Ethereum (ETH) Price Holds Firm Against $1 Billion in Sell Pressure — Chart Analysis

TLDR

• The Ethereum Foundation has staked 69,500 ETH, only 500 ETH away from its 70,000 ETH target
• More than $143 million worth of ETH is currently locked in the Beacon Deposit Contract
• ETH is trading around $2,050, with critical support at $2,000 and resistance between $2,150–$2,200
• Ethereum spot ETFs recorded $42.1 million in outflows this week, with BlackRock alone offloading $53.3 million worth
• South Korean retail investors are entering the market, as the Korea Premium Index has turned positive

(SeaPRwire) –   On Friday, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) staked over 45,000 ETH across a series of transactions, each totaling 2,047 ETH. This pushed its cumulative staked amount to roughly 69,500 ETH — a mere 500 ETH shy of its stated 70,000 target.

According to Arkham Intelligence data, the Friday staking batch was valued at over $92.2 million. The EF now has more than $143 million locked in the Ethereum Beacon Deposit Contract.

The foundation launched its staking initiative in February as part of a treasury strategy unveiled in June 2025. The plan uses staking yields to fund protocol research, development, and ecosystem grants instead of selling ETH to cover costs.

Prior to Friday’s large batch, the EF staked 2,016 ETH in February and 22,517 ETH in March.

Co-founder Vitalik Buterin has raised concerns about this approach. In January 2025, he noted that if the EF stakes its own ETH, it would “de facto” be forced to take sides in any future contentious hard fork. The EF says it is exploring ways to reduce this risk.

ETH Price Maintains $2,000 Amid Mounting Sell Pressure

ETH is currently trading near $2,050. The $2,000 level has held as support through multiple retests in recent weeks, with buyers absorbing sell pressure at that zone.

Ethereum’s net taker volume has turned deeply negative, indicating a surge in aggressive sell orders in derivatives markets. The latest spike is one of the strongest sell-side imbalances in recent weeks, coinciding with roughly $1 billion in sell pressure across exchanges.

BREAKING: Ethereum derivatives saw nearly $1B in sell volume after Trump signaled the Iran conflict could persist. pic.twitter.com/mYuEfrZnuJ

— SwanDesk (@SwanDesk) April 3, 2026

Price remains below the Ichimoku cloud, which acts as overhead resistance. The RSI sits near mid-range, showing no clear dominance from either bulls or bears.

ETF Outflows and Retail Investor Interest

Analyst Ted Pillows posted on X that Ethereum spot ETFs saw $42.1 million in outflows this week, with BlackRock alone selling $53.3 million worth of ETH.

$ETH ETF outflow of $42,100,000 this week.

BlackRock sold $53,300,000 in Ethereum. pic.twitter.com/s4LUpb6fi2

— Ted (@TedPillows) April 4, 2026

Meanwhile, South Korean retail traders appear to be buying the dip. The Korea Premium Index has turned positive at around 0.6, meaning local buyers are paying above global market prices for ETH.

Spot outflows continue to dominate globally, with only brief inflow spikes that haven’t changed the broader trend.

ETH’s key upside levels are $2,150 and $2,200. A sustained move above $2,200 could open the path to $2,300 and $2,400. A breakdown below $2,000 could expose $1,900 and $1,800.