The cryptocurrency market is having a positive start to the day, with Bitcoin, Ether, and other major cryptocurrencies currently in the green.
Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, is up 2.3% in the last 24 hours and is now trading above $2k.
The positive performance comes as BlackRock intensifies its effort to launch an Ethereum staking ETF.
The momentum indicators have also flipped bullish, suggesting that ETH could rally higher in the near term.
BlackRock begins purchasing ETH for its Ether staking ETF
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has increased its efforts towards launching a yield-generating Ethereum fund in the US.
In its S-1 filing with the SEC on Tuesday, BlackRock stated that its affiliate purchased 4,000 seed shares at $25 each, providing $100,000 in initial capital for the trust.
The asset manager also mentioned that the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF will trade under the ticker ETHB.
The fund will stake as much of the Trust’s ether as practicable, equating to 70%–95% under normal market circumstances.
BlackRock pointed out that early 2026 reference benchmarks show annualized rates around 3% on average.
These historical ranges are descriptive of average network conditions over those periods and do not guarantee future results,” noting “rewards trended lower as validator participation grew.
BlackRock already offers a spot Ether ETF (ETHA), which is currently the largest ETH-based exchange-traded fund.
This fund offers pure price tracking without yield.
The filing revealed a sponsor fee of 0.25% per year, with a promotional waiver reducing it to 0.12% for the first $2.5 billion in assets under management during the first 12 months after launch.
The Ethereum staking ETF will also allocate 18% cut of gross staking rewards by the sponsor, BlackRock, and execution agent, Coinbase Prime, with the remaining net rewards accruing to the trust and, ultimately, shareholders.
Finally, between 5% and 30% of the fund’s total ETH would be held in reserve to facilitate creations, redemptions, and operational needs.
Ether tops $2k, eyes rejection around $2,149
The ETH/USD 4-hour chart is bearish and efficient despite Ethereum adding 2% to its value in the last 24 hours.
Ether’s price was rejected near the upper consolidation range at $2,149 on Sunday and dipped to the $1,926 support level earlier this week.
It has temporarily recovered and is now trading at $2,022.
If the recovery fails, Ether could extend its correction towards the lower consolidation range at $1,747.
Similar to Bitcoin, Ether’s RSI has turned bullish and now reads 54.
The MACD indicator printed a bullish crossover on Saturday that remains intact, indicating a bullish bias on the 4-hour timeframe.
If the recovery continues, ETH could rally towards the $2,149 resistance level.
An extended bullish scenario would bring the next key resistance level at $2,400 into focus.
https://invezz.com/news/2026/02/18/ether-tops-2k-as-blackrock-accumulates-eth-check-forecast/
