Dado Ruvic/Reuters
- Ether hit a new record above $3,000 for the first time on Monday.
- Investors are betting interest in decentralized finance applications will propel Ethereum’s growth.
- Transactions on the Ethereum blockchain hit an all-time high of 41.7 million in April.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Cryptocurrency ether, native to the Ethereum blockchain, hit a new all-time high above $3,000 on Monday in a standout performance that has outpaced rival currency bitcoin’s gains so far this year.
The token rose 6% to trade around $3,142 as of 04:00 a.m. ET. That takes its year-to-date gains to more than 300%, far exceeding bitcoin’s 95% rise in 2021.