Can Ethereum Reclaim Its 2021 Highs Against Bitcoin As Fundamentals Strengthen?

As the crypto market matures, the relative strength between Ethereum and Bitcoin is becoming one of the most discussed narratives. The ETH ecosystem is entering a new phase of growth, fueled by scaling solutions, rising staking participation, and a more efficient supply structure. These improvements are steadily reinforcing the ETH fundamentals and long-term utility within decentralized finance and beyond.

Ethereum, Bitcoin Recovery Depends On Adoption And Market Rotation

The debate around whether Ethereum can reclaim its 2021 highs against Bitcoin is gaining renewed momentum as institutional voices turn increasingly optimistic. Crypto analyst Walter Bloomberg revealed on X that Geoff Kendrick of Standard Chartered remains strongly bullish on ETH despite its prolonged underperformance against BTC.

Geoff Kendrick argues that the current disconnection between ETH’s strong fundamentals and its weak price performance is only temporary. Meanwhile, ETH has experienced a significant drawdown to $2,100, a 57% since August 2025, with the ETH/BTC ratio declining by 37%. However, the on-chain transaction levels and total value locked (TVL) across the ecosystem have reportedly remained near all-time highs.

Standard Chartered reportedly compares the current ETH situation to a major technology company, Amazon, during the 2021 dot-com crash, suggesting ETH could bounce back. The bank maintains aggressive long-term targets, projecting Ethereum to reach $4,000 by 2026 and potentially reaching $40,000 by 2030. 

A move of that scale would also push the ETH/BTC ratio back toward its 2021 peak. The bullish thesis is largely driven by ETH’s dominant 50-65% position in stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), with both sectors expected to experience massive growth.

Macro Technical Levels Continue To Shape ETH/BTC Direction

A partner with sizeprop known as Scient on X has mentioned that the broader Ethereum and Bitcoin macro prediction has now completed a textbook pattern, closely following the plan mapped out at the February lows. After a sustained 3-month rally, the price delivered a clean bearish retest of the daily market structure shift (MSS) and breaker zone, before rotating lower to sweep liquidity at the February range lows and fill the fair value gap. This move represents a textbook technical execution of the thesis.

Currently, with price tapping into the critical 0.75 Fibonacci zone, the weekly timeframe is beginning to show early signs of a potential bounce. If ETH/BTC is going to establish a meaningful bottom, this would be the area where it will happen.

On the lower timeframes, the 12-hour chart reveals an important development. The price has been holding its lows quietly for over a week, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) printing bullish divergence, often a signal of classic accumulation at a key level.

Scient noted that the confirmation of a sustained move higher is still pending, and the current setup places ETH/BTC at a decisive moment. Either way, the coming days are likely pivotal for determining the next major direction.