Updated: 5:00 a.m. ET (EST), Thursday, December 18, 2025
Ethereum (ETH) is trading around $2,850 in early U.S. hours, as traders weigh a mix of macro uncertainty, ongoing U.S. spot Ether ETF outflows, and fresh network scaling headlines. As of about 5:08 a.m. ET, ETH was quoted near $2,854, after swinging through a wide overnight range with buyers defending the $2,800 area.
Across major market trackers, the overnight picture looks broadly similar: Ethereum has been down roughly 3% over the past 24 hours, with the broader crypto complex leaning soft into a busy data-and-policy day. [1]
Ethereum price today at 5:00 a.m. ET: where ETH stands now
At the time of writing (just after 5 a.m. ET), Ethereum is hovering near $2,850, keeping it above the psychological $2,800 zone, but still well below the week’s key resistance levels.
A few quick reference points from the overnight tape:
- Spot price: ~$2,854
- Overnight range: roughly $2,793 to $3,024
- Positioning inside the range: about 2% above the low and roughly 6% below the high, underscoring elevated volatility even during lighter liquidity hours.
That volatility matters because ETH has recently been moving in tandem with broader risk assets—then exaggerating those moves when leverage gets flushed from altcoins.
What’s driving Ethereum’s move today
ETH’s early-Thursday action is being pulled by three main forces: macro risk mood, ETF flow pressure, and headline-driven shifts in Ethereum’s scaling roadmap.
1) Macro: risk appetite is fragile ahead of key catalysts
Crypto markets are entering the day with a cautious tone as investors brace for major macro updates and central-bank-driven crosswinds. Global equity sentiment has been sensitive—particularly around tech—feeding into a risk-off undertone that can weigh on higher-beta assets like Ethereum. [2]
Investing.com’s early read on the session also framed crypto as muted to lower ahead of U.S. macro data, with Ethereum among the major tokens slipping alongside other altcoins. [3]
2) Policy/regulatory overhang: U.S. Senate delay hits sentiment
One of the most market-relevant headlines being discussed in early trading is regulatory uncertainty in the U.S. After Bitcoin’s brief push above $90,000, a Reuters-reported update carried by The Economic Times pointed to a pullback that traders linked to the U.S. Senate postponing key crypto legislation until 2026—a development that can sap near-term risk appetite across the sector, including ETH. [4]
3) ETF flows: Ethereum is still fighting a “leaky bucket”
Institutional flow is a recurring theme for Ethereum in late 2025—and right now, the data is not helping.
According to Farside Investors’ daily flow table, U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs posted a net outflow of about $22.4 million for Dec. 17, following much larger outflow days earlier in the week (including roughly $224.2 million on Dec. 16 and $224.8 million on Dec. 15). That’s approximately $471 million of net outflows across those three sessions. [5]
Persistent redemptions don’t guarantee lower prices by themselves—but in a choppy macro tape, they can reduce the market’s ability to absorb selling and can pressure sentiment among discretionary traders who watch ETF prints as a proxy for “institutional bid.”
Today’s Ethereum news roundup (Dec. 18, 2025)
Here are the major Ethereum- and crypto-market headlines circulating today that traders are reacting to:
Ethereum slips with altcoins as markets stay cautious
Ethereum was flagged as lower alongside other major tokens in early coverage tracking crypto prices into Thursday’s session. [6]
Crypto market structure timeline pushed out
The reported decision to defer key U.S. crypto legislation into 2026 is being cited as a contributor to uncertainty—especially after a failed Bitcoin push higher rippled into altcoins. [7]
Spot Ether ETF outflows extend
Farside’s dataset shows outflows continuing through the latest completed session, keeping ETF flows at the center of the Ethereum narrative. [8]
Ethereum scaling headline: gas limit rise to 80M discussed for January
Developers are signaling that Ethereum could see another step up in base-layer capacity, with discussion around raising the gas limit from 60 million to 80 million after the next blob-parameter-only hard fork timeline in early January, pending readiness items and confirmation in developer coordination. [9]
U.S. banking policy shift: Fed withdraws a 2023 policy statement
A major policy headline in the broader digital-asset ecosystem: the Federal Reserve Board announced it withdrew a 2023 policy statement and issued a new statement intended to create a pathway that “facilitates responsible innovation” for certain supervised banks. While not Ethereum-specific, regulatory tone shifts like this can matter for crypto sentiment broadly. [10]
Ethereum fundamentals: scaling narrative returns, but price still needs demand
Ethereum’s long-running investment case often rests on two parallel tracks:
- Network utility (transactions, settlement, stablecoins, DeFi activity, tokenization), and
- Protocol evolution (upgrades that improve capacity and cost structure over time).
Today’s news flow leans into the second track.
Gas limit increase plan: what it means (and what it doesn’t)
Discussion around an 80 million gas limit is meaningful because a higher gas limit allows more computation per block—potentially easing congestion during demand spikes and improving throughput at the base layer.
But it’s not a magic wand. Even if the network lifts the gas ceiling, ETH price still needs spot demand—from users, long-term holders, and institutions—to turn technical improvements into a durable market repricing. The market can (and often does) separate “protocol good news” from “token bid” in the short run, especially when macro conditions are tight. [11]
Key levels traders are watching (without the hype)
With ETH near $2,850, price action is clustered around levels that have repeatedly mattered this month:
- Support zone: ~$2,800 (psychological + recent reaction area)
- Near-term resistance: ~$2,900–$3,000 (round-number zone; also where failed bounces have been noted in market commentary)
- Upside reclaim level (psychological): $3,000+ (often acts like a sentiment switch during volatile periods)
The important point for readers: levels don’t “predict” price, but they often reflect where liquidity sits (stop orders, options strikes, and prior high-volume trading zones). In a news-heavy market, these are the zones most likely to see sharp moves if headlines or macro data surprise.
What to watch next for Ethereum today
If you’re following Ethereum price today, the next drivers are less about a single “Ethereum-only” headline and more about how multiple narratives interact:
- Macro prints and risk tone — if markets swing risk-on or risk-off, ETH often magnifies that move. [12]
- Spot ETF flow updates — after recent redemptions, traders will watch whether outflows slow or reverse. [13]
- Regulatory signals — both the Senate timeline chatter and broader banking-policy developments can shift sentiment quickly. [14]
- Developer timeline clarity — confirmation (or delay) around scaling steps like the gas limit increase can influence the “fundamentals narrative,” even if price reacts later. [15]
Bottom line
At 5:00 a.m. ET on Dec. 18, 2025, Ethereum is steady near $2,850, trying to hold above $2,800 in a market defined by cautious macro positioning, ETF outflows, and a fresh wave of scaling roadmap headlines. [16]
Ethereum’s longer-term narrative—capacity upgrades, rollup-centric scaling, and institutional adoption—remains active. But the immediate question for today is simpler: can ETH attract enough spot demand to offset risk-off macro pressure and ETF-related selling?
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
References
1. www.investing.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.investing.com, 4. m.economictimes.com, 5. farside.co.uk, 6. www.investing.com, 7. m.economictimes.com, 8. farside.co.uk, 9. www.tradingview.com, 10. www.federalreserve.gov, 11. www.tradingview.com, 12. www.investing.com, 13. farside.co.uk, 14. m.economictimes.com, 15. christinedkim.substack.com, 16. farside.co.uk
