Why Investing in Ethereum Might be a Problem?
Ethereum killers
Ethereum is known for its high transaction fees, scalability issues, and lack of sustainability.
“Ethereum killers” are now emerging to address the weaknesses of the Ethereum blockchain. Cryptocurrencies like Cardano, EOS, Solana, BNB, and Polkadot are gaining in popularity in the market.
The inherent proof-of-work mechanism allows a limited number of transactions per second. This slow transaction speed, in turn, increases gas fees on the platform, which are important for powering the network. The “Ethereum Killers” aim to address this by operating on a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.
The “Ethereum Killers” also aim to address Ethereum’s lack of sustainability, which is caused by high energy consumption. Many of them are looking to achieve carbon neutrality, which can in turn, counter height transaction fee challenges.
Ethereum security threats
The Ethereum blockchain has faced a few security vulnerabilities for the execution of smart contracts. For example, in 2016, Ehtereum developers launched the DAO, a digital decentralized autonomous organization.
Soon after the launch, users exploited a weakness in the DAO code, causing the DAO to lose $70 million in ETH. Since then, Ethereum has improved the security of its smart contract code.
However, because cryptocurrencies are digital, they can be prone to hacks. So, it’s important to invest in ETH— or any other cryptocurrency—at your own risk.
Extreme volatility
Like many other cryptocurrencies, ETH is an extremely volatile instrument. This means that the price of ETH could rise and fall sharply in a short period of time. 2021 displayed a perfect example of ETH’s volatility and high sensitivity to market conditions.
Between May 12 and May 24, ETH lost nearly 50% of its value. While it has somewhat recovered since then, it can be a risky investment and cause many investors to lose confidence in Ethereum.
While Ethereum shows great promise as an investment, there’s no guarantee that it will succeed long-term.
Therefore, if an investor doesn’t have a high tolerance for risk and can’t afford to lose, it’s best to avoid it. This is why it’s so important to do your research and know what you’re getting into before you invest in ETH.