Santiment: Ethereum social sentiment at pre‑rally lows while on‑chain growth and staking surge
Santiment analyst Brian Quinlivan reports that Ethereum social media sentiment has dropped to levels seen before ETH’s dramatic 2025 rally, even as on‑chain network growth and staking activity accelerate. ETH trades around $3,099–$3,113, down roughly 36% from the August 2025 peak near $4,900 and about 4.5% lower over 30 days following a broad October market liquidation. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index sits in “Fear” (~29), indicating weak market sentiment. Santiment highlights strong network fundamentals — surging active addresses and rising staking demand — describing network growth as “going bonkers.” The firm frames low social sentiment as a possible contrarian bullish signal if it reverses as it did before the 2025 rally. Derivatives and prediction markets show notable upside expectations for 2026 (markets imply materially higher ETH targets), while Bitcoin remains the investor favorite and may consolidate near term. For traders: weigh bearish social sentiment and overall market fear against improving on‑chain adoption metrics and growing staking demand when sizing positions and setting risk management; social sentiment reversal has historically preceded sharp ETH rallies.
Bullish
The net effect is mildly bullish for ETH. Negative social sentiment and a low Fear & Greed score signal short‑term caution and potential volatility, but Santiment’s reported surge in on‑chain activity and staking shows improving fundamentals and growing demand. Historically, social sentiment troughs followed by reversals have preceded strong ETH rallies (notably in 2025), and the presence of upside bets in derivatives and prediction markets reinforces market participants’ expectations of higher prices in 2026. Short term, expect continued price sensitivity and possible consolidation as market fear dominates; traders should manage risk (smaller position sizes, stop orders). Medium to long term, sustained on‑chain growth and increasing staking demand support a bullish thesis for ETH if sentiment begins to recover — a social sentiment reversal could catalyze a rapid price move higher.