Arbitrum Decentralized Exchanges (DEX) trade volume increased by 32% to $4.34 billion. The DEXs trade volume hit a new two-week high, surpassing BNBChain and second only to Ethereum.

Large wallet investors in the crypto ecosystem increased their activity close to ARB token airdrop scheduled for March 23. Experts predict a massive liquidity injection in crypto from ARBs airdrop.

Also read: Ethereum layer-2 Arbitrums most awaited airdrop of 2023 is expected on March 23

Based on data from WhaleStats, Ethereum whales increased their transaction volume in response to the Arbitrum ARB token airdrop announcement. ARB airdrop is scheduled for March 23.ETH whale transaction volume climbed from $185.7 million to $408.8 million, a 120% increase on March 19.

ETH whale transaction volume

A spike in whale activity is consistent with the rising interest garnered by ARB airdrop in the crypto community. The following chart shows the weekly volume in ETH, traded by the largest whales in the Arbitrum ecosystem.

Arbitrum weekly whale volume

Based on data from DeFi tracker Llama Fi, over the past week, Arbitrum DEX trading volume increased by 32% to 4.34 billion US dollars. The DEX trading volume hit a new high for two consecutive weeks, surpassing BNBChain and second only to Ethereum.

The spike in trade volume on Arbitrum DEX is consistent with the rising anticipation among traders ahead of the long awaited ARB token airdrop.

Miles Deutscher, an on-chain analyst on CryptoTwitter believes the upcoming ARB token airdrop will act as a form of stimulus for the ecosystem. ARBs incentives could contribute to rising Arbitrum yields and have a positive flow-on effect for the broader crypto market.

Several small cap projects in the Arbitrum ecosystem have seen an increase in activity, however experts argue that the narrative is fueled by the anticipation of the airdrop and it may not be the best time to scoop up small cap tokens.

For details of the airdrop, check this out.

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What Ethereum whales are doing ahead of Arbitrum's ARB token airdrop - FXStreet

Sometimes, Im a fan of the popular saying- Not by power, not by might. Other times, Im not. Now, Im not trying to dismiss your religious beliefs or personal opinions. However, the incredible ChatGPT innovation might make you want to question that line. Take it or leave it.

In the midst of confusion and increasing skepticism, I decided to see why this AI application has become such a a toast among the numerous threads sewn on Twitter. Heck, even the mainstream media cant keep calm!

So, for the purpose of this article, I decided to test the AIs intelligence regarding one of the major upgrades of the crypto space this year Ethereums [ETH] Shanghai Upgrade. Proposed in 2022, the upgrade is the most significant development of the second-largest blockchain after the Merge.

For a while, assets had been allocated to the Ethereum Beacon Chain. The Beacon Chain acts as the consensus mechanism for the 2022 Proof-of-Stake (PoS) transition. Thereby, making sure that newly created blocks and validators are duly rewarded.

But, in this case, each validator needs 32 ETH deposited into the Ethereum Mainnet to qualify. The idea of the Shanghai upgrade was scheduled for March 2023, but it has been already pushed forward to 12 April. This, to allow these validators to begin withdrawal of their rewards.

ChatGPT, on the other hand, has been existing for some years. However, its recent push by OpenAI has shown that its ability is one that no other AI product may be able to match up with.

Heres where it gets interesting. I openly admit that ChatGPT could be one of the best innovations of this decade. However, my views on this incredible development wont allow me to keep my hands to myself. So, I decided to test its knowledge about the Shanghai upgrade. Trust me, you will be amazed at its response.

Looking at its response above, its evident it started by correcting me. Some would say it has a point too. However, a further evaluation showed that it acted like it was not yet in 2023. Notably, it made some errors with the definition.

A notable observation is its mention of the PoS switch, popularly called the Merge. This is an event that took place in September 2022. Even so, it still responded like it is a future event. But no, Im not blaming its capability as it is a learning tool. So, to further assess its knowledge, I educated it or shall I say jailbreak-ed it by having a heart-to-heart conversation.

Something I find interesting about ChatGPT is not only its smartness, but its human feel too. As shown above, I tried to educate it on what the upgrade was. And to be honest, I never expected an apology from a bot. But yes, I got it.

However, it again failed to give the correct answer to my inquiry. Although I must applaud it for giving bits and pieces of related information.

While it did not get to the Testnet stages that the blockchain had reached and passed, it is worth noting that the Sepolia and Goerlii Testnets have been forked. However, Ethereum developer Tim Beiko had on 14 March said that several validators have failed to upgrade on the Beacon Chain.

And, this has caused some issues with the nodes on Georli, with Beiko noting that the development team is working on it so it does not affect the Mainnet upgrade.

Now, lets get back to ChatGPT. As you probably know, developments in the crypto-ecosystem sometime leads to a hike of tokens related to projects. Unfortunately, that was not the case for ETH during the Merge. In fact, the altcoins was price shredded after many looked forward to an uptick.

The sentiment, as the next upgrade approaches, is similar among some investors. In light of this, I decided to ask ChatGPTs opinion about the matter. It gave me the following response

Remember how I said it apologized and gave me a human-like feel? This time, it was different and its reply was something any honest person in the space would give.

As the popular saying goes Not financial advice, ChatGPT advised caution and gave instances where price action depends on several underlying factors. This is one part that, to me, the AI seems to have perfected.

Meanwhile, ETHs price at press time was $1,660 Up 8% from its value seven days ago. But moving forward, will the cryptocurrency favor the greens or fall to bears demands?

At the time of writing, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) had a reading of 56.44. The indications from the daily chart showed that ETH only left the oversold region a few days back. So, its prevailing value means that it is at a relatively good buying stage.

However, in terms of volatility, the Bollinger Bands showed that ETH has been expanding. An interesting scrutiny of the situation revealed ETHs price leaving the lower band, to hit the upper band. A situation like this implies that ETH was overbought. However, the indicator alone might not be enough to trigger a price retrace, except other signals like the RSI also hit an overbought point of 70.

Concerning its direction, the Directional Movement Index (DMI) favored the buyers (green) over the sellers (red). Even so, it still lacked the support of the Average Directional Index (ADX) which could have cleared all doubts if it was 25 or above. However, the ADX (yellow) remained still at 18.22.

So, I gave ChatGPT a last chance to redeem itself. Again, this question was a simple one and I expected an accurate answer. I went further to explain things to it carefully. But, here is what I got when I asked it to show me the code of ETHs price on a price tracking platform like CoinGecko or CoinMarketCap.

If you had thought it would disappoint again, sorry to burst your bubble. ChatGPT gave me the code for ETHs price. Another thing I was impressed with was the disclaimer it gave about not using the information for investment purposes.

All in all, I must admit that ChatGPT has come to stay. Even though it lags in some areas, I noticed that if you teach it, it learns very fast. However, I cant say for sure that it would get you information about Ethereum or the Shanghai upgrade quickly.

Since I had limited knowledge about AI, I decided to speak to an expert. I was lucky enough to get the attention of Ilman Shazhaev, CEO and founder of Farcana. He is a Dubai-based techpreneur with extensive experience in launching IT and DeepTech projects. Has a strong background in IT management, data science, and AI.

Q- ChatGPT seems to be giving a few incorrect or backdated answers. What do you think could be responsible for this?

Despite its tag as a know-all Artificial Intelligence tool, ChatGPT is still a human invention and, therefore, prone to errors. The chatbot is still in its early stages of adoption, so incorrect responses are imminent and bound to serve as a basis for future developments. With the recently launched GPT-4 showing more advanced responses, we can be sure that improvements are being made and that this tool will be more consistent moving forward.

Q- Do you think the AI is capable of predicting a cryptocurrencys price, especially if a development is approaching? Lets say the Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade

Artificial Intelligence can do anything, including predicting a cryptocurrencys price. The tool can do this by riding on the tons of available data, which it can efficiently use as a basis for its predictions.

Still, while predicting the price of crypto is one thing, the accuracy of the prediction is another. Considering the fact that AI can only use data, there are fundamental factors and analyses that it may not be able to factor in, thus impairing its accuracy by a significant factor.

Q- If it struggles to give correct responses to up-to-date developments. How long do you think it would take to learn about it?

AI development and what ChatGPT embodies is a dynamic innovation that is bound to improve over time. With the current advancement in OpenAI and the available funding level, we can expect the technologys evolution to produce real-time results in the next 3-5 years.

Q- Do you think AI in any way can influence the Ethereum blockchain or ETHs price going forward?

There are many aspects through which AI and a blockchain protocol can co-exist, and innovators, including our team at Farcana, are exploring what new use cases we can build in this regard. While AI and blockchain are independently innovative, their combination can do quite a lot, including influencing ETHs price.

Meanwhile, OpenAI may be working on improvements to the challenges experienced by ChatGPT. On 14 March, the company revealed an upgraded version of the product in GPT-4. With amazing capabilities and talks of passing difficult exams, who knows? Maybe it could fill in for all the lapses opened up by ChatGPT.

So, now that there is a new version, I wanted to see if there is any difference or improvement. My next line of action was to ask GPT-4 the first question I asked ChatGPT.

And to my surprise, it gave me a direct answer.

Following my experience with the upgraded version, I must admit that GPT-4 seems to be smarter than ChatGPT. Although the answers were not entirely correct, it did not give a not being familiar with the term excuse.

In conclusion, these AI products developed by the OpenAI team, have the capability to improve several sectors including the crypto-ecosystem. However, one thing you must keep in mind is that it is not entirely up-to-date. However, if you teach it, it can learn and provide you with the information you need.

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I asked ChatGPT Ethereums price prediction after Shanghai and its response was - AMBCrypto News

The crypto winter has crushed valuations for tokens and companies that operate trading exchanges. Ethereum's (ETH -1.31%) price has fallen roughly 65% from it's record high set in November 2021. Meanwhile, leading exchange-services provider Coinbase Global(COIN 0.71%) has seen its valuation plummet 81% from its peak.

Would investors be better off putting their money behind the leading Layer-1 blockchain services provider's ether token or buying Coinbase stock based on today's pricing levels? Read on to see why two Motley Fool contributors have differing takes on which looks like the better investment right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

Keith Noonan: Launched in 2015, Ethereum has proved its staying power and has established itself as the clear leader in Layer-1 blockchain services. The company's network has become the go-to destination for those looking to build, deploy, and scale blockchain-based applications, and this foundation provides a key fundamental support for the value of the Ether token.

If Ethereum continues to attract new projects and facilitate their growth, that should create demand for the ether token and be a price catalyst.

While Coinbase might appear to have lower risk based on the fact that its core business is providing trading and holding services for the broader crypto ecosystem, I actually see this as a source of greater risk.

Coinbase's platform allows users to easily buy and sell an incredibly wide range of cryptocurrencies, but I think that most of these coins will probably trend toward zero on the valuation scale, and it seems almost inevitable that even some relatively high-profile projects will eventually blow up in big scandals.

Coinbase has already had some scandals of its own -- including security breaches, insider trading, and allegations of insufficient safeguards against money laundering.

The crypto industry is still very much in its infancy, and the low barriers to launching and promoting a token mean that investors should take a highly selective approach to their investments in this sector.

I view the vast majority of crypto projects to be of very low quality, so the prospect of investing in a business whose core services revolve around crypto trading and wallet services does not seem appealing. By comparison, Ethereum has already proved itself to be a much higher-quality project.

In general, I think that investors should only focus on crypto projects and related companies with proven track records. Ethereum fits the bill, has proved to be relatively scandal free, and can stand through the rise and fall of other projects and businesses in the crypto industry.

Parkev Tatevosian: Coinbase stock has been hammered in recent quarters due to the decrease in popularity of cryptocurrencies as an asset class. In the early stages of the pandemic, the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies reached $3 trillion. That figure has dropped to about $1 trillion.

Coinbase, a platform that lets users buy, hold, and sell digital currencies, attracted millions of new customers during the crypto frenzy. Admittedly, many of those folks will leave if the popularity and prices of crypto assets don't recover. Still, Coinbase stock can be lucrative for investors as long as it can retain a meaningful portion of those early customers.

The explosive growth peaked in 2021, when Coinbase's revenue reached $7.8 billion and operating income hit $3 billion. That showed investors the magnitude of profits it could generate at scale. It will need to lower expenses to match a smaller scale if the industry doesn't rebound to pandemic highs.

COIN P/S ratio data by YCharts. P/S = price to sales.

There is a risk that Coinbase might not be profitable on a smaller scale. However, the stock is trading at a price-to-sales ratio of 4.5, which is significantly below the ratio of more than 18 at its peak. The stock might come with high risk, but it also has plenty of upside for investors with a high risk tolerance.

For investors seeking broad-based exposure to the crypto space, investing in both Ethereum and Coinbase could be the right move. Otherwise, it makes sense to focus on their differing characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses and then determine which potential investment vehicle is better aligned with the direction you see the crypto space heading in.

If you're looking to take a narrower approach to investing in crypto and think that Ethereum will continue to be a top provider of network services, then it's probably the better buy. On the other hand, if you're positioning for an overall rebound in crypto valuations and are seeking investment vehicles that have a diversified exposure to the broader market, Coinbase stock is likely the better fit for your investment priorities.

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Better Buy: Coinbase vs. Ethereum - The Motley Fool

Solana (SOL) has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the crypto space, experiencing a remarkable surge in growth with a whopping 16% increase over the past week. This achievement can be attributed to the robust DeFi and NFT ecosystem built on the Solana protocol, which has been growing at an impressive rate, causing a surge in demand for SOL.

Despite its impressive growth, the Solana team has been grappling with network stability issues, which have posed significant challenges. Nevertheless, the protocol has demonstrated remarkable resilience and continues to rank among the top performers in the altcoin market.

The recent stability it has enjoyed is a testament to the teams relentless effort to overcome obstacles, and its current bullish momentum indicates that SOL is poised for a bright future.

Solana has been trending among the top-performing altcoins, and this can be attributed to its robust ecosystem diversity. The protocols DeFi and NFT ecosystem has been growing at a rapid pace, leading to a surge in demand for SOL. Solana is branded as one of the most versatile Layer 1 protocols, with the intention of unseating Ethereum (ETH) as the dominant smart contract hub.

The protocol still lags behind Ethereum on most metrics, but its DeFi growth uptick is a sign that the protocol has a bright future. Moreover, venture capitalist Chris Burniske says that Solana (SOL) could be setting itself up for a massive move to the upside if it can clearly break the 200-day simple moving average (SMA).

Burniske, a former ARK Invest analyst and a current partner at venture capital firm Placeholder, says that a big rally may be in store for Solana if it can clearly break the 200-day SMA. SOLs 200-day moving average is currently hovering at about $23, and if it can reclaim this level, it could lead to a significant surge in price.

Burniske has previously predicted that Solana could be the next Ethereum-level opportunity should another bull market happen. Placeholder tends to pick an ecosystem or two for each bear market and build an aircraft carrier strategy around that ecosystem. The last bear market was ETH and Bitcoin, but SOL could be the next big thing.

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16% Growth For Solana (SOL) In 7 Days: Ethereums Dominance To Be Challenged? - Coinpedia Fintech News

Cryptocurrency investment firm Grayscale Investments is taking more time to decide whether it should acquire and sell post-Merge forked Ethereum tokens.

Grayscaleannouncedon March 16 that the company intends to extend the review period for evaluating the market environment to determine whether it can acquire EthereumPoW (ETHW) tokens the forked asset that emerged after Ethereums Merge in September 2022.

During the review period, the firm also aims to decide whether, when and in what manner Grayscale may sell ETHW on behalf of the record date shareholders. Such review period is not currently expected to exceed 180 days from the date hereof, Grayscale noted in the announcement.

Grayscale reasoned the extension of the review period to the ongoing uncertainty regarding the support of ETHW tokens by digital asset custodians and trading venues. If digital asset custodians do support the ETHPoW tokens and/or trading markets do develop, it is expected that the ETHPoW tokens value will fluctuate widely for some time, Grayscale said, adding:

Ethereum, currently the second-largest blockchain network by market value after Bitcoin, completed the Merge, a major consensus upgrade in September 2022. The upgrade moved the Ethereum network from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm. As some people in the Ethereum community were willing to keep using the mining-based PoW Ethereum model, Ethereum has forked into two different blockchains, the main PoS-based Ethereum and EthereumPoW.

The emergence of ETHW has brought a significant challenge for crypto investment firms offering exposure to Ethereum because some investors might want to have exposure to ETHW. Some companies, such as the European exchange-traded product (ETP) issuer ETC Group, decided to launch a new ETP providing exclusive exposure to ETHW.

Related: Coinbase expects high demand for ETH unstaking with Shanghai upgrade

The new ETP seems better because we just dont know what will happen whether ETHW will succeed or not, ETC Group founder Bradley Duke told Cointelegraph in September 2022.

In September, Grayscale announced that its two Ethereum-related products, the Grayscale Ethereum Trust and the Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund, declared a distribution of rights to ETHW. Each product received the tokens as a result of a fork by late September.

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Post-Merge Ethereum: Grayscale extends review of ETHPoW decision - Cointelegraph