Ethereum Dencun Upgrade Launch Boosts ETH Price, Eyes 90% Fee Reduction

Ethereum (ETH) has made significant strides in its 2024 roadmap with the successful launch of the Dencun upgrade on the final Holesky testnet. 

This is seen as a crucial step towards deploying the upgrade on the mainnet, signaling Ethereum’s progress in improving transaction efficiency, and scalability and reducing transaction fees by up to 90%. As a result, ETH has surged 2.9% in the last 24 hours, breaking its previous downtrend.

Ethereum Dencun Upgrade

The Dencun upgrade was first activated on the Sepolia testnet in January 2024, following its deployment on the Goerli testnet. This upgrade aligns with Ethereum’s broader strategy to enhance scalability and reduce transaction costs for its users. 

Introducing the concept of “proto-danksharding,” Dencun aims to decrease transaction costs for layer-2 blockchains and address scalability challenges, paving the way for the eventual implementation of “danksharding” for further benefits.

Once fully implemented, Dencun is expected to significantly increase Ethereum’s transaction processing capacity, potentially enabling the network to handle over 100,000 transactions per second. According to the network’s development team, this scalability enhancement is crucial for supporting the growing ecosystem of decentralized applications (dApps) and users on Ethereum.

Furthermore, Dencun will have notable technical improvements, such as the introduction of ‘blobs,’ which reduce the cost of rollups on the Ethereum mainnet by compressing transaction data off-chain. 

By caching data needed for short-term transaction verification, blobs aim to minimize storage and processing requirements, further enhancing the network’s transactional capabilities.

Anticipation For ETH’s Market Impact

The successful implementation of the Dencun upgrade holds the potential for significant implications on ETH’s market value, driven by a combination of factors.

Firstly, the upgrade’s enhanced network capabilities, including boosted transaction processing capacity and reduced costs, are expected to attract more developers and users to the Ethereum ecosystem. 

With improved scalability and lower transaction fees, Ethereum could become a more attractive platform for building dApps and conducting transactions. This increased utility and demand for Ethereum could have a positive impact on its market value as more participants seek to acquire ETH tokens.

The perceived reliability and forward momentum resulting from the successful implementation of Dencun may attract more investors to consider Ethereum as an investment opportunity. The increased interest and demand for ETH tokens driven by this positive sentiment can contribute to potential price appreciation.

Lastly, the anticipation of Dencun’s benefits and the reactions to its successful implementation may lead to short-term price volatility, with investors adjusting their positions based on their expectations of how the upgrade will impact Ethereum’s functionality and market position.

All of these developments could have a significant impact on ETH’s price trajectory and position the token in a long bullish trend, if this momentum continues to be capitalized on, the next barrier at $2,450 could be easily surpassed, potentially sending ETH to new highs. 

While the long-term implications remain to be seen, this is a positive development for ETH bulls as the network has lacked significant catalysts and has been involved in a significant price correction for the past 3 weeks.

With activations on the Sepolia and Goerli testnets already completed, the final testnet deployment, Holesky, was initially scheduled for February 7, 2024. However, it has now been rescheduled for March 2024. 

Ethereum

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum Bulls May Propel Price To $3,100, Analyst Suggests

Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency, has seen a significant price increase over the past month. The recent bullish rush in the crypto market, coupled with BlackRock’s involvement, has pushed ETH to its year-to-date high of $2,139.

Ethereum Outshines Bitcoin And Altcoins

According to market data provider Kaiko, ETH has outperformed BTC and many altcoins in recent weeks, signaling a shift in market dynamics.

Kaiko’s report highlights how ETH struggled to gain momentum over the past year, despite successful upgrades such as The Merge in April. 

However, the sentiment around ETH changed dramatically when BlackRock filed for a spot ETH exchange-traded fund (ETF), leading to a reversal in the ETH to Bitcoin (BTC) ratio.

The impact on the market was substantial, with ETH prices surging above $2,000 for the first time since April. Additionally, daily spot trade volumes reached $7 billion, the highest level since the collapse of FTX

Ethereum

The ETH ETF narrative provided further impetus to the ongoing rally, amplified by improved global risk sentiment and declining US Treasury yields.

The dominance of altcoin + ETH volume relative to BTC has risen to 60%, marking its highest level in over a year. During bull rallies, altcoin volume typically increases relative to BTC. 

This surge in demand has also led to rising leverage, as reflected in the recovery of ETH open interest to early August levels. Notably, BTC open interest has declined over the past month due to liquidations on Binance, resulting in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) outpacing Binance as the largest BTC futures market.

Furthermore, ETH funding rates, a gauge of sentiment and bullish demand, have reached their highest levels in over a year, indicating a significant shift in sentiment. In November, both BTC and ETH 30-day volatility rose to 40% and 50% respectively, following a multi-year low of around 15% during the summer months.

Crypto Expert Predicts ETH Breakout

Renowned crypto expert Michael Van de Poppe believes that ETH is on the cusp of a significant breakthrough. According to Van de Poppe, if Ethereum manages to surpass the crucial $2,150 resistance level, it could signify the end of the bear market. 

Drawing a parallel with Bitcoin’s critical $30,000 barrier, Van de Poppe suggests that breaching this level could pave the way for a substantial rally, potentially propelling Ethereum towards the price range of $3,100 to $3,600. 

Ethereum

However, Ethereum has yet to touch the $2,150 resistance line, as it faces a pre-existing obstacle in the form of its yearly high of $2,139. This pivotal level has halted the cryptocurrency’s bullish momentum, acting as a formidable resistance. 

As a result, Ethereum has been consolidating within a narrow range between $2,050 and $2,100 for the past three days.

The forthcoming days will reveal whether Ethereum can overcome its immediate resistance levels and establish a consolidated position above them. Alternatively, it may face a fate similar to Bitcoin, which failed to surpass the $31,000 level for over seven months before reaching its current trading price of $36,000.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com