The $4,000 level has remained elusive for Ethereum even after rallying 40%+ in the months of May and July. The fact that the altcoin has been unable to clear this level points to this being the resistance to beat if Ethereum is to continue its uptrend. It also shows that there are forces keeping the altcoin from breaking this $4,000, and one market expert has attributed this to hedge funds, who have a unique interest in holding the price below $4,000.
What Ethereum Above $4,000 Means For Options Traders
In an X post, trader and market analyst Glen Goodman unveiled another angle to the beatdown that the Ethereum price has continuously suffered at the $4,000 level. This elusive price tag remains the singular hindrance to the ETH price possibility breaking its $4,800 peak from 2021, and its continuous trading below this price tag could be intentional.
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Goodman’s post focuses on options traders and the hedge funds which they are betting against. Basically, since the hedge funds are still short Ethereum at this point, they need to suppress the price and keep it from reclaiming $4,000 in order to keep their positions in a profit.
These professional traders or hedge funds are the ‘sellers’ who write the options, and they get a premium for doing so. Then the options buyers are paying a premium to the sellers as they are betting on the price of Ethereum actually going up above $4,000. So, every time the Ethereum price does reach $4,000, it gets beaten down so hedge funds can continue to profit from the premiums being made from buyers.
What Happens If ETH Clears $4,000?
In the event that the Ethereum price does cross $4,000, it means that the hedge funds will start to lose money, and the options buyers will begin making money. As the crypto trader explains, the higher the ETH price goes, the more money the options buyers make and the more money the hedge funds lose. This is why there always seems to be a violent pullback every time Ethereum comes close to $4,000 as the hedge funds continue to short it.
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Goodman explained that the hedge funds have been able to use this strategy to keep the Ethereum price below $4,000 and remain in profit. However, with each time that the altcoin comes close to the $4,000 level, the probability of breaking above it becomes higher.
Over the long term, Ethereum’s price breaking $4,000 is incredibly bullish. “Strong resistance kicks in at $4000, so the price could really fly if it beats all the resistance in the early 4000s,” Goodman explained.
Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com
