**Ether Eyes $2,700 as Options Expiry Looms**

Ether (ETH) is holding steady above $2,600 after a 15.1% rally from Sept. 18-23. This surge comes amid weakening macroeconomic data, driving up stock market activity and demand for short-term government bonds. Traders are now eyeing the $2.78 billion monthly Ether options expiry on Sept. 27, which could solidify this bullish trend.

Key drivers include a cut in US Federal Reserve interest rates and a drop in the S&P Global Manufacturing PMI, pushing the S&P 500 to an all-time high. Despite these gains, Ether remains down 33% over the past four months, partly due to the disappointing US launch of a spot ETF.

The upcoming options expiry sees $1.82 billion in call options and $0.95 billion in put options. Bulls need to push Ether above $2,700 to capitalize, while bears could still shift the balance if prices stay below this level. Increased Ethereum network activity has also driven up transaction fees, adding another layer of complexity.

Stay tuned as the market braces for the Sept. 27 showdown.