As Ethereum ($ETH) trades just below the $3,000 level, an artificial intelligence model is projecting that the asset is likely to surpass this threshold on the first day of the new year.

Notably, as of press time, $ETHwas trading at $2,957, having plunged more than 3% over the past 24 hours. On a weekly basis, however, the asset is up 0.28%.

$ETHprice prediction

Regarding the price outlook, Finbold turned to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which projected that the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is likely to open 2026 trading near $3,200, with a wide but balanced range reflecting both supportive fundamentals and persistent macroeconomic and technical risks.

According to the model, the most probable outcome is a base-case scenario in which Ethereum trades between $3,000 and $3,300 on January 1, 2026. This outlook assumes range-bound trading into late December 2025, continued volatility without a systemic breakdown, and steady demand emerging near key support levels.

Under these conditions, the market is expected to transition into a mild early-2026 uptrend, keeping prices broadly aligned with current structural levels and algorithmic forecasts.

ChatGPT’s analysis also outlined a bullish scenario that places Ethereum closer to the $4,000 mark by the start of 2026. This outcome is tied to sustained institutional and spot ETF inflows, rising activity across layer-2 networks and decentralized finance, and a decisive break above resistance in the $3,300 to $3,500 zone.

A more constructive macro environment could further amplify momentum, allowing prices to extend toward the $3,800 to $4,200 range, although the model assigns a lower probability to this scenario.

$ETHbearish price outlook

On the downside, the AI model flagged a bearish path in which Ethereum could retreat toward the $2,500 area. This scenario is linked to a broader macroeconomic downturn, prolonged risk-off sentiment, continued outflows from crypto investment products, or regulatory and liquidity pressures that undermine key technical supports. In such a case, prices could slide into a $2,200 to $2,700 range by early 2026.

Balancing these outcomes, ChatGPT’s central forecast places Ethereum at approximately $3,200 on January 1, 2026, with a tolerance band of about $500 on either side.

The model noted that this range reflects the tension between longer-term bullish drivers such as institutional participation, staking incentives, and ongoing network development, and shorter-term headwinds tied to macro uncertainty and market structure.

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