What’s that screeching sound?Does this make you nostalgic?Source: Digital TrendsHearing the screeching sound of the old dial-up struggling to connect to the internet.Remember those days? Fighting with siblings for a turn on the one family computer.Slow websites. Frozen pages. Dropped connections. The early days of the internet were rough.But if you had the foresight to invest in AOL during those days, you could’ve made good money. AOL went from a few bucks a share in 1997 to nearly $100/share (split-adjusted) by 2000, before merging with Time Warner and dropping during the dot-com bubble.Source: Seeking AlphaOf course, that’s not the only example.Investors who backed new types of companies like Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG), and Cisco Systems (CSCO) when the web was in its infancy made life-changing money.The lesson: It paid to make smart bets on the internet when it was still messy.Crypto is a lot like the early days of the internet.Not user friendly. Messy. Takes effort to navigate.According to Chief Analyst Stephen McBride, that’s our opportunity.“All groundbreaking new technologies suck at the beginning.”Crypto’s come a long way in the last few years.There are now 562 million crypto holders worldwide — a number that grew 33% in 2024.But there’s still a long way to go. Stephen:Today, the crypto user experience sucks.There’s no way a billion people will use crypto in its current form. And that’s our opportunity.Just like the internet, crypto will become much easier to use. This is going to attract hundreds of millions of new users, fueling years of rapid growth for crypto businesses.By investing now, you can set yourself up to profit from this growth. The vast majority of investors won’t put the effort in. That’s why they’ll only ever read about the big money crypto investors can make.The frustrating user experience means we’re still very early to crypto.And keep in mind… crypto is still tiny.Relative to real estate, the S&P 500, and gold… crypto is barely a blip:In fact, Microsoft (MSFT) — one company — is larger than the entire crypto market. So is Nvidia (NVDA). And Apple (AAPL) isn’t far behind.So crypto is new(ish), small, and rapidly improving.That makes it a great source of potentially asymmetric returns.In investing, “asymmetric” means the potential upside of an investment is much greater than the potential downside.Symmetric investing is when an investor risks $500 for a chance to make $500. Or $10,000 for a chance to make $10,000.Asymmetric investing is risking $500 for the chance to make $10,000.Of course, booking 1,000%+ gains is easier said than done, and it requires taking greater risk.That’s why asymmetric investments should be no more than a small part of your overall portfolio. Stephen recommends putting only 1%–2% into crypto, max.Is bitcoin (BTC) still an asymmetric opportunity?Depends on the time frame.Bitcoin trades for about $109,000 right now. Stephen expects it to hit at least $200,000 in the next 12 months. That’s about double. Symmetric.Given time, could bitcoin reach $1 million? If its adoption curve continues, absolutely. But it’s highly unlikely to shoot up 10X or more quickly, as small cryptos often do.Stephen says the #1 asymmetric opportunity today is in the smaller, lesser-known cryptos.He wrote about 3 such cryptos in this report.The crypto market is still so small and so new, there’s room for exponential growth.— RiskHedge ResearchWhat the Dot-com era can tell us about crypto today was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Ethereum approaches a key breakout point near $3,100 as market momentum builds in 2025.Ethereum (ETH) is once again in the spotlight as its price edges closer to the $3,100 mark — a level that traders and analysts have been eyeing closely. After a relatively quiet period, ETH is showing signs of strength, and many are wondering whether a larger move is just around the corner.The recent momentum isn’t just speculative noise. As detailed in this CoinCodeCap analysis, Ethereum’s price structure has shifted in a way that suggests something more sustainable. The $3,100 resistance has become a key focus, and if it’s convincingly broken, it could open the door to higher targets in the $3,300 to $3,500 range.Why the $3,100 Level MattersThis isn’t the first time Ethereum has approached this zone. The $3,100 level has often served as an important resistance and support point. If ETH breaks through it now, especially with strong volume, it will probably draw more buyers and boost confidence in its medium-term outlook.Technically speaking, ETH has been climbing with higher lows, reclaiming important moving averages, and showing relatively strong volume. That’s a solid foundation to build on, but as always, confirmation is key.The Bigger Picture: Fundamentals Are Still StrongIn this regard, Ethereum is developing technically. The network continues to be a forerunner in DeFi, NFTs, and smart contracts- all areas still rapidly evolving.
Layer 2 solutions such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base are also scaling Ethereum, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing costs. These improvements will matter more in the coming days with the increased entry of users and developers into the ecosystem.On top of that, ETH’s transition to Proof-of-Stake has started to impact supply dynamics. With more tokens locked in staking, the circulating supply is reduced — which can support price growth over time, especially during periods of rising demand.Institutions Are Taking NoticeWhereas Ethereum has remained strong in building developer support, 2025 seems promising for more interest to be held by establishments. After ETF approval for Bitcoins earlier this year, the expectations are rapidly rising about the day a spot ETH ETF shall be approved.There are increasing considerations of Ethereum in long-term investment plans. From hedge funds to fintech platforms, ETH is considered more and more with the core infrastructure of the future of Web3.Macro Factors Still in PlayBroader market conditions always matter, and they will keep shaping sentiment. Big-picture issues like the world economy, new rules, and interest-rate moves still move people, investors, and prices. Historically, Ethereum gains when Bitcoin runs; with BTC holding important support levels in 2025, ETH may ride that wave upward.Still, many traders are watching closely to see whether ETH can flip $3,100 into support before getting too excited.Outlook: Cautious OptimismEthereum is gaining real momentum. Its technical setup is getting better, institutional interest is increasing, and on-chain fundamentals remain strong. These conditions create a chance for ETH to make a significant move.Whether it breaks out immediately or takes more time to consolidate, many believe Ethereum is gearing up for the next leg of its long-term growth. As also noted in this Ethereum price analysis, this isn’t just about price action. It’s about Ethereum’s evolving role in a broader crypto cycle that’s still unfolding.You can read the full analysis on CoinCodeCap: https://coincodecap.com/eth-next-target-revealed-as-ethereum-leaps-for-3100Ethereum Price Outlook 2025: Is ETH Ready to Break the $3,100 Barrier? was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.