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Ethereum sentiment on social media has fallen to levels that echo early 2025, according to Santiment. Santiment analyst Brian Quinlivan said the drop resembles the mood that preceded Ethereum’s last major run. Ether traded near $3,089 at the time of writing, about 36% below its 2025 record.
Quinlivan noted that negative chatter can act as a contrarian signal for ETH price action at extremes. He explained that Ether rallied in 2025 as many traders wrote off Ethereum. Quinlivan shared the view in a Santiment YouTube video published Saturday.
Quinlivan pointed to Ethereum’s prior cycle as a reference point for today’s tone. He said Ethereum looked “way down,” and he argued that sentiment makes a deeper slide less likely. He framed the signal as a measure of crowd fatigue, not a short-term trade call.
Ether reached a peak near $4,900 in August 2025, after rebounding from lows of around $1,470 in April. CoinGecko data tracked that recovery. Quinlivan mentioned the market turned higher as pessimism peaked.
Quinlivan said investors now treat Ethereum as the expected No. 2 asset by market value. He informed the market no longer doubts Ethereum’s role, the way it did early in 2025. Coinbase Asset Management president Anthony Bassili also told Cointelegraph that many investors build portfolios with Bitcoin first, then Ethereum.
Ether’s pullback followed a sharp market shock in October. According to data, traders liquidated more than $19 billion in leveraged crypto positions during the October 10 - October 11 selloff. The same event pushed risk appetite lower across major tokens.
Broader crypto market sentiment has stayed weak since November. The Fear and Greed Index posted a ‘Fear’ reading of 29 on Sunday, based on the index data. The Altcoin Season Index showed ‘Bitcoin Season’ at 34 out of 100. The reading implied that Bitcoin outperformed most large-cap altcoins.
Quinlivan said Ethereum network growth has accelerated, and he linked that activity to rising interest in staking. He explained that staking has become a frequent topic across social channels. He further added that Santiment tracked discussion around staking yields and validator participation, even as Ether traded below its 2025 peak.
Market participants have also started to price higher ETH outcomes for 2026. On Polymarket, traders priced a 41% chance that Ether reaches $5,000 in 2026. They priced a 22% chance for $6,000.
The market priced a 7% chance for $10,000 before 2027. On Kalshi, ‘above $4,250’ carried 61% odds, while ‘above $4,500’ traded near 49%.
Technical analysts have outlined nearby zones that could shape the next leg. A NewsBTC report cited an inverted monthly chart from Egrag Crypto. It flagged $3,800 to $4,500 as the first resistance band.
The analysis placed $6,000 to $7,500 as the next target area if ETH clears that range. It also mapped $1,800 to $2,200 as a risk zone that could delay a breakout.
Also Read: Ethereum News Today: ETH Stablecoin Transfers Surge as Onchain Liquidity Structure Shifts
