These days, ETH is starting to test patience again, fluctuating around $2,316, down 0.65% in 24 hours, looking neither painful nor itchy.

Honestly, I've seen this kind of trend many times. I remember the last time it was sideways like this, everyone was guessing whether it would break upward or drop sharply downward.
And the result? It stayed flat for half a month, then suddenly chose a direction.
At this position, the 24-hour high touched $2,404 before dropping back, and the low was around $2,312, with a range of less than 4%, definitely a consolidation phase.
The trading volume of 566 million USDT is quite normal, not particularly active.
The Fear and Greed Index is at 47, right in the middle, indicating the market is in a neutral state.
No one is particularly panicked, nor particularly excited, just waiting it out.
The funding rate for BTC is also at a calm 0.0002%, it seems everyone is waiting for some signal.
As an old hand, I fear these times most—things look calm on the surface, but secretly, a big move might be brewing.
But to be fair, ETH at this price range is still a decent zone for accumulation.
Above, there's resistance at $2,400; below, support at $2,300—it's just a matter of who can't hold on first.
Anyway, I've already gone flat, stacking what I should, watching what I should.
Experience tells me that this kind of sideways movement is often when the main players are shaking out or accumulating, and retail investors are most likely to lose patience at this time.