Ethereum, the blockchain platform that enables decentralized applications and smart contracts, has been making waves in the cryptocurrency space week. With the recent upgrade, Ethereum's potential has only grown, but there are still some concerns that need to be addressed.

The Shanghai-Capella Upgrade

The Shanghai-Capella upgrade, also known as the Shapella upgrade, is a significant milestone in the history of Ethereum. The upgrade enables validators to withdraw the ETH they have staked since 2020, which is a crucial step toward making the platform more accessible and user-friendly. Validators are the people who verify and validate transactions on the Ethereum blockchain. This upgrade makes the process more efficient and cost-effective, which is a huge plus for the ecosystem.

However, the upgrade faced some issues, as the participation of validators was lower than expected. Some experts believe that this may be due to the lack of incentives to monitor the requests on the testnet, as the value of ETH on the testnet is insignificant compared to the actual value of ETH. Despite the challenges, the upgrade was deployed successfully on the Goerli testnet, and the withdrawals will go live on the mainnet around April 2023.

Ethereum's Performance Against Bitcoin

While Ethereum's potential is undeniable, its performance has been underwhelming compared to Bitcoin over the past six months. Despite the significant upgrade in September 2022 (The Merge), Ether's price dropped by 10% against Bitcoin between September 15, 2022, and March 15, 2023. This underperformance has raised concerns among traders, who have shown little confidence in placing leveraged bets, according to ETH futures and options data.

The reason for the underperformance is unclear, and some experts speculate that it may be due to macroeconomic conditions, such as the US banking crisis.

Putting It All Together

While the Shanghai-Capella upgrade faced some challenges, Ethereum's potential remains enormous. The blockchain platform has proven itself to be versatile, flexible, and user-friendly, making it ideal for a wide range of applications. While Ether's underperformance against Bitcoin is a cause for concern, it is important to remember that the cryptocurrency market is volatile and unpredictable. With continued innovation and development, Ethereum has the potential to become the go-to platform for decentralized applications and smart contracts in the years to come.

Ethereum’s Price Action

Over the week, Ethereum and the general crypto market recorded a sharp jump, with the largest altcoin tapping a high of $1,784—its highest level since early September 2022. However, this bullish wave wasn’t sustained, as Ethereum rapidly fell to the lower $1,600 band, where it currently trades.

Regardless, crypto has come a long way after pulling itself out of the recent slump triggered by the liquidity crunch at two major banks in the US. Traders believe that the current drop is only a minor pullback and Ether would kickstart another bullish wave in the coming days or weeks. The coveted spot for traders now is the $2,000 round figure.

Do you think Ethereum can manage this soon?

ETH Statistics Data

ETH Current Price: $1,480

ETH Market Cap: $201.7B

ETH Circulating Supply: 122.3M

ETH Total Supply: 122.3M

ETH Market Ranking: #2

Feeling confident? Trade your idea on ETH now

Disclaimer

This article should not be taken as financial advice. It is essential to conduct research before making any investment decisions.

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