Ether Trading Higher Despite Resistance at $2,100
Despite facing resistance at the $2,100 level, Ether (ETH) is experiencing positive momentum on December 1. This is significant considering the multiple rejections it has encountered in the past three weeks, despite gaining 16.2% in November.
The current upward movement can be attributed to various factors, including the anticipation of spot ETFs and the expansion of Ethereum’s ecosystem through layer-2 solutions.
ETH Benefits from ETF Expectations and Negative News for Competing Blockchains
A crucial development took place on November 30 when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated the review process for Fidelity’s spot Ether ETF proposal. If approved, this would solidify Ether’s status as a digital commodity and reduce the likelihood of it being treated as a security.
Although analysts predict a possible delay in the SEC’s decision until early 2024, interim deadlines for applications by VanEck and ARK 21Shares on December 25 and 26 respectively have kept the market engaged. The interest from large mutual funds in Ether products has positively impacted its price.
The growth of the Ethereum network, particularly in transaction activity and layer-2 development, is noteworthy. Layer-2 solutions provide more cost-effective and flexible options compared to the base layer, which has contributed to Ethereum’s total value locked (TVL) reaching a two-month high of 13 million ETH.
TVL Growth Driven by Ethereum Layer-2 Innovations
Blast, an Ethereum layer-2 project, has accumulated $647 million in TVL, showcasing significant development within this sector. Despite facing criticism for centralization issues and smart contract flexibility, Blast’s attractive features like auto-compounding and stablecoin yields have gained attention.
Ethereum’s leading scaling solutions, Arbitrum and Optimism, hold a combined TVL of $2.94 billion. Comparatively, Solana’s TVL, encompassing various projects, stands at $671 million. This highlights Ethereum’s dominance in the layer-2 ecosystem and its advantage over competing blockchains like Cardano, BSC Chain, and Avalanche.
Hot Take: Ether’s Positive Trajectory Fueled by ETF Expectations and Layer-2 Solutions
Ether’s recent push towards the $2,100 resistance level is influenced by the potential approval of spot ETFs in the U.S. and its growing market share in decentralized applications. Furthermore, Ethereum’s layer-2 solutions have successfully mitigated high transaction costs, attracting users and contributing to Ether’s positive market trajectory.