Deep Dive
1. Ecosystem Development (Bullish Impact)
Overview:
The ETC Grants DAO announced expanded funding for projects building on Ethereum Classic, backed by a $10M commitment from BITMAIN/ANTPOOL. Concurrently, Hong Kong’s new Web3 regulations position ETC’s Proof-of-Work model as compliant infrastructure for Asian markets.
What this means:
Fresh capital inflows and regulatory tailwinds could attract developers to ETC’s ecosystem. Unlike Ethereum’s PoS, ETC’s PoW avoids staking centralization risks – a narrative gaining traction amid ETH’s rising validator queue.
What to look out for:
Q4 2025 grant disbursements and Asia-focused partnership announcements.
2. Technical Rebound (Neutral Impact)
Overview:
ETC’s RSI14 rebounded from oversold levels (24.38 on 7/9 vs 35.25 now), while the price found support at the 200-day SMA ($18.70). However, MACD remains bearish (-0.21 histogram), and the 7-day SMA ($19.96) caps upside.
What this means:
The bounce lacks conviction – 24h volume fell 0.29% to $135M, and perpetuals funding rates remain neutral. Traders may be cautiously covering shorts rather than initiating new longs.
3. Olympia Upgrade Sentiment (Mixed Impact)
Overview:
ECIP-1111 (EIP-1559 fee burns) and ECIP-1113 (on-chain DAO) are slated for late 2026. While this introduces deflationary mechanics, the 12+ month timeline limits immediate impact.
What this means:
The upgrade addresses ETC’s two historical weaknesses – lack of protocol revenue and centralized development funding. However, with 80% of fees going to a treasury instead of being burned (like ETH), the deflationary effect will be milder than Ethereum’s.
Conclusion
ETC’s muted gains reflect cautious optimism about long-term ecosystem growth, countered by weak technicals and delayed upgrade benefits. While Hong Kong’s regulatory shift offers a strategic moat, ETC needs sustained developer traction to justify holding above $19.
Key watch: Can ETC close above the 23.6% Fibonacci level ($22.09) this week to signal a trend reversal?