New York, January 5, 2026, 09:26 EST — Premarket
- Ether rose about 0.5% in early trade, after briefly topping $3,200.
- U.S.-listed spot ether ETFs drew net inflows in the last session, data showed.
- Traders are watching U.S. ISM manufacturing data due later Monday and Friday’s jobs report.
Ether, the token that runs the Ethereum blockchain, edged higher on Monday as crypto traders positioned for a busy week of U.S. data and a jump in geopolitical risk. Ethereum was up 0.5% at $3,151 by 9:26 a.m. EST, after trading as high as $3,210; bitcoin rose 1.7% to $92,738.
The move matters now because digital assets are entering the first full week of 2026 with investors re-pricing risk after the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a shock that sent traditional havens such as gold sharply higher. Crypto has struggled to hold a “safe-haven” label in recent months, and traders are watching whether the latest bout of stress lifts or dents demand for speculative assets. ( Reuters)
Support has also come from fresh buying in U.S.-listed spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) — funds that trade like shares and are backed by holdings of the underlying token rather than futures contracts. Farside Investors data showed spot bitcoin ETFs took in $471.3 million on Jan. 2, while spot ether ETFs drew $174.5 million. ( Farside)
Ether has largely tracked bitcoin’s direction, but traders have been quick to trim positions when macro signals turn against risk. Treasury yields and the dollar often set the tone for crypto, which pays no interest and tends to fall when investors demand higher returns elsewhere.
Akshat Siddhant, lead quant analyst at Mudrex, said: “If BTC closes above $93,700, momentum could carry it toward $100,000.” ( The Economic Times)
For ether, Monday’s range kept it above $3,000 — a round-number level many investors treat as a psychological support — while the $3,200 area has emerged as the next near-term hurdle after the morning peak.
The next scheduled macro test arrives at 10 a.m. ET, when the Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a survey that tracks business conditions such as orders, employment and prices. ISM’s release calendar shows the report is due Monday, with the services PMI slated for Wednesday. ( Institute for Supply Management)
A stronger reading — especially if the prices component runs hot — would likely harden expectations that interest rates stay higher for longer, a setup that has typically pressured high-volatility assets including crypto.
ETF flow updates after the U.S. close will also be watched for signs that early-year inflows can persist beyond a single session, particularly if broader markets turn defensive.
The bigger marker for the week is the U.S. employment report for December 2025, due on Friday, Jan. 9 at 8:30 a.m. ET, a release that can quickly reset expectations for Federal Reserve policy and, by extension, crypto risk appetite. ( Bls)
