Here's 1 Piece of Good News for Ethereum. But Is It a Buy?

Source The Motley Fool

After its price fell by 23% during the past three years, holders of Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) are understandably quite hungry for any signs that better times are ahead.

They're in luck. But is one piece of good news enough to make the coin worth buying again? Let's break down what just happened and what it could portend for its future.

Start Your Mornings Smarter! Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free »

It's going to be easier for certain institutional investors to hold Ethereum

For big financial players to use Ethereum, they need a lot more than the average retail investor to hold and trade it. On that note, on March 11 a subsidiary of the Deutsche Boerse, Germany's largest stock exchange, said that it would begin offering the ability to hold Ethereum as well as Bitcoin in its custody for its institutional clients. The exchange plans to offer additional cryptocurrency services, like holding stablecoins and tokenizing real world assets in the near future; its clients will be able to start using its Ethereum custody services in April.

This move signals that Ethereum, and cryptocurrencies more broadly, are finally getting a bit more traction in the E.U.'s financial industry, which has generally been more reluctant to engage with crypto than its U.S. counterpart. For holders, this is an undeniably positive development. Still, there is no guarantee that the investment banks and trading groups that use Deutsche Boerse will be buying large volumes of Ethereum to make use of the exchange's new capabilities. But, at a minimum, it's now going to be technically possible for them to do that if they want.

So, it's reasonable to expect that some of those clients will be buying at least a bit of the coin. Because the Boerse also will launch cryptocurrency transaction settlement at the same time, there may be a bit more Ethereum trading volume in the future. It's also very plausible that with more capital available to the blockchain, projects in the ecosystem will have a little easier time finding funding from institutional investors.

There's no salvation to find here

Nonetheless, this new development is not a reason to buy Ethereum, and it will probably not reverse or even slow the chain's tailspin.

Ethereum's market cap is $234 billion, and as of March 14, its 24-hour trading volume was close to $13 billion, down 29% from the prior 24-hour period. In January of this year, the German exchange reported a turnover of just over $140 billion across its cash-settled market transactions of stocks and other securities. Given that Ethereum is still a frontier asset, it is not likely that it will capture even 1% of the Deutsche Boerse's cash volume.

There's simply no way that conservative professional investors would start to pile into such a volatile asset even if they thought there could be some upside in store down the line. What's more, even if Ethereum did capture that share of the volume, it might not be enough to make for a meaningful difference in the average level of demand for the coin at any given point in time.

But the real reason Ethereum isn't a purchase now is that there is still not any major progress in making the chain more competitive with its arch rival, Solana. There aren't currently any disclosed plans to onboard Solana to the Deutsche Boerse, which is a small consolation for Ethereum holders, but that doesn't change the fact that Solana is a much faster and cheaper chain to use.

If other E.U.-based exchanges follow the Boerse's footsteps, or if Ethereum custody and trading is an unexpected smash hit in terms of its adoption among institutional investors in that region, it could be worth reevaluating whether to buy it. Until then, it's best to stay away.

Should you invest $1,000 in Ethereum right now?

Before you buy stock in Ethereum, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Ethereum wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $708,400!*

Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of March 14, 2025

Alex Carchidi has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Swiss exports crash 36% in the first month of Trump tariffsSwiss exports dropped by 36% in the first month after Trump imposed tariffs.
Author  Cryptopolitan
9 hours ago
Swiss exports dropped by 36% in the first month after Trump imposed tariffs.
placeholder
EUR/JPY appreciates above 163.00 with the Yen retreating across the boardThe Euro is trading higher for the second consecutive day, still fuelled by the delay of Trump’s deadline to avoid 50% tariffs in the US, while the Yen declines alongside super long-term Japanese yields.
Author  FXStreet
9 hours ago
The Euro is trading higher for the second consecutive day, still fuelled by the delay of Trump’s deadline to avoid 50% tariffs in the US, while the Yen declines alongside super long-term Japanese yields.
placeholder
Gold extends correction amidst trade optimism, stronger US DollarGold (XAU/USD) price extends correction, sliding below the $3,300 mark at the time of writing on Tuesday amid improving risk-on mood and a stronger US Dollar (USD). 
Author  FXStreet
10 hours ago
Gold (XAU/USD) price extends correction, sliding below the $3,300 mark at the time of writing on Tuesday amid improving risk-on mood and a stronger US Dollar (USD). 
placeholder
Bitcoin (BTC) To Continue Price Discovery Rally If It Holds These Levels – AnalystAs Bitcoin (BTC) attempts to turn the $110,000 resistance into support, some analysts believe its price discovery rally has just started, forecasting new highs for the flagship crypto.
Author  NewsBTC
10 hours ago
As Bitcoin (BTC) attempts to turn the $110,000 resistance into support, some analysts believe its price discovery rally has just started, forecasting new highs for the flagship crypto.
placeholder
Forex Today: US Dollar rebounds after long weekend, focus shifts to mid-tier US dataThe US Dollar (USD) benefits from the improving risk mood early Tuesday, while trading conditions normalize following a three-day weekend in the US.
Author  FXStreet
11 hours ago
The US Dollar (USD) benefits from the improving risk mood early Tuesday, while trading conditions normalize following a three-day weekend in the US.
goTop
quote