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Ethereum moved back above the $3,000 level after holding support near $2,850, extending a recovery that followed Bitcoin’s rebound. The price remained firm in consolidation, with trading continuing above the 100-hour simple moving average. Attention stayed split between short-term price levels and a protocol proposal resurfacing on Ethereum’s long-term roadmap.
The move higher followed a push through resistance at $2,900 and $2,920. From there, Ether cleared the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement drawn from the $3,065 high to the $2,784 low. Buyers later drove the price past $3,000, where it topped out near $3,030.
Since then, the market has paused rather than reversed. Price action has stayed above the 23.6% retracement of the move from $2,784 to $3,030. Trading remained steady as volatility narrowed during the consolidation phase.
Ethereum continues to trade above $2,980, holding above its 100-hour moving average. On the hourly chart, a rising trend line has formed, with support near $2,970. That level has remained intact during pullbacks.
Resistance remains nearby. The first test sits near $3,030. Beyond that, $3,050 marks the next area traders continue to watch. The $3,065 level follows, aligning with the prior swing high.
A break above $3,065 could open the door to $3,120. If momentum builds further, price action could extend toward $3,180 or even $3,200. These zones sit within previously traded ranges.
On the downside, support appears near $2,970, followed by $2,950. A move below $2,950 could send Ether toward $2,880. Further losses may bring $2,825 into view. The broader support level remains near $2,780.
Away from price charts, Ethereum developers revisited a proposal tied to censorship resistance. The mechanism, known as Fork Choice-enforced Inclusion Lists, or FOCIL, would change how transactions enter blocks.
FOCIL allows validators to force the inclusion of operations on the ledger. The goal is to reduce the influence of block builders and relays that can delay or ignore transactions. The proposal targets risks linked to off-chain coordination.
The researchers who worked on the proposal found that the existing protocol does not provide protection against transaction filtering. The current system allows builders to censor transactions despite their rare use of this power because no protective measures exist to stop them.
The proposal solves the problem of centralisation, which is from MEV extraction. Developers believe that technical enforcement methods provide better security than depending on user behaviour to protect systems.
FOCIL had previously been reviewed for inclusion in the Glamsterdam hard fork. That effort was later delayed. The proposal now appears tied to the Hegota upgrade, which remains scheduled on Ethereum’s roadmap for 2026.
The current design does not support BLOB transactions or private MEV transfers. Developers have acknowledged that additional technical work remains before full implementation.
At the same time, network usage has shifted. In January, Ethereum mainnet activity exceeded that of several layer-two networks during a period of low fees. The change reflected increased base-layer usage as transaction costs declined.
Read More: Ethereum vs Polkadot: Which Crypto Has Bigger Potential in 2026?
Ethereum price held above $3,000 after clearing key resistance levels and stabilizing near $2,980. Technical indicators show short-term support holding firm. At the same time, developers advanced the FOCIL proposal toward the 2026 Hegota upgrade, aiming to strengthen censorship resistance and long-term network resilience.
