The Narrative Collapsed and Ethereum Is Cheap. Is ETH finally a buy?

The Ethereum options market is seeing unusually large put buying activity, with the $1,800 and $1,900 strikes attracting flows running approximately five times above normal levels. Since issuing our high-conviction short on May 16, 2026, Ethereum has declined 10%. But our bearish thesis predates that call. On October 31, 2025, with ETH trading at $3,800, we identified Ethereum as the smarter hedge. Prices have since fallen 47% (see also our interview from November). The thesis was always fundamental. The market is simply catching up.

In early April 2026, with Ethereum trading near $2,000, we revisited our fundamental view, examining whether the conditions for a buy had emerged and what the real structural issues were. Today, we return to that question. Ethereum is cheap. But cheap is not the same as a buying opportunity. Fundamentals ultimately determine price; marketing narratives can only sustain a divergence for so long before reality reasserts itself. We have seen that cycle play out once already. So what has changed? Let us approach Ethereum from a different angle entirely.

Ethereum (LHS) vs. ETH ETF Flows (RHS, $bn)