Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, is showing signs of strength as it trades above $1,900, a key support level. The coin has gained about 4% in the past week, outperforming Bitcoin, which has dropped by 6%.
Analysts say that Ethereum is building bullish momentum and could test the $2,000 resistance soon. One of the factors driving the optimism is the increasing amount of Ether locked in staking contracts, which reduces the supply and increases the demand for the coin.
Staking is a process that allows users to lock up their Ether in exchange for rewards and help secure the network. Ethereum is undergoing a major upgrade that will transition it from a proof-of-work (PoW) system, where miners compete to validate transactions, to a proof-of-stake (PoS) system, where validators stake their coins to participate in consensus.
The upgrade, known as the merge, is expected to happen in August and will make Ethereum more scalable, secure and energy-efficient. According to data from Etherscan, over 23 million Ether, worth about $44 billion, have been staked so far, representing about 20% of the total supply.
Ethereum also benefits from its leading role in the decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible token (NFT) sectors, which offer various use cases and innovations for users and developers. According to DeFi Pulse, over $50 billion worth of assets are locked in DeFi protocols running on Ethereum, while NFT sales have reached record highs in recent months.
However, Ethereum also faces some challenges, such as high transaction fees, network congestion and competition from other smart contract platforms. The merge is seen as a crucial step to address these issues and enhance Ethereum’s long-term prospects.