Ethereum Slips as Anticipation Builds Ahead of Options Expiry, Bitcoin Hovers Above $112,000

The crypto market showed some signs of stability on Thursday after recent fluctuations, and CoinMarketCap data showed Bitcoin (BTC) was trading at $112,928 (roughly Rs. 98.99 lakh), up by 1.2 percent in the last 24 hours. On the contrary, Ethereum (ETH) slipped 1.3 percent to $4,570 (roughly Rs. 4 lakh), as anticipation builds ahead of the expiry of ETH options worth $5 billion on Friday. Analysts believe this could also impact broader market momentum. On Indian exchanges, Bitcoin is trading at Rs. 98.8 lakh, while Ether is at Rs. 3.8 lakh.

Altcoins Show Modest Gains As ETF Inflows Boost Sentiment

Investor capital is rotating across the market, as beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, altcoins have also shown mixed outcomes in the last 24 hours. Solana rose 3.8 percent to $212 (roughly Rs. 18,550), extending its recent resilience, while BNB gained 0.9 percent to $871 (roughly Rs. 76,300). Dogecoin climbed by 0.6 percent to $0.22 (roughly Rs. 19) as bulls position for a favourable breakout. XRP edged up 0.4 percent to $3.01 (roughly Rs. 260), reflecting cautious optimism. 

Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder & CEO of Pi42, said, “Bitcoin is once again on the edge, slipping toward $111,000 as whales shift positions and short-term losses pressure the market. It has since steadied near $112,000, but the risk of further downside remains if key support gives way. All eyes are now on Ethereum's massive $5 billion options expiry due Friday, which could act as a catalyst for broader market direction. If ETH breaks higher, optimism is there in the market for a potential 20–30 percent rally across altcoins like Dogecoin and Solana.”

According to the CoinSwitch Markets Desk, “Ethereum spot ETFs pulled in a record ~$455 million in net inflows—marking the second time this week ETH ETFs outpaced BTC—with BlackRock's ETHA alone contributing ~$323 million and Fidelity's FETH $85 million. In contrast, Bitcoin ETFs saw modest inflows of approximately $92 million.”

Edul Patel, Co-founder and CEO of Mudrex, added: “The crypto market is attempting a bounce back with Bitcoin holding above $111,000. Bitcoin ETFs recorded $219 million in net inflows after six days of outflows. Meanwhile, Ethereum also gained about 4 percent… ETH saw about 208,000 ETH withdrawn from exchanges, suggesting investors are moving assets into cold storage, reducing sell-side pressure.”

Macroeconomic data such as US initial jobless claims and GDP numbers due later today could set the course in the upcoming days. Presently, Bitcoin eyes $113,000, while Ethereum eyes a breakthrough above $4,700 and builds towards an ATH of $5,000.