Ethereum
Ethereum Founder Buterin Lays Out Possible Futures For ETH
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In a blog post released on October 14, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined potential future enhancements for the Ethereum protocol, focusing on technical improvements to its proof-of-stake (PoS) system. Titled “Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 1: The Merge,” the post delves into strategies to improve stability, performance, and accessibility while addressing centralization risks.
First, Buterin reflects on Ethereum’s successful transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake aka “The Merge” nearly two years ago, noting that “this proof of stake has performed remarkably well in stability, performance and avoiding centralization risks.” However, he emphasized that “there still remain some important areas in which proof of stake needs to improve.”
Future Enhancements For Ethereum
One of the primary focuses of the post is achieving single slot finality and reducing the minimum staking requirement to democratize participation in the network. Currently, it takes 2-3 epochs (approximately 15 minutes) to finalize a block, and a minimum of 32 ETH is required to become a validator. Buterin highlights the conflict between minimizing the staking requirement, reducing finality time, and minimizing node overhead.
“Today, it takes 2-3 epochs (~15 min) to finalize a block, and 32 ETH is required to be a staker,” he wrote. He identified the goals of finalizing blocks in one slot and allowing validators to stake with as little as 1 ETH. “Poll after poll repeatedly show that the main factor preventing more people from solo staking is the 32 ETH minimum,” Buterin notes.
To address these challenges, he discusses several approaches. One involves implementing better signature aggregation protocols, potentially using zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-SNARKs), to process signatures from millions of validators in each slot. Another approach is the introduction of Orbit Committees, a mechanism where a randomly selected medium-sized committee finalizes the chain while preserving the cost-of-attack properties. “Orbit takes advantage of pre-existing heterogeneity in validator deposit sizes to get as much economic finality as possible, while still giving small validators a proportionate role,” he explains.
Buterin also considers creating a two-tiered staking system with different deposit requirements, where only the higher-deposit tier is directly involved in providing economic finality. He acknowledges that “the risks depend heavily on the specific rights that the lower staking tier gets,” and that certain designs could lead to centralization.
Addressing security vulnerabilities related to Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks on known validators, Buterin proposes the implementation of Single Secret Leader Election (SSLE) protocols. “The best way to fix the DoS issue is to hide the information about which validator is going to produce the next block, at least until the moment when the block is actually produced,” he states.
SSLE protocols use cryptographic techniques to create “blinded” validator IDs, ensuring that only the owner of a blinded ID can generate a valid proof to propose a block without others knowing their identity. However, Buterin acknowledges the challenges: “We highly value Ethereum being a reasonably simple protocol, and we do not want complexity to increase further. SSLE implementations that we’ve seen add hundreds of lines of spec code, and introduce new assumptions in complicated cryptography.”
He also explored methods to reduce Ethereum’s transaction confirmation time from the current 12 seconds to as low as 4 seconds, emphasizing the value of decreasing confirmation times for improving user experience and aiding decentralized Layer 2 solutions. Strategies include reducing slot times and allowing proposers to publish pre-confirmations over the course of a slot. However, Buterin cautions about potential centralization risks and the need for proper incentives, noting that “if we add an attester-proposer separation mechanism, then execution blocks will not need SSLE, because we could rely on block builders being specialized.”
Buterin also touches on additional critical areas, including 51% attack recovery. He suggests that while full automation is impossible, “we can achieve partial automation […] ensuring that the bad guys in an attack at least cannot get a quick clean victory.” He also considers increasing the quorum threshold for block finalization from 67% to 80% to enhance security, arguing that “this seems a much healthier situation than ‘the wrong side’ getting an instant victory.”
Concluding his blog post, Buterin warns of the importance to prepare for the potential threat of quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptographic systems: “This justifies conservatism in the assumptions around performance of proof-of-stake designs, and also is a cause to be more proactive to develop quantum-resistant alternatives.”
At press time, ETH traded at $2,524.
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Featured image from Bloomberg, chart from TradingView.com
Ethereum
Ethereum Price Could Still Reclaim $4,000 Based On This Bullish Divergence
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Opeyemi is a proficient writer and enthusiast in the exciting and unique cryptocurrency realm. While the digital asset industry was not his first choice, he has remained absolutely drawn since making a foray into the space over two years. Now, Opeyemi takes pride in creating unique pieces unraveling the complexities of blockchain technology and sharing insights on the latest trends in the world of cryptocurrencies.
Opeyemi savors his attraction to the crypto market, which explains why he spends the better parts of his day looking through different price charts. “Looking” is a rather simple way to describe analyzing and interpreting various price patterns and chart formations. However, it appears that is not Opeyemi’s favorite part – in fact, far from it.
Being able to connect what happens on a price chart to on-chain movements and blockchain activities is what keeps Opeyemi ticking. “This emphasizes the intricacies of blockchain technology and the cryptocurrency market,” he would say. Most importantly, Opeyemi thinks of any market insights as the gospel, while recognizing that he is only a messenger.
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Rowling are the greatest of all time when it comes to putting pen to paper. Opeyemi believes his reading of the Harry Potter series twice is proof of that.
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Ultimately, Opeyemi is a good writer and an even better person who is trying to shed light on an exciting world phenomenon – cryptocurrency. He goes to bed every day with a smile of satisfaction on his face, knowing that he has done his bit of the holy assignment – spreading the crypto gospel to the rest of the world.
Ethereum
Bitcoin Pepe set to reap big from its virality, fundamentals, and timing
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The crypto market is subject to a neutral market sentiment even as the bulls remain in control. Subsequently, majors like Ripple and Ethereum are range-bound while their steady fundamentals support the prices.
On the other hand, more savvy investors are shifting their focus to meme crypto projects with the potential to revolutionize the industry. One such entity is Bitcoin Pepe.
In fact, it is presented as the missing puzzle piece in the Bitcoin network. Through its mission of building “Solana on Bitcoin”, it is creating a platform defined by low fees, speedy transactions, and the ability to launch meme coins on the most steady crypto network. Notably, investors have an opportunity to rake in hefty returns within a relatively short period.
Ripple lacks enough momentum for a weekly gain despite steady fundamentals
Ripple price has held steady above the crucial support zone of $2.5000 even as it lacked enough buyers to lock in the second weekly gain in a row. On the one hand, a neutral market sentiment in the broader crypto sector has pushed buyers to the sidelines. Even so, the bulls remain in control as XRP ETFs and heightened global adoption is set to bolster the crypto to January levels.
In the near term, the bulls are striving to break the resistance at $2.7385. Past that level, the next target will be at $2.9100. On the lower side, a pullback past $2.5000 will still have the bulls in control as $2.3357 remains a steady support level.
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Bitcoin Pepe: The missing puzzle on Bitcoin’s network
Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency, began with no intrinsic value about 15 years ago and has since grown to a market cap of $1.9 trillion at $96,278. Bitcoin Pepe has emerged as a project whose mission is to revolutionize the BTC network by transforming it into a meme coin hub.
This explains why an overwhelming number of savvy investors are rushing to amass BPEP tokens ahead of its listing in Q2’25. Besides, President Trump has made clear his intentions to foster a pro-crypto environment.
Subsequently, Bitcoin Pepe has become so popular that within the first 24 hours of its presale launch, it raised over $1 million. 11 days later, it has already reached stage 5 of the total 30 stages; raising over $2.8 million.
With 25 more stages before it hits the public shelves, early adopters have an apt opportunity to buy BPEP tokens at the current price of $0.0255 and watch their investment yield hefty returns. By the end of the presale, the token price is set to have increased by a total of 311.4% to $0.0864. Read more on how to buy Bitcoin Pepe.
Ethereum price analysis: Neutral outlook with a bullish bias
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Ethereum price recorded its second week of gains after plunging to a 5-month low earlier in February. Even so, it continues to trade below the 25 and 50-day EMAs. In the absence of a key immediate-term bullish catalyst, the crypto may remain under pressure for a while longer.
At its current level, the range between $2,543 and $2,804 is still worth watching. If successful at breaking the resistance along the range’s upper limit, the bulls will have a chance to retest the crucial support-turn-resistance zone of 2,950. However, a decline past $2,500 will invalidate this thesis.
Ethereum
Grayscale’s Ethereum ETF On The Brink Of Major Change With NYSE’s Staking Proposal
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The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has submitted a proposed rule change aimed at allowing the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) and the Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust (EZET) to stake their ETH holdings.
This proposal is particularly noteworthy because it seeks to enable the trusts to earn rewards on their staked ETH while ensuring that the assets remain under the custody of their current custodian.
Grayscale Advocates For Staking In Crypto ETFs
Staking, a process integral to Ethereum’s proof-of-stake (PoS) model, allows holders to earn yield on their assets. By staking through trusted providers, ETHE and EZET could potentially bolster their returns, making these investment vehicles more attractive to institutional investors who are increasingly seeking opportunities that offer staking benefits.
Unlike traditional staking-as-a-service models, which have drawn scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Grayscale claims that its approach is designed exclusively for the benefit of fund shareholders. This means that the assets will not be pooled with those of third parties, which could mitigate some regulatory concerns.
Industry advocates, including organizations such as Jito Labs and Multicoin Capital, have been vocal in their support for integrating staking features into exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
They argue that doing so would not only benefit investors but also more accurately reflect the advantages of native network assets. Furthermore, incorporating staking into ETFs could empower issuers to contribute to the security of the networks on which these assets operate.
Ethereum Surpasses Bitcoin In ETF Inflows
The proposed rule change comes at a crucial time for Grayscale, especially as its ETHE product has faced substantial outflows—nearly $4 billion—making it the largest loser among Ethereum investment products since the approval of spot Ethereum ETFs.
In contrast, the EZET has struggled to gain market traction, attracting only $650 million in inflows, which is minimal compared to its competitors.
Other Ethereum spot ETFs, notably those managed by BlackRock and Fidelity, have seen significant inflows, largely due to their lower fees and strong institutional backing.
The Ethereum ETF market’s dynamics are shifting, with Ethereum now gaining momentum in terms of ETF flows, even surpassing Bitcoin in inflows for the first week of February, as reported by CoinShares.
If the NYSE Arca proposal is approved, it could significantly enhance the appeal of ETHE and EZET, providing a much-needed boost to their performance and potentially curbing outflows.
At the time of writing, ETH is trading at $2,645, recording a 20% loss in the monthly time frame for the market’s second largest cryptocurrency.
Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
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