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Why This Crypto Asset Is Bitwise CIO’s Best Contrarian Bet

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In an interview with Aaron Arnold, founder of Altcoin Daily, Matt Hougan, the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Bitwise Asset Management, shared his optimistic outlook on Ethereum for 2025. Amidst a crypto landscape where Bitcoin and emerging high-performance blockchains like Solana, Sui, and Aptos dominate headlines, Hougan positions Ethereum as a “contrarian bet” that may offer significant returns for investors willing to look beyond current market sentiments.

Why Ethereum Is The Best “Contrarian Bet”

Hougan acknowledged Ethereum’s unique position within the crypto market. He describes Ethereum as “the asset that people love to hate; it’s kind of the middle child of crypto.” While Bitcoin maintains its status as the original cryptocurrency and a store of value, newer blockchains capture attention with promises of superior performance and innovative features. Ethereum, meanwhile, is often criticized for issues like high fees and the migration of activity to Layer-2’s, leading some to view it as outdated technology struggling to keep pace with its competitors.

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However, Hougan challenges this narrative by emphasizing Ethereum’s foundational role in some of the most critical and rapidly growing areas of the crypto industry. “When you step back and look at it, what are the killer apps of crypto outside of Bitcoin? They are things like stablecoins, DeFi [decentralized finance], and tokenization,” he notes. Despite the emergence of alternative platforms, Ethereum remains the leading blockchain supporting these applications. It is the primary choice for developers and institutions. “If you’re a large traditional financial player looking to build on a public blockchain what blockchain are you going to choose most likely? You’re going to choose Ethereum,” Hougan claims.

The Bitwise CIO attributes Ethereum’s underperformance to a transitional phase in its development. “I think Ethereum has sort of passed over this year because it’s going through this complex teenage adjustment in its architecture,” he explained. This “teenage adjustment” refers to Ethereum’s ongoing upgrades.

Hougan remains bullish on Ethereum’s long-term prospects, considering it a strong contrarian play for 2025. “Ethereum is the best contrarian bet in crypto right now,” he stated via X. Hougan believes that the market’s current focus on Bitcoin and newer blockchains has caused many to overlook Ethereum’s enduring strengths and potential for growth. He asserts that as the blockchain completes its architectural upgrades, it will be better positioned to capitalize on its dominant role in key sectors like stablecoins and DeFi.

When asked whether he believes Ethereum will break it’s all-time highs, Hougan expressed cautious optimism. “I certainly think we could see that in 2025 if we see significant growth in the application space,” he responded. However, he emphasized that Ethereum’s ability to reach new price levels is more conditional compared to Bitcoin. “I think it’s maybe more conditional than Bitcoin,” he admitted.

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Key among these conditions is the enactment of favorable stablecoin legislation. “We need to see positive stablecoin legislation that helps that move aggressively into the mainstream,” Hougan stresses. Regulatory clarity and support for stablecoins could lead to increased adoption and integration into the mainstream financial system, directly benefiting Ethereum as the primary platform for these digital assets. Additionally, he points to the necessity for continued growth in decentralized applications (dApps) built on the Ethereum network. “We need to see more growth in apps that are built on the Ethereum ecosystem,” he added.

Hougan advises investors to focus on the overall growth and development of the Ethereum ecosystem rather than short-term concerns like fee structures or the migration to Layer 2 solutions. “I don’t think that’s the game to play with Ethereum right now,” he remarks regarding worries about fees and network congestion. Instead, he suggests that the intrinsic value of Ethereum will become apparent as its ecosystem expands and matures. “Think about the growth of the ecosystem, and the value will sort itself out,” he asserts.

Hougan stated that while he remains bullish on both Bitcoin and Ethereum, he sees a unique opportunity with Ethereum due to its current undervaluation and the market’s overlooking of its potential. “I know I just made a very bullish case for Bitcoin; now I’m making a very bullish case for Ethereum. I am bullish for both, and I think the setup for both is pretty good,” he concludes.

At press time, ETH traded at $2,624.

Ethereum price
Ether price, 1-week chart | Source: ETHUSDT on TradingView.com

Featured image from YouTube, chart from TradingView.com



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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.

When he is not clicking away at his keyboard, Opeyemi is most definitely listening to music, playing games, reading a book, or scrolling through X. He likes to think he is not loyal to a particular genre of music, which can be true on many days. However, the fast-rising Afrobeats genre is a staple in Opeyemi’s Spotify Daily Mix.

Meanwhile, Opeyemi is a voracious reader who enjoys a wide category of books – ranging from science fiction, fantasy, and historical, to even romance. He believes that authors like George R. R. Martin and J. K.
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.

Indeed, Opeyemi enjoys spending most of his time within the four walls of his home. However, he also sometimes finds solace in the company of his friends at a bar, a restaurant, or even on a stroll. In essence, Opeyemi’s ambivert (haha! been searching for an opportunity to use the word to describe myself) nature makes him a social chameleon who is able to quickly adapt to different settings.

Opeyemi recognizes the need to constantly develop oneself in order to stay afloat in a competitive and ever-evolving market like crypto. For this reason, he is always in learning mode, ready to pick up the slightest lesson from every situation. Opeyemi is efficient and likes to deliver all that is required of him in time – he believes that “whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.” Hence, you will always find him striving to be better.

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.



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Bitcoin Pepe set to reap big from its virality, fundamentals, and timing

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Bitcoin and Ether

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. 

Ripple Price
Ripple Price

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  

Ethereum Price
Ethereum Price

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.

 



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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.

Grayscale
The 1-hour chart shows ETH’s price drop. Source: ETHUSDT on TradingView.com

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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