Crypto currencies usually pick up momentum based on news but this isn't just a news as it has huge fundamental involved i.e. ether didn't announce a social meeting to discuss platform readiness, development benefits, easiness to use, etc.
With the price of Ethereum's token, ether, up almost 4,000% for the year, Blockchain.info, one of the oldest and most popular user-controlled bitcoin wallets, Thursday adds it as a second currency to the service.
The move gives the 16 million Blockchain wallets access to the second-highest market cap coin, which is used to power smart contracts on the Ethereum platform.
Additionally, the wallet, available in 140 countries, now integrates the crypto-to-crypto exchange Shapeshift so users can easily trade from bitcoin to ether and vice versa.
"The reason we decided to add Ethereum is we really feel like Ethereum as a community, ecosystem and technology has really matured," said Peter Smith, Blockchain's chief executive, of the two-year-old cryptocurrency.
UK-based cryptocurrency firm Blockchain and Luxembourg-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp have each added ether to their platforms for the first time.
Blockchain says its customers can simply toggle between bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) to manage and transact funds quickly and easily. Additionally, Blockchain has also integrated ShapeShift’s API so trading bitcoin to ether and vice versa can happen all from one place.
In an earlier, separate announcement to its customers, Bitstamp said it will allow full trading functionalities of ether today. Ether deposits and withdrawals opened at 9 am (UTC) and began to allow full trading functionalities at 1 pm (UTC).
Nejc Kodrič, CEO of Bitstamp, said: "We've been encouraged by ether's potential and the demand shown for its inclusion among our trading pairs.”
Ether now joins USD, EUR, bitcoin, litecoin and Ripple among the coins for which Bitstamp allows deposits and withdrawals. In July the company announced a strategic partnership with Swissquote, the Swiss leader in online banking. Swissquote launched BTC/EUR and BTC/USD trading on its platform, with Bitstamp providing full-stack services for their two new BTC trading pairs.
Kodrič added: ”Since starting out in 2011, Bitstamp's mission has been to be the safest and most reliable digital currency exchange on the market. Our careful approach has created a market reputation for prudence which has served us well as we continue to expand and give our customers the trading options they desire."
