Arbitrum price drops as KelpDAO hack and governance issues weigh on ARB
Arbitrum (ARB)
Editor:
Eugene Serbin
Tradersunion.com reports that Arbitrum (ARB) is trading at $0.1508, marking a 12.83% decline on the day as it breaks below key short- and medium-term moving averages. The Arbitrum Watchdog Committee has proposed permanently banning three projects from future DAO programs due to the alleged misuse of 457,553 ARB in grants. Simultaneously, the network faces legal hurdles in recovering 30,766 ETH, worth approximately $71 million, which remains locked due to a U.S. restraining notice linked to the KelpDAO hack.
Despite these pressures, Robinhood Chain contributed $360,000 to the DAO, highlighting sustained income from Layer 2 partnerships. The new Open House initiative also aims to boost DeFi builder engagement within the ecosystem. Technically, ARB has slipped below the MA-20 at $0.1547 and the MA-50 at $0.1636.
The asset maintains support above the MA-200 at $0.1, with immediate resistance at the Ichimoku Kijun level of $0.1602. Support is currently identified at $0.1333, while the RSI sits at a low 39.4, indicating prevailing selling pressure. Analysts note that while bullish momentum was previously sustained, the latest action confirms a shift toward seller dominance. There is a 68% probability of a downside move, with a rebound only likely if the $0.1602 resistance is decisively broken.
How the market reacted
Whalio's own Binance spot order flow for ARB, measured when this story was written up on 10 September 2026. Not the outlet's figures.
Whalio data shows ARB trading at $0.1495, with a 1-hour buy ratio of 44.2% and a 4-hour buy ratio of 47.6%. These short-term figures are below the 24-hour buy ratio of 46.9%, indicating that buying pressure is fading in the immediate term. The volume delta reflects this weakness, showing -$93,725 over the last hour and -$184,782 over the last four hours. Over the full 24-hour period, the volume delta stands at -$3,621,167, with a cumulative CVD of -$3,816,380. This negative delta means that sellers are executing larger market orders than buyers, pushing the price down. Net buying occurred for only 9 of the last 24 hours, confirming a day dominated by selling activity.
The latest daily buy ratio of 46.4% sits at the 8th percentile of the last 324 days, against a median of 49.6% - among the weakest buying days it has had.
Was that an ordinary day?
The same Binance spot measurements for ARB, averaged over the days leading up to the story.
Over the preceding week, the average buy ratio was 50.7%, making today’s 24-hour ratio of 46.9% an unusual day with 3.8 fewer points of buying interest. Weekly volume was 1.01 times the average, suggesting trading activity remained near normal levels despite the price drop. The coin saw a 20.5% price increase over the last 8 days, driven by a total volume delta of +$5,434,632. However, today’s negative flow marks a distinct shift from the net buying seen in 5 of the previous 7 days. This contrast highlights a sudden reversal in sentiment after a period of sustained accumulation.