Ethereum (ETH) struggled in the first quarter of the year and early in the second, but managed to hold a key line near the $2,000 level.
A modern report from market expert Sam Daodu outlines three potential paths for ETH for the remainder of 2026, with each scenario tied to catalysts that could push the network’s leading altcoin back above $4,000.
Bullish path for Ethereum
Daodu analysis it starts with price action. He notes that Ethereum has been on a downward trend since the beginning of the year, with only a short-lived recovery. ETH started 2026 around $3,100, then dropped to a low of $1,743 in February – its weakest point since early 2023.
The token then traded between around $2,000 and $2,400 for most of the year, suggesting consolidation rather than a clear rebound. A key factor in the report is upcoming events Glamsterdam updatewhich Daodu believes could be a factor in whether ETH returns to $4,000 in 2026.
His bullish scenario assumes Glamsterdam will launch on schedule in June. The upgrade would reduce gas fees by 78.6% and augment throughput to up to 10,000 transactions per second.
At the same time, news of the update is expected to boost Ethereum listed fund (ETF), and the report also assumed that Bitcoin (BTC) would break above $90,000. With such conditions, Daodu suggests that ETH could exceed $4,000 in the third quarter and end the year in the $5,000-7,500 range.
ETH Could Retest the February 2026 Low
In the base case, the story is more subdued. Daodu expects Glamsterdam to ship, but without immediate powerful market reaction. ETF inflows remain positive but sluggish, and bitcoin is assumed to rise above $85,000 without providing a decisive breakout that would strongly reignite risk appetite.
In this scenario, Ethereum is still projected to clear $3,000 in Q3 and then test $4,000 in the final stretch of 2026. However, the result at the end of the year is more restrained: ETH will close in the range of $3,000 to $4,200.
The bear case relies on delays and macro pressures. Daodu assumes that Glamsterdam will either be postponed to the last quarter of the year or launch with implementation errors.
He also adds a less risky environment, forecasting that Bitcoin could fall below $70,000 on inflation data or a renewed hawkish stance by the Federal Reserve (Fed), as ETF outflows return.
If these assumptions hold true, ETH will likely fail to maintain current support and exceed the $2,085 level. From there, the report suggests Ethereum could test again February 2026 low near $1,743 and then end the year at or below today’s price.
In this bearish scenario, the idea of ​​Ethereum breaking the $4,000 level will likely come to the table in 2027 rather than remaining a target for 2026. For now, the leading altcoin is trading at $2,134.
Featured image created with OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
