Popular cryptocurrency analyst Michael Van de Poppe released a statement on December 5, 2025 saying that Ethereum has been performing well so far and could potentially outperform Bitcoin. His comments attracted attention, especially at a time when people were worried about what would happen in the market. Market participants are gradually refocusing on long-term opportunities, and Ethereum is becoming one of the key assets they are eyeing.
Ethereum strengthens amid continued market volatility
Cryptocurrency markets in the second half of 2025 will remain highly dynamic and may be affected by uncertain economic conditions, anticipated changes in monetary policy, and risk appetite by financial institutions. Bitcoin has seen a significant decline from its previous highs, while Ethereum is showing signs of consolidation and a slow recovery. Analysts note that ETH maintains a strong support zone, indicating that buyers are moving in after a long period of weakness.
Ethereum’s utility extends beyond price action to stablecoins, non-fungible tokens, and layer 2 scaling solutions in the decentralized finance ecosystem. Unlike Bitcoin, which stores wealth, Ethereum is a productive asset that drives chain economic activity. This real-world use gives Ethereum structural advantages that grow with the network.
Institutional participation has helped increase Ethereum’s relevance. The approval of Ethereum-based exchange-traded products in multiple regions has made them available to higher-risk investors. According to Reuters, Standard Chartered recently raised its year-end forecast for Ether to $7,500, citing increased stablecoin payments on its platform and network usage as factors driving future demand.
Tight technology and supply capacity
From a technical perspective, market analysts are monitoring Ethereum’s price range very closely following past pullbacks. Several trading houses have suggested that a successful break above key resistance levels could open the door for a rally to the $4,500 to $5,000 range by year-end, provided broader market conditions remain favorable.
As Ethereum transitioned to a deflationary model, the effective circulating supply of Ethereum decreased overall. Burning network fees and increasing participation in staking continue to pull out extremely large amounts of ETH from the liquid market. At the same time, foreign exchange reserves are trending downward, indicating that long-term holders are accumulating rather than selling.
These conditions are tightening the supply environment and increasing the impact of increased demand. When combined with improvements in the technological structure, supply contraction often provides a good basis for a sustained increase in prices.
Ecosystem growth fuels Ethereum momentum
The reason Ethereum is expected to be more profitable than Bitcoin is due to the success of the Ethereum network as a whole. The growth of decentralized exchanges, lending platforms, and enterprise blockchain solutions have all contributed to the growth of the Ethereum ecosystem. The digital asset ecosystem receives the most transactions through Ethereum.
Ethereum stands to benefit from a significant shift in capital flows as capital moves from speculative assets to productive underlying blockchain infrastructure. The increasing use of stablecoins in blockchain-enabled payments and businesses also supports Ethereum's continued relevance. This is because most of these payment transactions utilize the Ethereum network either through layer 2 solutions or directly through the Ethereum network.
conclusion
Ethereum is entering a decisive phase as the market structure and network fundamentals show early signs of new movement. Increasing institutional exposure, tighter supply dynamics, and a growing number of real-world use cases are increasing the need for ETH to offer superior relative performance. While macroeconomic risks and regulatory uncertainty remain in the air, changes in Ethereum's ecosystem indicate it could be on track to challenge Bitcoin's dominance in the second half of the 2025 cycle.
