Ethereum’s performance has been inconsistent lately, negatively impacting its public perception. Continuous price drops, governance issues, and high gas fees have made the crypto community question whether these are temporary setbacks or signs of deeper problems.

BeInCrypto interviewed industry leaders from Wirex, Komodo Platform, BingX, KelpDAO, and RAAC to analyze the factors contributing to Ethereum’s decline, its current market position, and potential strategies for improvement.

Market Performance and Investor Sentiment

Ethereum’s 2025 is off to a rocky start. After a failed attempt to break through the $2,500 barrier, Ethereum has retreated to $2,090. Meanwhile, whale addresses have been on a selling spree, dumping a massive 640,000 ETH worth $1.5 billion and pushing the altcoin king further from its target.

The recent Bybit hack, which caused the theft of approximately $1.4 billion worth of Ethereum, didn’t help, either. Since then, the network recorded its highest weekly outflows, at $300 million. 

Meanwhile, a wave of bearish sentiment and dwindling investor confidence sent ETH spot ETF outflows to a 30-day peak of $94.27 million last week. This surge, the third largest of 2025, followed Ethereum’s price dip to $2,251, signaling a clear investor retreat.

“Compared‬‭ to‬‭ Bitcoin,‬‭ which‬‭ has‬‭ surged‬‭ over‬‭ 90%‬‭ this‬‭ year,‬‭ Ethereum’s‬‭ performance‬‭ feels‬‭ underwhelming,‬‭ leading‬‭ many‬‭ holders to wonder when it will reclaim a new all-time high,” Vivien Lin, Chief Product Officer at BingX, told BeInCrypto.

Given these circumstances, several factors must be considered to understand Ethereum’s recent decline. 

External and Internal Factors Affecting Ethereum

Recent price swings in the crypto sector have prompted speculation about the onset of a bear market. Though the market has experienced a reprieve following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a US Crypto Strategic Reserve, the long-term impact of this recovery remains uncertain.

Other factors have also contributed to the declines in prices across major cryptocurrencies. Trump’s recent tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China have caused prices to plunge. 

Meanwhile, crypto markets are beginning to feel the impact of inflation on the United States’ economy. In turn, traders are increasingly weary that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates. All of these factors have affected Ethereum’s performance.

“‬The‬‭ broader‬‭ market‬‭ remains‬‭ highly‬‭ sensitive‬‭ to‬‭ macroeconomic‬‭ factors‬‭ like‬ tariffs,‬‭ potential‬‭ interest‬‭ rate‬‭ cuts,‬‭ and‬‭ geopolitical‬‭ tensions,‬‭ all‬‭ of‬‭ which‬‭ have‬ added‬‭ to‬‭ ETH’s‬‭ price‬‭ uncertainty,” Lin added.

While these factors provide insight into current market fluctuations, they do not fully explain the price performance of individual cryptocurrencies. Karlos Bujas, Graduate Trading Analyst at Wirex, gave a general overview of the struggles Ethereum currently faces:

“Ethereum’s price struggles can be attributed to internal challenges like governance issues,‬‭ inefficient resource allocation, and waning market dominance. Critics point to the Ethereum‬‭ Foundation’s large budget and underutilized treasury, which some argue have slowed innovation. Developer dissatisfaction has also played a role, while Ethereum’s lack of political engagement, especially compared to Solana and XRP, has left it at a disadvantage. Leadership divisions have added to the uncertainty, and with Ethereum losing ground in DeFi and maintaining high fees, its price has remained stagnant below $3,500 since January 7, 2025,” he told BeInCrypto. 

Exploring each of these internal challenges in greater detail is crucial to truly understanding the root causes of Ethereum’s stagnation.

Ethereum’s DeFi Dominance and Challenges

Ethereum’s success largely hinges on its pioneering leadership in decentralized finance (DeFi), infrastructure, and developer ecosystem. Compared to its competitors, Ethereum is also perceived to be more decentralized. 

The network continues to dominate the market in terms of DeFi, with a current total value locked (TVL) surpassing $48 billion. Solana, its runner-up, lags behind with a TVL of over $7 billion. 

“‭58%‬‭ of‬‭ DeFi‬‭ liquidity‬‭ is‬‭ on‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ and‬‭ it‬‭ dominates‬‭ the market across stablecoin market share,‬‭ liquid‬‭ staking,‬‭ restaking‬‭ and‬‭ several‬‭ other‬‭ sectors‬‭ of‬‭ DeFi.‬‭ Overall,‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ has‬‭ been‬‭ the‬‭ best‬‭ chain‬‭ for‬‭ innovation‬‭ in‬‭ DeFi‬‭ and‬‭ most‬‭ successful‬‭ DeFi‬‭ protocols are on Ethereum and L2s,” Amitej Gajjala, Co-founder of KelpDAO, told BeInCrypto.

Despite Ethereum’s dominance in DeFi, high gas fees and slow transaction speeds have deterred users from continued interaction with the network.

“Ethereum has been losing ground in DeFi, particularly to Solana, due to its high transaction fees and governance challenges. On-chain activity has dropped by 38%, and key protocols like‬‭ Uniswap have seen significant declines. Meanwhile, Solana’s lower fees and faster transactions have attracted liquidity, further boosted by Trump’s memecoin launch in January 2025,” Bujas said. 

Generally speaking, Ethereum has seen a decline in user activity. According to data from Glassnode, the number of active Ethereum addresses has been particularly volatile over the past few months. 

Ethereum’s most recent peak was on January 25, when the network registered 711,578 active addresses. On March 2, that number dropped to 413,754, representing a 53% decrease. 

Scalability Issues and Layer-2 Solutions

Limited transaction capacity within Ethereum’s network architecture creates scalability issues, leading to congestion and high transaction fees. When user demand increases, transaction times slow, and fees rise for those interacting with dApps.

Over the years, Ethereum has introduced several reforms to try to curb the extent of these issues.

“Despite‬‭ changes‬‭ to‬‭ Ethereum’s‬‭ architecture,‬‭ including‬‭ a‬‭ transition‬‭ from‬‭ proof-of-work‬‭ to‬ proof-of-stake,‬‭ scaling‬‭ issues‬‭ remain,‬‭ which‬‭ has‬‭ led‬‭ to‬‭ a‬‭ crisis‬‭ of‬‭ confidence‬‭ in‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ amongst crypto investors,” Kadan Stadelmann, Chief Technology Officer at Komodo Platform, told BeInCrypto. 

When these changes proved insufficient, Ethereum also introduced a Layer-2 ecosystem. These protocols offer near-term scalability improvements by handling transaction processing outside the main Ethereum network. However, this solution has been met with criticism.

“The‬‭ failure‬‭ to‬‭ make‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ scalable‬‭ for‬‭ the‬‭ myriad‬‭ dApps‬‭ and‬‭ DeFi‬‭ applications‬‭ being‬‭ built‬‭ upon‬‭ the‬‭ network‬‭ has‬‭ caused‬‭ a‬‭ proliferation‬‭ of‬‭ layer‬‭ two‬‭ technologies,‬‭ which‬‭ have‬‭ their‬‭ own‬‭ tokens, which saps demand from the Ethereum mainnet.‬‭ For‬‭ instance,‬‭ while‬‭ Polygon‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ layer‬‭ two‬‭ network,‬‭ its‬‭ token‬‭ has‬‭ outperformed‬‭ ETH,‬‭ making‬‭ it‬‭ in‬‭ effect‬‭ competition‬‭ for‬‭ Ethereum,‬‭ at‬‭ the same time it increases Ethereum’s‬‭ scalability.‬‭ What’s‭ more, layer two protocols‬‭ such‬‭ as‬‭ Polygon—as‬‭ well‬‭ as‬‭ Optimism‬‭ and‬‭ Arbitrum—introduce‬‭ centralization to a network built on the promise of decentralization,” Stadelmann added.

Over time, these issues have led to increased competition from other networks.

Competition and the Ethereum Foundation’s Response

Ethereum has explored other DeFi remedies to maintain its position, particularly as networks like Solana have started to challenge its DeFi dominance.

“Ethereum‬‭ is‬‭ losing‬‭ ground‬‭ to‬‭ competitors—primarily‬‭ Solana.‬‭ Solana‬‭ was‬‭ built‬‭ with‬‭ scalability‬‭ in‬‭ mind,‬‭ allowing‬‭ massive‬‭ DeFi‬‭ projects‬‭ to‬‭ be‬‭ launched‬‭ on‬‭ top‬‭ of‬‭ the‬‭ network.‬‭ Its‬‭ success‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ DeFi‬‭ sector‬‭ over‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ is‬‭ evidenced‬‭ by the fact that‬‭ President‬‭ Donald‬‭ J.‬‭ Trump launched his digital collectibles on Solana, not Ethereum,” Stadelmann said. 

A few days after Trump launched his meme coin on Solana, the Ethereum Foundation transferred 50,000 ETH to a multi-signature wallet to support DeFi protocols.

This action was taken following public scrutiny of the Foundation’s treasury management. Supplying ETH into these protocols generates yield on DeFi deposits, effectively appreciating the treasury’s value without needing to sell assets.

Some members of the community lauded the move. 

“This‬‭ effort‬‭ by‬‭ the‬‭ ETH‬‭ Foundation‬‭ to‬‭ positively‬‭ influence‬‭ its‬‭ reputation‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ space‬‭ and‬‭ increase‬‭ the‬‭ price‬‭ of‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ is‬‭ an‬‭ essential‬‭ step‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ right‬‭ direction.‬‭ Due‬‭ to‬‭ the‬‭ sheer‬‭ increase‬‭ in‬‭ DeFi‬‭ competition,‬‭ everyone‬‭ is‬‭ trying‬‭ to‬‭ make‬‭ a‬‭ product‬‭ better‬‭ than‬‭ the‬‭ last,‬‭ so‬‭ doing‬‭ this‬‭ was‬‭ a‬‭ good‬‭ move.‬‭ I‬‭ believe‬‭ this‬‭ was‬‭ a‬‭ successful‬‭ move‬‭ as‬‭ just‬‭ a‬‭ few‬‭ hours‬‭ after‬‭ the‬‭ deployment,‬‭ Ethereum’s‬‭ Relative‬‭ Strength Index (RSI) went from 65 to 72, adding increased purchasing pressure,” Lin told BeInCrypto.

Gajjala agreed, adding:

“It‬‭ is‬‭ definitely‬‭ a‬‭ very‬‭ positive‬‭ move‬‭ from‬‭ the‬‭ Foundation.‬‭ It‬‭ signifies‬‭ trust‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ DeFi‬‭ protocols‬‭ and‬‭ also‬‭ signals‬‭ trust‬‭ and‬‭ credibility‬‭ among‬‭ DeFi‬‭ protocols‬‭ to‬‭ the‬‭ broader‬‭ market including institutions,” he said.‭

However, others criticized the Ethereum Foundation for how long it took to make the move. 

“It‬‭ is‬‭ great‬‭ this‬‭ happened‬‭ but‬‭ was‬‭ long‬‭ overdue.‬‭ The‬‭ whole‬‭ value‬‭ driver‬‭ of‬‭ ETH‬‭ is‬‭ DeFi‬‭ and‬‭ its‬‭ financial‬‭ applications.‬‭ For‬‭ whatever‬‭ reason,‬‭ this‬‭ went‬‭ over‬‭ the‬‭ ETH‬‭ Foundation’s‬‭ head‬‭ and‬‭ they’ve‬‭ been‬‭ dumping‬‭ tokens‬‭ for‬‭ covering‬‭ foundation‬‭ expenses‬‭ when‬‭ the‬‭ optimal‬‭ solution would be taking a loan on a protocol like AAVE.‬‭ To‬‭ me,‬‭ the‬‭ idea‬‭ of‬‭ this‬‭ move‬‭ was‬‭ to‬‭ show‬‭ support‬‭ for‬‭ the‬‭ ‘niche’‬‭ that‬‭ drives‬‭ most of ETH’s‬‭ value.‬‭ After it had largely overlooked DeFi,it is nice to be acknowledged‬‭ by‬‭ the‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ Foundation.‬‭ Although‬‭ successful,‬‭ the‬‭ lateness‬‭ of‬‭ this‬‭ move‬‭ has,‬‭ however,‬‭ left‬‭ a‬‭ bad‬‭ taste‬‭ in‬‭ some builders’ mouths,” Kevin Rusher, Founder of real-world asset platform RAAC, told BeInCrypto.

To that point, Bujas contended:

“While the move may have provided temporary liquidity‬‭ support, it doesn’t fully address deeper concerns like high fees, competition, and governance‬‭ issues. Its long-term impact will depend on whether it can drive sustained engagement in DeFi.‬‭ However, without fundamental improvements, this capital injection alone is unlikely to reverse‬‭ Ethereum’s downward trajectory,” he said. 

‭The episode also illustrated the disagreement over the Ethereum Foundation’s management of the network’s future.

Leadership Changes and Community Reactions

Over the past year, the Ethereum Foundation has faced increased scrutiny over its passivity and concerns among community members about its spending and operational priorities. So, its current efforts aim to strengthen the Foundation’s ties within the Ethereum ecosystem and rebuild trust.

The Ethereum Foundation’s transfer of 35,000 ETH to Kraken, revealed by Lookonchain, sparked community criticism due to a lack of transparency. While the Foundation cited budget needs and regulatory constraints, the community remained divided on how to handle financial decisions.

Several other issues also divided the community over the Foundation’s influence in Ethereum’s ecosystem. Criticisms include the Foundation’s leadership being held accountable for Ether’s relative underperformance compared to other cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, the Ethereum network has experienced a reduction in new developer acquisition, with Solana exceeding Ethereum’s developer growth.

Some within the Ethereum community called for the resignation of then-Executive Director Aya Miyaguchi as they held her responsible for Ethereum’s challenges.

“There‬‭ has‬‭ been‬‭ criticism‬‭ that‬‭ Miyaguchi‬‭ is‬‭ not‬‭ handling‬‭ the‬‭ challenges‬‭ with‬‭ general‬‭ operations‬‭ well,‬‭ leading‬‭ to‬‭ some‬‭ of‬‭ the‬‭ team‬‭ leaving.‬‭ There‬‭ have‬‭ also‬‭ been‬‭ efforts‬‭ to‬‭ create‬‭ a‬‭ more‬‭ even‬‭ leadership‬‭ structure‬‭ with‬‭ dual‬‭ leaders,‬‭ taking‬‭ more‬‭ control‬‭ away‬‭ from‬‭ just‬‭ one‬‭ individual.‬‭ On‬‭ the‬‭ contrary,‬‭ some‬‭ are‬‭ happy‬‭ with‬‭ her‬‭ leadership‬‭ and‬‭ the‬‭ Foundation’s‬‭ roadmap.‬‭ It‬‭ is‬‭ truly‬‭ difficult‬‭ to‬‭ make‬‭ all‬‭ players‬‭ in‬‭ an‬‭ ecosystem‬‭ happy,‬‭ so‬‭ there‬‭ have‬‭ been‬‭ leadership‬‭ shifts‬‭ and‬‭ discussions to address these issues for long-term success,” Lin explained. 

Though Ethereum Co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced on January 18 that the Ethereum Foundation was undergoing a significant leadership transformation, these changes were only announced last week. 

After seven years as Executive Director, Miyaguchi became President on February 25. Shortly after, the Ethereum Foundation formed the Silviculture Society, a 15-member council, to address leadership concerns and uphold core values.

Yesterday, the Foundation appointed Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stanczak as co-Executive Directors. Although community opinions on the new leadership remain split, Gajjala stressed that these changes need time to produce effects.

“Change‬‭ management‬‭ would‬‭ take‬‭ time‬‭ and‬‭ I would urge the community to stay patient as some of these take time to implement,” he said.

In anticipation of this new chapter in Ethereum’s leadership, industry experts emphasized priority areas for improvement.

Experts’ Recommendations for Ethereum’s Future

Stadelmann and Bujas agreed that Ethereum needs to improve its scalability to maintain its competitive edge over other networks that provide relief in this area. 

“The‬‭ perceived‬‭ obstacles‬‭ to‬‭ scalability‬‭ on‬‭ the‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ network‬‭ have‬‭ led‬‭ to‬‭ a‬‭ decline‬‭ in‬‭ Ethereum’s‬‭ dominance‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ crypto‬‭ markets.‬‭ Whereas discussions in the past revolved around a‬‭ flippening between‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ and Bitcoin,‬‭ whereby‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ would‬‭ overtake‬‭ Bitcoin’s‬‭ market‬ ‭ share, discussions today revolve around a flippening of Ethereum by Solana.‬‭ Largely‬‭ driven‬‭ by‬‭ memecoins,‬‭ Solana‬‭ has‬‭ surged‬‭ against‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ in‬‭ terms‬‭ of‬‭ market‬‭ share‬‭ in‬‭ recent‬‭ years.‬‭ Solana’s‬‭ average‬‭ daily‬‭ transaction‬‭ volume‬‭ has‬‭ grown‬‭ far‬‭ beyond‬‭ Ethereum’s— a‬‭ shocking indictment of Ethereum’s growth or lack thereof,” Stadelmann said.

If Ethereum doesn’t resolve these issues now, it will face a snowball effect in the future.

“‬While Ethereum is likely to benefit from the general growth of the crypto market, its struggles‬‭ with fees, governance, and innovation may limit its future upside. The ETH/BTC price has been bearish since 2022, with Ethereum lagging behind Bitcoin, signaling challenges in its growth‬ ‌ potential. As Ethereum’s competitors improve their networks and capitalize on political opportunities, Ethereum must evolve to maintain its position,” Bujas said.

Meanwhile, other leaders remain bullish, declaring that Ethereum has the resources and resilience to maintain its status as the second-largest cryptocurrency decisively.

“We‬‭ need‬‭ look‬‭ only‬‭ at‬‭ the‬‭ explosion‬‭ of‬‭ stablecoins‬‭ on‬‭ ETH‬‭ and‬‭ World‬‭ LibertyFi‬‭ buying‬‭ ETH‬‭ en-masse‬‭ to‬‭ understand‬‭ Ethereum’s‬‭ vital‬‭ role‬‭ and‬‭ undeniable‬‭ value‬‭ throughout‬‭ the‬‭ crypto‬‭ ecosystem.‬‭ For‬‭ more examples we can look to Blackrock launching‬‭ stablecoins‬‭ and‬‭ partnering with Elixir to utilize Curve Finance as infrastructure.‬‭ Sure,‬‭ competitors‬‭ to‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ are‬‭ going‬‭ to‬‭ eat‬‭ into‬‭ some‬‭ of‬‭ its‬‭ market‬‭ share‬‭-‬‭ this‬‭ is‬‭ the‬‭ sign‬‭ of‬‭ a‬‭ healthy, non-monopolistic market– but look at where the bulk of liquidity and‬‭ serious players lie– it is in ETH on Ethereum.‬‭ Ethereum‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ decentralized,‬‭ credibly‬‭ neutral‬‭ network‬‭–something‬‭ that‬‭ cannot‬‭ be‬‭ said‬‭ for‬‭ many chains,” Rusher said.

The network’s sustained success will depend significantly on how the Ethereum Foundation manages its leadership during this period of intense competition in the cryptocurrency sector and whether it is sufficient to retain investor confidence.