Is Ethereum A Hedge Against Inflation?

Cryptocurrencies are supposed to protect their owners from the debasement of fiat money. One of the basic principles of the bull thesis for Ethereum (CCC:ETH-USD), Bitcoin (CCC:BTC-USD), and other major cryptos is that this is the case.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency, as well as the most valuable in terms of market capitalization. It was established by Satoshi Nakamoto, a pseudonym for an unknown person or organization. Nobody has influence over the network, which is managed by a locked-in code. Bitcoin is an inflationary coin with a total supply that grows at a 50% slower rate every four years.

The total supply, on the other hand, is capped at 21 million coins, which will most likely be reached in 2140. Whatever occurs, once the total number of coins has been reached, no more will be created. Bitcoin is an excellent inflation hedge due to its consistent low inflation rate and big market capitalization.

Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum is a network that hosts decentralized applications and smart contracts. This network’s capability enables new and creative finance solutions to be developed and deployed on Ethereum’s blockchain.

This is now a proof of work (PoW) network, but since its conception, the platform has planned to switch to a proof of stake (PoS) network. Before switching to PoS, Ethereum will deploy EIP1559, a new transaction pricing scheme that will go live on August 4, 2021.

This system will make gas prices more predictable while also burning a base fee to keep the inflation rate in check. Ethereum, unlike bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies, has no supply limit. It does, however, feature a set inflation rate of 5 new coins for every block mined and an inflation maximum of 18 million new coins per year. Currently, transaction volume drives new coin supply.

However, with the planned PoS hard fork, Ethereum will no longer need to compensate its miners’ electricity costs with as many new coins in order to remain viable. As a result, the new issuance process is unlikely to produce nearly as many coins, and Ethereum may end up with a negative net issuance as a result of the EIP1559 burn.

Binance Coin (BNB)

Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, with a wide range of trading features. Binance’s BNB began as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum network before being moved to the Binance smart chain, which is a proof of stake authority (PoSA) network.

It has a maximum supply of 170,532,785 coins, of which more than 90% have already been distributed. Binance also burns BNB through buybacks utilizing operational profit and BNB reserves every quarter. This process will continue until 100,000,000 coins have been burned, which is projected to take another 6 to 8 years. Last year, BNB burned so many coins that the broader market experienced a 7.16 percent deflation.

EOS (EOS)

The development of a blockchain is difficult. Because it requires a lot of effort and computer science skills to set up, it’s difficult for projects that could profit from blockchain technology to actually employ it.

EOS is dedicated to making blockchain technology as easy and straightforward as possible. Its network is governed by a delegated proof-of-stake (dPoS) consensus method that employs delegates. There are 1.02 billion tokens in total issue, with 954 million now in circulation. EOS also burns coins if a proposition is approved by the community.

To combat inflation, they burnt around $132 million in EOS tokens in 2020, reducing their supply by 0.8 percent by the end of the year.

Does cryptocurrency provide inflation protection?

Cryptocurrency’s demise demonstrates that it is not an inflation hedge. Cryptocurrency may not be a good hedge against 7% inflation. Everything in finance is being upended by new technologies, from saving to trading to making payments.

Is crypto resistant to inflation?

Many cryptocurrency supporters consider it to be a digital equivalent of the US dollar, which it is in some ways.

Although not every coffee shop accepts Bitcoin or Ethereum, crypto is becoming more popular as a means of payment. Several well-known merchants (and well-known e-tailers) now take bitcoin, and the number of firms taking digital currencies is certain to increase.

When the value of a dollar erodes over time due to inflation, people often hunt for assets that can consistently outperform inflation. Some experts believe that crypto’s huge moves in a year like 2021 could serve that function. Many investors already do this with gold, commodities, and other types of investments. Rather than investing in traditional and alternative investments to grow and store wealth, an investor can buy cryptocurrencies in the hopes that its value will rise, making it less sensitive to currency swings.

Big fluctuations in crypto mean it lacks the steadiness needed to outpace inflation, as we’ve learned over the last several months. For example, Bitcoin’s value plummeted in 2021, just as consumer prices began to rise, and it plummeted again towards the end of 2021, which has continued into 2022.

This also indicates that Bitcoin is now untrustworthy as a daily money. When the value of a digital coin fluctuates by 10% in a couple of days, it’s difficult to envision it as a reliable tender for the average individual to use to make purchases. Because of its volatility, it is dangerous not only as a currency, but also as an investment asset class.

Is Ethereum or Bitcoin a better investment?

Since their inception, the value of Bitcoin and Ethereum has risen by massive amounts. But they’re still in the experimental stage, and with innovation comes problems, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Because blockchains are decentralized, there is no one to turn to if something goes wrong. Furthermore, transactions on a blockchain can be far more expensive than using a bank or a debit or credit card.

If you determine that investing in a blockchain is the way to go, the top two options should be considered. Which one is best for you is determined on your needs and objectives.

Bitcoin is the most widely used cryptocurrency and has the most business backing. Bitcoin appears to be a smart choice if you’re seeking for a cryptocurrency alternative to fiat currency.

Ethereum is more than a coin from a technical standpoint. The Ethereum network serves as a marketplace for users to buy and sell decentralized applications and items. Ethereum can be a fantastic alternative for you if you’re looking for something other than a cryptocurrency.

Which cryptocurrency should you buy for inflation?

“Ethereum has a substantially lower net issuance rate of tokens than Bitcoin as a result of a recent update in its transactions protocol, which was done by eliminating the fees connected with each transaction.” In many circumstances, the amount of Ethereum burned exceeds the network’s ability to create new tokens, potentially becoming Ethereum the world’s first deflationary currency.”

What makes Ethereum the best cryptocurrency?

The debate between Bitcoin and Ethereum is gaining traction these days. Bitcoin has grown in popularity and recognition throughout the world. It also has the greatest market capitalization of any cryptocurrency currently available. It is, in some ways, the current world champion of cryptocurrencies. Ethereum, on the other hand, is on the other end of the spectrum. Although Ethereum did not have the same revolutionary impact as Bitcoin, its creator learned from Bitcoin and created more functionalities based on Bitcoin’s concepts. It is currently the second most valued cryptocurrency on the market.

History

Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to be formed; as previously stated, Satoshi Nakamoto introduced it in 2009. It’s unclear whether this is an individual or a group of people, or whether they are alive or dead. As previously stated, Vitalik Buterin, a researcher and programmer, released Ethereum in 2015. He upgraded the platform by incorporating blockchain and Bitcoin concepts and adding a lot more features. The Ethereum platform for distributed apps and smart contracts was built by Buterin.

Concepts

Peer-to-peer transactions are possible using Bitcoin. It functions as a replacement for fiat currencies, but without the drawbacks that come with them. You don’t have to pay hefty transaction fees, and you don’t have to deal with a centralized authority that oversees how bitcoins operate.

Ethereum not only allows for peer-to-peer transactions, but it also serves as a framework for developing smart contracts and distributed applications. Users can exchange just about anything of value with a smart contract, including shares, money, real estate, and so on.

Mining

Miners can use the proof of work method to validate transactions in Bitcoin. The same is true for Ethereum. With proof of work, miners all over the world compete to be the first to add a block to the blockchain by solving a difficult mathematical puzzle. Ethereum, on the other hand, is pursuing proof of stake as a method of transaction confirmation. A person can mine or validate transactions in a block based on how many coins he owns with proof of stake. The more a person’s mining power, the more coins he owns.

When a miner contributes a block to the network in Bitcoin, he is paid with 6.25 bitcoins, a rate that was fixed in November 2021. When a block is added to the blockchain in Etherium, a miner, or validator, earns 3 ether as a reward, which will never be halved.

Fees

Bitcoin transaction costs are completely optional. You can pay the miner more money to have him pay extra attention to your transaction; however, if you don’t pay a charge, the transaction will still go through. On the other side, in order for your Ethereum transaction to be successful, you must provide some ether. Your ether will be turned into a unit known as gas. This gas fuels the processing required to add your transaction on the blockchain.

Hashing Algorithms

These systems can keep their privacy and security by using hashing methods. SHA-256 is the hashing algorithm used by Bitcoin. Ethash is a cryptographic algorithm used by Ethereum.

Why is Bitcoin immune to inflation?

The fundamental method Bitcoin is meant to prevent inflation is that its supply is limited and known, and fresh bitcoin generation will taper off in a predictable manner over time. (There will only ever be 21 million bitcoins, and the number mined is decreased by half every four years.)