Ethereum is on the verge of becoming the new Bitcoin. Here are five reasons why it is the hottest new cryptocurrency

<p>There are several compelling reasons why Bitcoin (BTC) is attracting so much attention from cryptocurrency investors. For starters, it was the original cryptocurrency. Second, its value has soared to new heights, having increased by more than 300 percent over the last year.</p> <p>Finding the next Bitcoin has become a key objective for some cryptocurrency investors, and I recommend that they shift their focus to Ethereum (ETH). While there is no certainty that Ethereum will reach the same value as Bitcoin, there are several compelling reasons why this cryptocurrency and its underlying technology could be just as significant – if not more so – to the crypto world as Bitcoin.</p> <p>1. Its worth has increased dramatically in a short period of time.</p> <p>One feature that links Ethereum to Bitcoin is the cryptocurrency's meteoric growth in value. As of this presss, one Ether currency is worth almost $4,600, representing a roughly 900 percent gain in value over the last 12 months.</p> <p>While there is no way to predict if Ethereum will ever overtake Bitcoin in value, what is critical to remember is that the more investors value Ether, the more it develops into a well-established cryptocurrency in the mould of Bitcoin.</p> <p>And, with over 9,000 cryptocurrencies now available to investors, Ethereum's status as an established token has aided in its differentiation from the competition.</p> <p>2. The Ethereum blockchain is assisting in the creation of entirely new markets.</p> <p>At least in part, the value of an Ethereum currency has increased as the Ethereum blockchain has become the de facto standard for developing decentralised financial (DeFi) applications and systems.</p> <p>DeFi has the potential to transform the financial world by giving individuals greater power over borrowing, saving, and trading assets – all without the need for an intermediary such as a bank or financial institution.</p> <p>Developers have flocked to the Ethereum blockchain to create DeFi apps (dApps) for everything from inter