Kategorie: Ethereum News

Ethereum news about the ETH blockchain and its crypto ecosystem.

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Solana could lag Ethereum as meme coin activity dips, warns Standard Chartered

  • Solana’s current funding rate sits at -0.0002%, signalling short pressure.
  • Solana DEX volumes fell behind Ethereum earlier this year.
  • Accumulation of SOL suggests long-term investor confidence remains.

Standard Chartered has cautioned that Solana (SOL) could underperform Ethereum (ETH) due to fading meme coin activity, a key driver of Solana’s on-chain volume in recent quarters.

While Solana has proven its technical capabilities, particularly during the recent meme coin trading boom—the bank now sees a risk of underutilisation as seasonal trends shift.

According to the bank’s Head of Digital Assets Research, Geoff Kendrick, Ethereum’s broader adoption and institutional partnerships place it in a stronger position for sustained growth.

Ethereum gains from broader use cases

Solana has often been positioned as a faster and cheaper alternative to Ethereum, with the ability to handle high transaction volumes at low cost.

However, Standard Chartered points out that much of this activity has been driven by short-term trading of meme coins, a sector known for its volatility and limited utility.

With meme coin enthusiasm cooling off in 2025, Kendrick projects a possible usage gap for Solana before other applications, such as decentralised finance platforms, gaming projects, or social media integrations, gain critical mass.

The bank says Ethereum’s advantage lies in its diversified user base, which includes enterprise-level applications, financial products, and long-term smart contract development.

Blockchain analytics also supports this view. Earlier this year, Ethereum overtook Solana in decentralised exchange (DEX) trading volumes after a slump in trading on Raydium (RAY) and Pump.fun, two of Solana’s most active meme coin platforms.

That shift underlined Ethereum’s dominance across multiple sub-sectors of the blockchain space.

Market sentiment reflects short-term Solana risks

Investors appear to be reacting to these signals. In February, traders began trimming exposure to Solana-based assets due to uncertainty over the future of meme coin projects and delays in scaling up major Solana-native protocols.

Standard Chartered says these concerns are now being priced into market forecasts, particularly in terms of revenue from transaction fees and new user onboarding.

One key indicator is Solana’s funding rate. According to blockchain data firm Glassnode, Solana currently has a negative funding rate of -0.0002%, the only such figure among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation, excluding stablecoins.

A negative funding rate means short sellers are paying fees to hold bearish positions, which typically indicates mounting downward pressure on price.

However, a negative funding rate can sometimes be a contrarian indicator. Traders may be expecting a short squeeze, where sudden upward price moves force shorts to buy back their positions, potentially creating a sharp rally.

BeInCrypto reports that the accumulation of SOL by institutional players in May suggests that long-term investors may still see value in Solana, even if near-term performance lags Ethereum.

Analysts say Ethereum remains the dominant layer-1

While Solana has demonstrated rapid growth and robust technical infrastructure, analysts from IntoTheBlock believe the network still has significant ground to cover before challenging Ethereum’s dominance.

The research group said that although Solana may continue to grow and target niche applications, surpassing Ethereum remains a long-term goal rather than an imminent milestone.

Ethereum’s integration with traditional finance, widespread developer support, and upgrades like the shift to proof-of-stake have helped entrench its position as the go-to blockchain for decentralised applications.

Until Solana’s next wave of real-world use cases gains momentum, Standard Chartered believes the network’s price and on-chain activity may continue to trail Ethereum.

As the market matures, both blockchains may find space for growth—but in the short term, Ethereum’s ecosystem breadth and investor confidence give it the edge, according to the bank’s latest analysis.

The post Solana could lag Ethereum as meme coin activity dips, warns Standard Chartered appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Last chance to buy Bitcoin Pepe: 4 days left before exchange debut

  • Token price is now $0.0377, with each stage pushing the price 5% higher.
  • It’s the first meme coin ICO ever built on Bitcoin’s Layer 2.
  • PEP-20 token standard allows meme coin trading directly on BTC.

Bitcoin Pepe is rapidly reshaping the meme coin landscape with its revolutionary layer 2 built on the Bitcoin network.

Having raised $11,609,082 during its ongoing presale, this bold new project combines Solana-style speed with Bitcoin’s unmatched security.

With the current token price at $0.0377, the countdown is on before the presale ends and the token lists on major centralised exchanges on 31 May.

As the world’s first Bitcoin meme ICO, Bitcoin Pepe is tapping into the cultural momentum of meme coins while unlocking over $2 trillion in potential capital on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Meme coin mania goes Bitcoin

The rise of Bitcoin Pepe comes at a moment when meme coin trading is surging across all chains. But unlike others, Bitcoin Pepe is not just another token—it’s a fully-fledged infrastructure play, aiming to build a Solana-style meme economy directly on Bitcoin.

Its custom PEP-20 token standard enables meme tokens to be created natively on Bitcoin’s Layer 2, a first for the crypto industry.

This isn’t just about trading dog coins—it’s about transforming Bitcoin from a passive asset into a dynamic ecosystem for memes, NFTs, dApps, and DeFi. While Ethereum and Solana have seen meme coin booms, Bitcoin has lacked the infrastructure—until now.

Bitcoin Pepe is that missing link, delivering fast, low-fee transactions within Bitcoin’s secure environment, ideal for the next generation of meme traders.

In a recent AMA with Binance Smart Chain Daily, the Bitcoin Pepe team outlined the roadmap, staking options, and exchange plans, while engaging in a live giveaway to reward its community.

$2 trillion meme market on BTC

Bitcoin Pepe’s Layer 2 doesn’t just run on hype—it’s designed to unlock the enormous untapped value sitting idle in Bitcoin. With nearly $2 trillion in BTC capital circulating but unused in the meme coin space, this project offers a bridge to bring it into action.

The PEP-20 standard allows for easy token creation and trading, inviting builders and communities to migrate from fragmented chains to one unified Bitcoin meme network.

The project has already inked key partnerships with platforms like Super Meme, Catamoto, Plena Finance, and GETE, expanding its ecosystem beyond speculation into gaming, DeFi, and content creation.

These alliances amplify the vision: Bitcoin Pepe isn’t just a meme coin, but the hub for the entire meme economy on BTC.

Final presale window closing fast

The presale, now in Stage 27, is fast approaching its conclusion. With each stage bringing a 5% price increase, early buyers have already seen more than 300% paper gains compared to Stage 1.

The current price of $0.0377 still offers strong upside before the May 31 exchange launch—but the remaining token allocation is shrinking fast.

Bitcoin Pepe’s listing is expected to trigger significant demand. With multiple exchanges reportedly involved and millions already raised, investors are looking at the next leg of the meme coin cycle.

For those who missed Solana at $0.22 during its ICO, Bitcoin Pepe offers a comparable opportunity—if it follows a similar trajectory, the upside could be substantial.

The post Last chance to buy Bitcoin Pepe: 4 days left before exchange debut appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Crypto market braces for impact amid Trump’s tense global tariff negotiations

  • Cryptocurrencies have seen a sudden dip as Trump proposes a 50% tariff on EU goods.
  • Bitcoin (BTC) has dropped by 4% while Ethereum (ETH) has dropped by over 3%.
  • As the market braces for tariffs’ impact, the recently held TRUMP memecoin gala dinner has stirred controversy and market volatility.

The cryptocurrency market, known for its volatility, is now facing fresh uncertainty as US President Donald Trump intensifies global tariff negotiations, sending shockwaves through both traditional and digital financial systems.

Bitcoin (BTC), which recently hit an all-time high of $111,814, has become increasingly sensitive to geopolitical developments, with its price movements closely tracking Trump’s latest trade threats.

Notably, BTC has today experienced a sharp 4% decline, with Ethereum following closely with a 3.2% drop following Trump’s Truth Social post declaring that negotiations with the European Union were “going nowhere,” a statement that immediately rattled markets.

As panic spread, over $300 million in leveraged positions were liquidated, showcasing how digital assets, often viewed as uncorrelated, are becoming more reactive to global policy decisions.

90-day tariff pause almost coming to an end

As the 90-day tariff pause nears its expiry, Trump has proposed a 50% tariff on EU imports, alongside a 25% tariff specifically targeting iPhones manufactured abroad, raising alarms about broader economic implications.

Trump proposes 50% tarrof on EU imports

Investors now fear that these tariffs could not only escalate trade tensions but also lead to retaliatory actions from the EU, further complicating global market conditions.

Even though the EU has so far refrained from escalating the situation, the clock is ticking, with a 90-day tariff pause set to expire in July, placing immense pressure on ongoing negotiations.

Only the United Kingdom has finalised a trade agreement so far, and while India is expected to sign within days, other major players remain in a tense waiting game.

Market downturn amid fears of resumption of tariffs

With July just a month away, market watchers like Crypto Caesar now see Bitcoin’s $110,000 level as a key resistance point, with traders emphasising the need for BTC to hold above $109,000 to preserve the current bullish structure.

Ethereum (ETH) has not been spared from the volatility, holding a support level at $2,500 but struggling to breach the persistent resistance at $2,700, even as daily losses extend to 4%.

Notably, the ETHBTC pair continues to drift downward, suggesting weakening momentum in altcoins unless the broader market stabilises or Ethereum regains relative strength.

Pi Coin, another asset under scrutiny, showed signs of upward movement earlier this month but failed to maintain gains above $1.23 due to aggressive short-term selling and long-term investor scepticism.

US tech stocks have mirrored the downturn in crypto, with Apple shares falling amid fears that higher costs could be passed on to consumers, hurting demand and corporate profits alike.

Trump’s involvement in crypto stirs controversy

Amid all this, Trump’s personal involvement in crypto has added an unexpected layer of controversy, culminating in a high-profile gala for top holders of the TRUMP memecoin.

The event, attended by major figures like TRON founder Justin Sun, drew widespread criticism and accusations of corruption, especially as federal lawmakers call for investigations into presidential conflicts of interest in cryptocurrency ventures.

Following the gala, the TRUMP token spiked to $16 before dropping to $13.81, reflecting how quickly sentiment can shift amid political spectacle and regulatory uncertainty.

While Trump’s supporters argue that his aggressive trade stance is a strategic play to bring manufacturing back to the US, economists warn of rising consumer prices and slower economic growth.

Crypto traders, already bracing for volatility, now find themselves navigating a complex intersection of policy, politics, and profit, where even a single headline can trigger billions in liquidations.

As July approaches and the tariff deadline looms, the crypto market remains on edge, anticipating either a breakthrough in trade talks or another wave of volatility that could reshape investor confidence once again.

The post Crypto market braces for impact amid Trump’s tense global tariff negotiations appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Ethereum sees smart wallet activity spike as Pectra impact is felt

  • Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade, live since May 7, marks a major leap in staking, scalability, and smart wallet functionality.
  • Pectra slashed blob fees and doubled blob capacity, significantly enhancing Ethereum’s scalability and rollup efficiency.
  • ETH market cap soared 42% post-upgrade, fueled by investor confidence and rising futures market interest.

Ethereum’s long-awaited Pectra upgrade has already made its mark on the Proof-of-Stake network. 

Pectra – a portmanteau of Prague (execution layer) and Electra (consensus layer) upgrades intended to deliver a raft of significant improvements – has occupied an oversized presence in the Ethereum mindshare since going live on May 7.

And it’s little wonder given the way the upgrade’s been greeted by the wider community.

With TradFi institutions now better positioned to engage in native ETH staking, Pectra could be the greatest boon for the network since 2022’s The Merge.

Smart wallets take center stage  

One of the standout achievements of Pectra so far is the notable surge in smart wallet activity.

Driven by EIP-7702, which allows Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) to temporarily delegate control to smart contracts, the rise has seen no fewer than 11,000 smart wallet authorizations recorded.

EIP-7702 has been wholeheartedly embraced by dApps and wallets, with benefits flowing to end users; post-Pectra, EOA wallets are able to authorize smart contracts to act in their stead, obviating the need to migrate to a new smart contract-based wallet and enabling features like transaction batching, gas sponsorship, and privilege de-escalation.

EOAs are just the tip of the iceberg. On the scalability front, blob fees have dropped to near-zero, slashing costs for rollup operations, while  EIP-7691 has seen blob capacity double – enhancing app scalability.

Pectra’s impact is being felt across the board.

Needless to say, market optimism has been fueled as a result, with ETH’s market cap soaring by 42% by May 12, reflecting renewed investor confidence.

The ETH futures market has seen a similar uptick, with open interest rising from $21.3 billion to $30.4 billion between May 8 and May 11, indicating heightened market activity and interest from traders. 

Staking infrastructure steps up  

Staking infrastructure provider P2P.org was among the first to fully support Pectra’s major features – including validator consolidation, auto-compounding, partial withdrawals, and operator switching – through a live, production-ready staking dApp and API.

Indeed, these key features were made operational within a week of the upgrade. 

In addition, the provider has launched a live calculator to help users compare their current staking setup with a consolidated one, empowering them to optimize their validator sets immediately and capitalize on Pectra’s many benefits.

Artemiy Parshakov, vice president of institutions at P2P.org, has called Pectra “a major unlock for institutional staking, especially with account abstraction paving the way for smarter, automated strategies.”

Notably, Pectra raises the staking limit from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH, giving rise to the prospect of boosted rewards and streamlined validator management.

Ethereum’s steady evolution  

The tangible improvements bundled up in the Pectra upgrade have been welcomed by users, developers, and institutions alike, and the increased inflows into staking protocols tell only part of the story.

While these advancements have generated the lion’s share of coverage, the impact of Pectra is multifaceted, encompassing scalability, ease of use, and convenience. 

As Ethereum continues its methodical evolution, Pectra sets a strong foundation for future innovations, proving that slow and steady indeed wins the race in building lasting blockchain infrastructure.

The post Ethereum sees smart wallet activity spike as Pectra impact is felt appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Bitwise CIO bats for diversified crypto investment, compares Bitcoin to Google

  • Bitwise CIO makes a case for diversified crypto investment in different assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche.
  • He compares it to 2004, when Google was the leading internet company, though Netflix made the most money for investors in a 21-year period.
  • He equates Blockchain to the internet, saying the technology can be used for different purposes, like the internet.

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan makes the case for diversified crypto investment, even as he hails Bitcoin as an important asset. 

Hougan said that while “Bitcoin is the king of crypto assets”, citing that it is the largest cryptocurrency, while having the most liquidity and being well known.

He says Bitcoin is the only digital asset that has a shot at being an important global currency. He said the asset is similar to digital gold. 

Bitwise’s CIO said that despite the important status of Bitcoin, it is wise to invest in other cryptocurrencies, making a comparison with the historical performance of internet companies. 

Google and Netflix

Hougan asks the investors to put themselves in 2004. 

Google was the leading internet company then, and investors would have been tempted to put money into Google as it is the “dominant player”, Hougan said. 

He points out that while Google has done exceptionally well in the next 21 years, gaining over 6300%, investing in other internet companies would have served investors well, as the internet is a “general purpose technology” with uses in retail, social media, and software.

Investing in companies such as Netflix, Amazon, and Salesforce, which are leading players in other verticals of the internet, would also go on to pay huge gains for investors. 

Netflix is the highest performing stock in this period with gains of over 50,000%. 

Amazon and Salesforce also rack up 10,000% and 7,000% gains, respectively, leaving Google as the worst-performing stock among this group during this time. 

Blockchain is similar to the Internet

Hougan compares Blockchain technology to the internet, saying the former is also a general-purpose technology with different crypto assets used for different purposes. 

“You can use a blockchain to create a better form of money (Bitcoin) or to create a programmable network for transferring real-world assets” (Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche).

You can build new types of applications (DeFi, DePin) or middleware that services other blockchains (Chainlink). 

You can also build traditional businesses that support the crypto economy (Coinbase, Circle, Marathon Digital)”, Hougan writes.

Power of passive investing

It is now a regular occurrence that passive funds are trumping actively managed funds. 

Hougan points this trend out.

“Over the past 20 years, actively managed US equity funds have underperformed their benchmark indexes 97% of the time”, he said. 

It is important to invest in the big picture rather than picking winners, Hougan writes. 

He adds that after studying history, it makes sense to own a basket of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Chainlink. 

In the last 4 years, different crypto assets emerged as the number one performer in different years.

Hougan demonstrates this with data. He points out that it is impossible to predict cryptocurrency winners in 2030. 

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