyst at Block Scholes, the pessimistic position in the options market in September changed at the beginning of October: "The options that expire in the coming weeks now show greater relative demand for calls than for puts." He warns, however, that this optimism may be temporary, restricted to the short term, as long-term puts still maintain a high premium.
Czhang Lin, head of LBank Labs, also highlighted a positive outlook: "Ethereum looks solid entering the fourth quarter." He noted that October tends to be a strong month for the crypto market and that ETH has remained more resilient than many assets, even with pressure on stocks.
Another factor noted by analysts is whether Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs) — institutional funds that buy cryptocurrencies for their reserves — will resume accumulating Ethereum after a recent pause.
For Ryan Lee from Bitget, this is just a temporary pause: "If these institutional buyers resume their purchases, it will be an important boost, especially considering the increase in the total amount of ETH in staking."
This combination of factors, according to experts, could accelerate the appreciation of Ethereum and strengthen the scenario for a possible breakout resistance in the fourth quarter.
