Ethereum
Scaling Ethereum with L2s damaged its Tokenomics. Is it possible to repair it?
While Ethereum’s Layer 2s are at an all-time high in terms of active addresses and transactions, the mainnet may not be faring as well.
What is the impact of L2s on Ethereum’s deflationary goals?
Posted May 15, 2024 at 10:56 AM EST.
Ethereum, often celebrated as an “ultrasound currency” due to its deflationary bent, has become inflationary again over the past month, calling into question the fundamentals that its community believed determined its value. A recent report by CryptoQuant has declared the ultrasound money narrative dead, sparking debate and concern over the tokenomics of ETH.
Learn more: What is Tokenomics? A beginner’s guide
The heart of the problem lies in the balance between Ethereum’s main chain and its Layer 2 (L2) scaling solutions. Although L2s successfully improved Ethereum’s scalability by handling transactions off the main chain, they inadvertently reduced demand for Ethereum’s native token, ETH, on the main chain. This reduction in demand led to a drop in transaction fees, measured in gwei, and consequently a decrease in ETH consumption. Currently, gwei is around 8, which is significantly lower than in previous periods, indicating that at this level ETH is far from deflationary.
Learn more: Why Ethereum Gas Fees Dropped to Their Lowest Level Since 2020
Ethereum may shift from deflationary to inflationary due to changes in network activity and the balance of Ether burned versus issued. Below EIP-1559, when transaction volumes are low and the base fees burned are less than the Ether issued as block rewards, the total supply of Ether increases, making Ethereum inflationary. This dynamic demonstrates how the supply of Ethereum is not fixed but responds to network usage, which can impact its value and scarcity when shifts from a deflationary to an inflationary state occur. .
Meanwhile, Ethereum L2s are tearing apart, treatment 10 times more transactions than the main chain, while reaching a weekly all-time high active addresses.
Given these gas fee levels, the question arises: how much activity needs to occur in L2s for ETH to become deflationary again?
Learn more: Horizontal Scalability is the Solution to L2 Fragmentation
A complex system
Ansgar Dietrichs, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, told Unchained that ETH’s deflationary mechanism is directly linked to its market capitalization and the balance between income and expenses. At low prices, the combustion mechanism can exceed issuance, making ETH deflationary. However, as market cap increases and if revenues do not follow proportionately, ETH may become inflationary.
This bidirectional influence means that market cap not only affects the deflationary or inflationary nature of ETH, but also that this nature, in turn, affects market cap through investor perceptions and behaviors.
To reverse this trend and restore ETH’s deflationary status, a significant increase in L2 activity is necessary. This means that more transactions and fees need to be redirected to the Ethereum main chain to increase ETH consumption. However, according to Dietrichs, no research has been done to gauge exactly how much activity this would require. Neither the Ethereum Foundation nor researcher Justin Drake responded to multiple emails requesting additional information on the level of L2 activity needed to keep the ETH supply deflationary.
Furthermore, Dietrichs pointed out that for any given level of revenue and emissions, with constant investor preferences, there is essentially a specific equilibrium market capitalization that the market would tend toward. Any change in these factors (revenues, emissions or investor preferences) shifts this equilibrium point of market capitalization. This dynamic feedback loop suggests that meeting the deflationary challenge is not just about changing a few parameters, but about understanding and influencing a complex system of interdependent factors.
As Ethereum continues to evolve, the question remains: Can the fundamental promise of ultrasonic money be restored, or will Ethereum need to adapt to a new economic reality?
Learn more: Beginner’s Guide to Ethereum Layers: Data Availability, Consensus, and Execution
Ethereum
QCP sees Ethereum as a safe bet amid Bitcoin stagnation
QCP, a leading trading firm, has shared key observations on the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin’s struggle to surpass the $70,000 mark has led QCP to predict Selling pressure is still strong, with BTC likely to remain in a tight trading range. In the meantime, Ethereum (ETH) is seen as a more promising investment, with potential gains as ETH could catch up to BTC, thanks to decreasing ETHE outflows.
Read on to find out how you can benefit from it.
Bitcoin’s Struggle: The $70,000 Barrier
For the sixth time in a row, BTC has failed to break above the $70,000 mark. Bitcoin is at $66,048 after a sharp decline. Many investors sold Bitcoin to capitalize on the rising values, which caused a dramatic drop. The market is becoming increasingly skeptical about Bitcoin’s rise, with some investors lowering their expectations.
Despite the continued sell-off from Mt. Gox and the US government, the ETF market remains bullish. There is a notable trend in favor of Ethereum (ETH) ETFs as major bulls have started investing in ETFs, indicating a bullish sentiment for ETH.
QCP Telegram Update UnderlinesIncreased market volatility. The NASDAQ has fallen 10% from its peak, led by a pullback in major technology stocks. Currency carry trades are being unwound and the VIX, a measure of market volatility, has jumped to 19.50.
The main factors driving this uncertainty are Value at Risk (VaR) shocks, high stock market valuations and global risk aversion sentiment. Commodities such as oil and copper have also declined on fears of an economic slowdown.
Additionally, QCP anticipates increased market volatility ahead of the upcoming FOMC meeting, highlighting the importance of the Federal Reserve’s statement and Jerome Powell’s subsequent press conference.
A glimmer of hope
QCP notes a positive development in the crypto space with an inflow of $33.7 million into ETH spot ETFs, which is giving a much-needed boost to ETH prices. However, they anticipate continued outflows of ETHE in the coming weeks. The recent Silk Road BTC moves by the US government have added to the market uncertainty.
QCP suggests a strategic trade involving BTC, which will likely remain in its current range, while ETH offers a more promising opportunity. They propose a trade targeting a $4,000-$4,500 range for ETH, which could generate a 5.5x return by August 30, 2024.
Ethereum
Ethereum Whale Resurfaces After 9 Years, Moves 1,111 ETH Worth $3.7 Million
An Ethereum ICO participant has emerged from nearly a decade of inactivity.
Lookonchain, a smart on-chain money tracking tool, revealed On X, this long-inactive participant recently transferred 1,111 ETH, worth approximately $3.7 million, to a new wallet. This significant move marks a notable on-chain movement, given the participant’s prolonged dormancy.
The Ethereum account in question, identified as 0xE727E67E…B02B5bFC6, received 2,000 ETH on the Genesis block over 9 years ago.
This initial allocation took place during the Ethereum ICOwhere the participant invested in ETH at around $0.31 per coin. The initial investment, worth around $620 at the time, has now grown to millions of dollars.
Recent Transactions and Movements
The inactive account became active again with several notable output transactions. Specifically, the account transferred 1,000 ETH, 100 ETH, 10 ETH, 1 ETH, and 1 more ETH to address 0x7C21775C…2E9dCaE28 within a few minutes. Additionally, it moved 1 ETH to 0x2aa31476…f5aaCE9B.
Additionally, in the latest round of transactions, the address transferred 737,995 ETH, 50 ETH, and 100 ETH, for a total of 887,995 ETH. These recent activities highlight a significant movement of funds, sparking interest and speculation in the crypto community.
Why are whales reactivating?
It is also evident that apart from 0xE727E67E…B02B5bFC6, other previously dormant Ethereum whales are waking up with significant transfers.
In May, another dormant Ethereum whale made headlines when it staked 4,032 ETHvalued at $7.4 million, after more than two years of inactivity. This whale initially acquired 60,000 ETH during the Genesis block of Ethereum’s mainnet in 2015.
At the time, this activity could have been related to Ethereum’s upgrade known as “Shanghai,” which improved the network’s scalability and performance. This whale likely intended to capitalize on the price surge that occurred after the upgrade.
Disclaimer: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The opinions expressed in this article may include the personal opinions of the author and do not reflect the opinion of The Crypto Basic. Readers are encouraged to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
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Ethereum
Only Bitcoin and Ethereum are viable for ETFs in the near future
BlackRock: Only Bitcoin and Ethereum Are Viable for ETFs in the Near Future
Bitcoin and Ethereum will be the only cryptocurrencies traded via ETFs in the near future, according to Samara Cohen, chief investment officer of ETFs and indices at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Cohen explained that while Bitcoin and Ethereum have met BlackRock’s rigorous criteria for exchange-traded funds (ETFs), no other digital asset currently comes close. “We’re really looking at the investability to see what meets the criteria, what meets the criteria that we want to achieve in an ETF,” Cohen said. “Both in terms of the investability and from what we’re hearing from our clients, Bitcoin and Ethereum definitely meet those criteria, but it’s going to be a while before we see anything else.”
Cohen noted that beyond the technical challenges of launching new ETFs, the demand for other crypto ETFs, particularly Solana, is not there yet. While Solana is being touted as the next potential ETF candidate, Cohen noted that the market appetite remains lacking.
BlackRock’s interest in Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs comes after the successful launch of Ethereum ETFs last week, which saw weekly trading volume for the crypto fund soar to $14.8 billion, the highest level since May. The success has fueled speculation about the next possible ETF, with Solana frequently mentioned as a contender.
Solana, known as a faster and cheaper alternative to Ethereum, has been the subject of two separate ETF filings in the US by VanEck and 21Shares. However, the lack of CME Solana futures, unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum, is a significant hurdle for SEC approval of a Solana ETF.
Despite these challenges, some fund managers remain optimistic about Solana’s potential. Franklin Templeton recently described Solana as an “exciting and major development that we believe will drive the crypto space forward.” Solana currently accounts for about 3% of the overall cryptocurrency market value, with a market cap of $82 billion, according to data from CoinGecko.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin investors continue to show strong support, as evidenced by substantial inflows into BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ: IBIT). On July 22, IBIT reported inflows of $526.7 million, the highest single-day total since March. This impressive haul stands in stark contrast to the collective inflow of just $6.9 million seen across the remaining 10 Bitcoin ETFs, according to data from Farside Investors. The surge in IBIT inflows coincides with Bitcoin’s significant $68,000 level, just 8% off its all-time high of $73,000.
Ethereum
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