Michaël van de Poppe Says Ethereum Could Reach $15,000-$20,000 This Cycle
Ethereum could eventually reach between $15,000 and $20,000 during the current bull cycle, according to crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe. He argued that the previous cycle was unusually weak for altcoins and said the current market is beginning to resemble the conditions seen during the 2017 crypto boom.
Van de Poppe Sees a Different Ethereum Cycle
Van de Poppe said he would not be surprised to see ETH reach the $15,000-$20,000 range before the current bull cycle ends. The forecast would represent a substantial increase from Ethereum’s recent price near $2,600, making it a long-term scenario rather than a near-term price target.
The analyst’s argument is based partly on the performance of altcoins during previous cycles. He described the last bull cycle as extremely weak for altcoins and suggested that the current environment could produce a much larger expansion if capital rotates into the sector.
Van de Poppe specifically compared the current setup with 2017, when Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies experienced dramatic gains as the broader market expanded. His comparison is based on market structure and the potential for stronger altcoin participation, rather than evidence that the same price pattern must repeat.
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A separate technical observation from trader Gert van Lagen is also part of the discussion. Van Lagen said Ethereum was positioned to print a higher high on the weekly close and argued that the bearish downtrend that began in mid-2025 had been broken, with a subsequent higher low needed for confirmation.
That technical distinction is important because breaking a long-term downtrend does not automatically establish a sustained bull market. Traders generally look for follow-through, higher lows and continued buying pressure before treating a trend change as confirmed.
Ethereum has already shown stronger price action in September. Recent market data placed ETH around $2,600 on September 20 after a recovery from the low-$2,400 area, although the asset remained below important resistance levels.
What Would Ethereum Need for $15,000?
One important level currently being monitored is around $2,672. Recent technical analysis identified that area as a major Fibonacci resistance level, with a weekly close above it potentially opening a path toward the $2,950-$3,000 region.
That makes the distance between today’s market and Van de Poppe’s long-term target particularly large. Even a move toward $3,000 would only represent an early stage of the much bigger $15,000-$20,000 scenario he outlined.
Ethereum would therefore need sustained demand well beyond the current recovery for such a move to develop. That could involve stronger institutional flows, expanding network activity, favorable liquidity conditions and a broader return of capital to large and smaller altcoins.
ETF activity is already influencing the short-term market. Recent reporting showed significant spot Ethereum ETF inflows during the latest recovery, although flows have not been consistently positive throughout September. That uneven institutional demand means the market still faces periods of selling pressure even during broader rallies.
Related: New Group “Ethereum Institutional” Launches to Target Institutional Adoption
Ethereum’s upcoming network developments could also remain part of the longer-term narrative. The next major Ethereum upgrade, Glamsterdam, is moving through testnet preparation, giving investors another fundamental development to monitor alongside price and capital flows.
Still, the $15,000-$20,000 range should be treated specifically as Van de Poppe’s bullish cycle scenario. It is not an established market target, and the comparison with 2017 does not guarantee that Ethereum or the broader altcoin market will reproduce the returns seen during that period.
For ETH holders, the more immediate question is whether Ethereum can establish itself above the $2,600-$2,672 region and turn those levels into support. A sustained break would provide stronger technical evidence for the bullish case, while rejection could keep ETH within a broader consolidation range.
Van de Poppe’s prediction ultimately depends on a much larger altcoin cycle developing than the one seen previously. If Ethereum enters a prolonged expansion phase and capital increasingly moves into altcoins, his $15,000-$20,000 scenario becomes one of the long-term price cases traders may monitor. For now, it remains a high-end forecast that requires several stages of confirmation.
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