The Ethereum (ETH) network has closely followed Bitcoin’s price movements this year, despite mixed returns. On a weekly timeframe, Ethereum’s bullish outlook is bolstered by a golden cross between the 50 and 200 moving averages (MA), following a brief death cross last month. As technical analysis suggests a possible rally in the coming weeks, the fundamentals within the on-chain Ethereum ecosystem present a different story.
On-chain Ethereum Fundamentals tell a different story:
Ethereum, a leading digital asset with a market cap of over $222 billion, is heavily influenced by both fundamentals and the speculative nature of crypto assets.
The Ethereum network has played a dominant role in the smart contract and DeFi market through its technological innovations. However, market data from Defilama shows a decline in the total value locked (TVL) of Ethereum over the year. Currently, Ethereum’s TVL stands at around $26.16 billion with stablecoins accounting for around $69 billion in market cap.
In addition, Ethereum network revenue has been steadily declining and is currently below 1,000 ETH per day. This decline in network revenues points to declining on-chain activity in the DeFi sector recently.
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Red economic alert ahead
The decline in Ethereum network activity coincides with a gloomy global economic outlook, as highlighted by economists. HSBC Asset Management, a British banking giant, is warning of recession signals flashing red in many economies, while fiscal and monetary policy appear to be detached from stock and bond markets.
Gita Gopinath, the first deputy director of the International Monetary Fund, emphasizes the need for central bankers to continue to implement monetary tightening, including higher interest rates, to fight inflation.
While technical analysis points to a potentially bullish future for the price of Ethereum, the fundamentals within the on-chain Ethereum ecosystem raise concerns. The decline in the total value of locked and network revenue reflects a decline in DeFi activity, which comes amid a challenging global economic landscape. As Ethereum continues to navigate this complexity, market participants will closely monitor both technical and fundamental indicators to gain insight into its future trajectory.