Ether has struggled to reclaim $2,500 since Jan. 31, but several institutional signals could improve sentiment. According to US Securities and Exchange Commission filings on Monday, Harvard's endowment added a $87 million position in BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Trust as BlackRock updated its Staked Ethereum ETF to retain 18% of rewards with a 0.25% expense ratio. Ethereum also leads a RWA market that has surpassed $20 billion.

Ether is holding near $2,000 after failing to stay above $2,150 since Feb. 5, with sentiment weakened by $242 million in ETF outflows between Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, the U.S. 2‑year Treasury yield fell to 3.42% and ETH options skew reached 10%, underscoring persistent caution among traders.

Bitcoin futures open interest has retreated to $34 billion, the lowest level since November 2024, while BTC price struggles to hold above $72,000. At the same time, weak US labor data and a 22% options skew toward puts highlight growing caution, even as gold and the S&P 500 remain relatively robust.

Ether traded below the $2,000 mark after a drop to $1,745, but renewed inflows into U.S.-listed ETH ETFs and firmer derivatives metrics are supporting a more constructive outlook. Rising decentralized exchange volume and higher DApps revenue on Ethereum suggest network demand is recovering, leaving room for a possible rally toward $2,400.

Bitcoin traded in a narrow range around $69,000 after sliding to $60,130 on Friday, even as its price briefly moved above $72,000 in a 14% rebound. Data shows top traders on Binance and OKX sharply reduced their long-to-short ratios and options desks favored put strategies, while U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $516 million in net inflows over the same period. Derivatives positioning points to rising caution and uncertainty, despite strong spot ETF demand suggesting large holders have not fully turned bearish.

Ether reclaimed the $2,100–$2,150 range after a nine‑day 43% slump that bottomed near $1,750 on Friday. According to laevitas.ch, ETH monthly futures carried a 3% premium on Monday, below the 5% neutral mark, while TradingView data shows ETH has lagged total crypto market cap by 9% in 2026.

Bitcoin rebounded to $71.5K after a steep drawdown, rising 17% from the $60,150 low on Friday, but derivatives gauges show limited confidence among pros. CoinGlass and laevitas.ch data indicate around $1.8 billion in long liquidations over five days, a 2% two-month futures basis and a 20% options skew, pointing to muted leverage demand and elevated fear.

According to Cointelegraph, Bitcoin slipped below $63,000 on Thursday, marking its lowest level since November 2024 after a 30% retreat from a failed $90,500 push on Jan. 28. Deribit pricing shows March 27 $90,000 calls near $522, implying roughly 6% odds of a rebound, while $50,000 puts around $1,380 suggest about a 20% chance of deeper losses.

On Wednesday, Bitcoin fell below $73,000 after failing to hold the prior retest of $79,500, while U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs have logged more than $2.9 billion in cumulative outflows over the last 12 trading sessions. Options data, large futures liquidations and the crypto market’s tight correlation with sliding tech stocks indicate that many traders are cutting exposure and remain unconvinced that the recent low around $72,100 marks a durable bottom.