Ethereum
Ethereum Is ‘Completely Dead’ As An Investment: Hedge Fund
In a post on X this past weekend, Quinn Thompson, Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Lekker Capital, declared that Ethereum (ETH) is “completely dead” as an investment. His comments sparked a flurry of responses from prominent figures in the crypto industry, including Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures, Columbia Business School professor Omid Malekan, and VB Capital’s Scott Johnsson.
Thompson, who oversees investments at Lekker Capital, set off the debate with a post stating: “Make no mistake, ETH as an investment is completely dead. A $225 billion market cap network that is seeing declines in transaction activity, user growth and fees/revenues. There is no investment case here. As a network with utility? Yes. As an investment? Absolutely not.”
He also shared a set of metrics to underscore Ethereum’s recent stagnation, including data on active addresses, transaction counts, and new address creation.
Is Ethereum ‘Dead’ As An Investment?
The provocative statement attracted immediate responses from prominent voices across the crypto ecosystem, triggering a debate over Ethereum’s economic and investment thesis, and specifically, the influence of Layer 2 (L2) scaling solutions on Ethereum’s native token economics.
Nic Carter, partner at Castle Island Ventures and co-founder of blockchain analytics firm Coinmetrics, swiftly responded, pinpointing Ethereum’s valuation dilemma squarely at the feet of its Layer 2 scaling implementations:“The #1 cause of this is greedy eth L2s siphoning value from the L1 and the social consensus that excess token creation was A-OK. Eth was buried in an avalanche of its own tokens. Died by its own hand.”
Thompson reinforced Carter’s criticism by suggesting that Ethereum’s community consensus had inadvertently favored token proliferation as a wealth-generation mechanism, ultimately undermining ETH’s investment narrative: “The social consensus among .eth’s in favor of excess tokens was because the creation of endless L2s, staking, restaking, DA, etc etc all enriched their pockets on the way up but no one wants to face the music now that the market is saying that was a mistake.”
However, this viewpoint was contested by Omid Malekan, professor at Columbia Business School and specialist in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology since 2019. Malekan underscored Layer 2s’ critical role in blockchain scalability and argued that any value-extraction by these secondary layers was not inherently detrimental to Ethereum’s foundational token economics: “L2s are the only viable way to scale any blockchain. Whether their tokens capture value or not is a separate question. But it can’t be that L2s ‘siphoned value from ETH’ yet didn’t capture value themselves. Security is not free.”
Malekan further challenged Thompson’s claim by questioning whether Ethereum could realistically become the first example in history of a widely adopted technological network whose utility failed to generate any meaningful financial return: “Is Ethereum going to be the first network ‘with utility’ in modern history where the network effects aren’t monetized? Can you provide any other examples of this happening?”
In response, Thompson clarified his argument, highlighting that monetization is indeed occurring within the Ethereum ecosystem, but not sufficiently accruing to ETH itself to validate the cryptocurrency’s current market capitalization. He illustrated this point with an analogy: “There’s tons of network effects being monetized all over the place, just not enough to ETH to justify its current valuation. Do all the network effects of the oil network and usage of oil accrue to oil?”
However, the oil analogy drew skepticism from Scott Johnsson, General Partner at VB Capital, who critiqued Thompson’s comparison due to Ethereum’s unique tokenomics, particularly its deflationary token burning mechanics influenced directly by network usage:
“I don’t disagree with your directional call, but I think this analogy falls flat. ETH ‘production’ is inversely correlated with usage, which is certainly not the case with oil. So as oil price increases, there is a demand response and a supply response. With ETH, it’s limited to the demand response. If ETH consumption looks like barrel consumption, then the price of ETH is far more likely to accrue value.”
Yet Thompson continued to disagree with Johnsson’s assessment, arguing that historical patterns do not necessarily support the claim of inverse correlation between Ethereum production and usage: “I disagree. We’ve never seen a sustained period of time where ‘ETH production is inversely correlated with usage.’ Obviously, the ‘production’ mechanics differ from oil, but similarly high ETH price is prohibitive to demand, hence L2s and cheaper alternative L1s.”
Acknowledging a possible misunderstanding, Johnsson clarified he was not predicting future Ethereum usage scenarios, emphasizing instead the theoretically inverse relationship between token burn and transaction volume under the current Ethereum network design: “I think we’re talking past each other a bit. I don’t think it’s arguable that if ETH usage increases that it leads to more burn and less inflation (production). I’m specifically not making future predictions on that usage. In any event, your ultimate point is fine imo because the demand side is so sensitive to really any cost.”
At press time, ETH traded at $1,793.
Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
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The Ethereum Foundation is realigning its developmental strategy to address core protocol efficiency and user experience challenges, following recent leadership changes earlier this year.
Co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak outlined the updated focus areas in a public statement on X earlier today, emphasizing that the shift is intended to strengthen Ethereum’s long-term scalability while improving near-term usability.
Protocol Upgrades and a Revised Role for Vitalik Buterin
Stańczak described the discussions surrounding Ethereum’s base-layer roadmap as extensive and community-driven, noting that the changes are designed to sharpen focus among researchers and core developers. Stańczak wrote:
Our discussions about the Layer 1 scaling roadmap have been extensive, and the feedback so far suggests that the community appreciates our ambition. Turning that ambition into reality now depends on the focus of the core development teams and researchers.
As part of its strategic transition, the Ethereum Foundation is aiming to give Vitalik Buterin more time to focus on advanced research rather than daily operational oversight.
“We aimed, among other things, to free more of Vitalik’s time for research and exploration,” Stańczak stated, adding that Buterin’s recent writings on topics like RISC-V and zkVMs have been instrumental in directing attention toward potentially “transformative technologies.”
According to Stańczak, these insights have played a significant role in realigning the Ethereum community around long-term priorities, such as privacy, modularity, and decentralized infrastructure.
Stańczak clarified that Buterin’s proposals are not mandates but starting points for community-led exploration:
Vitalik’s proposals will always carry weight, but they are intended to start conversations and encourage progress in difficult research areas.
He also stressed the importance of giving other researchers the same freedom, highlighting ongoing work by contributors like Justin Drake and Tankard Feist.
Overall. the Foundation’s research direction is now geared toward short-term outcomes that include better Layer-1 scaling, enhanced Layer-2 integration, and more “seamless” user experiences—especially in upcoming upgrades like Pectra, Fusaka, and Glamsterdam.
RISC-V Proposal and Developer Flexibility
The Foundation is also assessing the feasibility of moving from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a more modern execution environment powered by RISC-V.
This proposal, initially introduced by Buterin, suggests that RISC-V could streamline execution, improve efficiency, and simplify zero-knowledge proof implementation.
“We are exploring ways to bring forward projects that currently look three to five years away,” Stańczak noted, referencing possible acceleration in next-gen execution and consensus layer development.
RISC-V’s benefits include broader language compatibility and the potential for backward compatibility with existing EVM contracts. Developers could continue using Solidity and Vyper or expand into languages like Rust.
Additionally, RISC-V could improve validator performance through hardware-level customization, while maintaining core Ethereum features such as account models and contract interactions.
As research and experimentation continue, Stańczak emphasized the importance of community input: “Ethereum researchers often ask that readers recognize the exploratory nature of their posts and proposals. Focus remains essential.”
Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView
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Crypto analyst Incognito has predicted that the Ethereum price could soon rally to as high as $2,700. This bullish prediction comes despite ETH’s underperformance so far, with the altcoin’s market share already dropping to new lows.
Ethereum Price Could Rally To $2,700 As Wyckoff Accumulation Nears
In a TradingView post, Incognito predicted that the Ethereum price could witness a big move to $2,700 with the Wyckoff accumulation almost over. He remarked that if support holds, the ETH should see a breakout of the falling wedge. The analyst’s accompanying chart showed that $2,499 is the target for the falling wedge, while $2,700 is the second target that Ethereum could reach on this breakout.
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However, Incognito warned that this could be a huge trap to shake out sellers, so he advised market participants to be looking to take profits. In the meantime, the Ethereum price could indeed break out to the upside, especially with the Bitcoin price attempting to reclaim the $90,000 level.
The Ethereum price is likely to reach new local highs if Bitcoin can sustain this bullish momentum, given their positive correlation. In an X post, crypto analyst Ali Martinez remarked that this week would be big for ETH as the TD Sequential just flashed a buy signal, hinting at a potential shift in momentum.
Martinez also raised the possibility of the Ethereum price recording a new bull rally. For that to happen, he mentioned that ETH needs to break the supply wall at $2,330. The leading altcoin could face significant selling pressure at that range, as 12.62 million addresses bought 68.63 million ETH around that range.
ETH May Have Already Bottomed
In an X post, crypto analyst Titan of Crypto suggested that the Ethereum price has already bottomed or may be bottoming out. He revealed that the leading altcoin is progressing within a giant ascending channel on the macro chart. His accompanying chart showed that ETH could rally to as high as $4,200 following this bullish reversal.
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Crypto analyst Hardy also echoed a similar sentiment, suggesting that the Ethereum price has already reached its bottom. He noted that ETH’s weekly candle close was bullish and a good indicator of a potential reversal at the key support level around its current price. His accompanying chart showed that Ethereum could rally to as high as $4,300 on this bullish reversal.
Ethereum price reclaiming the $4,000 level could pave the way for a rally to a new all-time high (ATH). Crypto analyst Crypto Patel predicted that ETH could reach between $6,000 and $8,000 by the end of the year.
At the time of writing, the Ethereum price is trading at around $1,639, up almost 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview.com
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Ethereum and the broader crypto market experienced a small but notable pump yesterday, reigniting hopes of a potential trend reversal after weeks of sustained selling pressure. As market uncertainty intensifies, driven largely by global economic tensions and geopolitical strain between the US and China, investors are closely watching for signs of a breakout.
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Despite the headwinds, analysts are starting to shift their tone. Some believe that the worst may be behind for Ethereum and that a strong move to the upside could be brewing. One of the most vocal among them is top analyst Carl Runefelt, who shared a bold outlook, suggesting that Ethereum “might go absolutely parabolic starting from here.” His analysis suggests that ETH is poised to break out from a daily descending trendline, which could serve as a key technical signal indicating va shift in momentum in favor of the bulls.
As Ethereum holds above critical support levels and inches closer to a potential trend reversal, traders and investors are now watching closely for follow-through confirmation. If volume and sentiment continue to build, this could be the beginning of a significant rally — one that may reset expectations for the rest of the cycle.
Ethereum Eyes Recovery Amid Rising Global Tensions
Global tensions and macroeconomic uncertainty continue to weigh heavily on investor sentiment, with the ongoing trade war between the US and China sending shockwaves through equities and high-risk assets. In the midst of this fragile backdrop, Ethereum has managed to find a solid support level around $1,500 and is now attempting to reclaim higher ground. After weeks of selling pressure that erased bullish expectations for the year, ETH is showing early signs of recovery.
Ethereum’s current price structure has become a focal point for market participants. The recent bounce from $1,500 marks a potential higher low, a technical setup often associated with trend reversals. If ETH can successfully push above the $1,700 mark and break the descending trendline, it could spark renewed momentum for bulls.
Runefelt shared an optimistic view, stating that Ethereum could go up really fast from here. According to his analysis, the next key price target sits at $3,000, assuming a confirmed breakout above short-term resistance levels.
Despite continued global risks, the Ethereum network remains fundamentally strong, with growing adoption in DeFi and real-world assets. If the breakout materializes and broader market sentiment stabilizes, ETH could lead the next leg of the crypto recovery.
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Price Faces Key Resistance As Bulls Struggle for Momentum
Ethereum is currently trading at $1,630 after another failed attempt to break above the $1,700–$1,800 resistance zone. This price range has acted as a major barrier over the past several weeks, limiting bullish momentum and keeping ETH locked in a broader downtrend. Bulls must reclaim the local high at $1,691, set last week, to signal a potential shift in structure and confirm the start of a recovery rally.
A decisive move above $1,700 could open the door to a test of the $2,000 level, which would mark a significant psychological and technical milestone. However, the lack of follow-through on recent upside attempts reflects ongoing uncertainty across crypto markets, largely driven by macroeconomic tensions and risk-off sentiment.
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If Ethereum fails to gain strength above current levels, a retracement toward $1,500 is likely, with the possibility of further downside if selling pressure intensifies. This level has served as a critical support zone in recent weeks. Without a convincing breakout, ETH remains vulnerable to renewed weakness and deeper corrections. All eyes are now on whether bulls can build enough momentum to flip resistance into support and avoid another leg down.
Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView
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