Trend Research, a Hong Kong-based investment firm, has accumulated $35 million worth of Ether, pushing its holdings above 601,000 ETH. They have borrowed $958 million in stablecoins and have an average purchasing price of $3,265 per ETH. Trend’s founder, Jack Yi, remains bullish on crypto for the first half of 2026.

Despite Trend Research’s bullish stance, Fundstrat Global Advisors predicts Ether will drop to $1,800 in the first quarter of 2026. Fundstrat’s co-founder, Tom Lee, anticipates a significant drawdown in the market, with BTC falling to $60k – $65K. This bearish outlook contrasts with Trend Research’s accumulating strategy.

Smart money traders, tracked on Nansen’s blockchain intelligence platform, continue to bet on Ether’s short-term price decline. These traders were net short on Ether for $117 million but added $15 million worth of long positions in the past 24 hours, indicating a slight recovery in risk appetite from this group.

Read more at Cointelegraph: Trend Research ‘Bullish’ on 2026, Buys $35M Ether to Reach $1.8B