
Selling pressure dragged Ethereum (ETH) towards $2,000 on Tuesday, with rising US inflation and outflows from exchange-traded funds (ETFs) weighing on sentiment.

Weekly losses for the leading altcoin widened to nearly 11% after a 4% slide over the past 24 hours. ETH futures liquidations consequently reached $254.8 million, led by $193.3 million in long positions being liquidated.
October's stronger-than-anticipated Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation report preceded the sell-off. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI increased 0.4% month-on-month against a forecast of 0.3%, while core CPI rose 0.3%, exceeding the monthly estimate of 0.2%. Annual inflation figures were not released by the BLS because of the government shutdown in October 2025.
Expectations of a rate increase at the Federal Reserve's (Fed) forthcoming December meeting jumped following the inflation data. The CME FedWatch tool put the probability of a 25 basis point hike at 90.5%, with the likelihood of a 50 basis point increase rising to 9.5%.
A high interest rate environment typically weighs on the performance of risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.
Adding to the pressure, Monday saw US spot ETH ETFs register net outflows of $184.5 million, their biggest single-day withdrawal in more than a month, according to SoSoValue data. These products have recorded weekly net outflows since the start of October, with last week marking the sixth consecutive week of withdrawals.
With ETH trading beneath its 20-, 50-, and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), the daily chart retains a bearish short-term bias. These averages are grouped between approximately $2,270 and $2,360, suggesting that recovery attempts are likely to encounter resistance as long as the pair stays below them.
Rather than signalling a confirmed reversal, momentum indicators suggest that the downside move is becoming stretched. The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) has slipped towards oversold territory around 30, while the Stochastic Oscillator remains in the low teens.
Any recovery would first face resistance at $2,101, followed by a more substantial hurdle near $2,204. Beyond that lie $2,250 and the 20-day EMA around $2,269. A concentrated supply zone sits higher, comprising the 100- and 50-day EMAs at $2,332 and $2,359, respectively, alongside horizontal resistance at $2,355. Further upside barriers stand at $2,548, $2,636 and $2,781.
For a further decline, $1,971 provides the nearest support. A breach would bring the next important floor around $1,827 into focus.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)