The conversation of cryptocurrency seems to be cropping up more often now than ever before. According to Forbes, since its introduction in January 2009 when Bitcoin was the first digital currency to appear in our lives, there are now around 26,000 different cryptocurrencies on the market. And more are being created and added by the day.
However, it is no surprise that the original cryptocurrencies are the ones with the highest market capitalization out of all of them. The founding fathers, Bitcoin and Ethereum, lead the way in price by a long way from the likes of Tether, Solana, XRP and Cardano, with Bitcoin out front by a mile.
Like with movie sequels, they are rarely better than the original, but Ethereum will be hoping to close the gap to Bitcoin and make its presence on the market felt in a greater way. Like with any cryptocurrency, especially at the beginning phase, Ethereum has experienced plenty of ups and downs.
This is summed up well by Ethereum expert, Anthony Sassano, “We saw the price plunge over 70% in the second half of 2016 and then a devastating 94% drop in 2018. Then, there was another significant drop of 80% in the first half of 2022.” What is also significant to mention is that Ethereum also enjoyed an incredible 2500% surge in the first half of 2016.
Overall though, Ethereum has survived all the dips on the rollercoaster ride and has established itself as one of the more stable, reliable and profitable coins worldwide. This is reflected in the increased number of companies signing up to accept Ethereum as a payment method. A blossoming industry is the online gaming and casino industry. Many online casinos have been accepting cryptocurrency as a payment method for years and playing slots at Cloudbet with Ethereum is even possible. Elsewhere, buying everyday items with Ethereum is becoming more commonplace; even assets such as property and cars as well as flights and technology.
Shopping and online casino play are just two examples of Ethereum involving itself in everyday life, which can only help its cause in trying to topple Bitcoin as the number one cryptocurrency. There is a long way to go for that to happen of course, but there are high expectations for Ethereum. Even the simplest changes can have a big impact. Faster transactions and lower transaction fees are always good selling points to retain users or win over new customers. For the next decade, the ROI (return on investment) value is expected to steadily increase, which is exciting news for Ethereum fans.
