A Year of Diverging Trends for Ethereum and BitcoinThe cryptocurrency landscape witnessed a notable shift in 2024 as the proportion of long-term Ethereum (ETH) holders soared, contrasting with a decline in Bitcoin’s (BTC) long-term holder base. Blockchain analytics platform IntoTheBlock revealed that 75.06% of Ether holders retained their assets for over a year by December 30, a significant rise from 59% in January. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s long-term holder percentage slipped from 70% to 62.31% within the same period, underscoring diverging investor sentiment.The rise in Ether’s appeal reflects growing optimism for its future, with factors such as increased staking opportunities and institutional adoption bolstering confidence. Spot Ether ETFs attracted $2.1 billion in December alone, doubling their inflows and highlighting mounting interest from both institutional and retail investors. Industry analysts also point to regulatory developments, including increased clarity from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), as critical in shaping Ethereum’s positive trajectory heading into 2025.In contrast, Bitcoin faced a challenging December marked by significant price volatility. BTC dropped from an all-time high of $106,000 to $93,000, a correction attributed to long-term holders cashing out amid market euphoria. Despite the setback, technical analyst Ger Van Lagen remains bullish, predicting BTC could surpass $200,000 in the near term.Ethereum’s dominance extended beyond holder sentiment. The top 104 Ethereum whale wallets now control 57% of the total Ether supply, an all-time high. Collectively, these wallets hold over 100,000 ETH each, accounting for $333 billion worth of Ether. However, this consolidation among large holders has come at the expense of mid-sized wallets, whose share dropped to a record low of 33.5%. Smaller wallets now account for just 9.19% of the total supply, a near four-year low.Ethereum’s resurgence as the leading blockchain for Tether (USDT) further cemented its position as a market leader. Reclaiming this status for the first time since August 2022, Ethereum surpassed Tron with a $60.3 billion supply of USDT in November. Tether, the largest stablecoin globally, currently holds a market capitalization of $132.3 billion.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.