Ethereum Finally Shows Signs of Life as Retail Sentiment Improves

After nearly a year of underperformance, Ethereum (ETH) appears to be regaining interest among retail traders.

output: Annotations:

Investors are becoming cautiously bullish on Ethereum again as retail sentiment shows signs of improvement, according to a new report by Santiment.

The shift in sentiment comes after nearly a year of underperformance for Ether, which has seen its market relevance shrink, especially in social conversations, as Bitcoin, Solana, XRP, and Binance Coin captured more attention.

Since March 2024, ETH has struggled to keep pace with other top-cap assets, as shown in comparative performance charts, where ETH (in red) lags behind:

During the 2022-2023 cycle, Ethereum had about 10% of all top 100 asset discussions. But in 2025, that number has declined to around 6-7%, showing a big change in market focus.

But now, the tide might be turning. After reaching a low earlier this month, bullish social media commentary on Ether has begun to outweigh bearish takes, signaling a cautious return of investor confidence, as shown by Santiment's analysis.

This comes as Vitalik Buterin has also become more active in engaging with the crypto community, speaking out on pressing issues like the role of large language models in society. Such involvement from a key figure like Buterik can significantly influence market sentiment.

As the crypto market navigates new trends and challenges, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining the sustainability of this bullish shift in retail sentiment towards Ethereum.