Whale Garrett Jin: Ethereum's strong return to the key channel, fifth wave target $5,413

Beijing Time January 14, according to Gate market data, ETH/USDT quotes reached $3,329, with a significant increase within 24 hours. Behind this rise is an important shift occurring in the market’s technical structure.

Renowned market observer, known as the “BTC OG Inner Whale” agent Garrett Jin, posted the latest technical analysis on social media, clearly indicating that Ethereum has re-entered the fifth wave of the upward channel that began in April 2025, and provided a clear target.

01 Technical Turning Point

According to Garrett Jin’s analysis, Ethereum’s market structure has recently completed a key transition. He believes that the C wave downtrend, which started on October 10 of last year, was hindered around November 20.

More importantly, the fifth wave of decline was declared failed on December 18. This failure is often seen by technical analysts as a critical signal of “bear momentum exhaustion,” implying that the months-long correction may have ended.

As the downward momentum wanes, the market focus begins to shift upward. Jin judges that Ethereum has now re-entered the long-term upward channel that started in April last year, and has begun the fifth wave of upward movement within that channel.

02 Clear Targets

Based on the above technical judgment, Garrett Jin has provided clear price targets. The primary theoretical target for the fifth wave rise is $5,413.

Additionally, he proposed a more aggressive target of $7,155. These two targets offer market participants a clear reference path, but achieving the aggressive target requires stronger market momentum and macroeconomic support.

This optimistic analysis is also corroborated by recent shifts in market capital flow. Jin previously pointed out that as traditional precious metals like platinum, palladium, and silver experienced significant pullbacks, market funds are shifting from these “overcrowded” sectors to relatively undervalued assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

03 Market Validation

Market movements on January 14 seem to provide immediate validation for this technical analysis. Ethereum’s price successfully broke through the key psychological level of $3,300, with intraday gains exceeding 7%.

The broader market also showed a positive trend. Bitcoin rose simultaneously, briefly surpassing $96,000; mainstream altcoins like (SOL) also experienced widespread gains. This coordinated rise usually indicates an overall increase in market risk appetite.

Whale activity also added confidence to the market. Data shows that a certain Ethereum whale, after holding long positions for several days, began to realize partial profits, with its contract account achieving substantial gains in the past week.

04 Macro Resonance

The strengthening of Ethereum’s technical outlook is not an isolated event; it resonates with the broader macro landscape. Garrett Jin pointed out that the Nasdaq 100 index has lagged, while the Russell 2000 index (representing small and mid-cap stocks) continues to hit new highs.

This rotation of funds from large-cap stocks to small and mid-cap stocks is often interpreted as a sign of increased market risk appetite. As a high-beta (high volatility, high risk) asset in the crypto market, Bitcoin and Ethereum tend to benefit from this trend, becoming the next recipients of incremental capital.

Meanwhile, the 52-week correlation between Bitcoin and gold has fallen near zero, the first time since mid-2022. Historical data shows that when this correlation turns negative, Bitcoin often experiences strong gains in the following two months.

05 Ecosystem Support

Beyond technical analysis and macro background, progress within the Ethereum ecosystem also provides support. Recently, stablecoin protocols Ethena Labs and Safe Foundation reached a strategic partnership to promote the adoption of their synthetic dollar USDe on the Ethereum mainnet.

The cooperation includes reducing or even waiving Gas costs for USDe transactions, which could directly lower user costs on the Ethereum network and enhance its attractiveness.

Additionally, traditional financial giant Franklin Templeton is upgrading its money market funds to make them suitable for blockchain and regulated stablecoin markets. These developments collectively point to a trend: mainstream capital and compliant applications are increasingly integrating into the Ethereum ecosystem.

06 Rational Navigation

In the face of clear technical targets and positive market sentiment, rational navigation strategies are especially important. Garrett Jin’s analysis provides a clear technical roadmap, but the market always contains uncertainties.

On mainstream trading platforms like Gate, investors can utilize a variety of tools to manage risk. For example, combining the first target of $5,413 and the more aggressive target of $7,155 provided by whale signals, to formulate a phased investment plan.

It is important to note that no technical analysis is an absolute prediction. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile, and even within an upward channel, short-term pullbacks and consolidations are inevitable.

Future Outlook

As of January 14, Gate platform data shows that Ethereum has continued to consolidate at high levels after breaking through $3,300. This trend, driven by a structural shift in technology, is attracting the attention of traders worldwide.

Whether Ethereum’s fifth wave can proceed smoothly remains debated. However, the views of whale Garrett Jin and the current price movements form a subtle resonance, with some whale addresses having realized profits of millions of dollars through contract trading in the past week.

As traditional financial market funds begin to rotate, blockchain networks lower user barriers, and technical charts signal a clear shift, Ethereum’s next move may no longer be just a forecast point on a chart.