Ethereum (ETH) is holding beneath $2,000, leaving many buyers underwater because the downtrend extends into February 2026.
Regardless of the sustained weak point, BitMine has maintained a bullish stance on Ethereum. This raises a key query: Is their confidence pushed by narrative or sentiment, or is there one other issue behind their conviction?
Ethereum’s Ache Reaches ninth Decile: What Does That Imply For The Value?
In an in depth publish on X (previously Twitter), BitMine highlighted the analysis by Sean Farrell, Fundstrat’s Head of Digital Asset Technique, specializing in Ethereum’s realized value. That is an on-chain valuation metric that displays the common acquisition value of all cash presently in circulation.
In line with the info, Ethereum’s realized value stands at $2,241. On the time of the evaluation, the asset was buying and selling close to $1,934.
This leaves the common holder within the crimson. In line with Fundstrat’s mannequin, the “loss for realized price was 22%.”
Ethereum’s Realized Value Evaluation Displaying the Hole Between On-Chain Value Foundation and Market Value. Supply: X/BitMine
The evaluation in contrast the present drawdown to prior cycle lows. Through the 2022 bear market, Ethereum traded as a lot as 39% beneath its realized value. In 2025, the low cost reached roughly 21%.
“If we apply this ‘loss’ to the current realized ETH price of $2,241, we get implied ‘lows’ for ETH. Using 2022, this implies $1,367. Using 2025, this implies $1,770,” the evaluation famous.
Utilizing a decile evaluation, the publish revealed that the present drawdown falls into the ninth decile (extraordinarily excessive). For context, a decile evaluation is a quantitative technique utilized in statistics, finance, and advertising and marketing to section a dataset into 10 equal-sized teams (deciles) based mostly on the distribution of a selected variable.
The info means that the median 12-month ahead return on this decile was roughly 81%, with a 12-month win ratio of 87%. In different phrases, in most historic cases when ETH reached comparable drawdown ranges, it was buying and selling larger one 12 months later.
“Is this the bottom? Seems like we are closing in on that low. Looking beyond the near-term, the risk/reward for ETH is positive,” the publish learn.
ETH Returns by Decile. Supply: X/BitMine
BitMine Chairman Tom Lee beforehand emphasised that sharp drawdowns are a recurring characteristic of Ethereum’s value historical past. Since 2018, ETH has skilled eight separate declines of fifty% or extra from native highs, suggesting that corrections of this magnitude have occurred roughly as soon as per 12 months.
In 2025, Ethereum fell 64% between January and March. Regardless of that steep drop, the asset later rebounded considerably.
“ETH sees V-shaped recoveries from major lows. This happened in each of the 8 prior declines of 50% or more. A similar recovery is expected in 2026. The best investment opportunities in crypto have presented themselves after declines. Think back to 2025, the single best entry points in crypto occurred after markets fell sharply due to tariff concerns,” Lee stated.
Ethereum Restoration Might Be Essential for BitMine’s $7 Billion Underwater Place
If Ethereum delivers a sustained restoration with robust upside returns, it may characterize a significant inflection level for buyers, significantly BitMine. The corporate’s unrealized losses have expanded to roughly $7 billion, in response to CryptoQuant knowledge.
BitMine Unrealized Losses on Ethereum Holdings. Supply: CryptoQuant
On the identical time, BitMine seems to be reinforcing its bullish stance by way of continued accumulation. Lookonchain reported that the agency bought 10,000 ETH from Kraken immediately.
This transaction adopted a a lot bigger single-day acquisition of 35,000 ETH. BitMine acquired 20,000 ETH from BitGo and 15,000 ETH from FalconX.
Taken collectively, the purchases recommend that regardless of mounting unrealized losses, BitMine is positioning for a possible upside state of affairs quite than decreasing publicity.
