The decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem teetered on the brink of a meltdown yesterday as cascading liquidations swept through the market following a sharp drop in Ethereum (ETH) price. Over $5.4 million in collateralized assets were forcibly sold off in a 24-hour period, raising concerns about the stability of the DeFi house of cards. Related Reading: AVAX Price Soars To Highest In Nearly 2 Years, Over 80% Of Holders In Profit Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, bore the brunt of the liquidations. Its price plummeted over 9% to below $3,200, a far cry from its recent high of $4,092. This price swing triggered a domino effect, as collateralized loans used to amplify returns in DeFi protocols faced margin calls. Data from Parsec paints a bleak picture, with a potential $24 million liquidation event looming if ETH price dips further to $3,008. Volume of transactions involving Ether across Defi protocols. Source: Parsec On-Chain Derivatives Spark $52 Million DeFi Liquidation Blitz To make matters worse, within the same time frame, major on-chain derivatives have triggered liquidations totaling more than $52 million. After selling at a high of $4,100 for Ethereum, short traders recouped their losses by repurchasing the cryptocurrency at $3,200. The pain wasn’t shared equally, however. Panic selling by long position holders, those betting on an ETH price increase, resulted in a whopping $104 million in liquidations compared to a little over $16 million for short sellers. This imbalance could exacerbate the ETH price decline, creating a negative feedback loop. The situation highlights the inherent risks associated with leverage in DeFi protocols, While leverage can magnify profits, it can also amplify losses, especially during periods of high volatility. Ether market cap at $378 billion on the 24-hour chart: TradingView.com The bloodbath wasn’t confined to the DeFi space. The broader crypto market experienced heightened volatility as investors braced for the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. The potential for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike, coupled with weak inflows into Spot Bitcoin ETFs, cast a shadow of bearish sentiment across the digital asset landscape. Ether price down in the last 24 hours. Source: Coingecko. Ethereum Price At A Glance Currently, Ethereum (ETH) is experiencing a decline of nearly 10% and is currently trading at $3,138. The 24-hour trading volume for ETH stands at $29 million. Ethereum had a 20% retracement, making it the second most significant decliner among the top 10 cryptocurrencies. ETH traders maintained their sense of confidence by retaining and mitigating their positions in anticipation of an impending period of recovery. Related Reading: XRP Price On The Crosshair As Trading Begins On US-Backed Exchange Based on the prevailing market indicators, it is plausible that the price of Ethereum may evade more drops in the foreseeable future, as the bullish sentiment seeks to consolidate at the support level of $3,200, thereby establishing a foundation for a subsequent phase of recuperation. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
ETHFI, the governance token for the Ether.fi staking protocol has seen a significant drop in price since its debut on Binance on Monday, March 18. After initially trading at $4.13, the token has lost over 25% of its value, raising concerns among investors. Nonetheless, recent on-chain activity has fueled speculation of further sell-offs, potentially threatening the token’s stability and its ability to hold the $3 mark. In particular, blockchain analytics firm Nansen has identified interesting behavior involving Arrington XRP Capital on the Ether.fi platform, highlighting some significant transactions. Price Concerns For ETHFI In a recent post on social media site X (formerly Twitter), Nansen’s analysis reveals interesting activity involving venture capital fund Arrington XRP Capital on the Ether.fi platform. According to the blockchain analytics firm, Arrington XRP Capital minted 5,000 units of eETH, Ether.fi’s natively reshaped liquid staking token. Notably, these eETH tokens were distributed to ten different wallets, each containing 500 units. Related Reading: AVAX Price Soars To Highest In Nearly 2 Years, Over 80% Of Holders In Profit Following the distribution, Arrington XRP Capital proceeded to claim a total of 200,498 ETHFI tokens across the ten wallets. The funds were transferred to another address, consolidating the acquired ETHFI tokens. In the final step of the observed activity, Arrington XRP Capital sent the entire balance of ETHFI tokens to the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, potentially for selling purposes, which could put further pressure on ETHFI. However, the Ether.fi team has responded to the speculation surrounding the on-chain movements made by Arrington XRP Capital. Ether.fi Clarifies According to Ether.fi, Arrington XRP Capital has been a consistent investor in the platform and has provided significant support since its inception. The statement further noted that as early adopters and active stakers, the Arrington team has actively staked its assets on Ether.fi, contributing to the platform’s growth. The multi-wallet distribution observed in recent activity did not surprise Ether.fi, as they were reportedly informed of this approach in advance. Ether.fi claimed that splitting the assets into multiple wallets did not provide additional benefits or change the distribution outcome. The protocol alleged that consolidating the assets into a single wallet would have produced the same results. The protocol alleged that these assets are part of their liquid funds, which are “actively traded.” The decision to transfer the assets to the Binance cryptocurrency exchange was motivated by the nature of their trading activities and liquidity needs, the Ether.fi team concluded. Arrington Capital Addresses Speculations The Arrington Capital team also clarified the context through a social media post. They clarified that they had been long-term investors, staking over $50 million of ETH since February 2023. The company claimed that the recent sale of a “small percentage” of its initial airdrop tokens amounted to less than $700,000, allegedly representing only 0.1% of the day’s trading volume. Related Reading: Crypto Report Says ‘Alameda Gap’ Is Gone After Bitcoin Rally, What This Means Ultimately, Arrington Capital emphasized that their actions were not a “Sybil attack” and did not exploit the protocol’s distribution methodology. They wrapped up their response by claiming that airdrop distribution follows a linear model that is “unaffected” by distribution across multiple wallets. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
The winds of change are blowing through the Bitcoin landscape. On March 14th, 2024, the network witnessed a monumental shift – mining difficulty skyrocketed to a record-breaking 84 trillion hashes. This unprecedented challenge coincides with another significant event on the horizon: the Bitcoin halving slated for April. Related Reading: Euphoria Or False Dawn? Why The Ethereum $4,000 Party Might End Soon According to BTC.com, the rate has risen by nearly 5.80% since the previous modification. The mining hashrate for the original coin has also peaked, indicating that more people are now participating in the mining process. At present, the value stands at 617 EH/s. Source: BTC.com Bitcoin Mining: The Difficulty Dilemma Mining Bitcoin is no easy feat. Miners compete to solve complex cryptographic puzzles, and the difficulty of these puzzles adjusts based on the overall network hash rate. As more miners join the network, the difficulty increases to ensure a steady block production rate (roughly 1 block every 10 minutes). This recent surge in difficulty signifies an influx of new miners, likely drawn by Bitcoin’s recent price rally that saw it peak at a staggering $73,800 on the same day. The Halving Effect The upcoming halving event in April throws another variable into the equation. Every four years, the block reward for miners – the amount of Bitcoin earned for successfully mining a block – is cut in half. This economic policy is a cornerstone of Bitcoin’s design, aiming to control inflation and maintain scarcity over time. The last halving in May 2020 witnessed a significant price increase in the following months, and many analysts believe the upcoming halving will follow suit. BTCUSD weakens today and trades at $68,178: TradingView.com Here’s the logic: with the supply of new Bitcoins being halved, the existing ones become relatively more scarce, potentially driving the price up due to increased demand. A Balancing Act For Miners Despite the rising difficulty, the potential for Bitcoin’s price to appreciate after the halving could incentivize miners to weather the storm. This economic incentive is bolstered by the recent spike in mining rewards, which reached nearly $79 million This suggests that even with the increased difficulty, miners are still reaping substantial profits due to the high Bitcoin price. However, the long-term sustainability of this model is debatable. As difficulty continues to climb, the energy consumption required for mining will also rise. It raises concerns about the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining, especially considering the reliance on non-renewable energy sources in some regions. Related Reading: Number Of Ethereum Short-Term Holders Increasing – Is A Bull Rally Next? Beyond The Headlines The narrative surrounding Bitcoin’s recent surge often focuses on its price and the upcoming halving. However, there are crucial underlying factors to consider. The ever-increasing mining difficulty raises questions about the long-term viability of proof-of-work, Bitcoin’s current consensus mechanism. Alternative, more energy-efficient mechanisms are being explored, but their widespread adoption remains uncertain. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView