Matrixport Market Observation: BTC/ETH Technical Levels Under Pressure, Is the Pullback Consolidation or a New Round of Decline?

Market Analysis

Recently, mainstream crypto assets have quickly retraced after reaching new highs. Bitcoin (BTC) has fallen from around $124,000 at the beginning of the month to about $109,000, a drop of over 10%; Ethereum (ETH) has pulled back from its yearly high of about $4,900 to around $3,850, a decline of about 20%. After experiencing fluctuations, sentiment has somewhat recovered but remains cautious, with the Fear and Greed Index hovering around 45; the passive deleveraging of long positions has basically been completed, and the selling pressure from forced liquidations has significantly eased from its peak. On the technical front, BTC has found initial support around $109,000. If it loses this level on the daily chart, bears may target the $108,000--$105,000 range; however, if it returns and holds above $116,000, the probability of retesting $120,000 and even $124,000 increases.

The $4,000 level for ETH is an important psychological barrier, with $3,900 serving as a more direct support. A drop below this level could trigger technical selling pressure down to $3,800. Momentum indicators show that the mid-term structure has not yet been damaged: BTC's daily RSI is around 41, and although the MACD remains weak, it has clearly risen from the trend lows since June. As long as BTC holds the $110K--$112K area and ETH stays above $4K, the pullback is more likely to be defined as a phase of consolidation before an upward move rather than a trend reversal.

Market Interpretation

Moderate easing provides a liquidity foundation, but path dependence on data and rhythm

On September 17, the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate range by 25 basis points to 4.00--4.25%, characterizing this move as "risk management-style" easing: the decline in inflation and slowing employment momentum provide room for a tentative rate cut. Historical experience and market pricing point to further easing expectations of 50--75 basis points cumulatively by 2025. The weakening dollar and falling real interest rates together enhance the relative attractiveness of risk assets, highlighting the role of crypto assets as an "elastic factor" in global asset allocation. It is important to emphasize that restarting rate cuts may correspond to a soft landing but does not exclude the risk of a lagged slowdown; asset prices' forward pricing of liquidity means that trading needs to follow the trend rather than bet on a single path, dynamically adjusting risk budgets by tracking inflation stickiness, marginal changes in employment, and fiscal variables.

On-chain funding structure is shifting from "short money" to "long money"

The market capitalization of stablecoins is expected to exceed $250 billion by mid-2025, with USDT recovering to above $150 billion. In the second half of the year, net inflows into stablecoins continue, and exchanges are well-capitalized, with an increased willingness to buy on dips. On the Bitcoin side, net outflows from exchanges in September surged by about 347% month-on-month, with long-term addresses continuing to accumulate. The balance on exchanges has decreased from about 2.6 million coins in 2023 to about 2.1 million coins by June 2025, tightening supply has increased price sensitivity to incremental funds. On the Ethereum side, staking accounts for about 31%, with over 860,000 coins queued for staking recently, driving about 4.7 million ETH newly locked, further shrinking the circulating supply; long-term holders' NUPL has entered the "belief/denial" zone, with MVRV around 2.08, indicating no systemic overheating yet. The simultaneous occurrence of capital migration and supply contraction means that mid-term price elasticity is greater than demand changes of the same scale, providing a marginal safety cushion for allocation.

Low implied volatility and bearish skew resonance, selling volatility strategies have improved win rates but require tail protection

After a sharp drop, short-term implied volatility (IV) briefly surged and showed an inverted term structure, then returned to low levels along with spot price fluctuations; overall, IV levels are in a historically low range, and ETH's relative volatility premium over BTC remains. The front-end 25Δ risk reversal has turned negative, with out-of-the-money (OTM) put implied volatility higher than calls, reflecting short-term hedging demand and the price-volatility correlation premium on the downside. Strategically, range expectations combined with low IV support selling straddles/strangles and calendar spreads as neutral selling volatility combinations, while buying deep out-of-the-money tail options or constructing ratio spreads to hedge against "jump risk." A bearish skew indicates that the pricing of out-of-the-money puts is relatively favorable; spot holders can use cash-secured puts to accumulate at lower target prices while earning premiums. Meanwhile, the phenomenon of perpetual contract funding rates remaining mostly positive suggests a "cautious long---defensive hedge" divergence between spot/perpetual and options pricing, and trading should prioritize structured hedging to smooth out the repricing risks caused by this misalignment.

Altcoin market is a selective boom, prioritizing liquidity and discipline

The Altseason indicator has risen above 75, with funds flowing from BTC to ETH and several strong public chains and thematic sectors. BTC dominance has dropped from about 65% mid-year to around 59%. Market excitement is concentrated in main themes such as AI, RWA, and GameFi, with the periodic explosion of new coins and MEME increasing trading noise and volatility intensity, but it has not evolved into a comprehensive rally. Strategically, using BTC/ETH as a base to hedge systemic volatility, participating in high-elasticity themes with small positions, emphasizing liquidity first and a clear take-profit and stop-loss framework, to avoid chasing highs during the impulse phase driven by new listings and narratives.

Risk management is a necessary condition for generating excess returns in this phase

In the "initial easing + range oscillation" environment, efficiency at the frontier should be achieved through tool-based offense and defense. For investors who are bullish and wish to accumulate in batches, Matrixport offers a variety of structured financial products to respond to different market conditions, aiming for steady wins.

Accumulator helps smooth costs by accumulating daily at preset prices near key support levels; for investors with heavy positions who wish to realize profits in an orderly manner, Decumulator allows for stepwise realization in resistance zones, reducing impact and timing errors. In phases of low IV and dominant range volatility, FCN achieves "earning interest even when the market is inactive" through embedded options, and if triggered, can convert to the agreed target, enhancing static yield; daily dual currency provides flexible rolling tools for short-term "earning interest + conditional rebalancing," helping automate the exchange of target prices between different currencies. By modularly combining the above tools, such as using FCN as the core for coupon income, cash-secured puts for defensive accumulation, Accumulator for low-level absorption, and Decumulator for high-level realization, supplemented by a small proportion of thematic exposure, one can enhance both Sharpe ratio and drawdown control without sacrificing liquidity.

At the same time, it is necessary to continuously track the Federal Reserve's rate cut rhythm, inflation stickiness, and employment rebalancing, while being wary of front-end volatility spikes triggered by geopolitical events; selling volatility positions should control nominal Vega/Theta and daily VaR, preset automatic dampening mechanisms for abnormal volatility, and guard the tail with spreads or deep out-of-the-money options; Altcoin positions should adhere to the execution principle of "liquidity first, small positions, quick steps." Overall, the keywords for the current phase are "defend key levels, earn range waves, leave upside options." Supported by a moderate easing liquidity foundation and a "shift from short to long" funding structure on-chain, the mid-term bullish framework for BTC/ETH remains intact; using specialized structured tools for offense and defense can balance returns, elasticity, and risk resilience in the rebalancing after a pullback.

Matrixport, as a leading global cryptocurrency financial services platform, offers "personalized structured products" tailored to different types of investors. Whether investors are miners looking to cash out profits, institutions seeking stable returns, or seasoned VIP investors pursuing innovative strategies, Matrixport can create crypto financial solutions that meet the needs of investors with different risk preferences.

The above content is from Daniel Yu, Head of Asset Management, and represents the author's personal views only.

Disclaimer: The market has risks, and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute investment advice. Digital asset trading may involve significant risks and volatility. Investment decisions should be made after careful consideration of personal circumstances and consultation with financial professionals. Matrixport is not responsible for any investment decisions made based on the information provided in this content.