Ethereum (ETH) Lags In Market Cap Growth Despite Positive Year

According to a report from crypto analytics firm IntoTheBlock, Ethereum has recorded an 85% increase in its market cap over the last year, moving from around $149.18 billion to its current value of $275.98 billion. However, in comparison with other major assets, ETH performance still leaves more to desire, especially considering the many positive developments experienced by the asset in 2023.

Ethereum Underperforms

Ethereum (ETH) has been one of the major headliners in the crypto space in 2023. The second-largest cryptocurrency and the most prominent altcoin has continued to retain investor interest marked due to several factors. 

One of these factors is the Shanghai/Capella upgrade in April which has so far produced a significant increase in ETH staking activity as investors are now allowed to freely withdraw their assets from the Ethereum network.

Ethereum grew ~85% in market cap in 2023, slightly underperforming other major assets despite upgrades, ETF applications and showing robust adoption metrics. pic.twitter.com/cdvV085cxz

— IntoTheBlock (@intotheblock) December 23, 2023

Furthermore, Ethereum has also recorded an increase in institutional adoption amidst the launch of Ether Futures ETF in the US and a growing competition among several asset managers to gain approval for the first-ever spot Ether ETF. Nevertheless, these developments could only boost the altcoin market shares by 85%, which while impressive, is overshadowed by the performance of other cryptocurrencies. 

For context, Bitcoin, the market leader, recorded a 163% gain in market cap value, while other top coins, such as ADA and AVAX, also experienced gains to the tune of 145% and 341%, respectively. 

Trending meme token Bonk (BONK) produced the largest market cap increase of 1,574%, followed by Optimism (OP) with 916% and Solana (SOL) with 744%. Other notable mentions include Celestia (TIA) and Chainlink (LINK), with 459% and 199%, respectively. 

ETH Price Prediction 

At the time of writing, Ethereum trades around $2,292.13 with a 0.04% gain on the last day. Looking at the token’s daily chart, ETH is currently headed for the $2,400 resistance zone, which has proven effective in recent weeks.

Interestingly, price prediction site Coincodex reports that investor sentiment surrounding Ethereum is strongly bullish, with a Fear & Greed Index of 71. This indicates that many investors currently consider altcoin to be a favorable investment. 

However, if the $2400 resistance zone holds strong again, ETH could experience a price dip, finding support around the $2120 price region. And in the presence of overwhelming selling pressure, Ethereum could fall as low as $1,921.

Ethereum (ETH) trading at $2,294.60 on the daily chart | Source: ETHUSDT chart on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Money/Fortmatoriginal, chart from Tradingview

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