Bitcoin Struggles Below $86K—Is Ethereum’s Fee Dip a Bullish Signal?

Bitcoin (BTC) continues to struggle beneath the $86,000 level as market conditions remain tough. At around $85,100 currently, the top cryptocurrency has been buffeted by worldwide economic uncertainty, with U.S. trade policies being a specific sore point. Investors are holding back in anticipation of April 2, when President Donald Trump’s expected “Liberation Day” is scheduled to see fresh tariff announcements.

Although Bitcoin’s downfall is commonly associated with rising trade tensions, information indicates that price challenges began before Trump’s return to power. Spot Bitcoin ETFs had $2.75 billion of net inflows over three weeks after January 21, reflecting ongoing institutional interest despite market volatility.

Three are the essential factors holding Bitcoin back from further gains, according to analysts: failure to advance Trump’s planned strategic national Bitcoin reserve, falling inflation tempering Bitcoin’s inflation hedge allure, and rising risk aversion in response to a slowing labor market. Technical experts point to the $84,500 level as a pivotal resistance level for BTC to retake to reverse bearish momentum.

Ethereum Revenue Drops as Blob Fees Hit 2025 Lows

Ethereum (ETH) continued on its losing streak, producing four red candles in a row for the month and declining by 18.47% in March. This is a bearish run not witnessed even during the 2022 bear market. Ethereum’s relative performance vis-a-vis Bitcoin has also deteriorated, with the ETH/BTC level touching a five-year low of 0.021.

Ethereum investors are most concerned with its waning profitability. Its income from “blob fees”–utilized by layer-2 scaling products–dropped to a mere 3.18 ETH (around $6,000) for the period ending March 30. That is a 73% reduction from the earlier week and a 95% decrease since mid-March.

The fall in fee revenues comes after Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade in March 2024, which transferred layer-2 transaction data to off-chain storage, lowering transaction fees but also slicing the network’s revenue. Monthly fees fell to $22 million in March, a six-year low since June 2020, indicating lower network usage and softening market interest.

Despite all these challenges, historical trends indicate a possible temporary bottom for Ethereum. On previous occasions where ETH posted three or more consecutive bearish monthly candles, the subsequent recovery was relatively short-lived. Some analysts project cautiously a 75% probability that Ethereum will see gains in April, though sentiment is mixed.

TRON (TRX) Shows Resilience, Eyes $0.35 Price Target

In contrast to Bitcoin and Ethereum, TRON (TRX) has also indicated signs of strength, having traded in positive terms on several timeframes. TRX has registered 1% gains on the daily chart, 4.7% on the last week, 4.6% on the last 14 days, and a whopping 92.3% since March 2024.

Predictions by websites such as CoinCodex and Changelly indicate that TRX may hit $0.35 on April 18—a possible 52% rise from the current values. However, analysts do not foresee TRX holding on to this high, with forecasts predicting the pullback towards late May.

Even as TRON performed well, macroeconomic issues may risk its progress. From April 2, the U.S. will impose tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada, the introduction of which may bring about market uncertainty. Although TRX has been resilient, the overall economic situation is still a key determinant of its future direction.