Could Ethereum Outshine Bitcoin With New US Spot ETFs? Traders Bet Big

Ethereum is currently at the forefront of traders’ minds, stirred by recent regulatory developments in the United States. The anticipation of the approval of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Ethereum has ignited a rally in its value.

So far ETH’s price has witnessed a notable uptrend of over 20% in the past weeks, pushing its price above multiple resistance.

This surge coincides with speculative activities around the potential for a similar success story to the January debut of US spot Bitcoin ETFs, which have accumulated more than $50 billion in assets.

Ethereum’s Rising Tide: High Stakes and Higher Volatility

Amid the strong performance of ETH, a recent Bloomberg report has uncovered a growing trend of significant bets on the cryptocurrency’s future.

Market analysts, including Chris Weston from Pepperstone Group, assert that ETH’s current trajectory points upwards despite potential market pullbacks, suggesting a strong continuation of investor interest.

This sentiment from Weston is mirrored in trading patterns observed on platforms like Deribit, where traders appear to be optimistic about ETH reaching new heights, potentially surpassing its previous record of $4,866 set in November 2021.

Adding to the intrigue, Bloomberg’s analysis highlights the notable differences in volatility between ETH and Bitcoin, which underscore shifting market dynamics.

The T3 Ether Volatility Index, a tool for forecasting expected price movements over the next 30 days, shows that Ethereum experiences larger fluctuations than Bitcoin.

This index’s recent readings show the widest gap in expected volatility between the two cryptocurrencies since the beginning of 2023, signaling that market speculators anticipate more pronounced movements in Ethereum’s price.

Institutional engagement, as measured by the activity in CME Ether futures, also suggests a cautiously growing interest from large-scale investors.

Although this interest is still modest compared to Bitcoin, it reflects a wary but increasing acknowledgment of Ethereum’s market potential, especially with the pending launch of Ethereum spot ETFs.

However, Noelle Acheson, author of the “Crypto Is Macro Now” newsletter, cautions:

The relatively low participation from the same institutions that will probably be expected to pour into the Ether spot ETF upon launch, suggests that the initial inflows could be disappointing.

Ethereum’s Challenge In Capturing The ‘Boomer’ Market

Meanwhile, in a recent discourse on the X platform, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas delved into the potential success of the newly approved US spot Ethereum ETFs.

Balchunas pointed out the challenges these spot ETFs may face in attracting older investors, specifically those aged between 60 and 80. He suggested that the complexity of Ethereum’s concept might hinder its acceptance among this demographic, known as the “baby boomers.”

One of the challenges for Ether ETFs in penetrating the 60/40 Boomer world is distilling its purpose/value into an easy-to-understand sound bite a la “bitcoin is digital gold” Does a simple one-liner like that exist for ether? If so, what is it?

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) May 24, 2024

Featured image created with DALL·E, Chart from TradingView