Ether targets the $2,166 resistance as buyers step in

Key takeaways

ETH is up by less than 1% and now trades above $2,050.
The bulls defended the $2,000 support level, with further upward movement on the card. 

Ethereum is up by less than 1% at the time of writing on Friday, halting the bearish performance that gripped the market on Thursday. The coin could rally higher in the near term as buyers have stepped in over the past few hours. 

Onchain data paints a mixed picture for Ether

ETH is trading above $2,050 at press time, but onchain data paint a mixed picture for the top altcoin. Over the past week, investors across different cohorts have cracked under pressure.

According to the onchain data, wallets with a balance of 10K-100K, which have been major buyers throughout the recent downtrend, offloaded 340K ETH between March 24-30. 

However, the wallets flipped back to buying on Tuesday, scooping 270K ETH across the past two days.

On the other hand, wallets with 100-1K and 1K-10K ETH continued distribution, scaling down their holdings by roughly 200K ETH over the past week.

In addition to that, US spot ETH exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have also posted a similar trend. The ETFs have recorded only two days of inflows over the past two weeks of trading, indicating a bearish bias. 

Ethereum Price Forecast: Bulls defend the $2k psychological level

The ETH/USD 4-hour chart is bullish and efficient as Ether recorded its first monthly gain in six months. 

At press time, ETH is trading at $2,062. Its near-term bias remains mildly bullish as ETH is trading below the 20- and 50-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), which cap advances at around $2,080 and $2,160.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reads 53, slightly above the neutral level, while the MACD has stabilized around the midline, both indicating a growing bullish momentum. 

If the recovery persists, the bulls would face immediate resistance at $2,108, followed by $2,389 and then $2,746. A daily close above $2,108 would be the first step to ease pressure and expose the higher resistance band toward the 100-day EMA and $2,389.

However, if the sellers regain control, ETH would test the initial support at $1,911, followed by $1,741 and $1,524. 

If ETH continues to trade below $2,108, it risks drifting back toward the $1,700 area in the near term.