Ether Surges on ETF Hopes, Threatening Solana’s Dominance
Analysts Sharply Increase Ether ETF Approval Odds
Ethereum’s Strengths Mitigate Solana’s Gas Fee Woes
Market analysts who predicted Solana (SOL) would eclipse Ether (ETH) in the coming bull run are facing a reality check as ETH stages an impressive surge.
Monday saw Ether notch gains exceeding 19%, propelling its market capitalization by a hefty $70 billion. This surge brings ETH’s overall market cap to $439 billion, nearly matching 90% of Solana’s total market value.
This price increase is fueled by renewed optimism surrounding the potential approval of a spot Ether ETF in the US. Analysts have sharply revised their approval forecasts upwards, from 25% to a much more bullish 75%.
Market experts believe a spot ETF would be a game-changer for Ether, attracting a wave of institutional investment and propelling it past competitors like Solana. Currently, Bitcoin enjoys this privilege as the only cryptocurrency with a launched spot ETF. Ether has a market cap of $453 billion, trailing Bitcoin as the second-largest cryptocurrency. Solana, on the other hand, ranks fifth with a market value of $82 billion.
Speaking on Ether’s market trend, Ilan Solot, co-head of digital assets at Marex Solutions, stated,
“Near-term ETH outlook is incredibly bullish. Let’s not overcomplicate it.” He added that “The ETF announcement is a near black swan even to (most) investors, markets dramatically short-to-underweight ETH, much of ETH liquidity is locked in staking, and the macro backdrop is favorable.”
Since its 2015 launch, Ethereum has established itself as the leader in the smart contract blockchain space, boasting over 4,000 decentralized applications. It underpins major DeFi protocols like Uniswap and AAVE, and even initiatives like BlackRock’s BUIDL project.
However, during bullish periods, participants have gravitated towards Solana due to Ethereum’s well-documented challenges with high gas fees and network congestion. For instance, Solana’s decentralized exchange (DEX) volume surged during the meme coin frenzy of Q1 2024, reigniting discussions about SOL’s potential to dethrone ETH.
Nevertheless, Ethereum’s current market dynamics and institutional interest reinforce its strong position compared to Solana.
The post Ether Flips the Script: Spot ETF Hopes Fuel Rally Against Solana appeared first on Coin Edition.
