Ethereum Price Forecast: Staking could be catalyst to drive ETH's price 'more than Pectra upgrade': K33 Research

Ethereum price today: $1,860

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• Staking within Ethereum ETFs could be a catalyst to boost ETH's price more than any technical upgrade.

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• The SEC acknowledged Fidelity's filing to permit staking in its Ethereum ETF.

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• Ethereum could form a critical resistance near $2,000 if it begins consolidation around current prices.

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Ethereum (ETH) traded around $1,860 in the Asian session on Thursday as its price remained largely subdued by bearish sentiment weighing on the general crypto market. However, expectations surrounding the potential approval of staking within US spot Ethereum ETFs could lift the top altcoin out of its recent weak performance.

Staking could prove crucial to boost Ethereum's price performance

The SEC acknowledged it has received Fidelity's proposal to allow staking within its spot Ethereum ETF (FETH). However, it's unlikely the agency will decide on the proposal soon, considering it recently postponed deciding on several crypto ETF applications.

The SEC postponed making decisions on Dogecoin, Solana and XRP ETF applications on Tuesday. The ETF Store president Nate Geraci suggested it is due process considering Paul Atkins, Trump's pick to chair the agency, has yet to get Senate approval.

Grayscale and 21Shares have also filed to allow staking within their spot Ethereum ETFs.

Meanwhile, Ethereum's next technical upgrade, Pectra, which will bring several UX improvement features to its blockchain, is getting closer after finalizing on testnets Holesky and Sepolia. Users now await the mainnet upgrade, and many anticipate it could mark a turnaround in ETH's price trajectory, which has severely underperformed Bitcoin and Solana.

"Improved tech does not distract from the overarching theme over the last two years – ETH's underperformance," noted K33 Research analysts in a Wednesday report.

"There are, however, potential bullish catalysts such as the incorporation of staking rewards into US spot ETH ETFs [...] This, more than technical upgrades, could be the necessary trigger for some ETH momentum and enable it to regain favor with market participants," they added.

Standard Chartered analysts have predicted that staking within Ethereum ETFs could drive ETH's price above $14,000 by year-end.

Ethereum Price Forecast: ETH lacks directional bias

Ethereum saw $60.98 million in futures liquidations in the past 24 hours, per Coinglass data. The total amount of long and short liquidations was $34.10 million and $26.88 million, respectively.

ETH appears to lack directional bias as bulls and bears struggle to gain hold of prices since it bounced off the $1,750 support. The top altcoin has to overcome the emerging resistance near $1,960 and surpass a key descending trendline resistance to strengthen the quest to recover $2,200.

ETH/USDT daily chart

However, a sustained consolidation around $1,900 and $2,000 could establish the range as a key resistance.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Stochastic Oscillator (Stoch) are close to their oversold region, indicating dominant bearish momentum.

A daily candlestick close below $1,500 will invalidate the consolidation thesis and send ETH toward $1,000.