Ethereum Reserves Hit Multi-Year Lows—Are We On The Verge Of A Bull Run?

Ethereum is experiencing a gradual recovery as its price climbs above $3,100. This marks a 2.3% increase over the past day. However, the asset remains in a state of overall decline, down 3.3% over the week.

While this modest rebound offers some relief, Ethereum is still grappling with the effects of an overall bearish trend. The ongoing price movement has prompted some analysts to revisit Ethereum’s underlying on-chain metrics to understand what may lie ahead for the cryptocurrency.

One key area of focus is Ethereum’s spot exchange reserves. According to a recent analysis by Cryptoavails, a contributor to the CryptoQuant QuickTake platform, the total reserves of Ethereum held on spot exchanges have been steadily declining. This long-term trend points to a shift in how market participants are managing their holdings.

Ethereum Spot Exchange Reserves Trend

According to Cryptoavails, Ethereum reserves on spot exchanges have gone through significant changes over the years. During the 2017-2018 bull market, reserves reached their peak, driven by a surge in investor interest.

The 2020-2021 period saw another substantial increase, fueled by the rise of the DeFi ecosystem and Ethereum-based projects. However, starting in late 2021, reserves began a sharp decline as large withdrawals from exchanges became more common.

By 2023, reserve levels hit a low point, and by 2024, these reduced levels persisted, signaling a potential supply shortage. This reduction in reserves often indicates that holders are withdrawing Ethereum from exchanges for long-term storage, rather than leaving it available for immediate trading.

As a result, the diminished supply on exchanges can create upward pressure on prices. Cryptoavails noted that from 2022 onward, as reserves decreased, Ethereum’s price started to stabilize at higher levels. This pattern suggests that low reserve levels could support further price increases, potentially triggering a new upward trend.

Technical Analysis Of ETH

From a technical standpoint, Ethereum has shown patterns that analysts interpret as bullish. Several prominent figures in the crypto community have shared their insights.

One renowned analyst known as Crypto Ceaser recently highlighted a bounce in Ethereum’s price as a significant opportunity, expressing a view that the cryptocurrency is undervalued and may be poised to reach new all-time highs.

$ETH – #Ethereum bounced as expected. This was a huge opportunity. Send it.

In my opinion Ethereum is heavily undervalued. I think we will see new ATH’s soon. pic.twitter.com/ljMa1lEpJO

— Crypto Caesar (@CryptoCaesarTA) January 28, 2025

However, not all analyses paint a uniformly optimistic picture. Anup Dhungana, another crypto analyst, pointed out a divergence between Bitcoin and Ethereum’s market behavior.

While Bitcoin has maintained a steady uptrend, Ethereum’s performance against Bitcoin has been less robust, with the ETH/BTC pair forming lower lows. This divergence reflects reduced investor interest in Ethereum relative to other assets.

According to Dhungana, the next technical support level for ETH/BTC may lie between 0.028 and 0.026. A rebound from this level could potentially revive broader interest in Ethereum and altcoins, paving the way for another phase of growth.

Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView