Ethereum (ETH) Torrid Patch Is Extending into Q2 of 2025

Ethereum’s torrid patch is extending into Q2 of 2025, forcing industry players to wade into proffer advice

The torrid patch for Ethereum seems to be extending into Q2 of 2025 as industry players continue to proffer advice for the largest altcoin. Now, Bankless confounder David Hoffman says a change in network culture will have the biggest impact on the Ethereum price performance.

The cofounder of the popular crypto industry podcast and community is suggesting that the Ethereum Foundation (EF) and the broader community should focus their efforts on attracting users and builders to the network, highlighting the essence of true decentralization.

“If we want ETH to perform well, the EF and broader community need to start attracting users and builders, not pushing them away with a holier-than-thou culture,” said Hoffman in a recent X post.

The cryptocurrency executive continues by stating that mainstream Ethereum critics are sidestepping the real reason for ETH’s lackluster price performance in recent months. According to Hoffman, the leadership and culture of the network in alienating users and builders is to blame.

“The narrative that everyone is focusing on—'is the price going up or down?'—is a distraction from the real problem: we keep chasing away the people we need to build,” Hoffman added.

Hoffman further highlighted the public exorcism of ETH staking platform Lido Finance and criticism against degenerate traders, adding that the broad hostility against a class of users plays a big role in the Ethereum price decline.

“The hypersensitive reactions to Lido and ‘degenerate traders’ are symptoms of a deeper malaise. We’re trying to police behavior on a permissionless chain, which is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Hoffman.

The Bankless host concluded his post by stating that the actions of the EF and the community will determine the fate of the Ethereum ecosystem.

“If we want more user-generated content and applications, we need to create an environment where people feel welcome and supported, not judged and attacked.”

The comments from the industry executive come as Ethereum price hangs onto the $1,500 mark after sinking to lows of $1,415 over the last week.

The network’s native token has seen a 6% spike over the last day as momentum continues to build for a return to $2,000.

One side, backed by community members like Leo Glisic sees a potential upside for Ethereum, driven by a simple investment narrative.

“The play is infrastructure for the future global financial system,” said Glisic. “Ethereum will serve as the settlement and interoperability layer, which is a winner-take-all market.”

However, CryptoCurb is comparing Ethereum to Nokia’s downfall, noting that Solana will displace ETH like Apple to become the largest altcoin. Critics like CryptoCurb and Peter Schiff say the rally is unsustainable and an ETH decline below $1,000 is a possibility.