Sentiment across the cryptocurrency market appeared to shift as Ethereum drew renewed attention from whales and institutions. That shift coincided with fresh exchange outflows and a bullish technical breakout, placing ETH firmly in focus.

Data from CoinGlass showed that over the past 24 hours, more than $5.66 million worth of ETH has flowed out of exchanges, indicating potential accumulation.

Notably, this trend has continued for the past three consecutive days, even as Ethereum’s [ETH] price trended higher.

Source: CoinGlass

At the same time, U.S. spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds continued to see steady inflows.

Data from SoSoValue showed that on the 5th of January, a massive $168.13 million in inflows was recorded. Notably, BlackRock’s ETHA accounted for the largest share, with $102.90 million in inflows.

Source: SoSoValue

Price and volume moved in tandem

At press time, Ethereum traded near $3,220 and was up 1.95% over the previous 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. Trading volume surged 52% to $25.15 billion during the same period.

That alignment between rising price and higher Spot Volume suggested broad market participation rather than isolated buying.

ETH broke a key chart structure

According to AMBCrypto’s technical analysis, ETH broke out of a symmetrical triangle pattern on the daily chart. The altcoin also closed a daily candle above the pattern and the $3,185 resistance level.

Source: TradingView

That breakout shifted short-term structure in favor of buyers. If ETH held above $3,170, the price could rise 11.75% toward the $3,600 region.

Even so, a drop below $3,170 would weaken the bullish setup and reopen downside risk.

Apart from price action, technical indicators such as the Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and the Average Directional Index (ADX) showed mixed signals.

On the daily chart, ETH successfully crossed above the 50-day EMA, signaling that the altcoin was in an uptrend on a shorter time frame.

However, the Average Directional Index stood at 24.56, below the 25 level that typically confirms strong directional momentum. That suggested the trend remained fragile despite the breakout.

CoinGlass data showed dense liquidation clusters near $3,186.9 on the downside and $3,284.1 on the upside. Those levels acted as near-term support and resistance for leveraged traders.

Source: CoinGlass

This left ETH’s next move dependent on whether buyers could defend support and pressure short positions above resistance.

Final Thoughts

• Ethereum’s recent breakout gained credibility from exchange outflows and sustained ETF demand, even as momentum indicators lagged.
• That balance suggested growing interest without full conviction, leaving ETH’s next leg dependent on how traders respond around key levels.