Ether Leads Bitcoin on Price as Investors Prepare for Staking Arrival

Bitcoin has entered the seasonally bullish month of June on a positive note, but its recent gains look pale compared to that of ether (ETH), as the Ethereum blockchain approaches a key new iteration. 

Bitcoin, the top cryptocurrency by market value, rose by over 8% last week and ended May with a 9.5% gain. That came after bitcoin jumped by nearly 35% in April, according to CoinDesk’s Bitcoin Price Index. 

Meanwhile, ether’s price rose by 16% last week and 12% for the month of May. Growth in ether’s non-price metrics, too, has been impressive compared to those for bitcoin.

For instance, the seven-day moving average of active ether addresses stood at 12-month high of 337,986 on Sunday, according to data provided by blockchain intelligence firm Glassnode. While ether’s active addresses have risen by more than 10% over the last two weeks, active bitcoin addresses declined by nearly 5%. 

On a more positive note, bitcoin outshone major traditional assets in May. Gold, a…