Citigroup has projected Ethereum (ETH) to end the year at $4,300, citing steady investor demand and the growing role of the network in stablecoins and asset tokenization.
While the target reflects optimism, it remains below Ethereum’s all-time high of $4,955, reached just last month. Citi analysts noted that recent price gains seem to be fueled more by market sentiment and speculative buying than by core fundamentals.
“Current trading levels are running ahead of network activity estimates, likely driven by increased buying pressure and enthusiasm for use cases,” Citi wrote in a recent note.
Unlike Bitcoin, which relies mainly on price appreciation, Ethereum offers staking rewards, making it increasingly attractive to institutions and investors seeking yield opportunities.
However, Citi also expects inflows into Ethereum ETFs to be more modest compared to Bitcoin products.
For context, Standard Chartered recently raised its year-end forecast for ETH to $7,500, pointing to stronger corporate adoption and long-term growth in the stablecoin market — which it believes could expand eightfold by 2028, boosting Ethereum network activity and fees.
Citi outlined two additional scenarios:
- Bull case: ETH could climb to $6,400 with broader adoption of Ethereum-based applications.
- Bear case: A drop to $2,200 in the event of macroeconomic weakness and declining equity markets.
Meanwhile, U.S. equities closed higher last Friday, with the Dow Jones gaining 0.3%, the S&P 500 up 0.5%, and the Nasdaq advancing 0.7%.
