Ethereum Inflation Hits 2-Year High, Challenging Deflationary Status

Binance’s latest research established that Ethereum has increased its inflation level to 0.74%.

This puts pressure on it to pursue a deflationary characteristic. But why is Ethereum inflation occurring? Let’s break it down.

Layer-2 Solutions and Lower ETH Burns

Layer-1 has always been able to offer higher-than-average throughput within the Ethereum network. There is a change in the Ethereum network known as EIP 1559, suggesting that the transaction fees disposed of a minor component. This burning mechanism assisted ETH in switching to deflationary. With this, the network burns more ETH and doesn’t create more ETH.

However, the situation has changed recently. Layer-2 solutions such as Arbitrum and Optimism have come into play. They enable people to transact on sidechains (layer-2), reducing transaction costs on Ethereum.

While this is good for users, it drives more volumes outside Ethereum’s leading network, meaning they burn less Ether. The Dencun upgrade has helped spur change toward layer-2 solutions. However, reduced transaction activity on the mainnet and a slower ETH burn rate is causing inflation.

The Inflation Problem

Ethereum’s inflation rate is now 0.74%. The Ethereum network generates more ETH than it burns, resulting in a growing total supply. According to a report by Binance, this is the highest increase in the asset’s cost in the last two years.

This raises a fundamental question: What has happened to Ethereum’s deflationary status? The “ultrasound money” story—where we see Ethereum as a deflationary asset—is sideswiped. There is inflation on Ethereum’s issuance now, more than burns.

However, this research explains that inflation at a rate below 1% is not a vice. There is always interaction in a given network; hence, inflation occurs during specific periods when the activity level is a bit low. Nevertheless, the same scenario can happen in Ethereum, and the asset will return to a deflationary paradigm during periods of high activity. In periods of high activity, they burn more ETH and do not increase ETH creation.

Vitalik Buterin’s Push for Solo Staking

Now that everybody is focusing on Ethereum’s inflation, another ongoing debate exists in the Ethereum community. The founder, Vitalik Buterin, recently spoke about reducing the least Ether necessary for solo staking.

Today, to be a solo staker, one has to stake 32 ETH, which poses a challenge to most community users. Buterin proposed decreasing this to roughly 16 to 25 ETH to encourage more participation. With this, you could run your node without the help of third parties or staking providers.

Conclusion

One thing that is increasing is Ethereum Inflation. Layer-2 protocols have reduced the ETH burns, and this is the concept that is evidence of the network’s progress. Ethereum is still developing, and deflation results might occur with increased activity. On the other hand, Buterin’s ongoing efforts to encourage solo stakers’ growth might enhance the network even further.

Disclaimer

The information discussed by Altcoin Buzz is not financial advice. This is for educational, entertainment, and informational purposes only. Any information or strategies are thoughts and opinions relevant to the accepted levels of risk tolerance of the writer/reviewers and their risk tolerance may be different than yours. We are not responsible for any losses that you may incur as a result of any investments directly or indirectly related to the information provided. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments so please do your due diligence. Copyright Altcoin Buzz Pte Ltd.

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