As of January 12, 2026, Ethereum ($ETH ) is trading around $3,100–$3,130, showing modest gains of about 0.4–1.2% in the last 24 hours amid steady market activity. The second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap has started the year on a cautiously optimistic note, holding firmly above the key $3,000 psychological level after ending 2025 near $2,970–$3,000.

Analysts are increasingly bullish on 2026, with many calling it “the year of Ethereum” due to surging institutional adoption, tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), stablecoin growth, and ongoing network upgrades like Fusaka boosting scalability. Standard Chartered recently forecasted ETH could reach $7,500 by year-end, while others like Tom Lee predict $7,000–$9,000, and more conservative views target $4,000 or higher.