<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhile this itself allows investors to generate passive income with UST, the stablecoin also comes with the inherent perks of being a crucial DeFi tool. <\/p>\n
The Terra network has a slew of different DeFi staking pools and lending applications which one can leverage with UST for profit. One of the most popular of these applications is Anchor Protocol. Anchor has become popular for reliably offering an annual percentage yield (APY) of about 20% at any given time.<\/p>\n
Ethereum<\/h4>\n The ETH coin is the only cryptocurrency that offers up any competition to Bitcoin in terms of price or market capitalisation, and it has been a no-brainer investment for anybody interested in big crypto gains. <\/p>\n
It is one of the most widely used layer-1 networks in the world. And, while plenty of other layer-1s are starting to catch up in terms of users, Ethereum has an edge over all others with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). <\/p>\n
Essentially, EVM is a runtime environment for smart contracts; this just means it is the machine through which smart contracts are executed. Developers can use EVM to create DApps, conduct initial coin offerings (ICOs) and mint non-fungible tokens (NFTs). One of the huge bonuses of developing blockchain products using EVM is that they are Ethereum compatible.<\/p>\n
EVM is one of the simplest ways through which one can create a project; this makes it favoured by both seasoned developers and new coders alike. In fact, many of the biggest networks competing with Ethereum are built using EVM, including Binance (BNB-USD) Smart Chain and Solana. This demonstrates the longevity of the Ethereum network.<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nBottom line is that much of the blockchain world depends on Ethereum\u2019s technology, and betting on its native currency even in a bear market would be worthwhile.<\/p>\n
Solana<\/h4>\n Solana is one of the networks posing a threat to Ethereum\u2019s dominance. It is beginning to rapidly accumulate new users and new capital. It presents a serious case as one of the big layer-1 leaders of the near future. <\/p>\n
Solana burst into the top-10 largest in the world in late 2021. It has outperformed Bitcoin and Ethereum by over 40% since October 2021 and has remained among the largest products on the market<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nSolana distinguishes itself from the other layer-1 projects dominating the market right now through scalability. The network boasts the ability to process 65,000 transactions per second, which far outperforms even Avalanche. And with the NFT market showing no signs of slowing down, Solana is a network which is benefitting. <\/p>\n
The network is becoming the go-to for NFT investors who no longer want to put up with the high fees and slow processing of Ethereum. While Ethereum held over 90% of NFT market share last year, Solana is stealing much of this dominance. <\/p>\n
As of January 2022, Ethereum\u2019s market share is down 15%, and much of that is going to Solana. Nearly six million NFTs have been minted on the network so far. With the influence Solana is wielding, investing in it in the current bear market is reasonable\u00a0<\/p>\n