ETH Explodes Past $2,700 as Q3 Performance Surpasses 2016 Levels

Ethereum has had its strongest third quarter since 2016, according to CoinGlass' quarterly returns chart. The cryptocurrency is up 67.57% in Q3 2026 with nine days still left for the September quarter to end.

This significant price increase comes after Ethereum suffered two consecutive negative quarters in the first half of 2026, losing roughly 29% in Q1 and another 25% in Q2.

The $2500 resistance level has been broken, with Ethereum trading at $2,716.86 at press time after a hike of 5.7% in the past 24 hours. Despite this bullish trend, some analysts are warning that increased selling pressure may be on the horizon due to validators waiting to withdraw their staked ETH.

However, Alphractal's Founder and CEO Joao Wedson notes that Ethereum exchange reserves are declining, which can signal reduced immediate selling pressure. This opposing behavior between Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange reserves may indicate a strong continuation phase in favor of the bulls.