Share this article

Ether's Worst Showing Versus Bitcoin Highlights Cycle of Diminishing Returns: Van Straten

The two tokens' relative performance is more a sign of bitcoin strength than ether's weakness, one observer said.

Updated Jan 30, 2025, 11:52 a.m. Published Jan 30, 2025, 9:54 a.m.
Ethereum: ETH/BTC Ratio Since Cycle Low (Glassnode)
ETH-BTC ratio since cycle low (Glassnode)

What to know:

  • Ether's underperformance relative to bitcoin is it's worst during a bull market.
  • ETH is providing diminishing returns for each cycle from the tokens' respective lows.
  • The ether-to-bitcoin ratio dipped below 0.03 on Wednesday, the lowest level in four years.

Ether (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency, has fallen out of favor relative to bitcoin (BTC), returning the worst bull-cycle performance against its larger rival since the Ethereum blockchain's inception in 2015.

A comparison of the ether to bitcoin ratio across past cycles from the tokens' respective lows shows consistent underperformance. The black line in the chart above represents the current cycle that started in November 2022, when bitcoin bottomed at around $15,500 during the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. With each cycle, ether's return against bitcoin has diminished.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

On Wednesday, the ratio dropped below 0.0300 to touch 0.02993, a four-year low. The previous low was recorded on Jan. 19, a day before President Trump's inauguration. This month, the ratio — the exchange rate between the two largest cryptocurrencies — is down 15%. It has declined 44% over the past year.

Bitcoin is currently trading around $105,000, having recovered from the slump to $98,000 caused by the release of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) program. Ether, currently at $3,202, would need to reach roughly $3,360 to undo the DeepSeek damage.

"My general take is that the ether to bitcoin ratio underperformance is more due to a strength of bitcoin rather than a weakness of ether," said Andre Dragosch, head of research at Bitwise's European desk. "Ether tends to suffer from 'middle child syndrome,' it is not as scalable as smart contract competitors like solana (SOL) while it is not really competing with bitcoin as the prime store-of-value."

Sizin için daha fazlası

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

Bilinmesi gerekenler:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

Sizin için daha fazlası

Bitcoin Faces Japan Rate Hike: Debunking The Yen Carry Trade Unwind Alarms, Real Risk Elsewhere

japan, flag. (DavidRockDesign/Pixabay/Modified by CoinDesk)

Speculators maintain net bullish positions in the yen, limiting scope for sudden JPY strength and mass carry unwind.

Bilinmesi gerekenler:

  • Impending BOJ rate hike largely priced in; Japanese bond yields near multi-decade highs.
  • Speculators maintain net bullish positions in the yen, limiting scope for sudden yen strength.
  • BOJ tightening may contribute to sustained upward pressure on global yields, impacting risk sentiment.