Key takeaways
-
The Ethereum network has successfully executed the Shanghai upgrade, allowing users to unstake their ETH coins.
-
ETH is up by more than 6% in the last 24 hours and is now trading close to the $2k level for the first time this year.
-
Ether is outperforming the other major cryptocurrencies.
Ethereum network completes the Shanghai upgrade
The Ethereum network has accomplished its much-awaited Shanghai upgrade, offering an era of staking withdrawals on the blockchain.
The Shanghai hard fork was completed at 22:27 UTC and finalised at about 22:42 UTC. The Ethereum community considers the upgrade a significant milestone as it completes Ethereum’s move to a proof-of-stake protocol.
Thanks to the Shanghai upgrade, Ethereum users can now unstake their ETH coins on the blockchain. During the Shapella Mainnet Watch Party hosted by Ethereum Cat Herders, Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, revealed that the toughest and quickest parts of the Ethereum protocol’s transition are essentially done.
He added that the Ethereum network will now be focusing on scaling (enabling faster transactions) following this upgrade. Buterin stated that;
“If we don’t fix scaling before the next bull run, we know people are going to be stuck paying $500 transactions. If, on the other hand, we don’t have Verkle Trees before the next bull run, well, things might suck, but you know, it’s a much smaller problem than, you know, $500 transactions, right?”
Ether Approaches the $2k Psychological Level
Ether, the native token of the Ethereum network, has been rallying following the Shanghai upgrade. ETH is up by more than 6% in the last 24 hours and is nearing the $2k level.
At press time, the price of Ethereum stands at $1,983, the highest it has reached since August 2022. The technical indicators show that ETH could push higher in the near future.
The MACD line is within the positive region, indicating that the bulls are currently in control of the Ethereum market. The RSI of 74 also shows that Ether could enter the oversold region in the near term.
If the bullish trend continues, ETH could break past the $2,031 resistance level over the next few hours. In the event of an extended rally, ETH could trade above the $2,160 level for the first time since May 2022.
Where to Buy Ethereum Now
eToro
eToro provides a wide selection of cryptos, such as Bitcoin, XRP and others, alongside crypto/fiat and crypto/crypto pairs. eToro users can connect with, learn from, and copy or get copied by other users.
Buy ETH with eToro today
