Ethereum forms golden cross against Bitcoin after June rally

Ethereum’s recent outperformance and ETF inflows

Ethereum began outperforming Bitcoin following a local low at 0.025 on June 6. Its rally has been supported by renewed inflows into cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds and growing on-chain activity. Notably, Robinhood recently launched a new Layer 2 network that utilizes Ethereum as its native gas token, which has contributed to an increase in transactional demand on the Ethereum blockchain.

The price resurgence was further confirmed when Ethereum broke above the 0.027 level, a point that aligns with the 50-day moving average. This breakout followed a prolonged consolidation period after a multi-week decline, which started in mid-April. Since April 23, Ethereum had been trading below its daily 50-day moving average until this latest move, signaling renewed market confidence.

Mini dictionary: Golden cross – A chart pattern where a short-term moving average crosses above a long-term moving average, typically seen as a bullish signal by technical analysts.

Technical signals and market sentiment

Alex Thorn, Head of Research at Galaxy, highlighted this price action in a post, drawing attention to the potential implications for the ETH/BTC trading pair. Thorn noted that market sentiment at the start of 2026 was primarily positive, even though Ethereum experienced a death cross—a bearish technical signal—against Bitcoin on the daily chart.

Market optimism at the beginning of the year led many investors to overlook the importance of the death cross on the ETH/BTC pair, even as Ethereum gradually declined relative to Bitcoin.

As the year progressed, Ethereum underperformed compared to Bitcoin until the recent reversal. The market has become increasingly attentive to potential bottoming signals on the ETH/BTC pair, since historical data shows that rallies in altcoins often occur when Ethereum gains strength over Bitcoin.

Current indicators and market outlook

The relative strength index (RSI) on different timeframes has moved from oversold territories to more neutral or positive zones. However, analysts cautioned that no definitive price reversal has been confirmed yet.

Traders often view increases in the ETH/BTC ratio as a sign that risk appetite is returning, since periods of Ethereum strength typically coincide with improved altcoin performance.

Market watchers are closely observing whether the formation of the golden cross on the hourly chart will lead to further upside for Ethereum against Bitcoin. Factors such as ETF inflows and Layer 2 adoption continue to influence sentiment, but technical confirmation remains pending.