One of cryptos most influential voices has warned the industry to refrain from voting for political candidates based solely on their digital asset policies. In a blog published Wednesday, Ethereums co-founder Vitalik Buterin argues that electing candidates simply for being crypto friendly could hurt the industry more in the long-run. Considering whether candidates are ideologically at-odds with what crypto stands for, is more important than if they endorse the right to trade coins in the here and now, he argues.

If you care about freedom, you might want the government to respect your freedom to have the kind of family you want. If you care about building more efficient and equitable economies, you might want to look at the implications of that in housing, he continues. Buterin added that losing site of these bigger questions could lead crypto voters to lose sight of the ideals that originally created crypto in the first place.

In his view, crypto payments are just one iteration of the decentralization movements larger ideological goal of freedom, and a partys commitment to protecting this goal is what should be on the ballot. Decentralized networks are good at protecting freedom, and money is an important sphere where such networks can be applied but its one important sphere among several, he writes.

Trump, who has committed to be the crypto president, will speak at Bitcoin 2024 next week, an annual conference that also serves as a tribal gathering for fans of the original cryptocurrency. Details of what he will discuss have not been disclosed. David Bailey, CEO, BTC Inc., the organizer of the Bitcoin Conference, told Fortune in a statement that Trump will share his vision for the future of the American Bitcoin industry and its impact on the U.S. economy.

In his blog post, Buterin also listed examples of technologies that should also be protected in the name of freedom, beyond just crypto and blockchains. This includes encrypted messaging, privacy from centralized AI companies, and prediction markets and Community Notes that he argues help people form high-quality opinions about important topics in an adversarial environment.

Buterins appeal to higher ideals, however, was quickly met with suggestions he was ignoring political reality.

Much of this seems too clever by half. Good crypto policy requires electing pro-crypto candidates, period. Political reality beats idealism every time, responded prominent crypto layer Jake Chervinsky on X. Another user added, The underlying goal has to be mass adoption, which requires good policy. The tech is inherently democratic.

Buterins blog comes just one day after Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, co-founders of tech venture capital firm a16z, announced their endorsement of Donald Trump on a podcast. For little tech, we think Donald Trump is actually the right choice. Sorry mum, I know youre going to be mad at me for this, but we had to do it, Horowitz said. On that same podcast, Andreessen expressed his fears over how the Democrats might regulate Silicon Valley: My big concern is what we saw in crypto was the foreshadowing of whats gonna happen in AI.

The a16z founders arent the first prominent members of the industry to make their support for Trump public.

I am going to vote for the person whos going to do the best job for our economyI am a voter when it comes to economics, and on that basis, Trump. ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood said during an interview with YouTuber Kevin Paffrath last month.

In addition, this week it was reported that Tesla CEO and meme coin enthusiast Elon Musk is donating $45 million per month to a new pro-Trump super political action committee, called America PAC. Further donors to the lobbying group include the Winklevoss twins, who founded crypto exchange Gemini, and former U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Kelly Craft, who has lobbied on behalf of the Bitcoin mining industry.

Prominent crypto figures turning to Trump is also indicative of a wider shift. A June survey by Paradigm found that 13% of Republican swing voters are now more convinced to vote for him in light of his recent crypto conversion. Moreover, just over one third of Republicans view crypto positively, the survey found.

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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warns against voting on crypto policy, as a16z founders endorse Trump - Fortune

Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, issued a warning on Wednesday against choosing a candidate purely based on whether they claim to be pro-crypto. In a blog post, Buterin said its more important to scrutinize a candidates broader policies to ensure they support cryptocurrencys underlying goals, including internationalism and protection for private communications.

If a politician is pro-crypto, the key question to ask is:Are they in it for the right reasons?, wrote Buterin.Do they have a vision of how technology and politics and the economy should go in the 21st century that aligns with yours?

Though Buterin does not mention any politicians or crypto investors by name, his comments come just one day after Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz threw their support behind former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential election. The founders of Andreessen Horowitz noted on their podcast yesterday that Trumps crypto regulation plan is a flat-out blanket endorsement of the entire space. The influential venture capitalists join the ranks of other notable Silicon Valley players, including Elon Musk, who endorsed Trump in the last week.

Further, Ethereums co-founder made the case that signaling you broadly support any pro-crypto candidates could incentivize politicians to promote the cause in bad faith. Buterin notes that authoritarian leaders, particularly in Russia, have claimed to support crypto in an effort to consolidate power.

It doesnt matter if they also support banning encrypted messaging, if they are a power-seeking narcissist, or if they push for bills that make it even harder for your Chinese or Indian friend to attend the next crypto conference all that politicians have to do is make sure its easy for you to trade coins, said Buterin.

The co-founder of Ethereum suggested to look into a crypto-friendly politicians views on crypto five years ago. He says this can serve as a guide for whether the politician may reverse their position five years in the future.

Notably, former President Trump starkly opposed decentralized tokens five years ago. In a tweet from July 2019, Trump said hes not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are not money. In a follow-up tweet, he said we have only one real currency in the USA, referring to the United States dollar.

But in May, Trump completed a total flip-flop on his stance regarding cryptocurrencies, becoming the first major presidential candidate to accept bitcoin donations. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trumps crypto fundraising efforts have collected $3 million worth of donations in the second quarter.

Continued here:

Ethereum co-founder's warning against 'pro-crypto' candidates: 'Are they in it for the right reasons?' - TechCrunch

Ethers price could be on track to reach a new all-time high as the industry is about to witness the launch of the first spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which could occur as soon as next week.

Ethers (ETH) price could be on track to a new all-time high after the launch of the first United States spot Ether ETFs, according to Matt Hougan, chief investment officer of Bitwise.

Hougan cited three main reasons for Ether reaching a new all-time high, including ETHs inflation rate, the fact that Ether stakers arent selling like Bitcoin (BTC) miners and that 28% of Ether supply is already out of the market.

In a July 16 blog post, Hougan wrote:

Other factors also point to an incoming rally, including the number of Ether withdrawals from centralized exchanges, according to crypto analyst Leon Waidmann.

The analyst wrote in a July 19 X post:

However, Ether futuressuggest little confidence in the chance of Ether breaking above the $4,000 mark in the short term, as the $3,500 mark remains a significant resistance zone.

Ethers relative strength index (RSI) also suggests that Ethers price needs to cool down before rallying to a new all-time high. On the daily chart, Ethers RSI rose to 58, which suggests that the asset is not yet overbought but is trading above its fair value, according to TradingView data.

The RSI is a popular momentum indicator used to measure whether an asset is oversold or overbought based on the magnitude of recent price changes.

Related: Bitcoin analysts say 74K is the next stop for BTC price

Ethers price could first see a sell-the-news event after the initial ETF launch before starting its sustained rally toward new all-time highs.

Hence, the real opportunity to invest in Ether long term could come after the first few weeks of the ETF debut, according to Alvin Kan, chief operating officer of Bitget Wallet.

Kan told Cointelegraph:

ETHs price will be able to climb in a more sustained manner after the initial shakeout, added Kan:

Other analysts expect the Ether ETF to have wider ramifications on the altcoin market. For instance, popular crypto trader Mikybull expects the ETFs to catalyze the next altcoin bull market cycle.

The trader wrote in a July 19 X post:

Ethers price rallied over 11% during the past week, but ETH is still trading 29% below its old all-time high of $4,890 reached in November 2021.

Related: Bitcoin bears trapped, but can BTC price surpass $70K by August?

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

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Can ETH price crack $3.5K? Ethereum ETF debut will precede new highs, analysts say - Cointelegraph

Five Spot Ethereum ETFs, including Fidelity and VanEck, are set to launch on July 23rd, according to the CBOE exchange. Cboe posted new issue notifications Friday afternoon, which are procedural for ETF launches, revealing the Ethereum ETF launch date.

JUST IN: Five Spot Ethereum ETFs to launch on July 23, Cboe confirms.

VanEck Invesco Fidelity 21Shares Franklin Templeton

Cboe will house most of the first trading of Ether ETFs. The exchange has revealed that trading will commence next week. These include the Fidelity Ethereum Fund, the Franklin Ethereum ETF, the Invesco Galaxy Ethereum ETF, the VanEck Ethereum ETF, and the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF. We are pleased to announce that 1 Exchange Traded Product (ETP) will be listed on Cboe and will begin trading as a new issue on July 23, 2024, the exchange said.

Also Read: Ethereum: Will ETH ETF Have a Bigger Impact Than Bitcoin Did?

Ether ETF applicants first received 19b-4 form approvals back in May. However, there has been a delay in wrapping up final loose ends. In addition, firms disclosed fee amounts in amended registration statements on Wednesday:

Also Read: Pepe Coins 390% Boom: Next Big Crypto?

Furthermore, an interesting note is the timing of the approval. The SEC is greenlighting the launch date of the Ethereum ETF during the biggest Bitcoin conference of the year. That week will be a memorable one for all of crypto, as BTC and ETH represent the only two cryptocurrencies with an ETF in the US.

Now, all eyes are on what token could be next. There has been a lot of anticipation surrounding a possible Solana ETF soon. Crypto ETFs have entered the spotlight. As a result, the opening week performance of Ether ETFs may dictate how easily the next ETF is approved in the future.

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Five Spot Ethereum ETFs To Launch on July 23, CBOE Says - Watcher Guru

United States spot Ether exchange-traded funds will have a rough start but could have a bigger impact on the assets price than Bitcoin ETFs did for BTC, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan.

The first few weeks could be choppy, as money may flow out of the $11 billion Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) after it converts to an ETP, Hougan stated.

By year-end, Im confident the new highs will be in, he added, reiterating not to expect significant results immediately given the potential selling pressure similar to what spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs faced upon trading launch on Jan. 11.

Hougan gave three main reasons why he believes Ether ETFs will have a bigger impact on the asset's price: Ethers inflation rate effectively amounts to zero, given the widespread usage of Ethereum-based applications compared to the small amount of ETH created daily.

Also, Bitcoin miners are forced to sell Bitcoin to maintain operations due to it being expensive, requiring high-end computer chips and loads of energy,. In contrast, those staking ETH do not have significant direct costs.

Another reason is that approximately one-third of all ETH (28%) is staked and locked away for a period of time. Currently, 28% of all ETH is staked, meaning it is effectively off the market, he said.

Hougans comments come amid growing anticipation for the launch of the spot Ether (ETH) ETF, which is expected to debut on July 23, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.

Hougan predicts that the product will push Ethers price above $5,000 by the end of 2024, a 47% increase from its current price of $3,401, as per CoinMarketCap data.

However, the prediction might be conservative if inflows exceed market expectations, according to Hougan.

If flows are stronger than many market commentators expect, the price could be much higher still, he declared, mirroring the prediction of pseudonymous crypto trader Daan Crypto Trades, who also believes that the amount of potential inflows into Ether ETFs has been underestimated.

Related: SEC approves Grayscale, Proshares spot Ethereum ETFs for trading on NYSE Arca

My expectation is still a little more optimistic in terms of ETF flows than most, Daan Crypto Trade wrote in a July 17 X post.

They further pointed out that Ethers price is sitting on top of the 200-day Moving Average (MA) and will eventually break out surrounding the ETF launch.

Meanwhile, pseudonymous crypto trader Kaleo is of the opposite opinion to Daan Crypto Trades believing that the price will spiral downward upon Ether ETF launch.

Gonna be a contrarian here and say that I believe Ethereum actually dips a bit next week vs. BTC, they added.

While Hougan is optimistic about Ethereum reaching $5,000 and beyond by the years end, futures traders are betting on a near-term decline in Ethereums price.

A 10% increase to $3,750 will wipe $1.31 billion in short liquidations, whereas 10% dip on the downside will erase $544.39 in long positions, according to CoinGlass data.

Magazine: Bitcoin $500K prediction, spot Ether ETF staking issue Thomas Fahrer, X Hall of Flame

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

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Ethereum ETFs will have a bigger impact on ETH price: Bitwise - Cointelegraph

In the world of virtual or digital assets, people often talk most about the trending and most popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin, but also closely keep an eye on Ethereum, which is regarded as the worlds second largest cryptocurrency. There is no doubt that ETH is overshadowed by the worlds largest cryptocurrency BTC, but surely it has plenty to offer.

Crypto enthusiasts generally consider ETH much more than just a digital token and believe it has a huge intrinsic value that offers unique earning opportunities for its investors. Investors had anticipated ETH to reach new heights following the Dencun upgrade, but the cryptocurrency continues its downward trend. As of July 9, 2024, the current value of Ethereum is $3,080, down by 36.94% from its all-time high and 10.67% down in the last seven days.

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Lets examine this guide to determine Ethereums future and whether it will continue to gain momentum in the coming years.

The worlds largest altcoin and the second-largest cryptocurrency, Ethereum, holds significance beyond being just a crypto token. It is widely recognized outside the crypto community for its advanced features and innovative blockchain solutions.

ETH operates as an open-source blockchain with smart contract functionality, primarily applied in the realm of decentralized finance (DeFi). Ethereum functions more like a network that is continually updated and maintained by validators who receive ETH as compensation for their contributions and efforts.

Many experts envision ETH reaching a valuation of $40,000 by 2030. While this might seem ambitious, it is not entirely implausible. Several compelling factors, such as its comprehensive market strategy, unique model, scalability solutions, and leadership in various decentralized applications, have positioned ETH at the forefront of the cryptocurrency landscape.

Ethereum has played a vital role in expanding blockchain technology, offering blockchain projects, faster transactions, enhanced efficiency, and decentralized applications to industries across the globe. Lets take a look at the key use cases of ETH, which are extensive and expanding at a very fast pace:

In short, there are many sectors in which Ethereum is creating value and offering utility. Industries, from entertainment to real estate and even the healthcare sector, are creating apps and tools based on the blockchain solutions provided by ETH.

To understand where Ethereum will go next and to gain a better understanding of its forecast, you need first to comprehend its unique model, which is unlike other cryptocurrencies.

The network began operating using a consensus mechanism that initially involved proof-of-work, but in 2022, it switched to proof-of-stake. The PoS consensus mechanism is considered to be extra secure, tending to use less energy and being much more efficient for implementing scaling solutions than the previous model.

In the current model, validators are allowed to stake capital in the form of Ethereum and join the network where this stake ETH acts as collateral. Once it is activated, validators receive new blocks from their peers on the ETH network, and they are responsible for sending them out to other nodes on the network.

Furthermore, validator nodes vote on the validity of a new block of transactions, collectively ensuring that new blocks are authentic and in force before adding them permanently to the main blockchain. Then, out of these nodes, one node is selected as the block proposer for the current time slot, which is highly responsible for building the new block of transactions.

A PoS is much better than PoW, as it does not use heavy computational power to solve a riddle. But, in the PoS system, the node validates the new transactions and stakes its value as collateral. These nodes then run competently to avoid losing that collateral.

With the Ethereum merge now complete after years of hard work, Ethereums transition to PoS is finally active. With this crucial change, the Ethereum network started using validators instead of miners to approve, create, and add blocks to the blockchain.

Ethereum holds a bright future as it is not just a transactional currency; eventually, it will be on the path of establishing itself as a store of value for entities looking to optimize their wealth. ETH functions very well with DApps, NFTs, smart contracts, and DeFi; the list keeps growing yearly.

As long as the network keeps becoming stronger and the ETH team continues to develop innovative features, its investors will likely continue to grow in the years to come. Lets check out Ethereums long-term price predictions.

As of July 9, 2024, Ethereum is trading at $3,080, with a market capitalization of $370.35 billion. The currency has exhibited significant growth following the Shapella upgrade in April 2023 and has experienced a substantial increase from $2,100 to $4,000. However, the Dencun upgrade has not significantly impacted the cryptocurrencys value. ETH is down by 16.45% from the past month.

The ongoing interest in Spot Bitcoin ETFs has spurred anticipation Ethereum ETFs may also get an approval. Following the Dencun upgrade launched on March 13, 2024, the total supply has declined and the upgrade did not bolster the surge that the market had anticipated. ETH has increased 1.65% in the last 24 hours.

Read more about the Dencun upgrade: Why is Ethereum Going Up Today?

According to Cryptonewz, by the end of the current year 2024, ETH will touch $5,000. By the year 2025, Ethereum is expected to reach the maximum level of $6,500 with a minimum of $ 4,500 and an average of $5,500. And by the year 2030, it is expected that it may go up to a maximum of $20,500.

In the current year, we witnessed the Dencun upgrade and Bitcoin Halving, which were anticipated to boost the value of ETH positively. However, the anticipation of the growth of the ETH trading value turned out to be more of a disappointment among investors. On the other hand, if ETH keeps on growing, it has the potential to overcome its all-time high.

According to a blog by a leading cryptocurrency exchange CoinDCX, 2024 may lay a firm foundation for ETHs upward movement. The upswing could intensify, potentially pushing prices to surpass the crucial $10,000 and setting a new all-time high. However, bearish activity could increase as these levels are breached, promoting a modest pullback. By the year-end, the pullback will witness a downtrend; eventually, the year will close in the range of $5,000.

At the beginning of 2030, the ETH price could reclaim its position of $10,000 and probably be above that level, establishing a robust upward trend. ETH might even bypass this all-time high of around $12,000 and set a new record. But, again, after reaching this peak, a crucial pullback might ensue. The year for ETH will reflect the dynamic interplay of encompassing bullish surges, market forces, and bearish adjustments. By the end of the year, it might range around $9,000 to $9,500.

Given the highly volatile nature of the crypto market, various possibilities exist in the realm of cryptocurrencies, including the potential for Ethereum to surpass Bitcoin. As witnessed in 2021, ETH outperformed BTC, gaining nearly 400% compared to Bitcoins 66%.

Experts acknowledge that Ethereum has a stable future due to several use cases and its unique blockchain, and there is a chance it may perform exceptionally well compared to Bitcoin. However, it is considered highly unlikely for Ethereum to surpass the price of Bitcoin. Nevertheless, ETH has the potential to reach a comparable market capitalization with BTC, notably due to its uncapped supply, unlike Bitcoin.

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Several crypto experts have analyzed Ethereums performance since its inception. Knowing its capabilities, they strongly believe that ETH is here to stay because of its firm fundamentals and potential.

The continuous growth of Ethereum and its constant upgrades has led many to predict that this year, 2024, and upcoming years will be great for the token as rising confidence in the technology and blockchain solutions will surely let ETH to the moon and investors holding ETH for long will not be wrecked.

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Ethereum (ETH) Price Prediction For 2024, 2025 And 2030 - Forbes

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved two spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust and ProShares Ethereum ETF for listing on the New York Stock Exchanges (NYSEs) Arca electronic trading platform, according to a July 17filing.

The approval of the so-called Form 19b-4 filing authorizes NYSE to facilitate trading of the funds. However, the issuers must still stand by for final comments on the ETFs respective S-1 filings before the spot products can actually commence with listing.

Grayscale is excited to share that the [SEC] has approved Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trusts (proposed ticker: ETH) Form 19b-4, a Grayscale spokesperson said in a statement. The Grayscale team continues to engage constructively with SEC staff as we seek full regulatory approval for US spot Ethereum ETPs.

Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust is one of two spot Ethereum ETFs that the crypto investment manager is preparing to list. In May, Grayscale received SEC approval after filing a Form 19b-4 to convert its legacy spot ETH fund, Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE), into an exchange traded fund.

On July 17, Grayscale announced plans to distribute shares of the new Mini Trust to holders of the ETHE fund. The Grayscale Ethereum Trust was first launched in 2017 and was among the first institutional investment vehicles for spot Ethereum.

The SEC reportedly gave preliminary approval to at least three issuers to begin listing spot Ether ETFs as soon as July 23. A total of eight spot Ether ETFs are awaiting a final regulatory greenlight after weeks of back-and-forth dialogues with the SEC and multiple amendments to the funds' S-1 filings.

Related: 21Shares Ether ETF to waive fees for up to 6 months

The ProShares Ethereum ETF has been a relative latecomer in the race, filing its Form 19b-4 roughly three weeks after its peers had already received approval. The ProShares fund is not among the eight expected to be listed next week.

Magazine: Saudi Arabias Riyadh may be cryptos sleeping giant: Crypto City Guide

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SEC approves Grayscale, ProShares spot Ethereum ETFs for trading on NYSE Arca - Cointelegraph

The results are in: Grayscale Investments will keep charging a 2.5% fee to holders of its Ethereum trust when it converts into an exchange-traded fund.

Thats a massive fee compared with other potential Ethereum ETFs which are all set to launch on July 23.

Grayscale isnt lowering its fees at all, Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst Eric Balchunas wrote on X, pointing out that the firms ETF will be roughly 10 times more expensive than its competition.

Probably will cause some outrage flows, Balchunas added.

By comparison, the Ethereum ETFs issued by BlackRock and Fidelity Investments will each have a 0.25% fee, VanEck and Bitwise will each charge 0.20%, and Franklin Templeton 0.19%.

Grayscales case is unique in that it isnt spinning up a new fund from scratch, but converting its existing Ethereum Trust ticker ETHE, which holds almost $10 billion in assets into an ETF.

The trust was designed in such a way that investors could create new shares, but not redeem them. Even so, the trust was popular for a long time because it was one of the only ways for Wall Street investors to get exposure to Ethereum.

And because it was the only game in town, Grayscale could get away with its 2.5% fees.

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But once the trust converts into a fund at the same time all other Ethereum ETFs launch investors will be able to finally redeem their shares.

And because other Ethereum ETFs will launch imminently, Grayscale risks seeing outflows from its fund to cheaper alternatives.

The same thing happened with spot Bitcoin ETFs: Grayscale has seen more than $18 billion in outflows since it converted its Bitcoin trust into an ETF in January.

BlackRock and Fidelitys Bitcoin ETFs, meanwhile, have amassed over $30 billion in assets between the two of them.

Grayscale didnt respond to a request for comment.

Alongside ETHEs conversion, Grayscale is launching a separate spot Ethereum ETF, called the mini Ethereum ETF. The mini fund will process smaller fees 0.25% and will be seeded with 10% of ETHEs assets upon launch.

The move should help alleviate some of the likely Grayscale outflows, Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst James Seyffart posted on X.

But not everyone is convinced.

Theres one massive idiosyncratic factor with Ethereum that will affect demand and thats staking, Adam Morgan McCarthy, an analyst at crypto data firm Kaiko Research, told DL News.

When using crypto infrastructure, Ethereum holders can lock their Ether in the network a process called staking to receive a 3% yield. But the Ethereum ETFs wont give holders that opportunity.

The value proposition for a crypto-native fund holding ETHE is hard to see when these funds can redeem shares and buy Ether to stake in return for yields as opposed to paying high fees to stick around in Grayscales fund, McCarthy said.

Even paying 0.2% without the staking element seems like a nonstarter to me, he added.

McCarthy pointed out that, because Ethereum enabled staking relatively recently, in 2022, some ETHE investors are likely still waiting to exit the fund and lock their Ether in staking protocols.

Expect outflows from ETHE and some reallocation into new funds which are launching with waivers and low fees, McCarthy said.

But a decent chunk of outflows will exit the market altogether, he added.

Tom Carreras is a markets correspondent at DL News. Got a tip about Grayscale and Ethereum ETFs? Reach out at tcarreras@dlnews.com

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Why Grayscales fees for its $10bn Ethereum ETF are a nonstarter for investors - DLNews

The price of Ether has topped $3,300 amid anticipation that spot ETH exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could launch as soon as the end of this week.

Ether (ETH) is currently trading at $3,331 and has rallied 16% from a price of $2,909 in the last week, per TradingView data.

Nate Geraci, ETF analyst and president of The ETF Store, took to X with his forecast that the roster of eight spot ETH ETFs will have launched by the end of this week.

Welcome to spot ETH ETF approval week. Dont know anything specific, just cant come up [with] good reason for any further delay at this point, wrote Geraci in a July 14 X post.

In line with Geraci, an anonymous source close to the proceedings told Cointelegraph on July 12 that the spot ETH funds were expected to launch by the end of this week.

Several issuers including VanEck and 21Shares filed amended registrations last week in hopes of receiving the SECs final signoff to begin listing spot Ether ETFs.

Many analysts tip the launch of the ETFs as a major catalyst for the price of ETH in the coming months.

Related: Spot Bitcoin ETFs see highest flow day in over 5 weeks

Tom Dunleavy, a managing partner at crypto investment firm MV Global, told Cointelegraph that he expects the funds toattract up to $10 billion in new inflows in the months following their launch, something that will see Ether prices surge to new all-time highs by the end of this year.

Dunleavy also said, contrary to popular opinion among other ETF analysts, that Ether ETFs would be an easier sell to Wall Street compared to Bitcoin ETFs.

We believe that there will be strong buy pressure with a much more clear narrative that traditional investors can understand. ETH has cashflows. It can be described as a tech stock, the app store of crypto, or an internet bond, Dunleavy wrote in a Q2 investor note given to Cointelegraph.

He added that ETHs price action which has lagged relative to Bitcoin (BTC) for the last 18 months would rebound quickly following the launch of the funds.

Magazine:Ethereums recent pullback could be a gift: Dynamo DeFi,X Hall of Flame

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Ethereum tops $3.3K as analysts tip ETF approvals this week - Cointelegraph

Shiba Inu and Ethereum have become some of the most important players in the cryptocurrency market. Were not surprised about this fact.

This analysis examines their current positions, recent performance, and future price predictions to understand how they will evolve.

Also Read: Shiba Inu or Pepe Coin: Which Cryptocurrency Can Reach $0.01 First?

On July 17th of this year, Shiba Inu (SHIB) traded at $0.00001930, with a market capitalization of $9,477,145,257. Amazing, right? Ethereum (ETH), on the other hand, is priced at $3,489.79.

Shiba Inu has experienced some unexpected price changes over the past year. The chart shows a spike in early 2024, which was then followed by a correction. Despite this volatility, SHIB has kept a relatively stable price recently.

The Ethereum Price chart shown above shows a more consistent growth over the same period. The cryptocurrency has shown an upward trend since early 2024, with some occasional fluctuations.

Also Read: Ethereum ETFs Expected to Officially Launch July 23

Shiba Inus indicators show the 50-day SMA is at $0.00001999, while the 200-day SMA is a bit lower, at $0.00001962. This close value suggests that its price is hovering around moving averages. Furthermore, the 14-day RSI is at 56.63.

Ethereums indicators show a more bullish trend: The 50-day SMA stands at $3,447.97, and the 200-day SMA is lower at $3,105.22. This difference suggests that its price is trending above the long-term moving average.

The price predictions for Shiba Inu show a mixed outlook. In the short term, a significant spike is expected during the next 5 days. This might be caused by market speculation of upcoming events.

Unfortunately, this surge is most likely going to be short-lived, with decreases forecasted for the one-month, three-month, and six-month periods.

The long-term outlook looks more positive, with a large increase predicted for the 1-year mark.

Ethereums price predictions are more bullish than SHIB, and that is obvious at this stage. The forecast suggests steady growth across all time frames, with an important boost in the three-month and six-month periods. Thats very interesting.

This positive outlook is due to Ethereums strong fundamentals and the development of network upgrades.

The 1-year prediction also shows that it might continue to grow. Even if the 2025 prediction is lower than the 1-year forecast, it still represents a large increase from the current price.

The price predictions for Shiba Inu and Ethereum show different paths. Even though Ethereum has a constant positive outlook, Shiba Inu is more volatile and has short- and long-term growth potential.

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Shiba Inu and Ethereum: Price Prediction Analysis - Watcher Guru

Etherprice rallied 12.5% between July 12 and July 15, but strong resistance at $3,500 halted the bullish momentum. The subsequent correction down to $3,400 on July 18 occurred despite the United States Securities and Exchange Commission approving two additional spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Despite this positive development, Ethers derivatives market has shown little excitement.

The SEC reportedly gave preliminary approval to at least three issuers to begin trading spot Ether ETFs on July 23. A total of eight spot Ether (ETH) ETFs are awaiting final regulatory approval after amendments to the funds S-1 filings.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan expects Ethers price to reach $5,000 by the end of 2024, citing its low equivalent inflation rate, lack of significant cost for validators, and 28% supply locked in staking.

Given the total crypto market capitalization gained 43% year-to-date in 2024, it is puzzling why Ethers investors lack bullishness, despite the spot ETH ETF momentum. Furthermore, volumes on Ethereum decentralized applications (DApps) rose 7% in the last 30 days to $221 billion, according to DappRadar data. In comparison, competitor BNB Chain saw a 25% decline in activity, while Solana experienced a 16% drop in volumes.

In terms of DApps deposits, the Ethereum network remains the leader with 17.5 million ETH in total value locked (TVL), equivalent to $59.8 billion, according to DefiLlama data. This metric remained flat from the prior month, while competitors Solana and BNB Chain hold approximately $4.8 billion each.

Additionally, activity in Ethereums layer 2 ecosystem increased, with the aggregate native TVL rising by 8.5% over the past 30 days to $14 billion, according to L2Beat data. Thus, Ethereum onchain data shows no signs of weakness.

From a macroeconomic perspective, the latest US Producer Price Index was 2.6% above the prior year, slightly above the market consensus of 2.3%. This indicates that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) still has work to do to curb inflation, meaning price pressure will continue to hurt demand for a while.

Moreover, Chinas disappointing 4.7% yearly gross domestic product growth could spell trouble for global stock markets.

Additionally, the US Department of Labor reported 243,000 initial jobless claims were filed in the week ending July 13, the highest level since August 2023. The signs of a cooling labor market increase the odds of the US Fed cutting interest rates over the next couple of months, according to Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius, as reported by Yahoo Finance.

There is no indication that investors are exiting risk markets, which is evident as the S&P 500 index is only 2% below its all-time high from July 16. Meanwhile, Ethers price needs to gain 43% to surpass the $4,868 mark set in November 2021.

To assess whether crypto traders are gaining confidence, one should analyze the Ether futures premium. In normal markets, these contracts should trade 5% to 10% higher than regular spot markets to account for their extended settlement period.

Related: Bitcoin ETFs have 4-8X more BTC price influence than miners Research

The Ether fixed-month contracts annualized premium, or basis rate, currently stands at 11%, indicating moderate optimism. However, this indicator has not sustained levels above 12% for the past month, which is somewhat concerning given the potential inflows from the upcoming spot ETF launch in the US. For comparison, Bitcoins (BTC) basis rate also stands at 11%, indicating there is no excessive bullishness among Ethereum investors.

Ether bulls might argue that the current lack of confidence leaves room for a surprise if the expectation of strong spot ETF net inflows is confirmed. Still, given that Ethers price failed to rally despite a bullish scenario for risk-on assets, the ETH derivatives metrics point to investors lack of appetite, making a bull run above $4,000 less likely.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

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Spot Ethereum ETFs are coming, but ETH derivatives markets are flat - Cointelegraph

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The price of Ethereum has rallied 5% to over $3,300 ahead of the key spot Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF) decision, according to data from TradingView.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is expected to greenlight the launch of several spot Ethereum ETFs by the end of this month. While the specific date remains speculative, ETF experts estimate that approval will come the week of July 15.

Nate Geraci, the president of the ETF Store, reiterated his prediction that the SEC will approve the S-1 filings this week after weeks of delays following initial listing acceptance in May. He believes theres no reason for further delay because issuers are ready for launch and recent filings require minimal changes.

Welcome to spot [ETH] ETF approval week. Im calling it. Dont know anything specific, just cant come up [without] good reason for any further delay at this point. Issuers ready for launch, Geraci stated in a Sunday post.

Bloomberg ETF analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart previously predicted the spot Ethereum ETFs could be approved and begin trading as soon as mid-July.

Seyffart noted that Ethereum ETF issuers have been filing their final S-1 registration statements, which is the last regulatory hurdle before approval. Balchunas said the SECs minimal feedback on these latest filings suggests they are close to being satisfied with the applications.

Matt Hougan, the Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, confirmed that minimal amendments suggest imminent approval.

The approval of a spot Ethereum ETF is anticipated to have a major impact on the Ethereum market and the broader crypto industry. It could drive remarkable inflows of institutional and retail capital into Ethereum, potentially mirroring the success of spot Bitcoin ETFs.

In a recent report, Hougan suggested that spot Ethereum ETFs could attract $15 billion in net inflows by the end of 2025.

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Ethereum surges 5% to $3,300 ahead of key ETF decision - Crypto Briefing

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The starting date for spot Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading in the US is July 23rd, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas. He shared on X that the SEC is answering issuers today, asking them to return their final S-1 forms on Wednesday, July 17th.

And then request effectiveness on Monday after close for a TUESDAY 7/23 LAUNCH. This is provided no unforeseeable last min issues of course, he added.

The Ethereum ETF issuers filed their S-1 forms on July 8th but most of them left the fees out of their forms. According to Balchunas, this is likely a strategy from the asset managers to check how competitive the funds fees are, especially BlackRocks.

Notably, the S-1 form is an initial registration required by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before a security can be publicly traded.

As highlighted by Balchunas fellow ETF analyst James Seyffart, this could mean that the Ethereum ETFs will start trading the same week as the Bitcoin Conference, set to happen in Nashville.

The launch of the spot Ethereum ETFs is a key step for crypto adoption by mainstream investors, as it solidifies the altcoin as a sound asset among institutional investors. An estimate by Bitwise CIO predicts that these investment instruments will capture $15 billion in inflows until the end of 2025, as reported by Crypto Briefing.

Moreover, the Ethereum ETFs open the door for the approval of exchange-traded funds indexed to other crypto. VanEck and 21Shares both filed their form for the approval of the first spot Solana ETFs in the US on the last week of June.

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Ethereum ETFs to launch July 23, Bloomberg analyst says - Crypto Briefing

Ethereum (ETH) is up in the last 24 hours. This is thanks to a recent development suggesting that the Spot Ethereum ETFs are set to launch anytime soon. These funds are expected to positively impact ETHs price, with the second-largest crypto token poised to reach new highs.

Ethereum experienced a price surge following Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas revelation that the Spot Ethereum ETFs could begin trading by July 23. Balchunas mentioned in an X (formerly Twitter) post that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has gotten back to the fund issuers and asked them to submit their final S-1 filings by July 22.

The SEC also asked them to request effectiveness on July 22 so they can launch on July 23. Therefore, the Spot Ethereum ETFs should launch by next week, provided there are no unforeseeable last-minute issues, as noted by Balchunas. The launch of the Spot Ethereum ETFs is undoubtedly bullish for ETH, giving the amount of new money set to flow into its ecosystem through these funds.

Crypto research firm K33 predicted that these Spot Ethereum ETFs could attract as much as $4.8 billion in their first five months of trading. In line with this, crypto analysts predict that Ethereum could record massive gains thanks to these inflows. Crypto analyst Linda recently predicted that the crypto token could rise to as high as $4,000 soon enough.

Other analysts, like Altcoin Sherpa, have also predicted that ETHwill hit $4,000 soon. Meanwhile, crypto analyst and trader Tyler Durden has provided a more bullish prediction for ETH, stating that the crypto token will rise to $10,000 just the way the chips have fallen.

The crypto analyst alluded to the Spot Ethereum ETFs as what will spark such a parabolic move for Ethereum. He claimed that institutional investors had put so much effort into ensuring that the Spot Ethereum ETFs were approved and that they would ensure that they made money from these funds while pumping ETHs price.

The Spot Ethereum ETFs launch is also expected to spark massive moves for other altcoins and is likely to kickstart the altcoin season. Crypto analyst Crypto Rover advised market participants to prepare accordingly, boldly asserting that altcoin season will start once the Spot Ethereum ETFs begin trading.

From a technical perspective, crypto analyst Titan of Crypto mentioned that altcoins are ready to make major moves to the upside as Bitcoins dominance drops. Crypto analyst Mikybull Crypto also stated that the macro short-term correction for altcoins is about to end, meaning that the Spot Ethereum ETFs could be the catalyst that sparks a bullish reversal.

At the time of writing, ETH is trading at around $3,300, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

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Why Is The Ethereum Price Up Today? - NewsBTC

Last updated: July 16, 2024, 00:48 EDT | 4 min read

The cryptocurrency market has always been characterized by its volatility and potential for substantial gains. One recent development that has captured the attention of investors is the advent of spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs), particularly for Ethereum (ETH).

Historically, similar financial products for Bitcoin have led to substantial capital inflows, contributing to significant price increases.

For Ethereum, the introduction of a spot ETF is expected to have a similar, if not greater, impact due to its robust blockchain ecosystem and the variety of applications built on its platform. The market sentiment has been increasingly bullish as regulatory bodies like the SEC move towards approval.

Recent price movements and market activities underpin this optimistic outlook. Institutional investors have been accumulating Ether, taking advantage of recent price dips to establish or expand their positions.

This is evident from the inflows into Ethereum investment products, which have reached their highest levels since March. Such trends suggest the market is gearing up for a potential surge, fueled by the expected influx of new investors through the spot ETF.

Analyst Eric Balchunas shared recently on X (formerly Twitter) that the Spot Ethereum ETF will launch on July 23. This development is poised to be a game-changer for Ethereum, providing a new avenue for investment and potentially driving significant price appreciation.

The ETF is expected to offer a straightforward and regulated way for institutional and retail investors to gain exposure to Ethereum, which could lead to increased demand and liquidity.

The SECs recent communications with ETF issuers, requesting the final submission of S-1 forms, suggest that the regulatory approval is on track.

This follows the May 23 approval of spot Ether ETF 19b-4 filings from eight asset managers, including prominent names like VanEck and Bitwise.

The positive regulatory stance, coupled with the markets anticipation, has already begun to reflect in Ethereums price, which has seen a notable uptick in recent weeks.

Experts believe that the successful launch of the spot Ethereum ETF will mirror the impact seen with spot Bitcoin ETFs, which attracted substantial capital inflows and drove up prices.

Ethereums recent price performance and technical indicators suggest a bullish trend with the potential for significant gains. The price has been nurturing a V-shaped recovery pattern, a bullish signal that indicates a strong rebound after a period of decline.

Currently, Ethereum is trading above the 50-day exponential moving average (EMA) at $3,439, with a rising relative strength index (RSI) positioned at 55, both of which are positive indicators of ongoing bullish momentum.

The approval and subsequent launch of the spot Ethereum ETF are likely to complete this V-shaped pattern, pushing the price toward $4,000.

This prediction is supported by the increasing inflows into Ethereum investment products and the rising open interest (OI) in ETH contracts, which stands at $7.72 billion.

The growth in OI signifies increased market participant exposure to Ethereum, which historically correlates with price increases.

However, reaching higher price targets, such as $100,000, requires considering both market conditions and broader economic factors.

While the current bullish trend and the ETF launch provide a solid foundation for price appreciation, significant milestones like $100,000 would necessitate sustained institutional investment, broader adoption of Ethereums technology, and favorable macroeconomic conditions.

The In/Out of Money Around Price (IOMAP) metric highlights potential resistance levels, with a notable concentration of addresses around the $3,385 price point, which could pose short-term challenges.

Since launching its presale less than a month ago, Pepe Unchained ($PEPU) has already smashed through the $3 million milestone, and the excitement continues as it pulls in significant investments week after week.

Averaging about $1 million in new funds weekly, this new meme coin, promising to make Pepe great again, is poised to potentially double its investment inflows in the weeks ahead. Early contributors are banking on $PEPU to surpass its predecessor, Pepe ($PEPE).

Earlier this year, $PEPE emerged as a star among meme coins, leading a rally in the first quarter with an astonishing return of 1,235% for early investors. Pepe Unchained aims to match and outshine $PEPEs success, boasting faster and cheaper transactions thanks to its own Layer 2 chain on Ethereum.

The current presale price for its native token, $PEPU, is $0.0084598, but it is set to increase in less than a day, making now a critical time for potential investors to get involved.

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To join the presale and be among those seeing the potential of Pepe Unchained, head over to the Pepe Unchained website, connect your wallet, and exchange $PEPU for ETH, USDT, or BNB. Credit cards are also accepted.

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Ethereum Price Prediction as Analyst Says ETH ETF Will Launch 23 July Can ETH Reach $100,000? - Cryptonews

Over $8,000,000 Worth of Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB), Tether (USDT) and DAI Stolen in Crypto Wallet ...  The Daily Hodl

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Over $8,000,000 Worth of Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB), Tether (USDT) and DAI Stolen in Crypto Wallet ... - The Daily Hodl

Crypto Analyst Predicts Epic Rally for Litecoin, Updates Outlook on Ethereum, Chainlink and Two Additional ...  The Daily Hodl

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Crypto Analyst Predicts Epic Rally for Litecoin, Updates Outlook on Ethereum, Chainlink and Two Additional ... - The Daily Hodl

Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum: Top 10 crypto that gave highest returns in the past one year  BGR India

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Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum: Top 10 crypto that gave highest returns in the past one year - BGR India

Cheaper and Faster Crossborder Payments

Stablecoins are a novel type of cryptocurrency that relies on a more stable asset as the basis for its value. Most of them are linked to the United States dollar and therefore maintain the value of that currency. These allow for a very cheap and stable global payment system. Many current stablecoins are built on the Ethereum network.

Ethereum and stablecoins simplify the process of sending money overseas. It often takes only few minutes to move funds across the globe, as opposed to the several business days or even weeks that it may take your average bank, and for a fraction of the price. Additionally, there is no extra fee for making a high value transaction, and there are zero restrictions on where or why you are sending your money.

If you are lucky enough to have multiple banking options through trusted institutions where you live, you may take for granted the financial freedom, security and stability that they offer. But for many people around the world facing political repression or economic hardship, financial institutions may not provide the protection or services they need.

When war, economic catastrophes or crackdowns on civil liberties struck the residents of Venezuela, Cuba, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Belarus, and Ukraine, cryptocurrencies constituted the quickest and often the only option to retain financial agency.1 As seen in these examples, cryptocurrencies like Ethereum can provide unfettered access to the global economy when people are cut off from the outside world. Additionally, stablecoins offer a store of value when local currencies are collapsing due to superinflation.

In 2021 alone, artists, musicians, writers, and other creators used Ethereum to earn around $3.5 billion collectively. This makes Ethereum one of the largest global platforms for creators, alongside Spotify, YouTube, and Etsy. Learn more.

Play to earn games (where players are actually rewarded for playing the games) have recently emerged and are transforming the gaming industry. Traditionally, it is often prohibited to trade or transfer in-game assets to other players for real money. This forces players to use black market websites that are often a security risk. Blockchain gaming embraces the in-game economy and promotes such behavior in a trusted manner.

Moreover, players are incentivized by being able to trade in-game tokens for real money and thus being truly rewarded for their play time.

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What is Ethereum? | ethereum.org

About Ethereum

Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain network providing global smart-contract functionality and decentralized application (dApp) integration. Ethereum is known for its native token Ether (ETH) and is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.

The open-source distributed computing platform that powers the ETH network permits active participants to establish digital ledgers publicly ensuring:

As the need for blockchain grows, Ethereum remains a top choice for developers to leverage their DeFi technologies, relying on the blockchains multi-functional and multi-layered ease of access.

Some of the major use-cases of Ethereum so far have been:

These are just a handful of the applications conceived for Ethereum.

Ethereum set the standard for smart contracts, with its network currently servicing more than 1.45 million smart contracts on its blockchain. Smart contracts provide a decentralized protocol to facilitate and verify negotiations that cannot be tampered with or manipulated.

These programmable and self-executing contracts offer transparency since participants are free to view and audit the transaction logs. In addition, the permissionless capabilities of these smart contracts mean that anyone can deploy one.

Apart from smart contracts, Ethereum serves a major role in other areas of decentralized finance (DeFi). Through the use of the networks decentralized apps (dApps), users essentially become their own banks with elevated speed, transparency, and security.

This means there is no need to open accounts or provide personal information. You can get a loan, lend crypto, buy derivatives, and trade using Ethereums decentralized services. Some examples of its DeFi use cases include:

The NFT market gained immense traction in 2021 as tokenized digital items were made available using Ethereum. The networks blockchain provided the necessary platform to run NFT marketplaces whereby users can mint and trade their creations.

In addition, most NFT markets require ETH to conduct trades on the platform. Although other blockchains now provide NFT functionality, it was Ethereum that started it.

ETH remains the leader for NFT integration due to the blockchains highly-secure network and its connection to an entire growing market that gives NFT users maximum exposure.

Ethereum was founded by Canadian programmer Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine, and Joe Lubin, founder of blockchain software company ConsenSys. Along with Gavin Wood, Charles Hoskinson, and Anthony Di Lorio, an idea to revolutionize blockchain technology beyond a means of virtual payments gave rise to Ethereums legendary inception.

Vitalik, who published Ethereums white paper and introduced it to the public in 2014, spent much of his early days studying mathematics, economics, and programming. His passion for code later expressed itself during his travels when he visited other developers who shared the same enthusiasm.

After being awarded a $100,000 grant from venture capitalist Peter Thiel, he devoted his remaining time and energy to creating Ethereum. The official Ethereum blockchain network went live in 2015 along with its native token Ether (ETH) which followed an $18 million crowd sale.

The goal behind the creation of a new blockchain was to provide a decentralized platform to encourage developers and users to build their own peer-to-peer apps. Using Ethereums network, smart contracts and dApps began to revolutionize the financial sector.

This new way of doing business omitted the need for financial intermediaries and eventually led to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) Ethereums underlying operating structure. In 2016, due to a system manipulation resulting in $50 million of Ether being stolen, the network experienced a hard forkchanges to the protocolwhich resulted in two separate blockchains, with Ethereum Classic serving as the original.

Since then, seven more hard forks would ensue. Today, much of Ethereums praise comes from the NFT market since it is the main blockchain network that enables users to mint and trade their NFTs.

Ethereums susceptibility to price swings shouldnt come as a surprise considering the extreme volatility of the crypto market. However, a close study of the coins overall price trend certainly proves the long-range potential of the second largest cryptocurrency.

Ethereum made its debut in the market with a token launch price of $0.31 and reached an astounding all-time high (ATH) above $4,880 in November 2021.

During the course of Ethereums price trajectory, the market experienced a couple of bull cycles as well as some catastrophic crashes. When 2017s bull cycle soared ETHs price to $826, Ethereums first major spike was marked.

After a continuous stride of peaks and valleys, ETH gained even more traction in the following year in January, when it reached another ATH of $1,396 before tumbling down and closing the year off at only $141.

However, it wasnt until 2021 when the NFT market exploded, that Ethereum was to receive mass adoption. Ethereums smart contract capabilities fully enabled the minting and trading of NFTs, and because NFT users needed ETH to trade on the platforms, this alone allowed the token price to skyrocket to a whopping $4,0000.

The Ethereum blockchain currently runs on a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus protocola protocol in which computer nodes expend copious amounts of computational power to come to a consensus on the network. The high energy consumption has led to slower and more costly transactions. In an effort to keep the network sustainable and environmentally friendly, a consensus merge is now underway to allow the blockchain to run on a proof-of-stake (PoS) protocol instead.

The merge is a solid representation of Ethereums urgency to provide a more robust architectural infrastructure for a next-generation scaling system. This upgrade, referred to as Ethereum 2.0, aims to resolve the issues surrounding high gas fees and slow transaction speeds that crypto mining operations are implicating.

With the blockchain operating on a proof-of-stake network, proposed validators will handle the validation process followed by an attestation of the other contributing nodes. This ensures consensus without the need to run computational functions as is currently done on a PoW. Moreover, the new consensus model is predicted to reduce energy consumption by 99.95%.

In addition to supporting a more sustainable network, PoS incentivizes the ethereum staking validators for their work by rewarding them with cryptocurrency. In the same fashion, validators are penalized for malicious behavior, giving them more reason to run the system efficiently.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has expressed legitimate approval for the proof-of-stake mechanism, stating that an attack on a PoS is far less harmful and easier to recover from than an attack on a PoW.

Ethereums core developers involved in making the transition a success know that a merge of this magnitude is far too complex, and will require many steps until completion. To increase the number of validators and ensure transactions are processed securely, the Ethereum mainnet needs to merge with the Beacon Chainthe formal consensus layer of PoS which currently holds more than 375,000 active validators.

The Beacon Chain is a separate network that runs parallel to Ethereum and will be responsible for coordinating block activity and selecting validators. Furthermore, the merge will be accompanied by the 2023 introduction of shard chains that should provide extra storage layers for cost efficiency and speed. As per when this all will take place, the merge is currently projected to take effect around September 15, 2022.

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Ethereum Price: ETH/USD & Live Charts