The head of research at a $600 million crypto investment firm,explains the bull and bear case for ethereum

• Katie Talati is the head of research at $600 million crypto investment firm, Arca.
• The exec breaks down potential barriers and catalysts for success in Ethereum’s network. 
• According to Talati, layer-2s can “turbocharge” the Ethereum blockchain’s growth.

Ahead of Ethereum’s Merge, investors and industry participants are looking for ways to both make sense of and capitalize on the network’s highly anticipated technical upgrade. 

Despite harsh macroeconomic conditions, ether – the native token of ethereum – experienced a mini rally on speculation around the Merge, jumping to a two-month high on August 11. The cryptocurrency has since toppled back down presumably on inflation woes, however, leaving investors cautious of risky bets. 

Billed as a way to cut the network’s energy usage by more than 99%, the Merge will transition the network from an energy-intensive Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS) model.