Should You Buy Ethereum Classic in 2025?

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At HelloSafe, our expert has been monitoring the progress of the cryptocurrency Ethereum Classic for over three years. Every month, hundreds of thousands of users across Australia trust us to analyse market trends and pinpoint the best investment opportunities. Our analyses are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. In line with our ethical charter, HelloSafe has never purchased Ethereum Classic nor received any compensation from entities associated with its ecosystem.

Ethereum Classic in brief

How much does 1 Ethereum Classic cost?

The price of Ethereum Classic is up this week. Currently, ETC is trading at approximately A$26.05, showing a 2.47% rise over the past 24 hours and a 3% gain over the past week. The market capitalisation stands at about A$3.97 billion, with an average daily trading volume of A$103.5 million over the last three months, ranking it 27th among all cryptocurrencies. There are 152.2 million ETC tokens in circulation, representing a market dominance of roughly 0.22%.

Investors should keep in mind that while recent upgrades and consistent trading activity support ETC, its price remains subject to the volatility common to the crypto market.

Our complete review of the cryptocurrency Ethereum Classic

Have the latest trends surrounding Ethereum Classic—and its compelling three-year evolution—sparked a strategic rethink? Leveraging proprietary algorithms, we’ve cross-analysed on-chain activity, technical price action, market flows, and competitive signals to deliver a data-driven perspective on Ethereum Classic. So, why could Ethereum Classic once again emerge in 2025 as a high-conviction entry point in the decentralised smart contract ecosystem?

Recent Performance & Market Context

Price Evolution

Ethereum Classic (ETC) currently trades at 17.21 USD, up 2.47% in the last 24 hours, and has recorded a +3% gain over the previous week (from 16.67 USD). Despite moderate price action over the past six months, ETC notched a robust 23.84% rebound in May 2025, notably outperforming many peers with sharp upside volatility. Over the past year, ETC delivered a 10% year-to-date gain, firmly re-establishing itself within the top 30 crypto assets by market cap (now at 2.62B USD).

Recent Positive Events

The May 2025 Olympia upgrade marked a pivotal milestone, introducing a burn mechanism for transaction fees, DAO-enabled community governance, and reinforced deflationary pressure—all scalable upgrades that renewed market interest. Additionally, following Ethereum’s full migration to Proof-of-Stake, a significant cohort of miners redirected hashpower to Ethereum Classic, boosting the security and decentralisation of the network.

Supportive Macro and Sector Environment

Global crypto markets remain optimistically positioned thanks to soft-landing macro signals, accommodative liquidity, and rising institutional flows. Australia has continued to clarify its policy stance on digital assets, creating a more robust environment in which blockchain and DeFi endeavours can thrive. ETC’s distinct positioning as “the original Ethereum” resonates strongly in the current phase, where decentralisation, censorship-resistance, and on-chain governance are valued more than ever.

Technical Analysis

Key Crypto Indicators

• RSI (Relative Strength Index): At 42.44, ETC’s RSI position is currently neutral—neither deeply oversold nor overbought—leaving headroom for upside expansion, especially in the event of persistent buying pressure.
• MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence): The MACD remains in a corrective phase, displaying a sell signal over the last three months; however, this also sets a foundation for a short-term reversal as market momentum builds above new support levels.
• Moving Averages: The ETC price is trading marginally below its key short- and medium-term moving averages, corroborating a phase of consolidation. Historically, such patterns tend to precede pronounced breakout moves once resistance levels are challenged.

Support, Resistance, and Bullish Reversal Signals

• Primary Support: 16.86 USD
• Immediate Resistance: 19.32 USD; Major resistance: 24 USD
• Short-Term Technical Target: 19.24 USD (by mid-June 2025)
• Recent price action features numerous tests of the 17 USD support zone, demonstrating resilience and accumulation by long-term holders.
• The substantial rally and 24% monthly gain in May indicate shifting momentum—a classic “higher low” reversal structure commonly witnessed before multi-month bull runs.

Favourable Momentum Structure

• Bullish divergence on lower timeframes suggests the groundwork for trend reversal has been laid.
• Rising volumes and increasing open interest on derivative platforms point to market participants positioning for near-term appreciation.

Fundamental Analysis

Growing Adoption and Strategic Partnerships

ETC’s infrastructure upgrades—especially the Olympia upgrade—have reinvigorated developer engagement and opened the door to an expanding DeFi ecosystem. Yield farming, liquidity provisioning, and protocol integrations have begun to accelerate, attracting platform-native capital and new user cohorts. The introduction of DAO-based governance is catalysing a more robust, decentralised decision-making process, fostering long-term ecosystem alignment.

Attractive Relative Valuation

• Market Cap: 2.62B USD
• Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV): Capped with just 210.7M ETC maximum supply (over 72% in circulation), a rarity in the inflation-prone crypto arena.
• ETC trades at a fraction of Ethereum’s market valuation while leveraging a similar, battle-hardened smart contract infrastructure—offering significant mean-reversion potential should value flows return to “OG” Proof-of-Work blockchains.

Durable Structural Advantages

• Technological Differentiation: ETC has steadfastly preserved the original, immutable Ethereum codebase, prioritising censorship resistance and decentralisation over protocol-level experimentation. Its compatibility with key Solidity-based dApps has eased migration and onboarding for developers.
• Security: With a hashrate of 30+ Th/s following the post-Merge influx of miners, ETC’s network security rivals that of several top-tier blockchains—essential for institutional confidence and DeFi adoption.
• Community: A highly engaged, globally distributed user base ensures ETC governance and development remain dynamic and resilient.

Volume, Liquidity & Market Positioning

• The 24-hour spot exchange volume of 68.3M USD underlines strong market traction and increases reliability for large positions.
• ETC’s consistent ranking within the top market capitalisations signals robust investor confidence and ensures deep liquidity across major Australian and global exchanges.

Catalysts & Positive Outlook

• Protocol Upgrades: Further enhancements focusing on scalability and miner incentives are scheduled, with anticipated rollouts in 2025 and 2026.
• Ecosystem Expansion: Continued DeFi/NFT project launches and integrations will likely drive TVL growth and cross-chain interoperability.
• Favourable Regulatory Shifts: Regulatory guidance in Australia and other G20 jurisdictions is increasingly supportive of decentralised digital assets—positioning ETC to benefit from new institutional flows.
• Emerging Use Cases: Uptake in traditional finance, supply chain, and even real-world asset tokenisation continues to accumulate, reinforcing utility-based demand for ETC tokens.

Investment Strategies: Positioning in the Current Cycle

Short-Term (1-3 Months)

• Opportunity: ETC appears oversold relative to fundamentals; tactical entries near support (16.86–17.21 USD) offer attractive risk/reward.
• Catalysts: Anticipation of further protocol enhancements and short covering following the May rally.
• Potential Scenarios: Rally toward 19.32 USD, with bullish extension on strong volume.

Medium-Term (3-12 Months)

• Positioning: A technical breakout above 19.32 USD could confirm a new bullish trend; accumulating in consolidation phases or on corrective pullbacks appears prudent.
• Target Levels: Watching for a move toward the significant 24 USD resistance—potentially a pivotal moment for new market momentum.

Long-Term (1-5 Years)

• Growth Thesis: ETC’s capped supply, solid security profile, growing DeFi integration, and distinct adherence to PoW ideology position it as a strong contender in the next wave of digital asset adoption.
• Ideal Entry: Layering into positions around major network upgrade events or on pronounced technical corrections can maximise upside capture, especially as institutional participation intensifies.

Ethereum Classic Five-Year Price Predictions

Is Now the Right Moment to Buy Ethereum Classic?

Reviewing all technical and fundamental variables, Ethereum Classic stands out with a confluence of positive momentum, robust upgrades, and distinctive value propositions:

• Recent protocol milestones—especially the Olympia upgrade—herald a new era of deflationary economics and community-driven progression for ETC.
• Volume and liquidity metrics reflect institutional-grade market confidence.
• ETC’s capped supply, proven smart contract base, and rising DeFi/NFT engagement all point to strong upside optionality in coming cycles.
• Major support zones have been firmly defended, while multi-year technical structures now favour a bullish reversal.
• Forthcoming network improvements and increasing on-chain activity provide multiple catalysts for capital rotation and price appreciation.

Given these dynamics, the fundamentals underpinning Ethereum Classic seem to justify a renewed focus from investors aiming to capture the next major blockchain cycle. Ethereum Classic could well be on the cusp of a new bullish phase, offering a compelling blend of longevity, innovation, and capital appreciation potential for those positioning ahead of the curve.

How to buy Ethereum Classic?

Buying Ethereum Classic (ETC) online is both simple and secure for Australian investors, as long as you use a regulated platform. There are two main ways to gain exposure to ETC: purchasing the coin directly (spot buying) or trading its price movement with crypto CFDs (Contracts for Difference). Each method has its own features around ownership, risk, and fees. Both can be accessed easily via well-known Australian platforms. To help you decide which suits your needs, you’ll find a clear comparison of leading platforms further down this page.

Spot Buying: Direct Ownership of Ethereum Classic

Spot buying means you purchase real Ethereum Classic tokens and hold them in your wallet—you fully own your coins. This is the most straightforward method, ideal for those who want direct exposure and control. Usual fees include a fixed commission (often 0.5%–1.5% per transaction) and sometimes a flat AUD fee.

Example

Suppose ETC is trading at $26 AUD per coin. With a $1,000 AUD investment, and a typical $5 AUD transaction fee:

• $1,000 AUD minus $5 AUD fee = $995 AUD to invest
• $995 AUD / $26 AUD per ETC ≈ 38.26 ETC coins

Potential Gain Scenario

If ETC rises 10%, your coins are now worth $1,100 AUD.
Result: +$100 AUD gross gain, or +10% on your capital.

Trading with Crypto CFDs

With CFDs, you do not own real Ethereum Classic—rather, you speculate on its price movement. CFDs offer tools like leverage, which increases both potential rewards and risk. Fee structures include the bid-ask spread, plus a daily “overnight” fee if you leave your position open beyond one day.

Example

You put $1,000 AUD into an ETC CFD with 5x leverage:

• Exposure: 5 × $1,000 AUD = $5,000 AUD on the market

Potential Gain Scenario

If ETC rises 8%, your position gains 8% × 5 = 40%.
Result: +$400 AUD gross gain on your initial $1,000 AUD (excluding fees).

Important Reminder Before Investing

Carefully compare account fees, trading conditions, and platform security before committing funds. The optimal method depends on your investment goals and experience: direct spot buying suits long-term holders, while CFDs may appeal to active traders comfortable with risk and leverage. You’ll find a trusted platform comparison tool below to guide your choice.

Our 7 tips for buying Ethereum Classic

The latest news on Ethereum Classic

Ethereum Classic surged by 3% this week, a movement supported by a 23.84% rally in May driven by the implementation of the Olympia upgrade. This recent hard fork notably introduced a transaction fee burn mechanism and decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) governance, bolstering both tokenomics and participant trust. The resulting structural improvements have been a catalyst for renewed market interest, setting ETC’s performance apart from many other proof-of-work assets. Momentum persists into June with a 2.47% daily gain and the technical outlook pointing towards a potential short-term target of $19.24.

Local Australian exchanges such as Independent Reserve and BTC Markets have seen an uptick in Ethereum Classic trading volumes since Olympia, reflecting growing regional appetite for PoW assets post-Ethereum Merge. Australian investors, traditionally characterized by a proactive approach to diversified digital asset portfolios, appear to be reassessing ETC’s strategic role. The asset stands out as one of the few liquid PoW platforms accessible to the domestic market, especially since the regulatory stance in Australia remains cautiously favorable to established protocols like ETC due to their transparent operating history and proven decentralization.

Ethereum Classic’s robust global mining ecosystem, reinforced by an influx of miners redirected from Ethereum, has directly contributed to heightened network security and stability, which Australian stakeholders identify as mitigation against 51% attack risk. This is of particular relevance for local institutional participants who emphasize blockchain resilience in compliance risk assessments, further buttressed by ETC’s fixed maximum supply of 210.7 million coins. Leading custody solutions available in Australia have responded by expanding their support and analytics for ETC in recent weeks.

The updated governance framework introduced through the Olympia upgrade now allows for a more participative and transparent decision-making process, drawing positive attention from both Australian blockchain advocacy groups and regulatory observers. DAO-driven governance not only enhances accountability but is also cited by the Australian Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre as a constructive example of evolving crypto self-regulation, which could inform future best practices in the local industry.

Market sentiment in Australia mirrors the global moderate optimism around ETC, with prominent analysts and fintech advisors highlighting ETC’s unique value proposition—namely, its adherence to the original principles of Ethereum and proven blockchain immutability—as a hedging tool amid DeFi platform expansion and macroeconomic uncertainty. Locally, this is reflected in investment newsletters and reports from digital asset managers, many of which forecast a probable price appreciation into the $24 to $30 range by year-end, should current network growth and regulatory clarity persist.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.