Ethereum (ETH) is lagging in market capitalization growth despite a positive year.
According to report Cryptocurrency analytics firm IntoTheBlock estimates that Ethereum’s market capitalization has increased 85% from approximately $149.18 billion last year to its current value of $275.98 billion. However, compared to other major assets, ETH performance still leaves much to be desired, especially considering the many positive developments the asset has experienced in 2023.
Ethereum performance degradation
Ethereum (ETH) has been one of the major headliners in the cryptocurrency industry in 2023. The second-largest cryptocurrency and most popular altcoin has continued to maintain investor interest due to several factors.
One of these factors is the Shanghai/Capella upgrade in April, which has led to a significant increase in ETH staking activity so far, as investors are now able to freely withdraw their assets from the Ethereum network.
Ethereum grew up to 85% in market capitalization in 2023 and slightly underperformed other major assets despite upgrades, ETF adoption, and strong adoption metrics. pic.twitter.com/cdvV085cxz
— IntoTheBlock (@intotheblock) December 23, 2023
Additionally, Ethereum has recorded increased institutional adoption amid the launch of the Ether Futures ETF in the US and increasing competition among multiple asset managers to gain approval for the first spot Ether ETF. Nonetheless, these developments were only able to increase the altcoin market share to 85%, which, while impressive, was overshadowed by the performance of other cryptocurrencies.
For context, market leader Bitcoin recorded a 163% rise in market capitalization, while other top coins such as ADA and AVAX also recorded gains of 145% and 341% respectively.
Popular meme token Bonk (BONK) showed the largest market capitalization increase at 1,574%, followed by Optimism (OP) at 916% and Solana (SOL) at 744%. Other notable mentions include Celestia (TIA) and Chainlink (LINK) at 459% and 199% respectively.
ETH price prediction
At the time of this writing, Ethereum is trading at around $2,292.13, up 0.04% on the last day. Looking at the daily chart of the token, ETH is currently heading towards the $2,400 resistance zone, which has proven effective in recent weeks.
Interestingly, price prediction site Coincodex reports that investor sentiment surrounding Ethereum is very bullish, with a Fear and Greed Index of 71. This indicates that many investors currently view altcoins as lucrative investments.
However, if the $2400 resistance zone remains bullish again, ETH may experience a price decline and find support near the $2120 price zone. And overwhelming selling pressure could send Ethereum down to $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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