Ethereum (ETH 4.24%) is falling on Friday, down 5% in the last 24 hours as of 5:36 p.m. ET. The slide comes as the S&P 500 gained 0.9% and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.8%.
The cryptocurrency is falling once again as part of a weeks-long decline for the crypto market as a whole. Despite growing hope that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates further, investors remain cautious about riskier assets, like crypto.
CRYPTO: ETH
Key Data Points
More rate cutting could be in store
An influential member of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) -- the body responsible for setting the federal funds interest rate -- indicated the Fed will opt for another rate cut in December, but it wasn't enough to reverse Ethereum's steady decline.
Cryptocurrency prices are extremely sensitive to general sentiment, and growing fears of an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble have prompted investors to rotate out of crypto and into more stable assets. This has had a cascading effect as falling prices unwind leveraged positions, driving prices down even further.
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Ethereum could continue to slide
Ethereum is certainly one of the better choices for cryptocurrencies, but its relative stability within the crypto market shouldn't be taken to mean it is low-risk; it is still a cryptocurrency. Still, for investors with high risk tolerance, Ethereum is a solid addition to a well-diversified portfolio.
