This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.
This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.
What happened
The price of Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, was slipping today on a broader sell-off in crypto and stocks.
As of 2:31 p.m. ET, Ethereum was down 1% over 24 hours after losing as much as 4% earlier in the day.
So what
The only Ethereum-specific news out today was positive, as the Ethereum Foundation launched the Kintsugi Merge testnet, a step in the process to Ethereum’s Merge, which is its transition to Eth2, a set of upgrades that will make the cryptocurrency more scalable, secure, and sustainable.
However, that news wasn’t enough to push the token’s price higher as Ethereum instead pulled back with the rest of the crypto and stock markets. Most high-profile cryptocurrencies and stocks were down today on fears of the omicron variant, which is already driving a spike in cases in the New York area. Investors are fearing that it could cramp the global economy, especially ahead of the busy holiday travel season.
The explanation for cryptocurrencies being down on the omicron news is less direct. You might expect another COVID-19 outbreak to drive gains in cryptocurrencies, as digital currencies benefitted from the initial phases of the pandemic and related lockdowns.
However, that hasn’t been the case. The new asset class has largely moved in tandem with big stock market moves because investors still view crypto as a risk asset. It goes up as risk appetites increase and it goes down as investors look for safer assets.
Now what
There are few fundamental drivers when it comes to cryptocurrencies as the asset class is devoid of metrics that guide other productive asset classes like stocks or real estate.
However, Ethereum, which is the network on which most non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are bought and sold, has more real-world utility than any other crypto, and that along with its usage should help guide its value.
Still, it’s helpful to remember that cryptocurrencies are still likely to move with the broader direction of the stock market, and increased worries about omicron and an extended sell-off in stocks will likely push Ethereum lower.
This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.
The post Why the Ethereum price was sliding today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.
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More reading
- Gas fees could be Ethereum’s kryptonite
- What crypto investors should know about these ‘Ethereum killers’
- Aussie crypto sector tipped to be worth $68 billion this decade
- Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) is up 419% in 2021. Here’s what’s ahead for 2022
- Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) and Ethereum fall hard again. What’s going on?
Jeremy Bowman owns Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and recommends Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.
This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.
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