Ethereum had a rocky 2025. It entered the year at around $3,300 following a strong Q4 2024, but quickly lost all of its momentum and dumped hard after the first wave of Trump-induced tariff threats. By early April, it had lost roughly 60% of its value, plunging to $1,400.
However, this turned out to be a proper buy-the-dip opportunity as ETH turned the tables in the following months and recorded a new all-time high of just under $5,000 in late August. As the community was anticipating another run to above that level, the trend changed once again, and ETH ended 2025 beneath $3,000. Moreover, it had nine monthly red closes in 2025, a first since the full-on bear market in 2018.
Consequently, we decided to ask ChatGPT about its opinion of ETH’s yearly performance in 2026.
The Bear Scenario
The popular AI solution warned that if the bears continue to control the market, the second-largest cryptocurrency could be on the verge of another massive decline to and below $2,000. It admitted that ETH struggled under the weight of several factors in 2025, such as “persistent selling pressure, weak on-chain activity growth, and rising competition from faster, cheaper Layer-1s.”
If market conditions worsen or capital continues to rotate away from Ethereum, the AI platform predicted that the underlying asset could “revisit the $1,500-$2,000 range, erasing much of its post-merge gains.”
Such a move would represent antoher 60% drawdown from cycle highs, a scenario that would “severely test long-term holders,” it added.
The Bull Market Narrative
In contrast, ChatGPT’s most bullish scenario envisions a massive price run to as high as the low five digits. This so-called “most aggressive forecast” sees ETH reclaiming market leadership in “dramatic fashion.”
If Ethereum reasserts itself as the settlement layer for global finance, benefits from renewed DeFi growth, and experiences institutional adoption acceleration, the upside for its price movements can be “massive.”
In a full-on bull market, especially if it’s driven by real utility rather than speculation, ETH could skyrocket to somewhere between $7,000 and $10,000, ChatGPT explained.
Conclusion
The AI chatbot indicated the ETH enters the new year in an “unfamiliar position: battered, doubted, and written off by many.” It added that whether the asset sinks toward $1,500 or explodes toward $10,000, its next move could “redefine the entire crypto market – and 2026 may be the year that decides its fate.”
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