E*Trade’s Crypto Gambit: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana – A Skeptic’s Diary

Bitcoin (BTC) is the obvious choice-it’s the crypto equivalent of a vintage handbag: everyone wants one, even if you’re not sure what it does. With a market cap of $2.3 trillion and a supply cap of 21 million coins, it’s positioned as “digital gold.” But let’s not forget: gold doesn’t pay dividends, and Bitcoin’s energy consumption could power a small nation. Its halving events are the crypto world’s version of a surprise quiz-exciting for some, terrifying for others.
Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest coin, is the ambitious younger sister of Bitcoin. It ditched proof-of-work for proof-of-stake in 2022, which sounds green but might just be a rebrand. Its smart contracts are like a digital Rolodex for decentralized apps and NFTs, but can we trust a blockchain that burns tokens when no one’s watching? The supply dynamics are as unpredictable as a dating app conversation-sometimes it shrinks, sometimes it balloons.
Solana (SOL) is the upstart with a 2,000 TPS speed, which is impressive until you realize it’s racing against Ethereum’s 18 TPS. Its “proof of history” mechanism is either genius or a desperate attempt to outpace the competition. With 610 million coins in circulation and a terminal growth rate of 1.5%, it’s the crypto equivalent of a startup that’s “scaled back its burn rate.” And yes, it hosted the TRUMP meme coin-because nothing says “serious investment” like a token named after a former president’s Twitter rants.








