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Crypto Expert Forecasts The ‘Age of Ethereum’: What This Means

Ethereum has received a lot of criticism recently, and accordingly the ETH price has underperformed other altcoins. However, Ryan Berckmans, a prominent contributor of the Ethereum community and investor, boldly claims we are entering the “Age of Ethereum,” a period that could redefine the hierarchy of blockchain technologies. Berckmans shared his insights via X, sparking a mixture of enthusiasm and skepticism among the crypto community.

Berckmans argues that Ethereum’s underlying fundamentals remain exceptionally strong despite facing several perceived challenges. He tackles common investor concerns directly, providing counterpoints to each that highlight Ethereum’s enduring strengths and potential.

“ETH’s fundamentals look excellent,” states Berckmans. He addresses the concerns about competition from Bitcoin’s Layer 2 applications, regulatory hurdles from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the rise of other blockchains like Solana.

According to him, these are misconceptions rather than true barriers: “The thing about all these headwinds is that none of them are real. In reality, Ethereum is on the cusp of becoming a global economic backbone and achieving permanent institutional legitimacy.”

Why Ethereum Is Allegedly Superior To Its Competitors

Berckmans critiques Bitcoin’s L2 ecosystem, suggesting that it falls short in practical aspects compared to Ethereum’s more mature and versatile platform. “Buy ETH because Bitcoin’s L2 app ecosystem is currently trash and will always be significantly worse in all practical ways to Ethereum,” he states, emphasizing the superiority of Ethereum for developers seeking robust, tested solutions.

On the regulatory front, despite looming concerns that the SEC might classify ETH as a security, Berckmans remains optimistic about Ethereum’s position: “Buy ETH because the SEC probably won’t be successful in classifying ETH as a security. Even if it happens, the Executive Branch will ultimately be unsuccessful in curbing Ethereum’s growth because we’re very useful to America and to many powerful political blocs, such as Big Tech and tradfi asset managers.”

Addressing competition from Solana, Berckmans points out that perceived advantages in scalability and application growth may not be as solid as they appear. He suggests that Ethereum does not face any genuine competition: “Buy ETH because Solana is not as scalable as it looks; is not as high growth as it seems; has more fast L2s as competitors than it may appear; has significantly less client diversity and more tech risk than is sold; and overall, is weaker and more threatened than most think.”

Moreover, Berckmans discusses the strategic movements of major financial players such as Visa, MasterCard, JP Morgan, and Citibank, which have built their own blockchains. He predicts these institutions will eventually gravitate towards Ethereum due to its extensive network and trustless, global operations.

“Buy ETH because Visa, MasterCard, JP Morgan, and Citibank did build a shared chain and are using it instead of Ethereum, and soon, having tasted the future, they’ll migrate to Ethereum as the customers and the universe of potential partners are on Ethereum,” claims Berckmans.

The crypto expert also clarifies the relationship between Ethereum and its Layer 2 solutions, stressing a symbiotic dynamic where both layers accrue value, much like railways and the businesses that thrive upon them: “Buy ETH because value accrues to all of L2s and ETH and our apps. It’s a symbiosis.”

Overall, the bold predictions of Ryan Berckmans offer a compelling vision of Ethereum’s potential to not only weather current challenges but also to emerge as a central pillar in the future of global finance. Whether this vision will fully materialize remains to be seen, but for now, the notion of an “Age of Ethereum” is sparking considerable debate and interest among investors and industry observers alike.

At press time, ETH price traded at $3,031.67.

ETH price

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Ethereum Foundation Moves 1,000 ETH – Is The Top In?

The Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the Ethereum ecosystem, recently transferred a significant amount of ETH. Given what this transaction could imply, it has drawn the crypto community’s attention, which is already speculating about whether the market top might be in. 

Ethereum Foundation Moves 1,000 ETH

On-chain analytics platform SpotOnChain revealed in an X (formerly Twitter) post that the Ethereum Foundation transferred 1,000 ETH ($3 million) to a middle multi-signature wallet (0xbc9) on May 8. This development is more concerning as SpotOnChain revealed that the Foundation has made other transactions since the start of 2024.

According to the platform, the Ethereum Foundation has sold 1,766 ETH for 4.81 million DAI at an average price of $2,725 for each ETH. These transactions are said to have occurred in “several small batches via the same multi-signature wallet. Interestingly, SpotOnChain noted that these transactions often occur ahead of a price drop.  

It is worth mentioning that the Ethereum Foundation already has a reputation for selling at the top, suggesting that their selling ahead of a drop might not be a coincidence. In 2022, NewsBTC reported that Ethereum dropped by 40% after the Foundation sold off 20,000 ETH. Meanwhile, in 2021, ETH experienced a downtrend for months after the organization sold off 35,000 ETH. 

Ethereum

Journalist Colin Wu also revealed back then that Ethereum’s founder, Vitalik Buterin, had persuaded the foundation to “sell 70,000 ETH at the top of 2018 to support the work of developers.” Wu further claimed that the Foundation’s sell-off is a “normal operation, but it also means that the Foundation thought that bear market was coming.”

Therefore, from Wu’s revelation, one can deduce that the Ethereum Foundation could have an idea of when the market top is, which prompts them to always make these sales before ETH makes a significant decline. 

An ETH Decline May Already Be On The Horizon

A crypto analyst known as Shin Forex recently predicted that Ethereum could soon drop to as low as $2,500. The analyst explained that there has been a slowdown in liquidity flowing into the Ethereum ecosystem. This could affect ETH’s price since it suggests a lack of interest in the token among investors. 

From a technical analysis perspective, Shin Forex also revealed that the ETH/BTC pair has now broken below its support of 0.05. Ethereum is said to have experienced a significant crash when this happened in the market cycles in 2016 and 2019. As such, the analyst does not doubt that ETH will likely spiral down again, with the crypto token dropping to as low as $2,500. 

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at around $3,000, according to data from CoinMarketCap. 

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com (Crypto analyst)

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Crypto Analyst Says Ethereum Price Will Drop To $2,500, Here’s Why

The Ethereum price has been closing mirroring the performance of Bitcoin recently and since the Bitcoin price has been on a downtrend, the ETH price has followed. However, Ethereum on its own seems to possess more bearish fundamentals compared to Bitcoin, leading crypto analysts to believe that the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap will fall further from here.

Ethereum Poised To Crash Further

A crypto analyst known as Shin Forex took to the TradingView website to share an interesting analysis of the Ethereum price. The analysis, which focused on the ETH/BTC chart, unveiled some concerning developments in the ETH price.

The analyst explained that during this time, the liquidity in Ethereum has been dwindling. Instead of flowing toward altcoins like ETH, it is instead flowing toward Bitcoin. This suggests growing disinterest in Ethereum from investors and as liquidity flows to Bitcoin, Ethereum has nothing propping it up at this time.

Furthermore, the crypto analyst explains that the ETH/BTC pair has now broken below its support of 0.05. Now, this drop below its support level is important given what has happened each time that it broke. Shin Forex points back to the last two market cycles, one in 2016 and one in 2019, of the ETH/BTC breaking below its support.

Both times that this has happened, a crash in the price has followed, before it can rally again. The crypto analyst does not expect this time to be any different and believes that ETH/BTC will fall below 0.04. If this happens, it will send Ethereum spiraling and the analyst has set a price target of around $2,500 for this.

Can ETH Price Survive The Crash?

In the short term, the Ethereum price doesn’t look to good, especially as the altcoin is currently trending downward inside its current channel, according to the crypto analyst. However, zooming out to the larger timeframe can help give an inkling of how the ETH price could perform after the crash.

Looking at Shin Forex’s chart of the last two times that a formation like this occurred, it has also set a precedent for money to flow back into Ethereum. In November 2016, the price had crashed but in a few months, there was a massive recovery as ETH/BTC rose to a new all-time high.

Ethereum

A similar thing happened the next time in 2019, with the crash coming ahead of a market rally, albeit a bit slower at this time. So, if this trend holds, then the ETH crash is inevitable. However, a recovery is expected that will likely kickstart the beginning of another massive rally.

For now, bears continue to dominate the Ethereum market and have successfully dragged the price down below $3,000. It is trading at. $2,975 at the time of this writing, with a small 0.36% decline in the last day, according to Coinmarketcap.

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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Can Ethereum Reclaim $4,000? Fragile Fundamentals Threaten To Send ETH Crashing

Ethereum has put on a disappointing performance for its investors over the last few weeks, leading to concerns on whether the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap has lost its shine. The cryptocurrency continues to skirt around the $3,100 level, not making any significant breaks upward. This points to weak fundamentals that could trigger a price decline.

Ethereum Fails To Make Meaningful Moves

Markus Thielen, Head of Research at 10x Research, has pointed out some worrying developments with the Ethereum price. In a new report shared with NewsBTC, he explains that despite Ethereum remaining highly correlated to Bitcoin with an R-Square of 95%, it continues to perform poorly while the latter has made new all-time highs.

Thielen points back to ETH’s performance in the last bull market, which was closely tied to new sectors popping out of the network, such as decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). This caused demand to skyrocket, and in turn, the price followed as users gobbled up ETH for the high gas fee required to transact on the blockchain.

However, Ethereum has failed to maintain this momentum, which can be attributed to its inability to bring the upgrades that users needed in time. Thielen explains that the Dencun upgrade which helped solved the high gas fee issues had come three years too late because by 2024 when the upgrade arrived, users had moved on to Layer 2 networks. Also, during this time, other Layer 1 networks have seen a rise in users and Solana is one example of this.

Ethereum fees

The researcher further explained that the weak fundamentals of ETH are now not only affecting its price but has had a spillover effect to Bitcoin. “Ethereum’s weak fundamentals are becoming a roadblock for Bitcoin as they prevent broad fiat inflow into the crypto ecosystem,” Thielen stated.

Better To Short ETH

Thielen’s analysis of Ethereum also spreads to the drop in stablecoin usage on the network. Back in 2021, Ethereum had dominated stablecoin transactions such as USDT and USDC. However, it seems like, with other things, the high fees have driven users towards other networks. Blockchains such as Tron (TRX) are now dominating stablecoin transactions, leaving ETH in the dust.

Additionally, there is also the fact that ETH’s issuance is turning inflationary once again. After the London Hard Fork, also known as EIP-1559, was completed in 2021, the network saw its issuance turn deflationary for the first time as ETH burned quickly surpassed ETH being brought into circulation.

However, this has now changed in the past months as there have been more ETH issued than those burned, Thielen notes. To put this in perspective, a total of 74,000 ETH were issued compared to only 43,000 ETH burned. This inflation, coupled with the fact that staking rewards have now dropped to 3%, below the 5.1% offered by Treasury Yields, Ethereum has had a hard time maintaining bullish sentiment.

Given these developments, the researcher believes it is better to be bearish on Ethereum right now. “Right now, we would be more comfortable holding a short position in ETH than a long one in BTC as Ethereum’s fundamentals are fragile, which is not yet reflected in ETH prices,” Thielen concludes.

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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Here’s How This Ethereum Whale Made $16 Million From A Single Trade

An Ethereum whale was recently revealed to have made $16 million from a single trade involving the second-largest crypto token by market cap. This whale’s story again highlights how conviction in an investment can be very rewarding in the crypto space. 

How This Ethereum Whale Made $16 Million In A Single Trade

On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain revealed in an X (formerly Twitter) post that the whale withdrew 12,906 ETH ($24.39 million) from Binance when the crypto token was still trading at $1,890 a year ago. With Ethereum currently trading at around $3,100, the whale’s ETH investment is now worth over $40 million, signifying a profit of about $16 million. 

Interestingly, his profits from this trade will likely be more than $16 million, as the trader deposited those tokens in the staking platform Lido when he withdrew them from Binance last year. That means he also earned significant staking rewards to go alongside his $16 million profit. 

On-chain data shows the whale recently withdrew 7,000 ETH ($21 million) from Lido back to Binance but has yet to offload these tokens. However, that is something to keep an eye on as the whale offloading those tokens could have a negative impact on Ethereum’s price. 

Tron’s founder, Justin Sun, looks to be another Ethereum whale that could make such significant returns on their ETH investment. Two wallets believed to belong to Sun are reported to have accumulated 295,757 ETH ($891M) at an average price of $3,014 since February 12. Since then, Sun has made some notable moves that could be profitable for him.

One such move is that the Tron founder recently deposited 120,000 eETH into Swell L2, a liquid restaking protocol. Although Sun claims that this move isn’t profit-motivated, he could still make huge profits from his venture, considering that restaking is one of the leading narratives at the moment. 

The Bull Run Presenting A Lot Of Opportunities

There have been a lot of reports highlighting how crypto investors and traders have been making life-changing, which suggests that the bull run is already in full force despite Bitcoin’s unimpressive price action lately. One opportunity that these traders have taken advantage of in this market cycle is meme coins. 

Before the bull run began, there was the belief that memes would be one of the leading narratives, and that has been the case. Bitcoinist recently reported two Solana meme coin traders turned $6,400 into $8 million. Meanwhile, Lookonchain revealed a Solana trader who turned 60 SOL ($8,673) into $1.26 million in 2 months, making a 144x return on his investment. 

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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Ethereum Price Prediction: Crypto Expert Says ETH Is Yet To Bottom Against Bitcoin

A crypto analyst has predicted when Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, will bottom against Bitcoin, however, under certain conditions. 

Analyst Predicts ETH/BTC Bottom Timeline

In a recent X (formerly Twitter) post, crypto analyst and founder of ITC Crypto, Benjamin Cowen, shared his forecast regarding the Ethereum to Bitcoin price ratio, projecting the timeline for when ETH/BTC would hit its lowest value in the current market cycle. 

Sharing insights on the market conditions, Cowen noted striking similarities between the present market’s dynamics and the one seen in 2019. He disclosed that ETH/BTC’s recent bounce mirrored the market’s behavior in 2019, two months before the Federal Reserve (FED) cut down rates. 

Cowen predicts that the ETH/BTC ratio will reach the lowest point in its price cycle when the FED makes a significant change in its monetary policy, often referred to as a “pivot.” The crypto expert expects this pivot to occur in a few months, ultimately suggesting that Ethereum would bottom against Bitcoin in the coming months. 

His analysis is also based on the assumption that macroeconomic conditions and the FED’s monetary policies can significantly impact the cryptocurrency market. Sharing a price chart of Ethereum against Bitcoin in another post, Cowen projected that the ETH/BTC ratio will head towards a range of 0.03 and 0.04 by summer. 

Commenting on his prediction of ETH/BTC’s bottom, a crypto community member expressed skepticism about the FED’s likelihood of cutting down rates while inflation was still high. Cowen responded that the absence of a rate cut further reinforced his beliefs that the ETH/BTC ratio has not yet reached its lowest point. He suggests that unless inflationary pressures are addressed, the ETH/BTC ratio may continue on its downward trend. 

Crypto Expert Calls Ethereum A Higher Risk Asset

In another post, Cowen referred to Ethereum as a higher-risk asset and Bitcoin as a lower-risk asset. The crypto analyst’s forecast on Ethereum against Bitcoin is underpinned by his interpretation of capital migration dynamics, suggesting that higher-risk assets typically depreciate relative to lower-risk assets.

He highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the future market movements of ETH/BTC following the halving event. Cowen predicted that if ETH/BTC witnesses a “relief rebound” after the halving, then he expects a rejection by the bull market support band, particularly in the context of weekly closing prices, estimated to range between $0.053 to $0.054. 

While acknowledging his past successes in predicting ETH/BTC price movements, Cowen highlighted that his predictions remain speculative, stating, “Just because I have been right so far about ETH/BTC does not mean I will continue being right.”

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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EigenLayer Makes A Big Splash With EIGEN Token Launch And Major Airdrop Plan, Get The Full Scoop!

EigenLayer, a decentralized restaking protocol built on Ethereum (ETH), has made significant announcements, paving the way for new developments within the crypto ecosystem. 

The protocol unveiled its native token, EIGEN, which the newly formed Eigen Foundation will distribute. Alongside this, EigenLayer introduced a major plan for an airdrop and released a comprehensive new Whitepaper.

EigenLayer Unveils EIGEN With Novel Mechanism

According to the protocol’s announcement, the introduction of the EIGEN token brings forth a complementary mechanism designed to address “intersubjective” faults, which cannot be resolved through ETH restaking alone. 

By expanding ETH restaking, EigenLayer positions ETH as the Universal Objective Work Token, while the universality of EIGEN makes it the Universal Intersubjective Work Token. EIGEN’s universality is reportedly aimed at allowing it to fork and slash for intersubjective errors committed by EIGEN stakers in any AVS (Automated Verification System) within the protocol. 

To ensure widespread adoption of EIGEN across applications, EigenLayer has designed an application-independent mechanism to maintain the system’s cryptoeconomic security. 

In EigenLayer, EIGEN staking and ETH restaking play complementary roles. EIGEN addresses safety properties through objective slashing, and ETH restaking ensures liveness and censorship-resistance properties dependent on stake decentralization.

The launch of EIGEN also introduces intersubjective staking, marking a significant milestone for the protocol and the Ethereum ecosystem. However, due to its newly introduced design, the concept requires widespread adoption and discussion among ecosystem participants. 

At launch, the Eigen token will have a total supply of 1.67 billion tokens, with the Foundation allocating 45% of the tokens to the community. This allocation is further divided into staked drops, community initiatives, and ecosystem development.

Investors will reportedly receive almost 30% of the tokens, while early contributors will receive over 25%. Both these groups are subject to a three-year lockup period for their allocations. 

A complete lock will be in place during the first year, followed by a gradual release of their total holdings at a rate of 4% per month over the subsequent two years.

EIGEN Token Launches Meta-Setup Phase

While the initial implementation of intersubjective staking at launch mirrors only a limited extent of the full protocol, several parameters still need to be determined for its full actuation. 

To address this, EIGEN is being launched in a meta-setup phase, serving as a call to action for researchers, experts, and the broader community to engage in public discourse. 

As EigenLayer announced, this collaborative effort aims to help define the necessary parameters to make the protocol and its interaction with the rest of the Ethereum ecosystem as effective as possible.

EigenLayer

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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Ethereum Flashes Bullish Signals, Can It Rally 50% From Here?

The second-largest crypto token by market cap, Ethereum (ETH), finally showed some form of life as it rose to $3,300 over the weekend. This move is believed to be the beginning of a trend reversal for the crypto token, which has several bullish signals on its chart. 

Ethereum Has A Bullish Chart

Crypto analyst Derek revealed in an X (formerly Twitter) post that the signals on Ethereum’s Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD) indicator “seem to have ended the decline and changed upward direction.” He also highlighted the Ethereum Dominance chart, which has confirmed three bottoms and gave a strong rebound. 

The analyst explained that “leading a rebound after confirming the bottom three times means that further decline is unnecessary, and there is a high possibility that there is no intention to do so.” Interestingly, the analyst drew attention to the fact that Ethereum has experienced this price rebound without volume. 

EthereumEthereum price

This phenomenon occurs when individual investors are more active than institutional ones who are more cautious during this period. This instantly brings recent buys by Ethereum whales like Justin Sun into the picture, as they have contributed significantly to Ethereum’s recent resurgence. 

NewsBTC recently reported that a wallet believed to belong to the TRON founder recently bought $405 million worth of Ethereum. This wallet and another suspected to belong to Sun have accumulated $891 million worth of ETH since February 12. Meanwhile, NewsBTC also reported about another whale, who, despite losing $4.5 million worth of longing ETH, opened another long worth over $17 million. 

Other Bullish Signals For ETH

Crypto analyst Trader Tardigrade recently revealed that Ethereum experienced a decent breakout to a descending trendline on the daily chart of its Bitcoin pair. He added that Ethereum’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) also shows an associated breakout from a symmetrical triangle. 

The crypto analyst claimed that the value of the RSI is also now above 50, which is considered bullish for a crypto token. Based on these signals, Trader Tardigrade stated it is “time for Ethereum.” He also suggested that other altcoins will moon once Ethereum begins its parabolic move to the upside. 

Derek also predicted this, stating that the “rise of Ethereum will drive the explosive rise of altcoins that have been oppressed.” While sharing his bullish sentiment towards Ethereum, crypto analyst Crypto Prof echoed a similar sentiment, remarking that altcoins will “run even more” as Ethereum trades significantly higher in the coming months. 

Before now, Crypto expert Michaël van de Poppe predicted that the narrative would shift toward Ethereum post-halving and that the crypto token and other altcoins would bounce in their Bitcoin pair once the hype around the halving was over. 

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at around $3,170, down over 1% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. 

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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Ethereum Withdrawals From Exchanges Top 260,000 ETH – What This Means For Price

Ethereum withdraws from centralized exchanges have ramped up over the last week, suggesting a direction for investor sentiment during this time. Given the sheer volume of ETH withdrawn from these exchanges, it is prudent to try to understand what this could mean for the crypto’s price.

260,000 ETH Leaves Exchanges

Amid the uncertainty that has plagued the crypto market, Ethereum investors are making moves to secure their positions for better price prospects. Pseudonymous crypto technical analyst Titan of Crypto took to X (formerly Twitter) to share what Ethereum investors are doing about their holdings right.

Related Reading: Bitcoin Bears Risk Losing $7.2 Billion If BTC Price Reaches This Level

The post revealed that these investors have been withdrawing large amounts of ETH from centralized exchanges. In the one week period that was tracked, the report found that a total of 260,000 ETH were withdrawn from exchanges, which was worth almost $800 million at the time.

Now, exchange deposits and withdrawals are important for any cryptocurrency because it can often tell how investors are looking at that coin and what they are doing with their holdings. In the case of large deposits to centralized exchanges, it can be very bearish for the price because investors often deposit their coins in order to sell them as exchanges provide deep liquidity.

In contrast, withdrawals from exchanges suggest that investors are not looking to sell their ETH. Rather, they are accumulating the coins to wait for better prices before selling. Naturally, this is bullish for the Ethereum price as a diminished selling pressure gives room for the price to recover.

In this case, the withdrawals are bullish or the Ethereum price, as investors continue to accumulate. It also signals that investors are expecting a price breakout, and as the withdrawals ramp up, demand could surpass supply, leading to a surge in price.

Ethereum Headwinds Still Negative

Ethereum, while currently seeing some positive activity from investors, has still not turned completely bullish. For one, there has been a significant decline in its daily trading volume. According to data from Coinmarketcap, Ethereum’s trading volume is down approximately 20% in the last day.

This decline in volume suggests a declining interest from investors to actually trade the coin. As such, its price may be negatively affected as attention begins to shift elsewhere, with investors looking for better prospects.

Nevertheless, the cryptocurrency still looks bullish for the long term. Ethereum continues to closely mirror the price performance of Bitcoin, which is expected to go on a bull run following the successful completion of its fourth halving event.

For now, Ethereum continues to struggle to hold above $3,100 with small gains of 0.18% in the last day. Over the last month, it has suffered multiple crashes, registering a 12.36% loss in the last 30 days.

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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SEC Anticipated To Reject Spot Ethereum ETFs In Upcoming Decision, ETH Price Takes 5% Hit

Over the past 24 hours, Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has experienced a significant 5% price drop. This drop comes amid growing speculation that the highly anticipated Ethereum ETFs will likely be rejected by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the upcoming May deadline.

US Bitcoin ETF Issuers Brace For SEC’s Expected Denial

According to a recent Reuters report, various US Bitcoin ETF issuers and firms anticipate the SEC’s denial of their applications to launch ETFs tied to the price of ETH. 

These expectations have been fueled by “discouraging meetings” between the applicants and the regulatory agency in recent weeks, as disclosed by four individuals familiar with the matter.

Prominent investment firms such as VanEck, ARK Investment Management, and seven other issuers have submitted filings with the SEC to list ETFs that would track the spot price of Ethereum. 

As the first in line, VanEck’s and ARK’s applications are subject to the SEC’s decisions by May 23 and May 24, respectively.

The sources involved in the meetings between Bitcoin ETF issuers and the SEC have reported that the discussions have been primarily “one-sided,” with agency staff not engaging in substantive details about the proposed products. 

This starkly contrasts the intensive and detailed discussions between issuers and the agency before the SEC’s landmark approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January. 

The issuers argued during the meetings that the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs and Ethereum futures-based ETFs by the SEC in October set a precedent for the spot ETH products. They also made efforts to address potential regulatory concerns. 

Despite their arguments, the report notes that the SEC staff did not clarify specific concerns or engage in meaningful dialogue, further indicating a possible denial of the requests.

Setback For Crypto Industry

If these expectations materialize, it would be a setback for the cryptocurrency industry, which had hoped that the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs would pave the way for similar products and contribute to the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies. 

According to Todd Rosenbluth, head of ETF analysis at data firm VettaFi, the likely delay in approval or rejection until later in 2024 or beyond has left the regulatory landscape uncertain.

While some issuers have expressed their intention to submit additional disclosure paperwork to continue the conversation with the SEC, the overall sentiment indicates a growing belief that the applications will be rejected.

VanEck CEO Jan van Eck has already stated that the company’s application will likely be rejected, while ARK Investment Management has yet to comment.

Rejected Ethereum ETFs Could Spark Potential Court Battles

Several applicants expect the SEC to cite broader issues, such as the nature and depth of statistical data on the underlying ETH market, as reasons for their decision in the event of ETF rejections. 

Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, which has filed for a spot in Ethereum ETF, believes that the SEC may require more time to observe Ethereum futures and gather additional data.

Industry insiders further speculate that rejecting Ethereum ETFs could potentially lead to legal action, with one source suggesting that the courts may get involved before Ethereum ETFs eventually become a reality.

The anticipated rejection has already influenced the price of Ethereum, with Hong Fang, president of the crypto exchange OKX, stating that the cryptocurrency is experiencing downward pressure as market participants factor in the likelihood of a negative outcome.

Ethereum ETFs

Currently, ETH is trading at $3,100, further highlighting the cryptocurrency’s persistent downtrend over broader time frames. Over the past fourteen and thirty days, the token has experienced significant declines of 12% and 14%, respectively.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

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Ethereum Resurgence: TRON Founder Justin Sun Goes On 127,388 ETH Buying Spree

The second-largest crypto token by market cap, Ethereum (ETH), looks set to make a massive market recovery following recent buys suspected to be made by Tron’s founder, Justin Sun. Sun’s accumulation spree again highlights crypto whales’ recent bullishness on Ethereum despite fluctuating prices. 

Sun Allegedly Buys $405 Million Worth Of ETH

In an X (formerly Twitter) post, the on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain drew the crypto community’s attention to a mysterious wallet suspected to belong to Justin Sun. This wallet is said to have bought 127,388 ETH ($405.19 million) from Binance and decentralized exchanges (DEXs) since April 8 at an average price of $3,127.  

Ethereum Justin Sun Tron

Meanwhile, Lookonchain tried to prove further its theory that this wallet likely belonged to Justin Sun. The platform alluded to a previous tweet mentioning that a suspected Justin Sun wallet bought 168,369 ETH at $2,894 from Binance and a DEX between February 12 and 24. It noted that the “transaction behavior” of both wallets was similar, which suggests that they are both likely owned by Justin Sun. 

If indeed both wallets are owned by Justin Sun, that means the Tron founder has accumulated 295,757 ETH ($891 million) at an average price of $3,014 since February 12. Like every whale activity, Sun’s alleged transactions have caught the crypto community’s attention, with many wondering why he is gaining so much exposure to the second-largest crypto token. 

Ethereum Whales Are Bullish

Sun’s actions highlighted the bullish sentiment that Ethereum whales have towards the crypto token despite its recent unimpressive price action. Bitcoinist recently reported about an Ethereum whale who, despite already losing $4.5 million, opened another long position on the second-largest crypto token. 

This whale also borrowed 17.3 million USDT just to increase their exposure to the crypto token. In a recent X post, Lookonchain again highlighted how Ethereum whales are still making bullish moves in the market. On-chain data shows a fresh wallet (0x9EB0) that withdrew 7,182 ETH ($23.06 million) from Binance, which suggests long-term holding by this whale. 

Another wallet (0x1958) withdrew 5,181 ETH ($16.28 million) from Binance and put their ETH holdings to work by staking it into Bedrock and Pendle while anticipating further price gains in the crypto token.

Such bullish sentiment towards Ethereum could be good for ETH’s price as whales are known to have a significant impact on a token’s price discovery. It could also prove crucial during this period when Ethereum is experiencing declining network growth, which means that the rate at which new users come into the ecosystem has slowed. 

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at around $3,170, down over 1% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. 

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com (Justin Sun Tron)

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3 Major Metrics To Watch Out For That Can Impact Ethereum Prices

The crypto market has been plagued with increased volatility lately, with the second largest crypto token by market cap, Ethereum (ETH), not exempt. This has made it harder to determine Ethereum’s future trajectory. However, certain metrics indicate what direction ETH’s price could head in when this volatility subsides. 

Ethereum Investors Are Bullish

Data from Coinglass shows that most Ethereum investors and traders are still bullish on the crypto token despite recent fluctuating prices. Specifically, most of these traders have continued to open long positions on Ethereum, meaning they are betting on it experiencing significant moves to the upside in the long run. 

The bullish sentiment towards Ethereum is highlighted by a trader who, having lost $4.5 million while longing ETH, still opened another long position on the second-largest crypto token. This crypto whale went as far as borrowing 17.3 million USDT from Compound just to increase their position on Ethereum. 

These investors’ bullishness on Ethereum is even more commendable, considering that the bulls have suffered the most from ETH’s high volatility. Data from Coinglass shows that over $16 million in long positions have been liquidated in the last 24 hours, compared to the $10 million short positions that have liquidated during this period. 

Meanwhile, data from the market intelligence platform IntoTheBlock shows that Ethereum’s Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio has dropped, indicating that many Ethereum holders are not yet in profit. This could be bullish for ETH’s price as these holders will likely hold in anticipation of further upward price action, thereby providing support against any potential price declines. 

Making A Case For The Bears

While the activity in the derivates market and Ethereum’s MVRV ratio paint a bullish outlook for the crypto token, Ethereum’s network growth suggests that ETH could still experience further price declines. Data from Santiment shows that the rate at which new users enter the Ethereum ecosystem has slowed recently. 

This declining network growth is also evident in a recent Bitcoinist report, which noted that Ethereum fees have dropped to their lowest since January. Ethereum fees are known to skyrocket when there is increased activity on the network. Therefore, low fees mean fewer new users are currently transacting on the network or even holding the ETH token at all. 

However, the silver lining is that data from Santiment also shows an increase in velocity, which suggests that existing users on the network are actively trading and injecting more liquidity into the Ethereum ecosystem. This factor could also contribute to potential price surges for the ETH token. 

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at around $3,200, which is up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. 

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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Changing Tides: Restaking Takes Center Stage In Ethereum (ETH) Staking Landscape

In recent months, the Ethereum staking landscape has witnessed significant transformations, prompting a shift in investor preferences and reshaping the sector’s dynamics. 

According to on-chain data researcher and strategist at 21Shares, Tom Wan, key metrics indicate a notable change in the approach towards Ethereum staking, with restaking gaining prominence as a preferred method.

Ethereum Restaking Landscape

Wan’s observations, shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), highlight a steady increase in ETH staking deposits from restaking, rising from 10% to 60% since 2024. 

Restaking can be accomplished in two primary ways: through ETH natively restaked or by utilizing a liquid staking token (LST). By staking their ETH, users secure additional applications known as Actively Validated Services (AVS), which yield additional staking rewards.

A significant player in the staking landscape is EigenLayer, which has emerged as the second-largest decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol on the Ethereum network. 

EigenLayer has achieved a significant milestone with the release of EigenDA, its data availability Actively Validated Service (AVS), on the mainnet. 

According to a research report by Kairos, this launch marks the beginning of a new era in restaking, where liquid restaking tokens (LRTs) will become the dominant way for restakers to do business. 

Currently, 73% of all deposits on EigenLayer are made through liquid restaking tokens. The report highlights that the growth rate of LRT deposits has been significant, increasing by over 13,800% in less than four months, from approximately $71.74 million on December 1, 2023, to $10 billion on April 9, 2024, demonstrating the growing confidence in EigenLayer’s approach to restaking and contributing to the shifting tides in Ethereum’s staking landscape. 

According to Wan, the rise of liquid restaking protocols has also contributed to a decline in the dominance of Lido (LDO), a staking service solution for Solana (SOL), Ethereum, and Terra (LUNC). 

On the other hand, Etherfi has emerged as the second-largest stETH withdrawer, with 108,000 stETH withdrawn through the first quarter of 2024. This trend exemplifies the increasing popularity of liquid restaking protocols, allowing stakers to withdraw and actively utilize their staked assets while still earning rewards.

Ether.fi Set To Surpass Binance In ETH Staking

Data provided by Wan also shows a decline in the dominance of centralized exchanges (CEXs) in ETH staking. Since 2024, CEXs have seen their share of staking decline from 29.7% to 25.8%, a significant drop of 3.7%. 

As a result, the decentralized staking provider Kiln Finance has surpassed Binance and become the third-largest entity in terms of ETH staking. With Ether.fi poised to follow suit, it is expected to surpass Binance’s position shortly, according to the researcher. 

In short, these developments signify a paradigm shift in the Ethereum staking landscape, with re-staking methodologies gaining traction and decentralized protocols like EigenLayer and Ether.fi challenging the dominance of established players. 

Ethereum

As of this writing, ETH’s price stands at $3,500. It has been exhibiting a sideways trading pattern over the past 24 hours, remaining relatively stable compared to yesterday.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com 

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XRP To $20 And Ethereum To $20,000: Crypto Analyst Reveals When This Will Happen

Crypto analyst CrediBULL Crypto has laid out a bullish narrative for Ethereum (ETH) and XRP. He claimed that both tokens could rise to as high as $20,000 and $20, respectively. Additionally, he stipulated when this parabolic price surge is likely to happen. 

Ethereum Could Hit A Market Top Near $20,000

CrediBULL Crypto mentioned in an X (formerly Twitter) post that there is a chance that Ethereum could hit a market peak near $20,000. He further explained that ETH could attain this price level based on his belief that BTC can “realistically” see a 2x in this market cycle from its last high of $69,000 in the 2021 bull run. As such, altcoins like ETH will do “multiples of that.” 

Specifically, he foresees ETH doing a 3x to 4x of its prior all-time high (ATH) of $4,800, which puts the second largest crypto token by market cap in a price range between $15,000 and $20,000. Meanwhile, CrediBULL asserted that Ethereum will surely rise to $10,000 at the minimum. 

Following CrediBULL’s prediction, another X user questioned how possible it was for ETH to rise to a market cap of $2 trillion, stating that it seems “crazy.” However, the crypto analyst responded that ETH rising to such levels is a “blow off top, ” so the market cap will look “outrageous.” He jokingly added that there is a problem if the market caps don’t look outrageous. 

XRP Is Another Altcoin That Could Experience Exponential Growth 

In a different X post, CrediBULL also made a case for XRP, stating that XRP could also rise between $10 and $12 if ETH were to hit $10,000. He suggested that XRP wasn’t to be underrated despite its current underperformance, noting that XRP actually flipped ETH in terms of market cap at some point in the last cycle.  

Therefore, the crypto analyst added that anyone who thinks ETH hitting $10,000 is “realistic” should also believe that XRP rising to $10 is possible. In a subsequent X post, CrediBULL claimed that XRP could even rise to as high as $20 based on ETH hitting $10,000 at its current circulating supply. 

Again, he noted that XRP is very capable of attaining such price levels, seeing as it is a top 10 coin, which means that the market demand for it is evidently there. CrediBULL’s sentiment echoes that of Nick, the founder of Web3Alert, who previously predicted that XRP could rise to $10 since there were predictions that Bitcoin and Ethereum would rise to as high as $150,000 and $10,000, respectively.  

At the time of writing, ETH and XRP are trading at around $3,290 and $0.58, according to data from CoinMarketCap. 

XRP price chart from Tradingview.com (Ethereum)

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Brace For Market Impact: Ethereum Open Interest Has Reached A New All-Time High

Ethereum has, for the most part, established a foothold above the $3,500 price level throughout the week as investors continue to anticipate a return to the $4,000 mark. Interestingly, the optimism has seen the open interest of Ethereum surging to new highs. The surge in open interest, although a bullish sentiment indicator, can also serve as a bearish signal of an impending change in market trend. 

Ultimately, this metric added to the current dynamics of the Ethereum ecosystem, including regulatory uncertainty and scalability concerns hinting at a complicated price trajectory for the price of Ethereum.

Ethereum Open Interest Reaches New High

Open interest is an efficient method for tracking the total number of open positions in a particular contract. Recent market dynamics and institutional investor interest have seen the total open interest in Ethereum futures surging above records set in the 2021 bull market phase.

According to data from Coinglass, the open interest on Ethereum futures, which has been on a surge since February 5, recently set a new high of $14.11 billion on March 15. This wasn’t particularly surprising, as a strong buying momentum from the bulls in the prior days saw the price of Ethereum surging past the $4,000 mark for the first time in two years. 

However, Ethereum has since reversed from the $4,000 price level and is currently trading below $3,600. On the other hand, the total open interest on Ethereum contracts has maintained around its all-time high level, which allowed it to cross over $14.10 billion again on March 28. The open interest weighted average also went up to 0.0462%, indicating an increase in the demand for leveraged ETH long positions.

The majority ($4.55 billion) in the Ethereum futures market were registered on cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Bybit and OKX came in second and third, with $2.39 billion and $1.94 billion respectively. Interestingly, CME’s Ether futures also surged to $1.3 billion. At the time of writing, the CME’s Ether futures now sit at $1.31 billion, reiterating the committed bullishness among institutional investors.

What’s Next For ETH?

Ethereum has been trading flat since the beginning of the week and is currently on a 0.78% gain in the past seven days. All eyes are now on reports of the SEC looking into Ethereum’s security status, the industry awaits an official ruling similar to the one that was handed down in the XRP case that will finally provide clarity to the regulatory landscape.

At the same time, investors continue to await the SEC’s decision regarding the applications of Spot Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the US. According to a Bloomberg senior analyst, the likelihood of approval is only 25%.

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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Solana Surpasses Ethereum In Major Metric Amid Surge Above $200

Solana has recently become one of the trendiest cryptocurrencies in the space, capturing the interest of both crypto investors and enthusiasts in the space. The popular cryptocurrency has witnessed a significant surge in network activity, surpassing even that of Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency. 

Solana Outpaces Ethereum Network Activity

On March 16, Solana experienced a major increase in its overall network activity, pushing its capacity to its limits amidst the growing demands. The network had surged past Ethereum’s total trading volume and exceeded its daily trading volume by more than $1.1 billion, according to data by DefilLama.   

Specifically, Solana’s 24-hour trading volume had recorded almost $3 billion, surging past Ethereum’s daily volume of $2.04 billion. During the surge, the network witnessed an unprecedented amount of trading activities, which resulted in failed transactions and a surge in ping times. 

As highlighted by Solana Validator, the cryptocurrency network’s ping time on March 18, had jumped to a staggering 46 seconds, causing about a 30% to 40% failed transactions. The validator’s report also revealed a steady and rapid increase in Solanan’s transaction count, recording over 276 million transactions at the time of writing, with about 2,107 transactions per second. 

This rise in Solana’s network activity has been attributed to the surge in interest in Solana-based meme coins. On Thursday, March 14, degens eagerly sought after a new meme coin called Book of Meme (BOME), which had experienced an unprecedented bullish spike that triggered its market capitalization to rise from almost zero to a staggering $1.45 billion. 

During these periods, the price of Solana also rallied alongside, witnessing an unexpected price surge that propelled it by more than 30% in the past week. The cryptocurrency has been on a steady momentum since the beginning of the year, displaying slight price corrections before continuing on its upward trajectory. 

SOL Price Rides The Bullish Wave

Amidst Solana’s burgeoning popularity and rising transaction volumes, the cryptocurrency saw a price increase to more than $200, reflecting a daily surge of approximately 8.9%, at the time of writing. The cryptocurrency’s market capitalization is also up by 11.10%, recording over $89 billion and steadily closing towards the $100 billion mark. 

Due to its overwhelming network activities and growing popularity, Solana has successfully gained the position of the 4th largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, overtaking BNB Chain (BNB) by more than four billion, according to CoinMarketCap. 

Moreover, the cryptocurrency has reached peak levels globally in terms of Google search interest,  hitting a new all-time high. This surge has been attributed to the increasing interest and demand for the popular digital asset. 

Solana price chart from Tradingview.com (Ethereum)

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Grayscale Submits Revised Application For Ethereum Spot ETF – What’s New?

Asset management firm Grayscale Investments has updated its application for an Ethereum spot ETF (exchange-traded fund) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Ethereum Spot ETF Case Just As Solid As Bitcoin’s, Grayscale Argues

According to a recent post on X by Craig Salm, Grayscale’s chief legal officer, the asset management firm has revised its 19b-4 form for an Ether spot ETF. Salm claimed that this move was “important” in an effort for Grayscale to list and trade shares of its Ether Trust on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Arca.

The chief legal officer stated in his post that investors “want and deserve access” to Ethereum via a spot exchange-traded product, likening the situation to the Bitcoin ETF story. “We believe the case is just as strong as it was for spot Bitcoin ETFs,” Salm said.

The asset manager is amongst the numerous firms looking to issue the first Ethereum spot ETF in the United States, having filed an application with the SEC on October 10, 2023. However, these ETF applications have faced delays multiple times, with the most recent coming against BlackRock’s filing on March 4, 2024.

As a result, the likelihood of the SEC approving an Ethereum spot ETF has taken a nosedive in recent weeks. Once-optimistic Bloomberg ETF expert Balchunas even revealed in his latest analysis that the ETH funds now have only a 35% chance of approval.

SEC Chairman Faces Pressure Over Crypto Approval

Two US senators of the Democrat party, Sens. Laphonza Butler of California and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, have urged the SEC chairman to avoid approving crypto investment products. In a letter dated March 11, the lawmakers, who are also members of the Senate Banking Committee, asked the Commission to limit future crypto ETF applications.

Following the approval of 11 Bitcoin spot ETFs in January, the attention of the crypto public has somewhat turned to whether the SEC will do the same for the Ethereum versions. However, this latest letter from the senate seems to further hurt the chances of an ETH ETF approval.

A part of the letter read:

Retail investors would face enormous risks from ETPs referencing thinly traded cryptocurrencies or cryptocurrencies whose prices are especially susceptible to pump-and-dump or other fraudulent schemes,” they said. “The Commission is under no obligation to approve such products, and given the risk, it should not do so.

As of this writing, the price of the Ethereum token stands at $3,731, reflecting a 1.2% increase in the past day.

Grayscale

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‘Dencun’ Upgrade Officially Deployed On Ethereum Mainnet, ETH Price Holds Steady Below $4,000

Ethereum (ETH) has completed a major software upgrade, Dencun, that promises to make utilizing the network ecosystem more cost-effective. This update specifically targets Layer 2 (L2) networks, such as Arbitrum (ARB), Polygon (MATIC), and Coinbase’s Base, which are interconnected with Ethereum. 

With Dencun, transaction costs on these networks have significantly decreased, with fees dropping from dollars to cents or even fractions of a cent.

Ethereum Dencun Upgrade And Cost Savings

Considered the most significant change in Ethereum’s end-user experience, the Dencun upgrade is expected to foster the development of new applications and services by significantly reducing expenses. 

As NewsBTC reported on Tuesday, the update introduces a new data storage system, departing from the traditional approach of storing Layer 2 data on Ethereum itself. Adopting a new “blobs” repository reduces data storage costs since information is warehoused for only about 18 days instead of indefinitely.

One of the notable benefits of the Dencun upgrade lies in its impact on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and gas costs. For instance, projected gas costs for popular Layer 2 networks, such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Coinbase’s Base, are set to be significantly reduced. 

Ethereum

The projected savings translate into a reduction of Arbitrum’s swaps from $2.02 to $0.40, Optimism’s swaps from $1.42 to $0.28, and Coinbase’s Base swaps from $0.58 to $0.01, emphasizing the pivotal role of this upgrade. 

As the upgrade was successfully launched on the mainnet, Tim Beiko, Ethereum Foundation core developer, expressed his satisfaction with the work accomplished and claimed:

Dencun is both the most complex fork we’ve shipped since the Merge, and tied for “most total EIPs in a fork” with Byzantium. There were more teams than ever involved in the process, and it somehow all worked out smoothly…! Grateful to work with all of them, onto the next one. 

Blob Transactions And Pricing Changes

Layer 2 network Arbitrum has provided insights into the upgrade process. It will take around one to two hours for blob transactions to commence posting and for the new pricing changes specified by EIP-4844 to come into effect. 

ArbOS Atlas, an upgrade that supports Arbitrum Chains, will introduce further fee reductions for Arbitrum One, set to be activated on March 18th. The updated configurations include a reduction in the Layer 1 (L1) surplus fee from 32 gwei to 0 per compressed byte and a reduction in the L2 base fee from 0.1 gwei to 0.01 gwei.

The Dencun upgrade unlocks cost-saving opportunities for Layer 2 networks and addresses congestion concerns by freeing up more space on the Ethereum network for additional transactions. While the upgrade offers enhanced efficiency, it does come at the cost of no longer retaining a complete record of all data indefinitely.

However, as Layer 2 networks embrace this new update to the Ethereum ecosystem, the stage is set for accelerated adoption, usage, and broader accessibility within the Ethereum community and its underlying protocols.

Dencun Upgrade Fails To Propel ETH Above $4,000 

Despite the successful upgrade, ETH’s price remains unaffected, continuing to consolidate below the $4,000 threshold. The token attempted to surpass this crucial resistance level on Monday and Tuesday but failed to sustain its position above it.

Ethereum

For over 24 hours now, ETH has been trading between $3,930 and $3,970. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that ETH has maintained its upward momentum, with gains exceeding 18% over the past fourteen days and nearly 60% over the past thirty days. 

Additionally, introducing the Dencun upgrade is expected to drive increased demand for ETH, potentially sparking a renewed uptrend that could bridge the gap between current trading prices and its previous all-time high (ATH) of $4,878, achieved in November 2021.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

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Ethereum Is Not Done: Crypto Analyst Sets New $5,000 Target

Ethereum is currently looking to gain a strong footing above the $4,000 price level as bullish momentum continues to dominate. According to crypto analyst Ali Martinez, this bullish momentum could continue and Ethereum could as well reach $5,000 very soon.

Ali Martinez made this known while citing data from IntoTheBlock, noting that the second biggest cryptocurrency still has room to run to $5,000, albeit a small resistance around $4,522 to $4,646. 

Ethereum Path To $5,000 Looks Increasingly Clear As Resistance Dwindles

Ethereum’s momentum has been building for weeks amidst a broader crypto market increase, which has seen many cryptocurrencies reach new highs. The price of Ethereum has increased by 53% in the past 30 days alone, leaving investors to wonder how high it can keep going and whether it can follow in Bitcoin’s footsteps and attain a new all-time high. 

In a social media post on X, Martinez noted a $5,000 price point is in the books “as resistance thins.” However, a key hurdle remains at $4,522-$4,646, where 600,000 addresses hold 1.63 million ETH. Despite this resistance hurdle, Martinez believes a $5,000 price point is inevitable while noting that the only question left is when this will manifest.

The analyst made this prediction using IntoTheBlock’s “In/Out of the Money Around Price” metric, which tracks the number of holders making money at the current price. Interestingly, the metric indicated that 7.64 million ETH, representing 75.95% of the volume bought between $3,428 and $4,646, are making money at the current price. 

Ethereum is trading at $4,058 at the time of writing on the back of a minor correction after reaching a two-year high of $4,084. If bullish momentum continues and ETH can close the week above $4,175, that could pave the way for a quick move to $4,500 and potentially past its current all-time high of $4,891 to set a new one.

Current price action shows Ethereum has created a support around $3,950 during its move up to $4,000. As long as this price level continues to hold, the overall bullish trend remains intact. But a break below $3,920 could signal a deeper correction to $3,800.

Increased blockchain activity on layer-2 networks has pushed gas fees to new highs. As a result, developers are getting ready to roll in a Dencun upgrade, which is supposed to usher in a new era of cheaper fees. The Dencun upgrade is the first change to Ethereum’s blockchain code in over a year. 

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com

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Getting Cheaper, Getting Higher? Ethereum Dencun Upgrade And The Potential For ETH To Rise Back Above $4,000

The highly anticipated Dencun upgrade for the Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem is on the horizon, promising to bring significant cost reductions and notable changes to Layer 2 (L2) networks. The update, scheduled for March 13, will introduce a new data storage system known as blobs, reducing congestion on the Ethereum network and driving key new features in various areas. 

Ethereum Dencun Upgrade

As highlighted in a recent Bloomberg report, Dencun aims to reduce the cost of Layer 2 networks such as Arbitrum (ABR), Polygon (MATIC), and Coinbase’s Base by enabling previously costly transactions to become significantly cheaper. 

In particular, transactions that used to cost $1 can now cost as little as one cent, the report notes, while others that used to cost cents can be reduced to a fraction of a cent. This cost reduction is expected to improve the end-user experience greatly and is a significant improvement over previous upgrades such as the September 2022 “Merge.”

One of the most crucial aspects of the Dencun upgrade is the introduction of blobs, a new type of data repository for Layer 2 networks. Currently, Layer 2 blockchains store their data on the Ethereum network, leading to substantial storage costs passed on to applications and users. 

However, with blobs, Layer 2s will store their data for a significantly shorter period, about 18 days, resulting in lower costs. While this shift sacrifices storing a complete record of all transactions forever, it frees up more space on the Ethereum network for other transactions, reducing congestion.

AI-Driven Trading Strategies

According to the report, introducing blobs through the Dencun upgrade also paves the way for using artificial intelligence (AI) in various applications. For example, games can incorporate AI-driven non-player characters, enabling advanced gameplay capabilities and a deeper experience. 

In decentralized finance (DeFi), automated market makers can incorporate “complex trading strategies” driven by AI models. This newfound flexibility and complexity are expected to foster innovation and drive the development of advanced applications in the Ethereum ecosystem.

In addition, the Dencun upgrade is expected to reduce the operating costs of Layer 2 chains significantly. Previously, launching and operating a Layer 2 project required considerable venture capital backing. However, Bloomberg reports that with the cost reductions brought about by Dencun, small teams may be able to launch and maintain Layer 2 chains. 

While the adoption of blobs and the associated cost advantages are expected to drive immediate benefits, it is worth noting that the cost of blobs may increase over time as demand grows. 

How Could Dencun Boost ETH Price?

While the price of ETH has corrected by over 3% in the past 24 hours, resulting in a current trading price of $3,916, the Dencun upgrade holds the potential to have a positive impact on its price.

The upgrade aims to significantly reduce costs for Layer 2 networks and enhance the overall user experience, making Ethereum a more appealing platform for decentralized applications (dApps) and other use cases. By lowering transaction fees and improving scalability, Dencun could attract more users and developers to the Ethereum ecosystem, potentially driving up demand for ETH tokens.

Despite the ongoing correction, it is worth noting that the current price of ETH is not far from its two-year high of $4,084. However, it’s important to consider that the price has formed a double top pattern on the daily time frame for two consecutive days, which may present a near-term hurdle for ETH’s price. The market’s reaction and the ability of ETH to surpass its nearest resistance level remain to be seen.

Ethereum

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com