Ethereum, like the broader crypto market, has experienced a sharp drop in price in recent weeks. From a high of $3,352 at the start of 2025, Ether now trades around $1,800 and $1,900, reflecting a sharp drop to the world’s second-biggest crypto by market cap. Looking at Ether’s bigger picture, it’s down 47% from last year’s value.

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If we go by the latest analyses and observations from commentators, Ether’s price correction will likely be extended. The altcoin is facing a huge bearish wave, with plenty of market factors undermining its price performance.

One significant factor is Standard Chartered’s recent decision to cut its price prediction by 60%, confirming market expectations.

News: Standard Chartered slashes ETH price target!

The bank cuts its 2025 ETH forecast from $10K to $4K, blaming Layer-2 networks like Base, which they say has drained $50B from Ethereum’s market value.#Ethereum #ETH #Crypto #Layer2 #Base #Blockchain

— Andres Meneses (@andreswifitv) March 17, 2025

Ethereum Faces A Descending Channel

Ethereum is currently in a price slump, and many experts expect a much deeper dive in the next few weeks. Ether’s price is currently floating above the $1,900 level as it continues its bearish price movements.

Analysts use the MACD indicator to verify and confirm the asset’s bearish sentiment. Also, the asset’s moving averages suggest a neutral trend and possible price consolidation.

Ethereum (ETH) remains in the correction zone today, trading around $1,874. The price continues to move in a descending channel, indicating a possible continuation of consolidation. Moving averages confirm the neutral trend: the price is holding below the 50-day and 200-day MA,… pic.twitter.com/R3vNqFBDkZ

— LVelarde (@0xvelarde) March 17, 2025

According to a crypto user named “LVelarde,” Ether’s price continues to follow the descending channel, suggesting price consolidation. The asset’s price is consolidating below its 5-day and 200-day moving averages, with traders looking for possible rejection or breakout. Since it fell below $2k, sentiments have been generally bearish, with many questioning its future price trends.

Standard Chartered Cuts Price Estimates For Ethereum

Even some of the biggest banks, like Standard Chartered Bank, are lowering their expectations of Ethereum. From a high of $10,000, the bank is reducing its price target to just $4,000, explaining that the Layer 2s are impacting its bottom line.

The bank added that changes and improvements to the blockchain affected its overall value, like its shift to the proof-of-stake and scaling roadmap.

Standard Chartered used Coinbase’s Base Layer 2 as an example, suggesting that the project has cost Ethereum $50 billion from its market cap. According to Geoff Kendrick, Standard Chartered analyst, Ethereum’s losses will continue as Base’s dominance in the industry continues.

Kendrick calls this the blockchain’s “midlife crisis”, adding that Ethereum’s chain has become a commodity with its Layer 2 framework.

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Things Ethereum Can Do To Address Its Slide

According to Kendrick, Ethereum can address its downturn in two ways. First, it can leverage its security-based dominance in the context of the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA). If Ethereum focuses on security, it can maintain its 80% market share.

Second, it can charge taxes for its Layer 2s, but it’s highly unlikely. Kendrick expects Ethereum to continue its underperformance in the short term.

Featured image from Bloomberg, chart from TradingView

XRP has struggled to gain momentum, with its price caught in a downtrend since the beginning of March. Although XRP has managed to push up in the past five days after reaching a low of $1.93 on March 11, it has yet to fully recoup its losses in the first week of the month. 

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The altcoin’s long-term prospects are still on bullish speculation, but its short-term price action has frustrated traders looking for signs of a breakout. Amid this stagnation, crypto analyst Egrag Crypto has outlined specific price levels that could determine whether XRP finally reverses its course.

Analyst Identifies $2.65 As Key Level Before XRP Can Challenge $3.00

Egrag Crypto, a long-time bullish advocate for XRP, recently took to social media platform X to outline key price levels that could determine the cryptocurrency’s next significant move. He identified $2.65 as the first critical threshold the coin must reclaim to sustain meaningful bullish momentum. However, the analyst expressed concern over XRP’s repeated tests of lower boundaries, which is in reference to the recent bottom at $1.93.

According to the analyst, the frequent retests of this support level are a double-edged sword. While multiple touches on resistance can eventually trigger a breakout, repeated tests of support weaken its integrity, increasing the likelihood of a breakdown. He likened this pattern to knocking on a door that would eventually open or break. He highlighted six instances of XRP retesting this zone since December 2024 on a 12-hour candlestick chart, warning that prolonged weakness could pave the way for further downside.

For the crypto to escape this cycle and shift into bullish territory, Egrag emphasized the importance of a strong close above $3.00, not just a brief move past it. This level has served as the upper resistance trendline for the past two weeks and has been a barrier to any sustained uptrend. Failure to break and hold above $3.00 could cause continued correction in the short term and keep XRP trapped in its current range.

However, the analyst believes XRP’s chances of reaching $3.00, considering the current price action, are slim without securing a close above $2.65.

Image From X: EGRAG CRYPTO

What’s Next For XRP After $3?

March has been particularly bearish for XRP, with sellers maintaining control as it failed to reclaim lost ground. However, if XRP bulls manage to close above $3 before the end of the month, it will open up the door for the resumption of a price rally. With this in mind, Egrag set an initial target of $4.80, placing XRP at new all-time highs.

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Interestingly, this target is modest compared to the analyst’s more ambitious long-term projections. Egrag has previously predicted that XRP could surge to $110 in the long term. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $2.37 and is still 26.5% away from reaching $3.

Featured image from Crypto Logos, chart from TradingView