Ethereum price rose nearly 2% on Aug. 17 as $ETH reclaimed $1,900, while improving daily momentum and nearby short-liquidation clusters put the $2,000 level back in focus.
Ethereum price moves back above $1,900
According to data from crypto.news, Ethereum ($ETH) price traded at $1,912 at press time, up 1.95% on the day after moving between an intraday low of $1,872 and a high of $1,915. Buyers entered near the session low and carried $ETH through the psychological $1,900 level.
The recovery extended a consolidation phase that has developed since $ETH rebounded from its late-June low near $1,530. Price has since formed a series of higher lows, although repeated selling around $1,930–$1,960 has prevented a wider breakout.
$ETH’s daily candle closed above several closely watched averages. The 20-day simple moving average stood at $1,889, while the 100-day and 50-day averages were positioned at $1,869 and $1,845, respectively. Holding above those lines would preserve the improving short-term structure.
The daily relative strength index rose to 56.5, above its signal average of 53. An RSI above 50 shows that buying momentum has strengthened, but the reading remains well below overbought territory.
Longer-term pressure has not disappeared. Ethereum remains below its declining 200-day moving average at $2,009, making the area around $2,000–$2,010 a more important test than the initial move through $1,900.
Tom Lee watches Ethereum’s daily cloud
Fundstrat co-founder and BitMine chairman Tom Lee reposted an analysis from MacroCRG that placed $ETH about 3.5% below its daily Ichimoku Cloud. The analyst described a move above that layer as a legitimate breakout because Ethereum has not traded decisively above it since Oct. 9, 2025.
“Would be good to see,” Lee wrote in response.
The original technical assessment came from MacroCRG rather than Lee. His comment only expressed support for the prospect of a breakout and did not include a price forecast.
At $ETH’s current price, a 3.5% advance would take the token close to $1,980. The calculation places the cloud breakout area just below the $2,000 psychological barrier and the 200-day moving average visible near $2,009 on the supplied daily chart.
A daily move into that region would therefore confront three forms of resistance within a narrow range: the Ichimoku Cloud, the $2,000 round-number level, and the 200-day average. $ETH would need to hold above the zone, rather than briefly trade through it, to establish a stronger daily reversal.
Liquidation clusters build on both sides of $ETH
The one-week CoinGlass liquidation heatmap shows the closest concentrated leverage above Ethereum around $1,925. A stronger pool appears between roughly $1,945 and $1,950, with additional liquidity extending toward $1,960.
A move through $1,925 could force some bearish positions to close, adding market purchases to the existing demand. Clearing the larger $1,945–$1,950 band could then accelerate a test of the upper-$1,900 region.
The map also shows a major cluster around $1,910, but $ETH had already moved through much of that area by the end of the chart. Remaining overhead liquidity near $1,925 now represents the closest possible target.
Downside exposure is concentrated near $1,860, with a wider and denser band between approximately $1,835 and $1,855. If $ETH loses $1,870, the lower pools could draw the price toward that region and trigger long liquidations.
Liquidation heatmaps identify areas where leveraged positions may face forced closure, but they do not determine which zone price will reach first.
Analysts identify $1,870 as the key downside level
Analyst Michaël van de Poppe said Ethereum’s daily chart was improving as the asset continued to form higher highs and higher lows. Based on that construction, he considered an upside break more likely than an immediate loss of support.
To be honest, the daily chart of $ETH starts to look better day after day.
This is generally how I’m viewing the current market on $ETH.
▫️ There are many liquidity levels beneath us on the long side, meaning that it’s very likely that we’ll drop fast if $ETH loses $1,870. What… pic.twitter.com/j20KCgIyba
— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) August 17, 2026
Van de Poppe nevertheless warned that $ETH could fall quickly if it loses $1,870 because substantial long-side liquidity sits below the market. He identified $1,700 as a possible downside target before a rebound if that breakdown occurs.
His bullish scenario requires a clear move through $2,000. Van de Poppe said $ETH may not spend much time near that level once it breaks, potentially producing a sharp advance similar to moves observed earlier in 2025.
The analyst identified $2,200 as a possible temporary stopping point before a broader run toward $2,800. Those targets remain conditional on Ethereum first breaking and holding above $2,000.
$2,000 remains the deciding level for Ethereum
The immediate market structure favors buyers while $ETH remains above its cluster of daily moving averages. Support sits at $1,889, followed by $1,870 and the $1,845–$1,860 region shown across the daily chart and liquidation map.
On the upside, bulls first need to clear leveraged resistance near $1,925 and $1,950. The larger technical decision would come around $1,980–$2,010, where MacroCRG’s cloud estimate, the psychological $2,000 mark, and the 200-day average converge.
US-listed spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds recorded a modest net outflow of $2.26 million during the Aug. 10–14 trading week, according to SoSoValue data. BlackRock’s ETHA posted $16.39 million in weekly withdrawals, indicating that the latest price recovery has yet to receive clear support from US ETF demand.
A daily close above $2,010 would improve Ethereum’s longer-term structure and open the path toward the levels cited by van de Poppe. Failure to hold $1,870 would weaken the setup and expose the liquidation-heavy zone below $1,860.
