Ether price prediction: ETH price could 'decouple'

Chainalysis, the crypto analytics company, released a report concerning ether price prediction, which says that Ether's price may decouple from other crypto assets after the Merge, with staking yields possibly driving significant institutional adoption.

According to a report released on the 7th of September by Chainalysis, the upcoming Ethereum upgrade will give institutional investors access to staking yields comparable to those of some securities, such as bonds and commodities, while also becoming much more environmentally friendly.

Since treasury bond yields offer much less in comparison, the report stated that ETH staking is expected to provide stakers with a 10-15% yield annually, making it an "appealing bond alternative for investors."

As per Chainalysis data, the number of institutional ETH stakers — those who have staked $1 million or more — has "been steadily increasing" from less than 200 in January 2021 to around 1,100 in August this year.

According to the firm, if this number grows faster following the Merge, it will support the hypothesis that institutional investors "do indeed see Ethereum staking as a good profitable strategy."

Staked ETH is currently locked up in a smart contract that cannot be withdrawn from until the Shanghai update happens around six to twelve months after the Merge.

As a result, the staked ETH market is currently illiquid, prompting some staking service providers to offer synthetic assets that represent the value of the staked Ether; however, "those synthetics don't always maintain a 1:1 peg," the firm claims.

The report states, "The Shanghai upgrade will allow users to withdraw staked Ether at any time, increasing liquidity for stakers and making staking a more appealing proposition overall."

According to the Ethereum Foundation, following the upgrade, the Ethereum blockchain's proof-of-stake transition will reduce energy consumption requirements by up to 99%.

Ether price prediction: ConsenSys report

ConsenSys, the company behind the MetaMask wallet and founded by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, released a similar report this week examining the "impact of the Merge on Institutions."

The report expresses similar sentiments about ETH staking rewards and environmental sustainability attracting institutions. Still, it also emphasises the importance of the PoS Ethereum chain "producing stronger security guarantees for institutional investors" and ETH's potential to become a deflationary asset.