Why Ethereum Still Holds Strong at Its 10-Year Anniversary
Last Updated on 20 August 2025
The blockchain Ethereum and its currency Ether are now ten years old. But why have they continued to remain popular despite increased competition?
Ethereum has been a work in progress that has evolved right before our eyes. This has led to setbacks and periods of stagnation. Yet it has always stayed true to its original intent and in doing so, is now worth $450 billion. It also has the largest number of developers and users compared to any other blockchain, suggesting Ethereum still has a lot to offer as it hits its ten-year anniversary.
Celebrating the Birth of Ethereum with a Free NFT
The cryptocurrency exchange Binance this week noted how altcoin season seems to be on its way. This has been highlighted with the major inflows into ETH ETF products, showing increasing confidence. Combined with possible ETF products for a range of other altcoins set to be announced, Ethereum may rise even higher as the head of the pack. This has seen its price creep ever closer to the $4,000 mark.
To celebrate the birth of Ethereum, a free NFT drop has been marked for July 31st. There were 100 events taking place around the globe and online to celebrate 10 years since the mainnet went live. These included talks with its key developers, such as its founder, Vitalik Buterin. It is hoped that developers will discuss and share their future aspirations for the blockchain.
The Origins of Ethereum
Allegedly, Buterin had the idea for the blockchain when playing World of Warcraft. An update saw him lose a valuable piece of his character’s equipment, and he exclaimed, “And on that day, I realized what horrors centralized services can bring.” He then began to consider how games could be decentralized. Diving into Bitcoin, he founded Bitcoin Magazine and explored the still-developing world of crypto and the blockchain.
The first whitepaper for Ethereum was published on November 27, 2013. The project found a home in Switzerland, and a host of co-founders joined Buterin. However, there were soon internal power struggles as a decision was made between whether it was for profit or not. If this had gone any other way, Ethereum may have quickly deviated from its decentralized ethos and may not be the blockchain we know today.
These existential questions about how it should be run would soon come back in the first real test of the chain. One decentralized venture raised $150 million in ETH, but had 3.6 million ETH of funds stolen by a hacker. Half the community wanted a hard fork that would return the funds, while others believed this would compromise its decentralized nature once more. It was executed and split into two chains, known as Ethereum and Ethereum Classic.
The blockchain continues to update, with recent upgrades such as Dencum and Pectra. This shows it remains alive, and as long as it does, so will its native currency. With more users and increased interest from traditional finance, the next ten years look just as healthy.
Ethereum’s Institutional Adoption
The birthday of Ethereum could not have come at a better time. Institutional adoption of ETH is at a record high, with many companies now turning to its acquisition ahead of Bitcoin. In Binance’s monthly report to investors, they noted that ETH had fallen compared to last month. Dropping by 1.4%, this was after a previous strong rebound. Despite this, the on-chain indicators point to a bullish trend due to staked ETH reaching record highs.
The largest corporate holders of ether still seem to be the ones in the cryptosphere. The largest is BitMine Immersion Technologies, who hold 625,000 ETH. While they currently own 0.52% of the circulating supply, they have announced their intentions to acquire up to 5% of it.
Second to this is Sharplink. This company is primarily an iGaming affiliate network, which drives traffic to global iGaming platforms in the US and beyond. However, it was the first NASDAQ-listed company to adopt a treasury strategy centred on Ethereum. It now holds 438,190 ETH as its primary treasury asset.
The third corporate holder is Bit Digital with 100,603 ETH. It began its treasury acquisition as late as July 7th in a $172 million public equity raise. It also converted its balance sheet from Bitcoin to Ether, a further signal that corporate America may be ushering in a new altcoin season.
Ethereum ETF Products
Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) gave the go-ahead for spot Bitcoin ETF products. This was followed by similar products for ether, pushing on its increasing institutional adoption. While Bitcoin ETFs proved immediately successful, Ethereum-based ones had a tougher time with skepticism on some parts.
At the time of writing, the SEC has just given the green light for in-kind creation and redemption.This will allow authorized businesses to exchange shares directly for the underlying crypto asset of the ETF, rather than for cash. This is seen as more efficient, as it means the ETF does not have to sell the product on the market when shares are redeemed.
Ethereum’s Next Decade of Innovation and Resilience
Ethereum’s ten-year milestone is not just a celebration of endurance, but also of evolution. From its experimental beginnings to becoming the foundation of decentralized finance, NFTs, and Web3 innovation, Ethereum has proven its ability to adapt while staying true to its decentralized ethos. Institutional adoption, the rise of ETH ETFs, and the unwavering commitment of its developer community all point to a blockchain that is far from slowing down. Challenges, whether technical, regulatory, or philosophical, have shaped Ethereum into a more resilient network.
As it enters its second decade, Ethereum stands not only as the most established smart contract platform, but also as a cornerstone for the future of digital finance and decentralized innovation. The next ten years may prove to be even more transformative than the first.