Crypto Trends in September 2022

The Ethereum Merge

Ready for launch on Thursday 15 September 2022, the Ethereum merge is undoubtedly the biggest trend of this month. Having successfully completed the first stage of the merge last week, Ethereum is now ready to take the final step to its proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain!

Let's hope everything goes smoothly and the wider crypto market gets a boost from this once-in-a-lifetime event!

DeFi Staking and Yield Farming

The decentralized finance (DeFi) space is seeing more and more value being locked into its ecosystem. Total-value-locked (TVL) describes the total amount of crypto that users have staked on DeFi platforms to earn interest or 'yield farm'.

With Ethereum introducing staking rewards in conjunction with the merge, we're likely to see the TVL of DeFi keep getting bigger and bigger!

Broader use of NFTs

The days of expensive JPEGs are coming to end as more and more industries around the world are finding use cases for NFTs. Most recently, the real estate sector has begun adopting NFT technology as a means to secure property rights on the blockchain.

The transparent and immutable nature of NFTs make them the perfect model on which to build an easily accessible and tamper-resistant database of ownership.

The unstoppable regulation train

Regulation might not be the most popular topic in crypto but it's an undeniable truth that must be faced if global adoption is the goal. The UK has recently announced plans to develop stronger crypto regulations in wake of the Terra (LUNA) debacle, while the US continues its 'security vs commodity' debate.

While some regulations may seem stifling, they make the crypto space safer for all and are a necessary evil if crypto users hope to interact with traditional businesses.

Wild bear market predictions

Every time crypto slips into a bear market it seems to bring about a swathe of wild predictions about what's coming next. Several analysts are forecasting a bottom of $11,800 for Bitcoin in line with previous bear market cycles, while others say the bottom is already in and BTC will soon be back above $30k.

In reality, nobody truly knows where the crypto market is heading but with the Ethereum merge on the horizon, it could be a bumpy ride!