$ETH

1. Improving Scalability: After Ethereum's transition to a Proof of Stake (PoS) system in The Merge, efforts are now focused on Sharding and Layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum, Optimism, and zkSync to reduce fees and increase transaction speed.

2. Growth of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Web 3: Ethereum continues to be the backbone of DeFi and Web3 projects, and with increasing adoption, its ecosystem is expanding to include finance, gaming, digital identity, and more.

3. EIP Upgrades: Future proposals for Ethereum development (such as EIP-4844, known as proto-danksharding) are expected to significantly lower gas costs on Layer 2 solutions and improve network efficiency.

4. Institutional Interest: Ethereum's popularity is growing among institutions, especially with the potential approval of an ETF (Ethereum-linked investment fund), which could enhance public adoption and increase its price.