Ethereum price remains shaky as network’s DeFi dominance dips by 50+%

ETH’s dropping TVL ratio is most likely due to its high transaction fee of around AU $28 (US $20)

• Utilization of ETH-based NFTs, games, dApps has continued to dip over the past few months.
• The Philippines government recently announced the launch of its very own CBDC pilot program called “Project CBDCPh”.
• Hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger has released a total of 10,000 limited edition NFT-focused cold storage units.

Ethereum, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency by total market capitalization, has continued to witness a lot of volatility over the past month, as is reflected by the fact that over the last seven day stretch the altcoin has incurred losses of over -12%. At press time, ETH is trading at a price point of AU $3,600.

Ethereum’s continued poor performance seems to stem from the fact that the currency’s transaction fees have continued to hover around a price range of around AU $20-$28. As a result, a lot of individuals making use of various ETH-based dApps, blockchain-games and NFTs are continuing to find it difficult to utilize the ecosystem.

What’s even more alarming is the fact that the Ethereum network’s total value locked (TVL) dominance has declined by a whopping 50+% over the last few days, with data showing that the volume of assets locked within the system’s native smart contracts have dipped to an all time low in comparison to its closest rials such as Terra, Polkadot, Solana, Cardano and Avalanche.

These undesirable developments may be emanating from the fact that Ethereum’s long awaited transition from a proof-of-work (PoW) framework to a proof-of-stake (PoS) one has once again faced delays.

How to buy Ethereum

Philippines set to release CBDC pilot

As a growing consortium of major financial players continue to adopt cryptocurrencies on a global level, one technological niche that has continued to pique the interest of many nations is that of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). In this regard, a representative for the island nation of Philippines — in conjunction with the country’s central banking authority Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) — announced the rollout of Project CBDCPh, the Asian nation’s very own CBDC offering. On the subject, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno, was quoted as saying:

“The project aims to build organizational capacity and hands-on knowledge of key aspects of CBDC that are relevant for a use case around addressing frictions in the national payment system.”

According to Diokno, the program will help the government facilitate state based cash assistance programs as well as help provide many underprivileged sections of society with immediate monetary support.

Ledger announces NFT-centric hardware wallet offerings

One of the world’s leading hardware wallet manufacturers, Ledger, revealed earlier this week that it was going to be releasing a set of limited-edition NFT-focused wallets — ala the Ledger Nano S Plus. In all, there will be a total of 10,000 devices that will be made available to the public at a cost price of AU $110 (US $79) each.

The release will be facilitated in partnership with Ethereum-based Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP). As a quick reminder, POAPs can be considered as being “digital memories” associated with various NFTs showcasing engagement and attendance.

Disclosure: The author owns a range of cryptocurrencies at the time of writing