Ethereum’s the HBIC of smart contracts, runnin’ DeFi, NFTs, and Layer 2s like it’s no biggie. With a $580B market cap (CoinMarketCap), it’s givin’ Bitcoin ($92k) a run for its money. The 2024 Pectra upgrade slashed fees and made staking chef’s kiss, per CoinDesk, pullin’ in coders and HODLers like free Wi-Fi at a café. But the market’s got drama—$257M in ETH derivatives got clapped in Q1 (Coinglass), tankin’ ETH from $5,200 to $4,200. X’s @sassal0x is hypin’ a $15k ETH for Ethereum Prediction 2025, but can it outrun the market’s chaos?