According to Cointelegraph, Ether (ETH) has faced challenges in gaining upward momentum since the beginning of 2024. Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, suggests that Ethereum might be an underdog heading into 2025. Hougan pointed out that Ether has been struggling, especially after hitting a 42-month low against Bitcoin (BTC) on September 16. Despite this, he remains optimistic about Ether's future, although he expects price action to remain sluggish for the rest of the year. Hougan believes the market may reevaluate Ethereum as the November elections approach and regulatory clarity emerges, making it a potential contrarian bet through the end of the year. Hougan also noted that Solana (SOL), Ether's biggest rival, is up 38% year-to-date, while Ether remains flat. However, Solana's price has also been struggling against Bitcoin, with some analysts predicting it will follow Ether's downtrend. Pseudonymous crypto trader GGG suggested that Ether could see more downside in the short term, comparing the current situation to a bear market rally followed by a lower drop. The debut of the first Ethereum exchange-traded funds in July had little positive impact, with net negative flows and a nearly 30% drop in ETH price since then. Popular analyst Crypto Bullet mentioned that if ETH price falls further, the next correction could lead to a triple bottom chart formation, potentially sparking a rally in the fourth quarter of 2024. On the 3-day chart, Ether price is retesting its 700-day accumulation range, which acts as significant support around $2,200, according to crypto trader Inmortal. To gain more upward momentum, Ether's price needs to stay above this key long-term support level. CoinGlass data indicates that a potential decline below $2,200 could trigger over $1 billion worth of leveraged short liquidations across all exchanges. Ether price could also gain momentum as Bitcoin enters the parabolic phase of the bull cycle. Based on historical chart patterns and Bitcoin's average monthly returns for the fourth quarter, some analysts predict a three-month Bitcoin rally to $92,000, starting in October. 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.

According to Odaily, Ethereum developers have agreed to split the upcoming Pectra hard fork into two phases. This decision aims to make the large-scale upgrade less cumbersome and reduce the risk of errors or mistakes. The first software package is expected to be released in 2025, with the earliest possible launch in February. The initial phase of Pectra will include Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), such as EIP-7702, which is designed to enhance wallet functionality. The second phase will focus on upgrading the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), known as EOF.

According to Odaily, the U.S. Ethereum spot ETF experienced a net outflow of $9.71 million yesterday. Notably, BlackRock's ETHA saw a net inflow of $4.95 million.

On Sep 18, 2024, 8:03 PM (UTC), according to Binance Market Data, Ethereum (ETH)  dropped below 2,300 USDT and is now trading at 2,297.800049 USDT, with a narrowed 2.11% decrease in 24 hours.

According to BlockBeats, on September 19, on-chain data analyst @ai_9684xtpa reported that an address suspected to belong to Justin Sun, starting with 0x435, staked 14,000 ETH into Lido approximately 10 minutes ago. Additionally, the same address deposited 110,705 ETH into EigenLayer.

According to Odaily, a well-known entity recognized for its strategic exits in Ethereum (ETH) trading has commenced its ninth wave of activity. In the past 10 minutes, this entity has acquired 5,659 ETH on-chain, spending approximately $13.04 million. The average purchase price was $2,304 per ETH.

According to Odaily, EF DevOps engineer Parithosh Jayanthi has announced that discussions are underway to split the Pectra upgrade into two forks. This decision aims to reduce the risk of errors and expedite the delivery of both forks. The final decision will be made during the upcoming Ethereum core developers' consensus meeting on Thursday. If the developers agree to the split, the first software package could be released as early as February 2025. The first part of the Pectra upgrade will include several Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), notably EIP-7702, which is designed to enhance wallet functionality. The second part will focus on upgrading the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) through an EIP known as EOF. EF researcher Ansgar Dietrichs mentioned that there is little opposition among Ethereum developers regarding the potential split. However, one downside is that EIP-7594, also known as PeerDAS, will be pushed to the second package. PeerDAS aims to improve data availability on Ethereum, and its delayed implementation may temporarily result in slightly higher fees for layer-2 blockchains.

According to BlockBeats, on September 18, Leon Waidmann, Head of Research at Onchain HQ, released data indicating that the Ethereum Layer 2 ecosystem is experiencing robust growth, with the total locked value reaching an all-time high of 14.65 million ETH. Waidmann emphasized that this increase is not only evident in the dollar value but also in the continuous rise in the amount of ETH itself being locked. This trend reflects the rapid expansion of the Ethereum ecosystem.

On Sep 18, 2024, 09:59 AM (UTC), according to Binance Market Data, Ethereum (ETH) dropped below 2,300 USDT and is now trading at 2,299.560059 USDT, with a narrowed 0.67% decrease in 24 hours.

According to CoinDesk, despite recent underperformance, ether (ETH) could be a contrarian bet as the year-end approaches, Bitwise stated in a report on Tuesday. The asset manager highlighted that the majority of stablecoins are issued on the Ethereum blockchain, and over 60% of all decentralized finance (DeFi) assets are locked on the network. Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, has seen little change year-to-date, while bitcoin (BTC) has risen 38% and Solana's sol (SOL) has increased by 31%. The underperformance of ether is attributed to risks related to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, rising competition from other blockchains like Solana, challenges in tokenomics, and a mixed response to the introduction of spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. However, Bitwise noted that Ethereum remains a dominant force in the blockchain space. The network hosts the majority of stablecoins, a significant portion of DeFi assets, and popular platforms like Polymarket. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, compared Ethereum to Microsoft, emphasizing its large market cap, active developers, and user base. Hougan stated that while newer technologies are gaining attention, Ethereum's position remains strong. Bitwise concluded that ether's challenges are not existential and that the market might reassess the cryptocurrency closer to the U.S. election, presenting a potential contrarian investment opportunity through the end of the year.

According to BlockBeats, on September 18, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin delivered a keynote speech titled 'What Excites Me About the Next Decade' at the TOKEN2049 main event. Buterin addressed the common perception that the crypto industry is still in its early stages, emphasizing that significant infrastructure has already been built. He compared the development of the crypto sector to the internet, noting that people have been saying it is early days since Bitcoin's inception. Buterin highlighted that Ethereum has been around for over a decade, and in the 15 years since Bitcoin's launch, transformative technologies like ChatGPT have emerged, revolutionizing the understanding of artificial intelligence. This rapid development prompts a reevaluation of the crypto industry's current phase. Buterin questioned whether it is accurate to still consider the industry as being in its early stages. He concluded by stating that while the crypto sector may not be in its infancy, it is undoubtedly in a unique phase. This perspective encourages a reassessment of how the industry is viewed and approached moving forward.

According to Odaily, recent monitoring by Trader T indicates that Grayscale ETHE experienced a net outflow of $17.89 million yesterday. Over the past 40 trading days, the fund has seen a net outflow of 34%. Projections suggest that by November 11, which is 103 trading days from now, the net outflow could reach 50%.

According to BlockBeats, a Smart Money trader has demonstrated remarkable success in Ethereum (ETH) trading. Monitored by Lookonchain, the trader executed six transactions since September 2, achieving a 100% success rate. Within a span of just 15 days, the trader managed to convert 4,821 ETH into 5,690 ETH, resulting in a profit of 869 ETH, equivalent to $2 million. This impressive performance highlights the trader's strategic acumen and effective market timing.

On Sep 17, 2024, 05:52 AM (UTC), according to Binance Market Data, Ethereum (ETH) crossed the 2,300 USDT benchmark and is now trading at 2,300.47998 USDT, with a narrowed 0.37% increase in 24 hours.

According to Cointelegraph: Ethereum (ETH) has hit a 42-month low against Bitcoin (BTC), raising concerns about further downside potential. As Bitcoin dominance rises to 58%, some analysts believe Ether may be nearing a local bottom, while others warn of more losses.BTC/USD downtrend. Source: Alex ThornThe ETH/BTC ratio dropped to levels not seen since April 2021, sparking debate among experts. Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy, highlighted the 53% decline since Ethereum's Merge in September 2022, asking, “What stops this train?” Source: Fred KruegerInvestor Fred Krueger believes Ether could face continued weakness against Bitcoin, noting that Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have experienced $581 million in net outflows since launch. By contrast, Bitcoin ETFs have attracted substantial inflows, driving BTC's price gains. Ethereum ETF Flow (USD, million). Source: Farside InvestorsDespite the bearish sentiment, some analysts see a possible recovery. Crypto trader Anbessa suggested that the ETH/BTC ratio may have hit the bottom near 0.03845 BTC based on historical Fibonacci retracement levels, while investor Hedgex pointed to Ethereum’s oversold relative strength index (RSI) as a sign of a potential rally. ETH/BTC, 3-day chart, breakout. Source: AnbessaThe market remains divided, with some expecting a recovery and others bracing for further losses. ETH/BTC, all-time chart. Source: Hedgex

On Sep 16, 2024, 5:46 PM (UTC), according to Binance Market Data, Ethereum (ETH)  crossed the 2,300 USDT benchmark and is now trading at 2,303.209961 USDT, with a narrowed 3.16% decrease in 24 hours.

According to Odaily, Puffer Finance has introduced UniFi AVS, a new product aimed at unlocking the full potential of based rollups to address Ethereum's fragmentation issues. This innovation allows Ethereum to surpass other Layer 1 (L1) solutions in speed without compromising decentralization. Utilizing EigenLayer, UniFi AVS introduces pre-confirmations (preconfs) to Ethereum, enabling rapid transaction capabilities for both L1 and based rollups, and providing new revenue streams for validators. With preconfs, validators commit to including transactions in blocks before submitting them to Ethereum L1, significantly reducing transaction confirmation times from 12 seconds to just 100 milliseconds. Additionally, UniFi AVS ensures accountability through an on-chain registration and forfeiture mechanism. Validators who fail to honor their pre-confirmation commitments face penalties, thereby maintaining the system's reliability and security. UniFi AVS also allows validators to profit from pre-confirmations, creating new revenue opportunities in a fully permissionless manner.

According to BlockBeats, Ethereum Stories has announced that the documentary 'Vitalik: An Ethereum Story' will have its cinema premiere on September 18, 2024, in 23 countries. The documentary will be available for streaming starting September 20, 2024.