In the Race, Ether Is Closing in On Bitcoin

For years, Ether could only hope to compete with its larger brother, bitcoin. Its aspirations may be becoming more attainable now.

Eth is gaining market share from bitcoin ahead of a key “Merge” software upgrade. If successful, it could significantly lower the energy usage of its Ethereum blockchain.

Bitcoin’s dominance, or proportion of the crypto world’s market value, has fallen to 39.1% from a high of 47.55% in mid-June this year. Ether, on the other hand, has increased from 16.5% to 20.55%.

The upstart is still a long way from displacing bitcoin. However, it has made up ground; in January 2021, bitcoin held 72.5% of the market, while Ether held only 10%.

In terms of pricing, one Ether is presently worth 0.083 bitcoin, which is close to the December 2021 highs and far more than the June 2022 low of 0.048.

People now regard Ethereum as a safe asset because, based on the network’s success, they believe it will not disappear.

Bitcoin and Ether have halved in value this year due to fears of massive interest rate hikes from central banks. Nonetheless, investors appear to like the Merge, with Ether up more than 65% since the end of June. Bitcoin has barely moved in the same time frame.

Bitcoin Stays Strong

The waning dominance of bitcoin in crypto’s current bear market differs from prior market cycles in which investors sold inferior tokens – “altcoins” – in favor of the more liquid and trustworthy bitcoin.

Dethroning the king, on the other hand, is no easy task.

By far, the most well-known cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. Since 2020, mainstream investors who have dabbled in the crypto market have preferred to start with bitcoin, the most liquid and widely traded cryptocurrency.’ Its market valuation of $427B is still more than double Ether’s $210B. Market participants believe the initial digital token remains the gold standard in crypto due to its restricted quantity.