• BitMEX’s former CEO says an unsuccessful ETH merge will cause a price crash.

• The Merge, expected in mid-September, will see Ethereum transition to a Proof-of-Stake.
• Ethereum has been gaining ahead of the merged platform.

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes says Ethereum ETH/USD could crash if the anticipated merge flops. According to Hayes, the best time to short the cryptocurrency is on the cusp of the PoS shift. He expects Ethereum to revisit $1,000 if the Merge becomes unsuccessful. The Ex-BitMEX CEO recommends using put options to hedge against the bearish scenario.

In the eventful scenario that the Merge becomes a success, Hayes says Ethereum could hit $5,000. He also expects the Fed’s monetary stance to have a major impact on the price. A bull case will be reinforced by a less aggressive move by the US central bank. Hayes says he will still not sell his ETH stake right into the Merge.

The comments by Hayes come when Ethereum is claiming new highs. At press time, the token was trading at $1,875, after sliding from a high of above $2,000. ETH’s price is up by 10.72% in the past one week. The gains reflect optimism around the PoS shift. Developers have already completed the final PoS merge on Goerli Testnet ahead of the Merge.

Ethereum meets resistance after the latest gains

Source – TradingView

From the technical outlook, Ethereum has hit resistance at the $1,950 level. The weekly chart still shows that the MACD line crossed above the moving average. That suggests a potential continuation of the bullish momentum. ETH is also about to clear above the 21-day MA on the weekly chart.

Concluding thoughts

Despite ETH hitting resistance at $1,950, it is bullish. Investors should watch for a breakout at $1,950 in the next few days. A retracement is also possible. The upcoming Merge will be a bull price trigger. Investors should also be cautious of potential merge-induced volatilities. The coin is a good buy on a breakout.