As the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, Ethereum (ETH) has recently become the focus of the market again. With the ongoing progress of the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade, its transition from proof of work (PoW) to proof of stake (PoS) has been initially completed, significantly reducing energy consumption and improving transaction efficiency. This technological leap not only consolidates Ethereum's dominance in the field of smart contracts but also lays the foundation for the explosive growth of Layer 2 solutions (such as Optimism and Arbitrum).

At the same time, the prosperity of the Ethereum ecosystem continues to attract developers and capital into the market. The total value locked (TVL) in DeFi protocols remains at the top of public chains, and although the NFT market has experienced cyclical adjustments, Ethereum still dominates the issuance and trading of high-value collectibles. Additionally, recent discussions about the 'Ethereum Spot ETF' have heated up; if regulatory agencies approve it, it could open new channels for institutional funds to enter, further boosting market confidence.

However, challenges still exist. High gas fees remain a pain point for user experience, and although sharding technology is highly anticipated, its full implementation will still take time. On the other hand, competing public chains such as Solana and Avalanche have advantages in speed and cost, forcing Ethereum to accelerate the optimization of its ecosystem.

In the long run, Ethereum's core advantages lie in its irreplaceable developer community and existing ecological barriers. Whether in finance, gaming, or the metaverse, FTU is heading towards the 'digital oil' of the.