What could affect the price of ETC?

Ethereum Classic’s price is currently caught between promising protocol upgrades and some challenging market factors.

1. Olympia Upgrade (2026) – Introducing fee burns and decentralized governance could reduce supply.
2. Tether Exit – The removal of USDT stablecoin from Ethereum Classic’s network may reduce liquidity.
3. Proof-of-Work (PoW) Debate – Miners support network security, but adoption is slowing as Proof-of-Stake (PoS) gains ground.

In-Depth Look

1. Protocol Upgrades & DAO Governance (Mixed Effects)

What’s Happening:
The Olympia Upgrade, planned for late 2026, will bring changes similar to Ethereum’s EIP-1559, including burning a portion of transaction fees (80% of base fees will go to a treasury) and adding on-chain decentralized governance through a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). Earlier, in July 2025, an initial fee burn was introduced, which led to a 380% increase in trading volume and pushed prices to a six-month high of $24.55.

Why It Matters:
Burning fees reduces the total supply growth of Ethereum Classic, which currently grows by about 3.7% annually. This could make ETC more scarce and help fund projects within the ecosystem through the treasury. However, since these changes are still over a year away, their immediate impact is limited. Looking at Ethereum’s experience, the EIP-1559 upgrade helped fuel a 300% price rally, but because Ethereum Classic’s community and ecosystem are smaller, the effect might be less dramatic. For more details, see CoinMarketCap.

2. Tether’s Exit from Ethereum Classic (Negative Impact)

What’s Happening:
Tether (USDT), the most widely used stablecoin, plans to stop supporting its token on the Ethereum Classic blockchain by late 2025. This is part of a larger move affecting other blockchains like Algorand and Solana. Currently, USDT makes up about 40% of the stablecoin liquidity on Ethereum Classic.

Why It Matters:
Losing USDT could reduce liquidity and increase price swings, making it harder for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications to operate smoothly. For comparison, Tron’s strong USDT presence helped its total value locked (TVL) grow by 220% in 2024. Ethereum Classic risks losing similar momentum. As USDT moves to other blockchains like Ethereum or Binance Smart Chain (BSC), daily trading volume on ETC, which is around $206 million, might decline. More info at Bitget.

3. Proof-of-Work (PoW) Model: Pros and Cons

What’s Happening:
After Ethereum switched to Proof-of-Stake, Ethereum Classic remains a Proof-of-Work blockchain, attracting miners who secure the network. Since 2022, ETC’s mining power (hashrate) has increased by 150%. However, the network has faced security challenges, including three 51% attacks between 2020 and 2023. Exchanges like Coinbase require more confirmations for ETC (3,000 blocks) compared to Ethereum (14 blocks), reflecting caution.

Why It Matters:
Improved security and supportive regulations in places like Hong Kong could encourage more institutional miners to join ETC’s network (Crypt0_DeFi). However, ETC’s derivatives market is much smaller than Ethereum’s ($287 million vs. $9 billion daily), showing less speculative interest. Technical indicators suggest ETC is currently oversold (RSI-14 at 34), but momentum remains weak (MACD shows bearish signals).

Conclusion

Ethereum Classic’s outlook for 2025-2026 depends on successfully implementing the Olympia Upgrade to control supply, while managing the impact of Tether’s liquidity withdrawal and the ongoing debate around Proof-of-Work’s role. The $19.48 price level is a key support point—if it breaks, prices could fall to around $18.71. Keep an eye on the ETC/BTC trading pair; staying above 0.00045 BTC (currently 0.00051) would indicate relative strength amid a neutral market mood (Crypto Fear & Greed Index at 40/100).

Main Question: Can Ethereum Classic’s new DAO governance speed up development enough to offset the challenges caused by losing stablecoin liquidity?

What are people saying about ETC?

The Ethereum Classic (ETC) community is divided between excitement over upcoming protocol upgrades and concerns about recent price trends. Here’s what’s making headlines:

1. Olympia Upgrade buzz – Introducing on-chain DAO governance and fee burning
2. Conflicting price forecasts – Predictions of $55 vs. technical signs pointing to declines
3. "Code is Law" supporters – Celebrating ETC’s commitment to immutability, contrasting with Ethereum’s move to Proof of Stake

In-Depth Look

1. @EthClassicDAO: Olympia Upgrade Launch – Positive Outlook

“First-ever on-chain treasury + DAO native to a PoW Ethereum network”
– @EthClassicDAO (15.2K followers · 42K impressions · 2025-07-01 22:51 UTC)
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What this means: The Olympia Upgrade brings in EIP-1559 fee burning, where 80% of transaction fees go to a treasury fund, and introduces decentralized governance through a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). This aims to reduce the circulating supply of ETC and give holders more control over the network’s future.

2. @johnmorganFL: 2025 Price Predictions – Mixed Signals

“ETC Price Prediction 2025: $26–$55”
– @johnmorganFL (87K followers · 310K impressions · 2025-07-20 12:12 UTC)
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What this means: While some are optimistic about ETC reaching $26 to $55 by the end of 2025, the coin has recently dropped about 20% monthly, falling to $18.73 as of late September 2025. This decline challenges the more bullish price forecasts.

3. @Crypt0_DeFi: Support for Immutability – Positive Sentiment

“ETC refused to reverse the DAO hack – code is stronger than politics”
– @Crypt0_DeFi (23.4K followers · 68K impressions · 2025-09-09 07:00 UTC)
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What this means: Many ETC supporters see the coin as the “true” continuation of Ethereum’s original vision because it sticks to the principle that “code is law.” Unlike Ethereum, which switched to Proof of Stake (PoS), ETC maintains its Proof of Work (PoW) system, appealing to those who prioritize censorship resistance and immutability.

4. Technical Traders: Bearish Indicators

“ETC breaks $20.25 support – descending triangle targets $19.62”
– CoinMarketCap Community Post (2025-08-01 11:30 UTC)
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What this means: ETC’s price has fallen below a key support level of $20.25 and is showing a descending triangle pattern, which often signals further declines. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 56.29 on the daily chart, indicating neither oversold nor strong buying momentum. Traders are watching a potential drop to $19.62, a support level last tested in July 2025.

Summary

The outlook for Ethereum Classic (ETC) is mixed. On one hand, the Olympia Upgrade and its decentralized governance model offer promising long-term benefits. On the other, recent price drops and technical signals raise concerns, especially as some miners consider leaving the network. The upcoming Mordor testnet rollout in Q4 2025 will be an important milestone to watch for signs of developer activity and network health after the upgrade.

What is the latest news about ETC?

Ethereum Classic (ETC) is adapting to changes in its ecosystem and new regulations. Here are the key updates:

1. Tether Ends USDT Support (August 30, 2025) – ETC is one of five blockchains losing USDT stablecoin liquidity, which could cause short-term price swings.
2. Olympia Upgrade Proposed (July 1, 2025) – New features like decentralized governance and fee burning aim to support sustainable funding.
3. Expansion in Hong Kong (September 15, 2025) – ETC is tapping into Asia’s growing Web3 market with $10 million in grants to boost development.

In-Depth Look

1. Tether Ends USDT Support (August 30, 2025)

What’s Happening:
Tether, the company behind the USDT stablecoin, will stop supporting USDT on Ethereum Classic and four other blockchains by late 2025. This move simplifies Tether’s operations but may reduce the availability of USDT for trading and transactions on ETC.

Why It Matters:
USDT makes up about 53% of stablecoin liquidity on ETC, so its removal could lead to less trading activity and more price volatility in the short term. Projects that use ETC for decentralized finance (DeFi) or token swaps might face challenges. On the upside, this could encourage more use of ETC’s native features. (Bitget)

2. Olympia Upgrade Proposed (July 1, 2025)

What’s Happening:
The Olympia Upgrade is a planned update that will introduce a system similar to Ethereum’s EIP-1559, where a portion of transaction fees is burned (destroyed) to reduce supply. Specifically, 80% of base fees will go to a treasury controlled by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). Testing is in progress, with a mainnet launch expected by late 2026.

Why It Matters:
This upgrade aims to make ETC more valuable over time by reducing the total supply and creating a new way to fund development projects through the DAO. While this is positive for the long term, the delayed rollout means immediate price effects may be limited. (ECIP Drafts)

3. Expansion in Hong Kong (September 15, 2025)

What’s Happening:
ETC Grants DAO is taking advantage of Hong Kong’s new Web3-friendly regulations, including rules on stablecoins and staking. With support from major mining companies BITMAIN and ANTPOOL, a $10 million fund has been set up to attract developers and projects to ETC in Asia.

Why It Matters:
This move positions ETC as a leading proof-of-work smart contract platform in Asia, appealing to institutions and developers. The success of this initiative will depend on how many partnerships ETC can form with Asian exchanges and DeFi platforms in the coming months. (Crypt0_DeFi)

Conclusion

Ethereum Classic is facing short-term challenges from Tether’s USDT exit but is making strategic moves with the Olympia Upgrade and expansion into Hong Kong. Its commitment to proof-of-work and decentralized governance could help it stand out in Asia’s regulated Web3 environment. The key question is whether increased developer activity will make up for the loss of USDT liquidity by the end of 2025.

What is expected in the development of ETC?

Ethereum Classic’s development is driven by its community, with important upgrades currently being discussed.

1. Olympia Upgrade (End of 2026) – Adds decentralized governance and redirects fees to a treasury
2. Contract Versioning (No Set Date) – Allows older smart contracts to keep working while enabling new features
3. Layer 2 Scaling (Long-Term Goal) – Plans to use advanced scaling solutions like Optimistic and ZK-Rollups

In-Depth Look

1. Olympia Upgrade (End of 2026)

What it is:
The Olympia Upgrade is a major update that introduces new ways to fund and govern the Ethereum Classic network through four key proposals:

• ECIP-1111: Adopts a fee model where 80% of transaction fees go into a community treasury instead of being burned.
• ECIP-1113: Creates an on-chain Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that lets the community vote on how to use treasury funds.
  Testing on a test network is expected by late 2025, with full implementation on the main network targeted for late 2026.

Why it matters:
This upgrade supports Ethereum Classic’s long-term health by giving the community control over funding and reducing the pressure to sell tokens. It aligns incentives for people who hold ETC for the long haul. However, reaching agreement among the community could delay the timeline.

2. Contract Versioning (No Set Date)

What it is:
This proposed upgrade would let Ethereum Classic run different versions of its smart contract system (EVM) side by side. Older contracts would keep working on older versions, while new contracts could use updated features.

Why it matters:
This is generally positive because it allows developers to innovate without breaking existing applications. It could attract more projects to build on Ethereum Classic. On the downside, the technical challenges involved might slow down how quickly this upgrade is adopted.

3. Layer 2 Scaling (Long-Term Goal)

What it is:
Ethereum Classic plans to adopt Layer 2 scaling solutions like Optimistic and Zero-Knowledge (ZK) Rollups. These technologies help process transactions faster and cheaper by handling them off the main blockchain, while still keeping security intact.

Why it matters:
In the long run, Layer 2 solutions could make Ethereum Classic more useful for decentralized finance (DeFi) and digital collectibles (NFTs) by lowering fees. However, progress depends on interest from developers outside the core team and may trail behind Ethereum’s own Layer 2 ecosystem.

Conclusion

Ethereum Classic’s roadmap focuses on strengthening decentralized governance (Olympia), maintaining compatibility with existing smart contracts, and improving scalability through Layer 2 solutions. This approach balances its core principle of “Code is Law” with practical upgrades. While timelines may shift due to community consensus, these efforts could help Ethereum Classic maintain its position as a secure, proof-of-work smart contract platform.

How will Ethereum Classic’s strong commitment to decentralization affect its ability to keep up with faster-moving blockchain projects?

What updates are there in the ETC code base?

Ethereum Classic (ETC) is updating its software to focus on decentralized decision-making and long-term sustainability.

1. Olympia Upgrade Proposal (July 2025) – Introduces on-chain DAO governance and a new fee system that reduces supply.
2. EIP-1559 Implementation (Planned 2026) – Redirects some transaction fees to a decentralized treasury.

Deep Dive

1. Olympia Upgrade Proposal (July 2025)

Overview: This upgrade includes four Ethereum Classic Improvement Proposals (ECIPs) designed to decentralize funding and governance.

Key features:

• ECIP-1111: Activates EIP-1559, where 80% of base transaction fees are burned (removed from circulation) and 20% go to a protocol-owned treasury.
• ECIP-1113: Creates an on-chain Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), allowing $ETC holders to vote on proposals that affect the network.
• Testing started on the test network in July 2025, with plans to launch on the main network by late 2026.

What this means: This is positive for ETC because it aligns the interests of miners, holders, and developers while creating a sustainable funding model. The DAO reduces dependence on outside funding, promoting long-term decentralization.
(Source)

2. EIP-1559 Integration (Planned 2026)

Overview: Similar to Ethereum’s fee system, this update aims to make transaction fees more predictable and reduce the total supply of ETC by burning a portion of fees.

Key details:

• Transaction fees are split: 80% go to miners, and 20% go to the treasury. This differs from Ethereum, where all base fees are burned.
• Expected to lower ETC’s annual inflation rate by about 1.5% after implementation.

What this means: This update is neutral to positive for ETC. It improves fee stability and introduces some deflationary pressure, though less than Ethereum’s full burn model. It strengthens ETC’s position as a Proof-of-Work blockchain with built-in scarcity.
(Source)

Conclusion

Ethereum Classic’s upcoming updates focus on creating a self-sustaining governance system and economic stability, balancing its Proof-of-Work foundation with modern tokenomics. The key question remains: will the Olympia Upgrade’s DAO attract enough developer interest to compete with Ethereum’s ecosystem?

Why did the price of ETC fall?

Ethereum Classic (ETC) dropped 2.39% in the last 24 hours, underperforming the overall crypto market, which fell 1.63%. The main reasons include Tether ending USDT support on ETC, negative technical signals, and ongoing security concerns.

1. Tether’s USDT phaseout – A negative factor for ETC liquidity
2. Technical breakdown – Price falling below important support levels
3. Market-wide risk-off – Altcoins losing ground as Bitcoin gains dominance

Deep Dive

1. Tether’s Blockchain Withdrawal (Negative Impact)

Overview: Tether announced it will stop supporting USDT on the Ethereum Classic blockchain by late August 2025 (Bitget). This means a major stablecoin option for ETC traders and decentralized finance (DeFi) apps will disappear.

What this means:

• Less convenience for moving funds across different blockchains and for liquidity pools
• Increased selling pressure as developers and exchanges adjust their positions
• ETC’s 24-hour trading volume jumped 45% to $212 million, a sign of traders exiting positions

What to watch: Watch for USDT liquidity moving to other blockchains like Ethereum or Binance Smart Chain (BSC).

2. Technical Breakdown (Bearish Momentum)

Overview: ETC’s price fell below key levels: the pivot point at $18.93 and the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) at $18.71. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 34.14, close to oversold territory, indicating weakening momentum.

Key signals:

• A “death cross” is forming, where the 50-day exponential moving average (EMA) at $20.80 crosses below the 200-day EMA at $20.42, signaling potential further declines
• The MACD histogram is at -0.17075, confirming bearish momentum
• The next support level is at the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement ($19.48) from July’s low

Critical level: If ETC stays below $18.14 (the June low), it could trigger automatic sell orders, pushing prices lower.

3. Altcoin Weakness (Mixed Impact)

Overview: ETC’s drop fits a broader trend:

• Bitcoin dominance increased to 57.79%, up 0.64% in 24 hours
• The altcoin season index fell 7% over the past week to 66 out of 100
• The Fear & Greed Index stands at 40, indicating a neutral market mood

Divergence: ETC’s decline was sharper than its peers—Ethereum (ETH) fell 1.2%, while ETC dropped 2.4%—suggesting challenges specific to the project.

Conclusion

Ethereum Classic is facing three main challenges: losing a key stablecoin support, breaking important technical levels, and investors shifting funds into Bitcoin. While the RSI suggests the price might bounce back soon, the $18.14 support level will be crucial in deciding if this is just a temporary dip or the start of a longer downtrend.

Key watch: Can ETC stay above its 200-day SMA ($18.71) during Tuesday’s U.S. trading session? Falling below this level could confirm the bearish outlook.