2026-01-06 04:25:58

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently stated in a public appearance that Ethereum's next move will surprise the market. Once this signal was released, it immediately sparked widespread discussion within the community about ETH's future trajectory.

From a technical perspective, Ethereum has already demonstrated tangible progress. After the Merge upgrade, network energy consumption dropped by 99.9%, decreasing from 23 billion kWh annually to nearly negligible levels, fundamentally changing external perceptions of its environmental friendliness. Meanwhile, on-chain activity remains high—daily active addresses consistently exceed 500,000, and the total value locked (TVL) in the DeFi ecosystem has rebounded to $40 billion, solidifying its position as the largest ecosystem.

More notably, the pace of progress on the technical roadmap is worth attention. The Danksharding upgrade has already begun, aiming to boost network performance by 100 times while bringing Gas fees close to zero. The testnet performance is encouraging, with a throughput of 100,000 transactions per second already achieved, moving beyond mere promises on paper.

In terms of market confidence, data also speaks volumes. Since the Merge, the proportion of long-term holders in profit has exceeded 60%, and institutional capital inflows have increased threefold. A more direct indicator is staking scale—ETH 2.0 staking has surpassed 26 million ETH, accounting for over 20% of circulating supply. This level of participation reflects the market’s genuine outlook on the ecosystem’s future.

Regarding potential changes, industry experts generally point to several directions. First is performance upgrades—if Danksharding is successfully implemented, Ethereum’s processing capacity will achieve a qualitative leap. Second is ecosystem expansion—NFTs, the metaverse, and Web3 gaming could usher in a new wave of growth supported by technological advancements, attracting many new users. Third is market dynamics—prior to major upgrades, ETH often exhibits independent price movements; this "surprise" may not only be reflected in price performance but also involve a redefinition of the entire ecosystem.

ETH-0,46%

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HalfIsEmpty

· 01-08 01:13

Vitalik is at it again with riddles. I've seen through this trick a long time ago, haha. A 99.9% reduction in energy consumption sounds outrageous, but okay, it’s definitely more environmentally friendly than before... Gas fees approaching zero? I don’t buy it. Let’s wait until danksharding is actually implemented. Staking 26 million tokens? That’s a lot. Feels like institutions are quietly accumulating.

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MEVictim

· 01-06 04:56

Hey, isn't it? Is Vitalik about to stir things up again? Every time he says that, the price tends to rise. It's really outrageous, gas fees are almost zero yet people are still holding their positions. Staking 26 million tokens is incredible; the ecosystem is truly alive. If Danksharding really works out, it could leave other public chains in the dust. Honestly, I'm more concerned about whether the ecosystem can really produce some new things rather than the price. 10,000 transactions per second is no brag; it’s already running on the testnet? Okay. Here we go again, the "independent trend" before the upgrade—I’m just waiting to get trapped. Institutional influx isn’t without reason. Energy consumption drops by 99.9%, surely no one will criticize environmental issues this time. Long-term holders are making a 60% profit; I’m still struggling at the break-even point. If NFTs and gaming really take off, that will be the second wave of dividends. Staking so much indicates everyone trusts it. Vitalik’s "surprise" is probably this, maybe there are others? DeFi returning to 40 billion feels like just the beginning.

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GhostInTheChain

· 01-06 04:55

V神 is back at it again. Can they really come up with something new this time? Wait, gas fees approaching zero? After all these years of hype, is it finally happening? So, staking 26 million tokens—how many people are risking their entire fortune? Is it gambler's mentality or true belief? If Danksharding really works out, those L2s are going to have a tough time, haha. But on the other hand, a 99.9% reduction in energy consumption is really impressive. Environmental police should shut up. It’s no use new users coming in; it’s still the same group playing. Can the ecosystem really break out of its circle? It seems every upgrade is hyped up like this, but in the end, it’s usually just talk... But this time, the data is actually here. 60% of long-term holders are in profit. No wonder big players are staking—so strategic. V神 suddenly mentioned surprises, probably a sign that they’re starting to build positions, hehe.

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NftDeepBreather

· 01-06 04:54

V神's words sound really exciting, always talking about "big events" coming... But looking at these data points, they are indeed solid. After the Merge, energy consumption dropped by 99.9%, now that's serious. Gas fees approaching zero? Alright, I'll wait and see. I've heard many promises before, let's see if we can handle 100,000 transactions per second. Staking 26 million ETH is quite interesting, indicating that many are still betting on Ethereum... If you ask me, instead of guessing surprises, it's better to watch the pace of technological implementation. If this Danksharding can truly deliver a 100x performance boost, then we might need to reconsider ETH, but only if it can be delivered. NFTs and the Metaverse... uh, I’m a bit confused about the current pace.

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PumpAnalyst

· 01-06 04:43

The data looks good, but wait a minute... Is this wave really going up or are the whales just storytelling again? Being bearish is one thing, but if Danksharding can truly bring Gas down to nearly zero, that would be a real positive [thinking] 26 million tokens staked, long-term holders are making a 60% profit... Basically, institutions are quietly building a bottom, retail investors are still watching from the outside. Vitalik says there will be "surprises"? Brothers, be careful, every upgrade has been hyped like this before, and in the end, the gains were all cut by the whales. The technical aspect is good, but I care more about which support level this rebound can reach, so that retail investors don't buy at high prices again.

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OnChainDetective

· 01-06 04:39

nah wait... 26M ETH staked but wallet clustering data suggests concentration spike in institutional addresses past 3 months. smell that? classic pre-pump pattern fr fr

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