Assets, Ethereum

Is Ethereum Scarce?

When it comes to Ethereum, the debate over scarcity is an important one. Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of fraud or third party interference.

These apps run on a custom built blockchain, an enormously powerful shared global infrastructure that can move value around and represent the ownership of property. This enables developers to create markets, store registries of debts or promises, move funds in accordance with instructions given long in the past (like a will or a futures contract) and many other things that have not been invented yet, all without a middleman or counterparty risk.

The Ethereum network itself is relentless and unstoppable. It is constantly running and there is no centralized entity that can shut it down. However, the supply of Ether, Ethereum’s native currency, is not infinite.

It is capped at 18 million ETH per year and will eventually be exhausted completely. So while the network may be unstoppable, its currency is not.

This raises the question: is Ethereum scarce? And if so, what does that mean for its future price?

NOTE: Warning: Ethereum is not a scarce asset. While its total supply is limited, it can be subdivided into smaller units and added to the circulation at any time. Additionally, Ethereum does not have a fixed rate of inflation like some other digital assets, so its value can fluctuate widely. As with any investment, do your own research before making any decisions.

There are two schools of thought on this issue. The first believes that because Ethereum is not scarce right now, it will never be scarce.

The logic goes that because there is no limit to how many ETH can be created, eventually there will be so much ETH in circulation that it will become worthless. This camp believes that Ethereum’s price will eventually approach zero.

The second school of thought believes that while Ethereum is not currently scarce, it will become scarce in the future as the total supply approaches its limit of 18 million ETH. This camp believes that as demand for Ethereum grows and the supply dwindles, the price will go up.

They believe that Ethereum could even become more valuable than Bitcoin because it has more utility than just being a store of value.

So which camp is right? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: the debate over scarcity is an important one for Ethereum’s future price.

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