• Ethereum rally above $2,100 follows a sharp spike in open interest.
• A break above the resistance at $2,175 could open the path toward $2,500.
• Large ETH withdrawals from exchanges point to tightening supply.

Ethereum has climbed above the $2,100 after a strong daily rally that pushed the asset higher amid renewed interest in derivatives markets.

The move follows a period of consolidation that had kept the price trapped near the $2,000 level for several sessions.

The surge has now placed the $2,500 region firmly on the radar of short-term traders.

At the same time, comments from Vitalik Buterin about the future direction of the network have sparked fresh discussion across the ecosystem.

Open interest spike signals renewed trader activity

One of the strongest signals behind the recent price jump is the sharp rise in derivatives market activity.

Open interest (OI) in Ethereum futures has climbed significantly in recent weeks as traders increase their exposure to the asset.

The open interest reflects the total number of active futures contracts and often rises when new money enters the market.

The latest spike indicates that traders are positioning for larger price swings in the coming sessions.

Besides the increase in open interest, short liquidations also played a key role in the rally that pushed Ethereum above $2,100.

When bearish traders are forced to close positions, they must buy back the asset, which can quickly accelerate upward momentum.

This chain reaction tends to create sudden bursts of volatility that drive prices higher within a short time frame.

However, derivatives data still shows mixed sentiment among traders, with funding rates shifting between positive and negative levels, suggesting that the market remains divided on the next direction.

Ethereum supply tightens as investors withdraw coins

Another factor supporting the recent recovery is a notable decline in the amount of Ethereum held on centralised exchanges.

According to data obtained from CryptoQuant, Large amounts of ETH have been moved away from trading platforms over the past month.

These withdrawals from crypto exchanges often indicate that investors intend to hold their assets for a longer period rather than sell them immediately.

When coins leave exchanges, the amount available for instant trading becomes smaller.

This shift can create tighter supply conditions, especially if demand begins to increase at the same time.

On-chain data also shows that large investors have continued to accumulate Ethereum during recent market weakness.

This trend suggests that some market participants view current prices as attractive entry levels.

Such accumulation can help stabilise the market during periods of volatility.

Ethereum technical analysis place $2,500 in focus

From a technical perspective, Ethereum’s price is currently trading between key support and resistance zones.

The $2,023 region has emerged as an important short-term support level based on recent price movements.

A break below that zone could expose the market to further downside toward the $1,901 support area.

On the upside, the $2,175 level has repeatedly acted as immediate resistance.

A sustained move above this barrier could open the door for a rally toward the next resistance near $2,396.

If buying pressure remains strong, the market may then shift its focus toward the $2,525 region.

This level sits close to the psychological $2,500 mark that many traders are watching.

A decisive breakout above this area would signal a stronger bullish trend forming in the short term.

Vitalik Buterin says, “Ethereum needs to scale”

Beyond the price charts, discussion around Ethereum’s long-term direction has intensified following recent comments from Vitalik Buterin.

The Ethereum co-founder has emphasised the importance of developing what he described as “sanctuary” technology within the ecosystem.

This concept centres on strengthening decentralisation and ensuring that Ethereum remains a secure and neutral platform.

Buterin also highlighted concerns that some scaling solutions are drifting away from Ethereum’s core security model.

His remarks have sparked debate about how the network should evolve as demand continues to grow.

Some observers believe these discussions could influence how developers approach future upgrades and scaling strategies.

Threat researchers at Google say they have uncovered a new exploit kit targeting Apple iPhone users, aimed at stealing crypto wallet seed phrases. 

The kit, named “Coruna” by its developers, targets iPhones running iOS versions 13.0 up to 17.2.1. It has “five full iOS exploit chains and a total of 23 exploits,” including ones that were previously unknown to the public, the Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said in a report on Wednesday.

The group said it first discovered the kit in February 2025 and has since tracked its use by a suspected Russian espionage group against Ukrainians, and later on fake Chinese crypto websites that aim to steal crypto.

GTIG said the kit doesn’t work with the latest version of iOS and urged iPhone users to update their devices to the latest software version. If that isn’t possible, users should put the phone in “Lockdown Mode,” which Apple says can counter sophisticated attacks.

Kit targets crypto via fake websites

GTIG said it came across parts of an iOS exploit in February 2025 in which a customer of a surveillance company used JavaScript to fingerprint the device to deliver the appropriate exploit.

Later that year, it found the same JavaScript framework hidden on multiple compromised Ukrainian websites that was “only delivered to selected iPhone users from a specific geolocation.”

GTIG said it then found the same framework in December “on a very large set of fake Chinese websites mostly related to finance,” including one that spoofed the crypto exchange WEEX.

When a user accesses the websites with an iOS device, the framework delivers the exploit kit and hunts for financial information, including analyzing texts containing seed phrases and keywords such as “backup phrase” or “bank account.”

Related: ‘ClickFix’ hackers pose as VCs, hijack QuickLens in latest crypto attacks

The kit also seeks out popular crypto apps, including Uniswap and MetaMask, to extract crypto or sensitive information.

Coruna’s US intelligence origins debated

GTIG did not name the customer of the surveillance company from which the exploit kit is said to have originated, but the mobile security company iVerify told WIRED it could have been built or bought by the US government.