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What You Need To Know Ahead of Ethereum’s Dencun Update Wednesday – Investopedia

Key Takeaways

Ethereum is scheduled to undergo a network update called the Deneb-Cancun, or Dencun, on Wednesday, aimed at improving user experience and lowering transaction fees for some users on the the network's Layer 2 blockchains.

Ether (ETH), the native coin of the Ethereum blockchain, soared past $4,000 early Wednesday, but gave up some of those gains to trade a shade under that threshold at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.

The Dencun update prioritizes scalability, efficiency, and security through the implementation of various Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs).

According to the Ethereum Foundation, the most notable change is EIP-4844 for proto-danksharding, which seeks to optimize gas fees for Layer 2 network (L2) data and enhance the network's ability to handle greater transaction volumes via those secondary layers.

Exchanges may face delays in processing Ethereum transactions on Wednesday as the update rolls out. Coinbase (COIN) said Monday that it expects disruption due to the update to last for at least an hour on or around 9:45 a.m. Eastern time, although that could change. Kraken, meanwhile, is budgeting for about 15 mins of delay for maintenance around 4:00 a.m. Eastern time and recommends users "not to place or cancel orders during this timeframe."

Layer 2 networks, such as rollups, are secondary blockchains built on top of the base Ethereum network. In a bid to scale transaction volumes, rollups compress transactions by bundling them. The initial verification for those transactions happens off the chain, but the transactions are settled on the main Ethereum blockchain.

However, even with the compression, nodes processing transactions hold on to Layer 2 data forever, expanding their hardware requirements, which are then passed on to users via higher transaction or gas fees. More than 90% of the fees paid by users on rollups are because of this data storage.

The Dencun upgrade will alter that, allowing information related to Layer 2 networks to be added to the base Ethereum blockchain via temporary, more efficiently stored "blobs" rather than as permanent data. As of this writing, blob data will be available for 18 days. This is intended to lower costs.

"Each byte of data that L2s store on Ethereum costs roughly 16 gas. The introduction of blobs and a new fee market designed for blob data drops the gas cost down to 1 per byte of data stored," noted Fidelity Digital Assets in a report about the upgrade. "This is a maximum gas cost reduction of 94%!"

However, it is important to note that Ethereum users on the main blockchain or Layer 1 users won't stand to benefit much from the lower fees found on Layer 2 networks after the upgrade.

"Currently, Ethereums performance is hindered by its slow transaction speed, low throughput, and high costs for users. With average transaction fees of $2.3 as of February 22nd, Ethereum is significantly more expensive versus alternatives like Solana. This threatens to drive away end users to other chains," said crypto asset manager Grayscale in a report.

The Dencun upgrade "could help Ethereum compete in terms of scalability with faster chains," the Grayscale report said.

Fidelity also points out that in addition to differentiating it from competitors, the latest changes to the Ethereum network could help transition from being a general-purpose blockchain to a global database for Layer 2 networks. The best way to gauge the success of the Dencun upgrade will be to track the number of Layer 2 users via a metric such as active addresses," Fidelity said.

(UpdateMarch 13, 2024: This story has been updated with more recent ETH price information.)

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Solana and Ethereum backers pour into DeeStream presale – crypto.news

Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. crypto.news does not endorse any product mentioned on this page. Users must do their own research before taking any actions related to the company.

Investors from Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH) pour into the DeeStream presale, eyeing the platforms growth potential.

Investing in a presale allows engaging with a project beyond just financial contribution. Active participation in the projects development, providing feedback and promoting the project within the investors network can enhance the value of the investment.

This deeper level of engagement creates a stronger connection between investors and the project, potentially influencing its success and the investors returns.

Backers from Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH) pour into the DeeStream (DST) presale, eyeing the platforms growth potential.

Solanas emergence as a leader in providing fast and scalable blockchain solutions has caught the attention of developers and investors worldwide.

The Solana communitys enthusiasm for supporting projects that leverage Solanas technical prowess underscores their commitment to fostering innovation within the blockchain space.

Despite facing challenges related to scalability and fees, Ethereum remains at the forefront of blockchain innovation, hosting a vast array of projects and applications.

The Ethereum communitys ongoing support for new ventures reflects their belief in Ethereums potential to drive forward the decentralized revolution.

The DeeStream presale has ignited global excitement, particularly among backers of Solana and Ethereum, who recognize the transformative potential of applying blockchain technology to the streaming sector.

DeeStreams strategic emphasis on reducing transaction fees and offering a swap service with 0% commission charges showcases its dedication to creating a user-friendly economic ecosystem.

The platform aims to democratize content creation, making it accessible to a wider audience. The second stage of the presale offers entry at $0.055.

DeeStreams vision to disrupt traditional media distribution mechanisms with a decentralized model has deeply resonated with the Solana and Ethereum communities.

Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. crypto.news does not endorse any product mentioned on this page. Users must do their own research before taking any actions related to the company.

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What is the Ethereum Dencun upgrade, and why is it important? – Cointelegraph

Ethereum Cancun-Deneb (Dencun) upgrade, explained

Dencun, an amalgamation of two separate upgrades Deneb and Cancun tackles both Ethereums consensus and execution layers in a single upgrade.

Technically a hard fork in blockchain terminology, the upgrade rolled out at Ethereum epoch 269,568 at 1:55 pm UTC and finalized at 2:10 pm. The upgrade is set to significantly slash the transaction fees of layer-2 solutions and boost the scalability of Ethereum.

The objective of the Deneb upgrade is to augment the consensus layer, which deals with how network participants agree on the state of the blockchain. Cancun, on the other hand, improves the way transactions are managed and processed on the execution layer. The Dencun upgrade came nearly a year after the Shanghai upgrade in April 2023, which enabled Ether (ETH) holders to unstake ETH, which was locked into the network.

Burgeoning gas fees on Ethereum have necessitated remedial measures on the part of Ethereum developers. While layer-2 solutions offered Ethereum a path to scalability by processing transactions off the main chain, gas prices on L2 solutions remained a hurdle for widespread adoption.

Dencun unveils proto-danksharding, which will benefit L2 networks such as Polygon, Arbitrum and Optimism, among others. The key feature of Dencun, proto-danksharding focuses on making layer-2 transactions significantly cheaper, paving the way for massive scalability improvements on Ethereum. It is also important to note that shard chains are no longer part of the Ethereum roadmap.

Proto-danksharding, a stepping stone toward full danksharding, lets layer-2 solutions on Ethereum store bulky transaction data off-chain like in a temporary storage locker lowering fees for users on L2 solutions by keeping the main Ethereum network free for essential transactions.

Proto-danksharding, which has introduced data blobs via Ethereum improvement proposal (EIP)-4844, is the most notable feature of the upgrade.

Data blobs are a novel solution intended to improve the efficacy of L2 transaction data storage. Currently, L2 solutions use transaction calldata, which the upgrade will replace with blob data. Calldata stores limited transaction data on-chain, which needs to be retained by the nodes forever, significantly increasing the burden on validators.

Proto-danksharding is a novel technique that removes the limitations of the present on-chain data storage system, opening up a vastly more effective data management system. By utilizing data blobs specifically designed to manage large volumes of data outside the Ethereum blockchain, rollups benefit from more scalable data storage.

The new rollup transaction storage method is expected to reduce the data overhand on Ethereum nodes. It reduces network congestion and optimizes network size for better performance. Additionally, lower gas prices will increase the usability and efficacy of L2 applications. Moreover, as blobs are pruned after about two weeks, Ethereum validator nodes can optimize disc space usage.

EIP-4844 also introduces cryptographic tools like the KZG commitment scheme. These tools ensure the off-chain data stored in blobs can be efficiently verified as valid (without actually revealing the data itself), maintaining the networks security.

Although Ethers price dipped following the upgrade, Dencun is regarded as a significant advancement toward resolving Ethereums scalability issues.

Dencun paves the way for a more affordable and accessible Ethereum ecosystem. There are various reasons behind why it is important, including:

Dencun introduced a technique for layer-2 scaling solutions based on Ethereum that reduces transaction fees. These layer-2 networks bundle transactions to cut expenses before transferring them to the main Ethereum blockchain. The primary functionality of Dencun, proto-danksharding, proposed via EIP-4844, lowers the costs of layer-2s by enabling them to keep specific transaction data off-chain.

Dencuns proto-danksharding introduces essential concepts necessary for full danksharding, the ultimate sharding solution for Ethereum, even though it does not implement sharding itself. As mentioned, it introduces blob transactions with off-chain storage to handle bulky data and reduce fees. Additionally, cryptographic schemes allow efficient verification of this off-chain data.

Moreover, Dencun implements fee-reduction algorithms for layer-2 solutions, which are essential for later fee management within shards. Lastly, it lays the groundwork for a future where transaction data and processing are separated, a core principle of sharded systems.

With significantly lower transaction fees, layer-2 solutions on Ethereum will become more attractive to users, which could lead to broader adoption of Ethereum for various applications, such as nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Additionally, reduced fees on layer-2 solutions demonstrate how Ethereum constantly evolves and helps it remain competitive with other blockchains.

Dencun simplifies consensus processes and transaction handling. As a result, developers may find it simpler to create and implement decentralized apps (DApps) on Ethereum. A more seamless development process may encourage increased innovative projects on the Ethereum network.

Although security improvements were not the Dencun upgrades primary emphasis, it includes several upgrades to improve Ethereums security posture. One aspect of Dencun involves EIP-4788, which serves as a communication link between Ethereums consensus layer, where validators safeguard the network, and the execution layer, where transactions are processed. It might be more challenging for attackers to take advantage of weaknesses in either layer in the presence of robust communication between these layers.

EIP-6780, also part of Dencun, changes how smart contracts SELFDESTRUCT function operates. A smart contract can practically destroy itself because of this feature. By making it more difficult for attackers to abuse this feature for nefarious ends, the modification may increase the general security of Ethereum smart contracts.

The Dencun upgrade marks a significant step forward for the Ethereum ecosystem, benefiting both users and developers.

Proto-danksharding lowers costs for layer-2 scaling solutions based on Ethereum, offering users a more cost-effective experience, especially when using NFTs and DeFi services.

Layer-2 solutions bundle transactions before sending them to the main Ethereum blockchain, and Dencun enables them to keep some transaction data off-chain to save costs.

Dencun streamlines transaction handling and consensus mechanisms for developers, which translates to a smoother development experience, making it easier and faster to build and deploy DApps on Ethereum. Enhanced developer experience further unlocks a wave of innovative projects, further enriching the Ethereum ecosystem.

In addition to its immediate advantages, Dencun sets the stage for further developments by introducing critical concepts needed for full Danksharding (as discussed above), which is the ideal way to address Ethereums scalability issues.

Sharding essentially splits the Ethereum blockchain into smaller partitions, allowing for parallel processing of transactions and significantly increasing throughput. In essence, Dencun brings Ethereum closer to becoming a truly scalable and user-friendly platform, poised for broader adoption and a more vibrant future.

Ethereums roadmap to full danksharding is a staged approach, with Dencun being a crucial first step. The following milestones will involve building upon the concepts introduced by proto-danksharding.

Developers will concentrate on innovations simplifying block production, such as proposer-builder separation. They will also work on data availability solutions, ensuring that off-chain data may still be verified if certain validators are offline. Finally, a complete Danksharding system will divide the Ethereum blockchain into shards, each of which will handle a distinct set of transactions. This parallelization will make massive scalability possible.

Up next on Ethereums roadmap is the Petra upgrade, merging Prague and Electra. While specifics are still under discussion, potential features include Verkle trees for efficient data storage and laying the foundation for The Verge, which aims to simplify block verification. This focus on scalability paves the way for a more user-friendly Ethereum.

The precise time to full danksharding is unknown; estimates range from a few years to a decade. Nonetheless, Dencuns successful implementation shows the Ethereum communitys commitment to ongoing development. Like Dencun, every milestone along the journey offers advancements and prepares the road for a scalable and future-proof Ethereum.

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What is the Ethereum Dencun upgrade, and why is it important? - Cointelegraph

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The biggest Ethereum upgrade ever goes live – Blockworks

The long-awaited Dencun upgrade activated on Ethereum mainnet Wednesday at approximately 9:55 am ET or the start of epoch 269568 if youre following on-chain.

A scalability-focused upgrade, Dencun features EIP-4844 or Proto-Danksharding which carves out a dedicated data channel on Ethereum for layer-2 data, dramatically reducing the transaction fees on rollups.

But thats not all. Dencun ships a total of 9 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) in all, making it tied for the largest single hard fork in terms of improvements shipped, according to Tim Beiko, who coordinates the Ethereum core developer calls, on the Ethereum Foundation livestream commemorating the event.

Read more: Ethereum Improvement Proposals to watch in 2024

Post-Dencun, most rollups and their users will see benefits within hours to days, as the availability of data blobs on Ethereum introduced by EIP-4844 should slash transaction fees by 5-10x.

This real-world benefit to users is primarily driving anticipation for the upgrade, according to Hannes Graah, a builder of crypto wallet Zeal.

The Dencun upgrade brings us closer to a future where fees are an afterthought, not a dealbreaker, Graah told Blockworks. Just as we generally dont worry about the cost of traditional domestic bank transfers, Web3 users should be able to transact without worrying about fees.

Aki Balogh, co-founder and CEO of DLC.Link, likens EIP-4844 to the NoSQL movement of the 2010s, which removed constraints of structured SQL data, through developments like MongoDB.

Giving developers large blobs of temporary data (deleted after 30 days) provides them the opportunity to innovate while not increasing load on the network, Balogh told Blockworks, removing a major Ethereum bottleneck. Similar to Mongos effect, this proposal will help innovation as dApps and chains find new ways to use the temp storage space, he said.

In contrast to scaling in Web2, this new data storage channel for Ethereum doesnt sacrifice decentralization, notes Philippe Schommers, head of infrastructure at Gnosis, which implemented Dencun already on Monday.

Read more: Gnosis Chain premieres Ethereums Dencun hard fork

When working towards scalability solutions on the blockchain, there are choices that developers have to make to prioritize decentralization, Schommers told Blockworks. When you look at Web2 infrastructure, its easy to see how centralized scalability can be done, but thats not the path were trying to follow.

While less glamorous Schommers said, it was part of Ethereums big ambition, calling Dencun one piece of the puzzle that gets us a little bit closer to building a larger scale, fully decentralized network.

Others are more effusive.

Lucas Henning, chief technology officer of Suku, says its still early days and the upgrade will guide the Ethereum ecosystem towards a more sustainable future.

Its an exciting time for Ethereum, and I am keen to see the effects of these changes on the decentralized world landscape, Henning said.

Its the moment weve been waiting for, said Eli Ben-Sasson, president of StarkWare. Today will go down as the date of birth for a dapp-for-everything culture.

Updated March 13, 2024 at 11:30 am ET, clarifying Dencun is equal to one earlier fork for the most number of EIPs included.

Correction March 13, 2024 at 1:40 pm ET: Misattribution of one quote.

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DeeStream continues to attract Ethereum, Ripple investors – crypto.news

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

As Ethereum experiences fluctuations, with its value recently descending from a high of $4,000, investors are diversifying their portfolios by turning towards DeeStream (DST), attracted by its novel approach in the crypto space.

Ethereum (ETH) has been plummeting after reaching $4,000 price days ago, with the token floating around $3,000 $4,000. Market holders thought that it was for the greater good when the token surpassed $4,000 and believed it was going towards a new peak. Ethereum is currently trading at $3,586, down by 8.17%. Those holders who diversified earlier are now into some good profit, while new ones are hopping into DeeStream (DST).

Most of February and the first part of March was a bullish run, and now, top analysts are wondering how long the bearish market will run. If it extends till Bitcoin (BTC) halving, that means the aftermath of the bullish market, especially on Bitcoin halving, will boost many market tokens, and DeeStream is on course to become a promising crypto. Market users can get a DeeStream token at $0.055 in stage two of the presale.

While the Ethereum market price goes down, holders are going to other tokens, especially DeeStream, in order to get a square of what the token offers. Ethereums positive green market run might have ended, but holders can get other tokens and achieve the incoming return on investment.

Though crypto analysts believe that Ethereum could reach a new peak in Q2, what matters now is the outcome of the halving. The declining market activities for Ethereum have posed a market problem, with the market cap down by 2.69% and trading volume down by 43.71%.

Ripple holders are predicting that DeeStream could become one of the best things to happen to streaming in the crypto market. Despite the SEC legal case and current bearish market, Ripple (XRP) trades at $0.6053, and if the bullish market finally arrives, Ripple could finally get past $1. Market observers hope Ripple holders benefit extremely because these holders have had to endure the hectic fluctuating crypto market.

DeeStream streaming platform has been gaining numbers daily with crypto whales, getting into the platform for the streaming solution it provides for streamers. One of the platforms best features is the decentralized governance that allows users to suggest changes and vote for them. Also, the platform wont censor users and will allow them to speak freely.

The project will ensure low streaming fees on the platform when transacting and offer better security. It has generated about 14,700 registered users and over 2,600 holders who are interested in benefiting from what the platform has to offer. DeeStream also has the chance to become a blue-chip crypto.

On the platform, transactions are secured, transparent, and immutable. Users are very much allowed to view their transactions and records, thereby making it a great place to trade. In conclusion, DeeStream will be offering a low-cost platform for creators and users.

Find out more about the DeeStream presale by visiting the website.

Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. crypto.news does not endorse any product mentioned on this page. Users must do their own research before taking any actions related to the company.

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Ether (ETH) price drops after Dencun upgrade, as Ethereum layer-2s experience lower transaction costs – Cointelegraph

The much-awaited Dencun Ethereum upgrade finally went live on March 13, bringing with it the promise of improving the networks cost-effectiveness. Following the upgrade, Ethers (ETH) price dropped sharply from a high of $4,082 to $3,932, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that Ether resumed its fall on March 14, dropping 3% over the last 24 hours to trade at $3,848 at the time of publishing.

The Ethereum network has undergone several upgrades, with each aimed at improving the effectiveness of the layer-1 blockchain either by improving transaction speed, lowering gas fees or changing the consensus mechanism. This improves the value of the network in the long run.

Dencun will change how Ethereum developers build smart contracts, leading to more secure and user-friendly applications," Richard Meissner, co-founder of Safe, said in an email to Cointelegraph.

Independent investor VirtualBacon commented on the success of the Dencun upgrade, saying it seeks a 75% cut in transaction costs on layer-2 networks, set to reshape the ecosystems capacity.

Ethereum layer-2 network Starknet acknowledged that this aim had been achieved on the layer-2 scaling protocol: Among Validity Rollups, Starknet has the highest share of L1 data availability costs, making it the biggest beneficiary of this upgrade.

Starknet shared the chart above on the X social media platform showing transaction fees on layer-2s, such as Starknect, OP mainnet, Base, zkSync and Zora, dropping several folds.

This was reiterated by market analyst Psquare Daily, who said, Ethereum Layer-2 (L2) protocols have witnessed significant drops in transaction fees, with reductions of up to 99%.

According to data from Dune, the median gas fees on Starknet have fallen from around $6 on March 1, just before Dencun went live, to about $0.04 after the launch.

Related: Dencun is about fee stabilization, not reduction Fuel founder

The average fee on Base fell to $0.03 from roughly $1.50, while Arbitrums declined to $0.04 cents. The average fee on zkSync and Zora also fell.

The Dencun upgrade introduced several Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), including EIP-4844, also known as proto-danksharding, which was aimed at reducing layer-2 transaction fees and enhancing data availability through blobs.

Historically, Ethereum upgrades have had minimal impact on the price of ETH.

In the week leading up to the Berlin upgrade in April 2021, Ether rallied 7.5%. On April 14, 2021, ETH traded around $2,043, with the price rallying approximately 3.% to $2,520 on April 15, 2021, the day of the upgrade.

Before the London upgrade in August 2021, the price of the smart contracts token traded at $2,724 on Aug. 4, rising by 3.4% to $2,821 on Aug. 5 when the upgrade went live. ETH then rose again 30% to $ 3,191 by the end of that week.

The Grey Glacier upgrade, which took place on June 30, 2022, saw the price drop by 3.8% from $1,098 to $1,057. During that week, ETH experienced a price decrease from $1,275 to $1,043.

In the week leading up to the Merge, the hard fork that saw Ethereum transition from a proof-of-work consensus mechanism to a proof-of-stake algorithm, ETH rose by 20%. On the day of the Merge, on Sept. 15, 2022, Ether fell sharply from a high of $1,635 to close the day at $1,472. The price continued declining steadily during that whole week to close at $1,325, representing a 25% weekly drop.

This week, as Dencun is implemented, ETH is trending lower, and if more headwinds add to the selling pressure, like the diminishing hope of a spot Ethereum ETF, its price could sink deeper.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

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It’s cheaper to swap on layer-2s than on Ethereum, Uniswap research finds – Blockworks

A recent paper by Austin Adams, a researcher at Uniswap Labs, contends that swapping and liquidity provisions on layer-2 networks are significantly cheaper than on Ethereums mainnet.

According to the paper, chains like Arbitrum created over three times more liquidity positions this past year than Ethereum.

The report further shows that, when looking at USDC/ETH pools, 97.5% of swappers with trades under $125,000 did better on layer-2s than on Ethereum mainnet.

Read more: Uniswap releases new tools for swappers

This is likely because retail swappers, with trades under $125,000, are much more likely to benefit from the lower gas costs and higher liquidity concentration on layer-2s than the mainnet.

It is worth noting that Ethereum is responsible for only around 25% of the total transaction count but over 60% of the volume demonstrating that, despite boasting higher transaction volumes, network activity is still predominantly on layer-2s.

Additionally, layer-2s often offer shorter block times, or the time it takes the network to produce a new block. On Ethereum today, the average block time is roughly 12 seconds. On Arbitrum, on the other hand, the average block time is around 0.26 seconds.

Read more: Cheatsheet: Ethereum on track to burn $10B ETH over next year

The shorter the block time, the less opportunity there would be for the market price of an asset to move, meaning that arbitrage attempts will likely not be as profitable.

Less successful arbitrage attempts are a good thing for liquidity providers, who are making 20% more in returns from arbitrage on layer-2s than they are on mainnet, the paper shows.

Although there are significant benefits for users to trade on layer-2s, the paper does note drawbacks. One primary concern is the centralized sequencer.

Read more: Shared Sequencing could help unite blockchain rollups

The paper notes that many existing rollups today still operate under one centralized sequencer. This sequencer could take advantage of the situation by reordering transactions to maximize MEV profits for themselves.

Additionally, optimistic rollups today do not have decentralized fraud proofs, which are necessary to correct sequencer errors.

Read more: So your layer-2 is secured by Ethereum what does that mean?

Finally, there are over 40 layer-2 ecosystems present today. The proliferation of these networks means further liquidity fragmentation, as they cannot trustlessly speak to one another in real time. This means that they will need to rely on bridging infrastructure, which is both costly and time-consuming.

The developers of layer-2 networks are working to address these concerns. Optimism recently revealed a permissionless fault-proof system, while shared sequencer networks like Espresso have explored ways to diversify sequencers for rollups.

For decentralized markets to fulfill their full potential, aggregate trading costs must continue to decline and user experience must continue to improve, Adams wrote. We believe that the studied generalized layer-2s still have many benefits that users can utilize today, and any future improvements will only continue to benefit the trading experience.

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Standard Chartered: Bitcoin To $150k, ETH To $8k By Year-End – NewsBTC

Standard Chartereds latest research notes offer a very bullish outlook for the major digital assets, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), by the end of 2024 and beyond. The banks analysts project Bitcoin could reach $150,000, while Ethereum could hit the $8,000 mark.

These projections come amidst a backdrop of significant developments in the crypto space, including the launch of Bitcoin spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and Ethereums recent Dencun upgrade.

The banks research delves deep into the factors propelling Bitcoins potential surge to $150,000 by year-end. Central to this projection is the influence of Bitcoin spot ETFs, which, since their launch on January 11, have seen rapid inflows exceeding increases in open interest.

According to the bank, this suggests a more robust and sustainable positioning for Bitcoin, distinct from previous speculative peaks. Rapid inflows to the new Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETFs have dominated [] Most of the inflows are likely to be sticky pension-type flows, Geoff Kendrick and Suki Cooper elucidate, highlighting the newfound stability in Bitcoin investment trends.

Three pivotal analyses form the cornerstone of Standard Chartereds Bitcoin valuation:

Standard Chartered notes that these three measures suggest that $200,000 is the correct end-2025 price level for BTC, [] and that it is likely to be the new midpoint for a sideways trading range at that time.

Further the research notes that an overshoot to $250,000 is likely at some point in 2025 if ETF inflows continue apace and/or reserve managers buy BTC. Previously, the bank only predicted a Bitcoin price of $100,000 by the end of 2024.

Ethereums expected climb to $8,000 by the end of 2024 is anchored in two transformative developments: the Dencun upgrade and the expected approval of ETH spot ETFs. The recent Dencun upgrade, by significantly lowering transaction costs on layer 2 blockchains, enhances Ethereums competitive edge.

Ethereum (ETH) has just undergone the Dencun upgrade, which dramatically lowers the cost of transactions [] making ETH more competitive, the research notes.

The forecast also hinges on the anticipation of US SEC approval for ETH ETFs by May 23, a decision poised to catalyze substantial inflows into Ethereum. Drawing from the Bitcoin ETF experience, Standard Chartered expects similar enthusiasm for Ethereum, with projected inflows of 2.39-9.15 million ETH (equivalent to roughly $15-45 billion).

This substantial capital infusion is seen as a crucial lever for Ethereums price surge. We expect significant ETF-driven inflows to ETH [] This could drive ETH to the $8,000 level by end-2024, the bank elaborates, underscoring the parallel potential for growth akin to Bitcoins trajectory.

Looking further ahead, Standard Chartered ventures into the terrain of 2025 predictions, where the bank sees the ETH-to-BTC price ratio ascending back to the 7% level, a hallmark of the 2021-22 period.

This adjustment forecasts an Ethereum price of $14,000 by the end of 2025, given the projected Bitcoin level of $200,000. Such a scenario underscores the banks optimism about the enduring value proposition and growth potential of these leading digital assets in the medium term.

At press time, BTC traded at $68,401.

Featured image created with DALLE, chart from TradingView.com

Disclaimer: The article is provided for educational purposes only. It does not represent the opinions of NewsBTC on whether to buy, sell or hold any investments and naturally investing carries risks. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use information provided on this website entirely at your own risk.

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Standard Chartered: Bitcoin To $150k, ETH To $8k By Year-End - NewsBTC

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Grayscale Files Crucial Ammendment on Spot Ethereum ETF – TradingView

Key points:

According to Craig Salm, Grayscales Chief Legal officer, the firm has submitted an amended Form 19b-4 filing for its Ethereum ETF application. Salm considers the move a crucial step in Grayscales effort to upgrade ETHE to start trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Arca.

We just filed @Grayscale Ethereum Trust's amended Form 19b-4 filing. This is an important step in our effort to uplist $ETHE to NYSE Arca.

Investors want and deserve access to #Ethereum in the form of a spot Ethereum ETF and we believe the case is just as strong as it was for pic.twitter.com/fOwJlHS71o

In a post on X, Salm noted that investors want and deserve access to Ethereum as a spot Ethereum ETF. He believes the argument for an Ethereum ETF is just as strong as it was for the spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Grayscales move towards actualizing a spot Ethereum ETF started last October when the firm filed with the SEC, requesting to swap its ETHE for a spot Ethereum ETF. The SEC has kept the investment companys ETH ETF application on hold, citing ongoing scrutiny.

Along the line, the SEC has set repeated deadlines, seeking ample time to access Grayscales Ethereum ETF proposal, with the next deadline slated for May 2024. That is consistent with the SECs procedures, considering the steps before it approved the spot Bitcoin ETF proposals earlier this year.

If approved, the spot Ethereum ETF could become one of the significant events around the flagship altcoin in the current bull cycle. Many users believe it could have a similar impact as the spot Bitcoin ETF, which attracted inflow into Bitcoin.

ETH traded for $3,720 at the time of writing, dropping by 10% from its recent high of $4,095, according to data from TradingView. Meanwhile, many crypto users believe an ETF approval would form the tailwind for significant growth in ETH, in addition to the upcoming Bitcoin halving expected to impact the entire cryptocurrency market.

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Dencun upgrade goes live on Ethereum mainnet – Cointelegraph

The Dencun upgrade was successfully rolled out on the Ethereum mainnet at 1:55 pm UTC on March 13.

Dencun is the most anticipated hard fork since the Merge and is expected to significantly reduce the transaction fees of layer-2 networks and enhance Ethereums overall scalability.

While the Dencun upgrade is a step in the right direction, it wont improve all the shortcomings of layer-2 solutions, according to Arthur Breitman, the co-founder of the Tezos blockchain. He told Cointelegraph:

Dencuns launch comes nearly a year after the Shanghai upgrade in April 2023, which enabled network participants to unstake their Ether (ETH) for the first time after the network transition to a proof-of-stake network following the Merge.

The Dencun hard fork incorporates nine different Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). The upgrades name combines the Cancun upgrade of Ethereums execution layer and the Deneb upgrade on its consensus layer. The first part, Cancun, focuses on improving how transactions are managed and processed on the execution layer, while the second part, Deneb, aims to improve the consensus layer, which refers to how network participants agree on the state of the blockchain.

The introduction of data blobs via EIP-4844, also known as proto-danksharding, is among the most notable features of the upgrade, according to James Wo, the CEO and founder of Digital Finance Group. He told Cointelegraph:

However, the promised fee reductions wont affect Ethereum mainnet users,according to a March 6 report by Max Wadington, a research analyst at Fidelity Investments. He wrote:

Gas fees on the Ethereum mainnet remain high, above 72 gwei. An average swap would cost users $86.15 in gas fees, while nonfungible token sales average $145.60 in gas, according to Etherscan data.

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Dencun upgrade goes live on Ethereum mainnet - Cointelegraph

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