2021 has proven to be a fortuitous year for the world’s second-biggest cryptocurrency Ether (ETHThe value of the ) has increased fourfold in 12 months.

This has allowed Ether to surpass the appreciation for the preeminent, and have also seen an increase in the capitalization of the entire cryptocurrency market. While the wider cryptocurrency markets have enjoyed a year of relative gains, ETH’s increase in value has been in tandem with upgrades to Ethereum’s core protocol, laying down the final pillars for its transition to a proof-of-stake consensus protocol in 2022.