Latest Ethereum Classic (ETC) Price Analysis

By CMC AI
25 September 2025 04:01PM (UTC+0)

Why is ETC’s price down today? (25/09/2025)

TLDR

Ethereum Classic (ETC) fell 3.07% to $18.30 in the past 24h, underperforming the broader crypto market (-2.5%). Key drivers:

  1. Tether drops ETC support – USDT stablecoin phased out, reducing liquidity

  2. Technical breakdown – Bearish indicators signal weak momentum

  3. Market-wide risk-off – Altcoins under pressure as BTC dominance rises


Deep Dive

1. Tether’s ETC Withdrawal (Bearish Impact)

Overview: Tether announced on 30 August it will discontinue USDT support on Ethereum Classic, alongside Solana and Tron. This removes a key stablecoin pair used for trading and DeFi on ETC.

What this means: Reduced stablecoin liquidity typically leads to higher volatility and lower trader interest. ETC’s 24h volume ($140M) already fell 1.3% despite the broader market’s 26% volume surge, signaling specific weakness.

What to watch: Migration of remaining USDT liquidity and potential replacements like USDC or DAI.


2. Technical Weakness (Bearish Momentum)

Overview: ETC broke below critical Fibonacci support at $19.08 (78.6% retracement level). The RSI-14 (34.1) nears oversold territory, but MACD (-0.58 vs -0.35 signal line) shows bearish momentum accelerating.

What this means: Traders are reacting to the descending triangle pattern noted in community analyses, with $19.62 now acting as next support. The 200-day SMA ($18.70) provided temporary footing, but a close below could trigger algorithmic sell orders.


3. Altcoin Sentiment Shift (Mixed Impact)

Overview: Bitcoin dominance rose to 58.22% (up 0.5% in 24h) as investors rotated out of mid-cap alts like ETC. The Altcoin Season Index fell 2.82% yesterday, reflecting reduced risk appetite.

What this means: ETC’s 90-day outperformance (+13.3%) made it vulnerable to profit-taking during market pullbacks. Its correlation with ETH (-14.47% vs ETC’s -14.47% monthly drop) shows shared Proof-of-Work narrative risks.


Conclusion

ETC’s drop reflects both coin-specific headwinds (Tether exit, technical breakdown) and sector-wide caution. While oversold conditions could enable a bounce, the loss of a major stablecoin pairing creates structural challenges.

Key watch: Whether ETC holds the 200-day SMA ($18.70) – a breach could accelerate declines toward the 2025 low of $18.14.

Why is ETC’s price up today? (24/09/2025)

TLDR

Ethereum Classic rose 0.5% in the past 24h, underperforming the broader crypto market (-0.15%). The minor uptick appears driven by three factors:

  1. Ecosystem Funding Momentum – New $10M grants program and Hong Kong regulatory alignment (ETC Grants DAO)

  2. Technical Rebound – Oversold RSI (35) and holding above 200-day SMA ($18.70)

  3. Olympia Upgrade Anticipation – EIP-1559 fee burns/DAO governance planned for 2026

Deep Dive

1. Ecosystem Development (Bullish Impact)

Overview:
The ETC Grants DAO announced expanded funding for projects building on Ethereum Classic, backed by a $10M commitment from BITMAIN/ANTPOOL. Concurrently, Hong Kong’s new Web3 regulations position ETC’s Proof-of-Work model as compliant infrastructure for Asian markets.

What this means:
Fresh capital inflows and regulatory tailwinds could attract developers to ETC’s ecosystem. Unlike Ethereum’s PoS, ETC’s PoW avoids staking centralization risks – a narrative gaining traction amid ETH’s rising validator queue.

What to look out for:
Q4 2025 grant disbursements and Asia-focused partnership announcements.

2. Technical Rebound (Neutral Impact)

Overview:
ETC’s RSI14 rebounded from oversold levels (24.38 on 7/9 vs 35.25 now), while the price found support at the 200-day SMA ($18.70). However, MACD remains bearish (-0.21 histogram), and the 7-day SMA ($19.96) caps upside.

What this means:
The bounce lacks conviction – 24h volume fell 0.29% to $135M, and perpetuals funding rates remain neutral. Traders may be cautiously covering shorts rather than initiating new longs.

3. Olympia Upgrade Sentiment (Mixed Impact)

Overview:
ECIP-1111 (EIP-1559 fee burns) and ECIP-1113 (on-chain DAO) are slated for late 2026. While this introduces deflationary mechanics, the 12+ month timeline limits immediate impact.

What this means:
The upgrade addresses ETC’s two historical weaknesses – lack of protocol revenue and centralized development funding. However, with 80% of fees going to a treasury instead of being burned (like ETH), the deflationary effect will be milder than Ethereum’s.

Conclusion

ETC’s muted gains reflect cautious optimism about long-term ecosystem growth, countered by weak technicals and delayed upgrade benefits. While Hong Kong’s regulatory shift offers a strategic moat, ETC needs sustained developer traction to justify holding above $19.

Key watch: Can ETC close above the 23.6% Fibonacci level ($22.09) this week to signal a trend reversal?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.