The price of Ether (ETH) has surged by $730 for the first time since May 2018. Post-obit ETH's breakout, traders are becoming more optimistic in its short-term trajectory.

In that location are two major factors behind ETH's strong rally: a strong technical market structure and the CME Ethereum futures listing in January 2021.

Ethereum continues to run across the "higher high" pattern

In technical analysis, the higher high design often indicates strong momentum because it shows every new peak is higher than the previous superlative.

Ether has continuously rallied over the past week, sustaining the higher high germination. Cryptocurrency trader Scott Melker said:

"Endless series of college highs and college lows, with the near recent low confirmed past a fresh higher high. I deem this pattern the 'Stairway To Heaven.'"

On Dec. 28, Michael van de Poppe, a total-time trader at the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, similarly said that $1,200 to $one,300 is likely for ETH if information technology stays to a higher place $470. He wrote:

"In general, #Ethereum notwithstanding has a very bullish outlook as it'southward been making higher highs and higher lows consistently. This didn't change. As long as $470 holds, the adjacent run will bring the markets towards $1,200-one,300 or a new ATH in Q1 2021."
ETH price chart with key levels. Source: Michael van de Poppe, TradingView.com

Always since Bitcoin broke by its previous all-time high at around $twenty,000, ETH has stagnated against Bitcoin. Hence, for Ether to see a renewed rally, a breakout against Bitcoin is critical.

On the daily chart, ETH has started to demonstrate some gains against Bitcoin, which could fuel newfound need for Ether.

Analysts at Santiment said that ETH miner balances are at a two-yr low and the supply on exchanges is as well declining.

Ethereum supply and miner balances. Source: Santiment

The combination of the two data points indicates that the selling pressure on ETH is dropping. They explained:

"On what is unremarkably the slowest trading day of the week, #Ethereum croaky $700 on a cracking #altcoin Sunday for the outset time since May xix, 2018. $ETH miners balances are at a 2-year low & supply on exchanges at a one.5-year low. Both bang-up validators."

What happens next?

Meanwhile,  futures on the Chicago Mercantile Substitution (CME) are scheduled to launch in 43 days. According to data from Bybt.com, the CME is already the largest futures exchange for Bitcoin in terms of open up interest.

The term open interest refers to the total amount of majuscule that is being actively traded on the commutation. As of December. 28, the CME Bitcoin futures exchange's open interest hovers above $1.67 billion.

Some analysts expect the institutional demand for Bitcoin to eventually spill over into Ethereum in 2021.

If this happens, the CME Ethereum futures exchange would probable see a substantial growth in daily volume and open up interest. Ryan Watkins, a researcher at Messari, said:

"2021 prediction: In 2021 nosotros brainstorm seeing institutions purchase $ETH Once you accept that Bitcoin may be valuable, it opens your mind to the possibility that other cryptoassets may also be valuable. It'southward a much easier bound from $BTC to $ETH from in that location."