Ethereum Price Now Targets $2,875 as Vitalik Buterin Responds to Cardano Founder with 800x Update

Ethereum price continues underperforming against Bitcoin and other top altcoins as the recent uptrend stalls at $1,800. However, the recent Layer-Zero update by Vitalik Buterin has renewed optimism that Ethereum might avert the recent bearish forecast by Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson.

Ethereum (ETH) Lags as Crypto Market Leans Towards Positive Start to the Week

Ethereum (ETH) has opened the week on a weak footing, sliding 2.9% to $1,783.53 as broader crypto markets flashed mixed signals. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) posted a strong 1% gain to reclaim $95,100.

The current data shows Ethereum lagged behind, extending a weekend correction that now sees ETH trading near the lower end of its 24-hour range between $1,782.07 and $1,848.73.

Despite short-term dip, a closer look and mid-term price action shows bullish dominance as U.S. President Trump’s softened stance on tariffs. At the time of publication, CoinGecko data shows ETH’s weekly returns standing at +12.4%, compared to Bitcoin’s +10.6%. However, on the monthly view, ETH’s 6.0% gain trails BTC’s double-digit surge.

This divergence reflects active capital rotation as trader leverage the volatile macro sentiment to execute short-term plays.

Vitalik shares Layer-Zero Update after Charles Hoskinson’s criticism

Notably, last week, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson launched a scathing criticism of Ethereum, predicting that “Layer-2’s are sucking out all the alpha for ETH,” warning in a CNBC interview aired on April 17,  that Ethereum “could collapse within 15 years” if the trend continues unchecked.

Hoskinson’s remarks fueled debate across crypto media channels about Ethereum’s long-term viability, as Layer-2 networks like Arbitrum and Optimism increasingly capture user activity and fees.

In an indirect but timely response, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin shared a major Layer-Zero scalability update on Sunday.

Through his vitalik.eth account, Buterin reposted product launch documentation from LayerZero Labs and Succinct Labs, proposing a shift from the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) to a more efficient zkVM system using RISC-V standards.

According to the reposted research this update would expand Ethereum’s network capabilities by:

• Up to 832× fewer cycles than current EVM interpreters

• 95.7% reduction in proving cycles via precompiles

• 30× throughput increase with GPU acceleration

• 346MB → 1.5MB proof compression via recursion

These Layer-Zero vApps (Verifiable Applications) technology aims to combine Web2-level performance with Web3 verifiability, offering a new path to scaling Ethereum without excessive reliance on Layer-2 networks.

How Could Vitalik’s Layer-Zero Update impact Ethereum Price?

If successfully implemented, Vitalik’s Layer-Zero framework could reshape Ethereum’s scalability narrative, potentially alleviating long-term fears about ecosystem fragmentation

A transition to high-efficiency zkVM infrastructure could enhance Ethereum’s competitiveness against newer chains and reduce fees directly on the Layer-1 base.

In the short term, however, Ethereum price forecast hangs in the balances as it continues to languish below $1,800 and remains sensitive to short-term risks as Bitcoin’s dominance rises.

Ethereum Price Forecast Today: ETH Eyes $2,875 Target After Falling Wedge Breakout

Ethereum (ETH) currently trades at $1,780 as of Monday April 28, printing a falling wedge pattern after 12% gains last week.

This technical pattern suggests a bullish reversal for ETH price with the a critical target at $2,850, as marked by the red vertical dotted projection on the chart.

Notably, the Parabolic SAR (Stop and Reverse) indicator, plotted as blue dots below the recent candles, reinforces the bullish trend, suggesting that buyers are now in control after months of selling pressure.

Supporting this upside scenario, the Fisher Transform indicator shows strong positive momentum, currently reading 2.22, indicating overbought conditions but also underlying strength. While a minor pullback cannot be ruled out, the mid-term momentum still leans heavily in favor of the bulls.

Still, failure to maintain the support cluster around the Parabolic SAR level at $1,569 could invalidate the bullish thesis, likely making the $1,385 low as a potential bearish target.