Recently, Ethereum, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency, stole the limelight from Bitcoin. The digital currency hit a record high above $4,000 on May 10 and is now up more than 450% since the beginning of 2021.
Ethereum has skyrocketed in recent times. (Source: CNBC) Price hits all-time high According to Coin Metrics, Ethereum (also known as Ether) reached an all-time high of $4,196.3 at 12:15 p.m. on May 10. The value of Ether is up nearly 7% in the past 24 hours and is currently at $4,141.99. The total market capitalization of this coin is $476.3 billion, almost half the market capitalization of the world’s largest digital currency – Bitcoin ($1.1 trillion). With the new milestone just set, the price of Ether has increased 5 times from the price of $ 800 at the beginning of 2021. Compared to the same period last year, the price of Ethereum has increased about 20 times in just 1 year. . Ether was founded in 2013 by Russian-Canadian programmer Vitalik Buterin and several other crypto entrepreneurs. Similar to Bitcoin, Ether operates on the Blockchain technology platform. The biggest difference between Ether and Bitcoin is the intended use and core technology. Ether was created with the goal of becoming a platform for smart contract development. Ether serves as a means of paying for the network’s operating costs. Meanwhile, Bitcoin was born with the sole purpose of becoming a means of payment and a store of value. For programmer Buterin, Bitcoin is too limited in functionality. In an interview with Business Insider , founder Ether compared Bitcoin to a pocket computer that “does one thing well,” while Ether is like a smartphone with many apps. Ethereum is not perfect yet However, according to the page CNBC , Ether is not perfect yet. In 2017, the popularity of the game CryptoKitties caused Ether’s network to become severely congested, slowing transactions and causing game developers to raise fees. Scalability is one of the biggest problems with the Ether network today. This cryptocurrency currently works using a proof-of-work protocol (a mechanism that prevents double-spending), similar to Bitcoin. This means that cryptocurrency miners with purpose-built computers must compete to solve complex mathematical puzzles to validate transactions and get the miners’ networks to “mine”. Electrons must consume huge amounts of energy. But Ether is currently “running” an ambitious upgrade called Ethereum 2.0. Specifically, the cryptocurrency moves to a proof-of-stake model and relies on investors holding Ether to process new transactions. Cryptocurrency investors say the upgrade will help the Ether network run at scale, process more transactions at faster speeds, and support applications with millions of users. This can also lead to short-term price increases. However, some experts are still skeptical and refuse to trade digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ether. The latest volatility of the world’s top two cryptocurrencies reminded them of the 2017 crypto bubble, during which Bitcoin surged to a peak of $20,000. But a year later, it “sloped” down to $3,122. Some cautious investors say that the cryptocurrency is in a bubble waiting to burst. What do experts think about Ethereum and Bitcoin? Ed Egilinsky, CEO – Head of Alternative Investments at Direxion said: “Ethereum’s blockchain technology has more uses and functionality than Bitcoin, making it a potentially lucrative game in the long run. Also, at the present time, the price difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum could make Ethereum an ‘affordable’ investment for investors.” “Ether is a blockchain platform that acts like the Apple and Android app stores,” said Pat LaVecchia, CEO of trading platform Oasis Pro Markets. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is a commodity like gold, or a store of value. Unlike Bitcoin, where many properties (such as supply) have been fixed since its inception, the Ethereum platform is still evolving with new updates that promise to improve the system. It’s even entirely possible that regulations change and cause the supply to drop, which will cause the price of Ethereum to continue to rise.” (according to CNBC, Business Insider)
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