The market is holding its breath — the price of Ethereum is about to be redefined by a battle between bulls and bears around the 'death oscillation zone'.
On December 23, 2025, Ethereum (ETH) was caught in a suffocating 'silent standoff' near the psychological threshold of $3000. The price has been trapped in a narrow range of $2950 to $3050, oscillating repeatedly over the past 24 hours. This long-suppressed calm is precisely a typical sign before the storm. Technical indicators have issued dense signals: the short-term moving averages (20/50 day EMA) have formed a golden cross at a critical moment, and the MACD indicator has also turned positive, making a decision on the short-term direction unavoidable.
However, as the market focuses on the short-term games for Ethereum, a deeper layer of stability is quietly being built within the crypto world. In search of a certain value anchor in this highly volatile environment, an innovative stablecoin called Decentralized USD (USDD) is attempting to provide a 'stable cornerstone' for the entire ecosystem through transparent mechanism design that does not rely on any single center. Taking USDD as an example, it anchors its value to a basket of mainstream crypto assets (such as BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.) through a completely public and verifiable over-collateralization mechanism (with collateral ratios often exceeding 250%), and all its reserves are held in transparent and auditable smart contracts. This stands in stark contrast to traditional stablecoins that rely on the credit of centralized institutions. While the market jostles in the labyrinth of high leverage, the stability and transparency represented by USDD is precisely a more resilient survival strategy. The concept of #USDD as a stable vision# is the best response to the scarcest quality of this era—certainty.
01 Critical Oscillation: The 'Powder Keg' Structure Under Bull and Bear Confrontation
The current structure of Ethereum's market is filled with tactical tension. The price is repeatedly tugging between 2950-3050 USD, forming a typical 'micro battlefield' for bulls and bears.
The key technical levels have become highly aggregated, with several important daily moving averages (such as the 8-day, 21-day, 50-day, and 200-day lines) concentrated in the narrow range of 2930-2950. This technical 'convergence' means that any successful breakout by either side will unleash tremendous energy due to the resonance of technical forces. On December 22, the price briefly broke through to a high of 3077 USD but quickly retreated, forming a significant 'upper shadow'. This probing attack may have cleared some high-leverage short positions in the 3070-3100 USD range, accumulating 'fuel' for the subsequent real impact.
02 Leverage Strangulation: Two Scenarios for Major Funds to Cleanse Floating Positions
In such a dense trading zone, the core goal of major funds is usually not the direction, but the cleansing of high-leverage speculators. The current sideways movement is 'sharpening the knife', and two scenarios are likely to unfold next:
"Southern Cleansing" script: If the price cannot effectively break through the 3050-3055 USD zone, the market may turn to test support downwards. The first target is 2950 USD, where the dense area of the long and short moving averages is located. Once breached, panic selling may quickly drive the price down to the strong support zone of 2920-2900 USD. If the 'psychological defense line' of 2900 USD is also broken, the price may rapidly pierce into the 'vacuum' area near 2830 USD.
"Northern Breakthrough" script: If the price receives strong support and rebounds in the 2920-2950 USD area, the market's balance will tilt towards the bulls. An effective second upward attack requires breaking through and stabilizing in the 3050-3070 USD range. Once successful, the target will aim directly at the 3100 USD mark. If it can break through 3100 USD with volume and stabilize above 3050 USD on a pullback, a larger level of upward space will be opened, with subsequent targets of 3165 USD, 3200 USD, and even challenging the upper pressure level of 3300-3350 USD of this round of downward trend.
03 Trading Insights: Box Thinking and Certainty Anchor
In the face of such a highly volatile gaming environment, clear trading discipline is more important than precise predictions. Investors can follow the basic rules of 'box trading':
Long Position Strategy: Patiently wait for the price to pull back to the lower support area of 2900-2950 USD box. Try long positions with light positions in this area and strictly set stop losses below 2900 USD. Once this level is breached, it indicates that the short-term balance between bulls and bears has been broken, and one should immediately exit and observe.
Short Position Strategy: When the price rebounds to the upper edge of the 3050-3100 USD box and shows obvious signs of resistance (such as long upper shadows or declining volume), consider a light short position. Be sure to 'take profits quickly' and avoid overextending, as the overall bullish momentum in the market is accumulating.
In this game of seeking high returns, a more certain option should not be overlooked. For instance, allocating part of the assets to a decentralized stablecoin like USDD. Its core value lies not in skyrocketing prices but in providing a 'stable anchor' that is unaffected by drastic market fluctuations. USDD can even provide holders with sustainable on-chain yields through innovative mechanisms like the Smart Allocator. This offers investors another possibility for building a robust foundation for asset portfolios beyond aggressive trading.
04 Long-term Fog: Super Bull Market or Deep Correction?
Peeling away the short-term technical fog, Ethereum's long-term prospects are caught in an astonishing clash of viewpoints. This highlights the high complexity of assessing long-term value at the current point.
On one hand, the extremely optimistic faction represented by Wall Street oracle Tom Lee remains loud. He believes that the current Ethereum price of 3000 USD is 'severely undervalued' and has made an astonishing prediction of up to 15000 USD by the end of 2025. He even compares the present moment to the starting point of Bitcoin's 'super cycle' in 2017. This viewpoint is built on the grand narrative of Ethereum as the core of DeFi, the main platform for RWA (real-world asset) tokenization, and the influx of institutional funds brought by ETFs.
However, dramatically, the internal research report of Fundstrat, co-founded by Tom Lee himself, paints a different picture. The report predicts that, in the first half of 2026, due to potential uncertainties like a government shutdown in the U.S. and changes in the Federal Reserve chair, the crypto market may experience a significant correction, with Ethereum's price potentially falling to the range of 1800-2000 USD. This internal report, provided only to paying clients, sharply contrasts with its founder's public 'super bull market' calls and has triggered widespread doubts about analysts' motivations and integrity.
Ethereum's hesitance at the 3000 USD mark encapsulates the contradictions and anxieties of the entire crypto market: on one side is the infinite longing for technical breakthroughs and narrative revolutions, while on the other side is deep concern over macro risks and valuation bubbles. The short-term leverage strangulation and long-term faith struggle intertwine at this moment.
When everyone is focused on the next fluctuation on the candlestick chart, perhaps we should reflect on a more fundamental question: In a world destined for violent fluctuations, what is truly worth holding for the long term? Is it the dream of chasing a hundred-fold increase, or the certainty of protecting capital and returns? What USDD attempts to build is precisely the latter answer—it does not engage in the gambling of price increases and decreases, but is committed to being the most reliable haven in the storm. Ultimately, those who can survive long-term in the market may not be the 'calculators' with the most accurate predictions, but often those rational players who deeply understand risks and can still retain a 'stable cornerstone' for themselves amidst the frenzy.
