Cryptoverse: Ether snaps at bitcoin’s heels in race for crypto crown

The second-largest cryptocurrency is overtaking bitcoin in market cap ahead of the crucial "Merge" software update, which, should it be successful in the coming days, may significantly cut the energy consumption of its Ethereum blockchain.

According to statistics provider CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin's dominance, or its percentage of the market value of cryptocurrencies, has decreased from this year's high of 47.5% in mid-June to 39.1%. Ether, on the other hand, increased from 16% to 20.5%.

The newcomer is still far from unseating bitcoin as the leading cryptocurrency, a turnabout known to enthusiasts as "the flippening." However, it has made up ground since January 2021, when bitcoin had a 72% market share and ether a mere 10%.

One ether is presently valued at 0.082 bitcoin, which is much more than the 2022 low of 0.049 bitcoin and close to the 2021 highs reached in December.

Because of the network's success, people now see Ethereum as fundamentally a secure asset, according to Joseph Edwards, head of financial strategy at fund management company Solrise Finance.

"The way Ethereum is seen in the cryptocurrency ecosystem is permanent."

erratic crypto

The Merge, which is anticipated to happen on Thursday after multiple delays, would encourage more people to utilize the blockchain, which might increase the price of ether. However, nothing is guaranteed in the erratic cryptocurrency market.

Although this much-hyped fantasy has yet to come true, Ethereum serves as the backbone of most of the "Web3" vision of an internet where cryptocurrencies take center stage, powering applications using crypto offshoots like decentralized finance and non-fungible tokens.

Bitcoin and ether have both roughly halved this year on fears about supersized interest rate rises from central banks. Nevertheless, investors seem to appreciate the Merge's appearance, as ether has increased by more than 65% since the end of June. In the same time frame, Bitcoin has hardly changed.

Although he noted that ether was still far behind bitcoin, Doug Schwenk, CEO of Digital Asset Research, predicted that "we're going to see (ether's) attraction to certain investors who are worried about energy use."

The king is powerful

In prior market cycles, investors dumped inferior tokens, or "altcoins," in favor of the more dependable and liquid bitcoin. However, bitcoin's dominance is decreasing in the current bear market for cryptocurrencies.

But overthrowing the monarch is no simple task

The most well-known cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. Since bitcoin is the most liquid and extensively traded token, mainstream investors who have dipped their toes into the cryptocurrency market have tended to resort to it first.

Due to its restricted supply and larger market worth ($427 billion vs. $210 billion), market players strongly think the initial digital coin is still the gold standard in cryptocurrency.

Even if it must tolerate rivals, some market participants claim that bitcoin still has a firm hold on the crypto crown. For instance, Hugo Xavier, CEO of K2 Trading Partners, said that if the cryptocurrency market becomes positive, its dominance might increase to a range of 50%–60%, but it is unlikely to reach 70% again.