Ether (ETH)

Ether, or ETH, is the native asset of the Ethereum blockchain. It is used to pay transaction fees, for staking and to support DeFi, tokenization and the Layer 2 ecosystem. ETH recently outperformed Bitcoin at one point, supported by inflows into BlackRock's ETF, Robinhood's Layer 2 blockchain and increased corporate holdings. However, tensions in the Middle East, selling in AI chip stocks and disposals by crypto whales have also intensified volatility. ETF flows, institutional holdings, regulatory progress and demand for onchain applications will be key factors to watch.