Ethereum Price Rises 2% as Validator Exit Queue Hits Near Zero

The Ethereum price has surged 2% in the last 24 hours to trade at $3224 as of 12 a.m. EST, as the Ethereum validator exit queue drops to almost zero for the first time since July last year.

Data from Beaconcha.in shows only 32 ETH waiting to exit, with a wait time of about one minute. This is a huge 99.9% drop from the mid-September peak of 2.67 million ETH. Analysts say this signals lower selling pressure because fewer validators are unstaking ETH to sell.

At the same time, the entry queue has risen to 1.3 million ETH, its highest level since mid-November. This means more validators are choosing to stake ETH instead of exiting. Asymetrix CTO Rostyk said the exit queue is “basically empty,” adding that no one wants to sell their staked ETH.

ETH staking exit queue is basically empty

No one wants to sell their staked ETH

But all analytics are quiet pic.twitter.com/TzTzpEemKO

— rostyk.eth (@rostyketh) January 5, 2026

AlphaLedger founder Tevis also noted that ETH held on exchanges is at ten-year lows, suggesting selling pressure is fading as more ETH is locked for yield by institutions and ETFs.

The validator exit queue limits how fast validators can leave the Ethereum network to protect stability. While waiting in the queue, validators continue earning rewards but remain active. This is different from the withdrawal queue, which only pays out staking rewards without requiring validators to exit. A near-zero exit queue means there is no backlog of validators trying to leave the network.

A major reason for the rising entry queue is BitMine, the world’s largest Ether treasury. The company began staking ETH on December 26 and added 82,560 ETH on January 3. BitMine has now staked 659,219 ETH, worth about $2.1 billion, and holds over 4.1 million ETH, around 3.4% of total supply.

Ethereum Signals Bullish Breakout as Momentum Builds

Ethereum is trading near $3,227 on the 4-hour chart, and the trend looks bullish. The chart shows a clear parabolic curve, which means price is slowly accelerating upward after a period of consolidation. This kind of structure usually signals steady buying rather than sudden speculative moves.

Earlier, ETH was rejected near the $3,400–$3,500 resistance zone, which caused a pullback. However, the decline was controlled, and the price found strong support around $2,800–$2,900. This area acted as a floor, where buyers stepped in and stopped further downside.

Since the bounce, ETH has moved back above the $3,100–$3,200 zone. This level is important because it previously acted as resistance and is now turning into support. As long as the price holds above this area, the short-term bullish structure remains intact. The parabolic curve also continues to act as dynamic support, guiding the price higher.

The next major resistance is around $3,400. This is the level ETH needs to break and hold above to confirm a stronger upside move. If that happens, the price could push toward $3,600, as suggested by the projected path on the chart. A clean breakout would likely attract more buyers.

The RSI (14) is around 76, which shows strong momentum. This is technically overbought, but in strong trends, RSI can stay high for a while. A short pause or small pullback would be normal and could help reset momentum without breaking the trend.

Structurally, Ethereum is still making higher highs and higher lows, which supports the bullish outlook. There is no clear bearish divergence on RSI, so momentum remains aligned with price. If ETH drops below $3,100, it could signal short-term weakness and a move back toward the parabolic support. However, as long as price stays above $2,900, the broader bullish trend remains valid.

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