Ethereum's price has surged past the $2,100 mark, leading a broader rally in risk assets alongside Bitcoin. This price recovery comes as traders respond to cooling inflation and positive macroeconomic signals. However, the derivatives market remains cautious, with Ether's 2-month futures trading at a 3% premium to spot, below the neutral 5% threshold, indicating tepid optimism. Despite the price increase, Ethereum's on-chain activity shows signs of cooling, with its inflation rate rising to approximately 0.8% over the past month. Ethereum continues to dominate in total value locked (TVL), accounting for 58% of blockchain deposits, which rises to 65% when including layer-2 solutions like Base, Arbitrum, and Optimism. The largest decentralized application on Ethereum holds over $23 billion in TVL, highlighting its scale advantage over competitors like Solana.