This week, Ethereum (ETH) has announced a fresh partnership with the Canadian government. This is the sort of development that can really get a coin running but, so far, we are yet to see any real action in the markets.

Indeed, right now (mid-afternoon US on Monday), ETH trades for a close to 6% discount on its price this time yesterday, with a single coin going for around $984. This is the coin that – to a large degree – weathered the overarching market correction that we saw push bitcoin down to below $10,000 and drove a 50% or more correction in a host of other cryptocurrencies, large and small.

We think that the latest news is a major event and that the market’s lack of an immediate response is indicative of some remnant of weak sentiment putting pressure on price. In turn, we think that the current depressed prices might be a great opportunity to jump in ahead of a recovery.

Here’s what we’re thinking.

First, it’s worth noting that while we mentioned above that Ethereum weathered the overarching market correction, it wasn’t entirely insulated. In fact, ETH fell from highs of $1,377 on January 14 to current levels (which, as mentioned price ETH at around $984 a coin), a dip of around 28%. When looked at against a backdrop of the wider market correction, however, the dip is relatively small.

Anyway, getting back to the main thrust of our thesis – the fact that the Canadian government wants to try and use the Ethereum platform to improve its legacy infrastructure is incredibly important for two reasons – first, that it shows that major nations are seeking to adopt blockchain technology and have accepted that this is the technology that’s going to play a key role in bringing processes up to date in the future. That’s a big deal for the space as a whole. Second, that Ethereum is the technology it’s chosen to try and do just that. This one, of course, is important for Ethereum specifically, as opposed to the wider industry.

Looking at the development specifically, it involves the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), which is a government initiative, and – as per this press release – the program is in place to investigate the potential for blockchain technology and how it may be used for more open and transparent function of public programs.

The program is live at time of writing on the Ethereum blockchain, proactively publishing information on new and amended contribution agreements in real time.

The outcome of this program could be a real game-changer for Ethereum. If the blockchain is adopted as the foundation for more transparent process in Canada, it will validate the technology as part of a real-world use case and, in turn, will almost certainly result in other governments across the globe following suit.

The thing to realize here is that it’s this sort of development that really sets Ethereum apart from many of its competitors. The company and its platform/technology has (while we admit there have been hiccups along the way) established itself as the go-to technology for smart contract based decentralized systems and it’s going to take a lot, and a long time, to unseat Ethereum from this position; as viewed, that is, from an outsider’s perspective – an outsider like a government entity.

So where do things go from here?

It’s tough to put a target on price, given the current sentiment but $1,400 is an immediate and obvious inflection point, with $10,000 a long-term, but very real, end-of-2018 possibility.

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Disclaimer: This article should not be taken as, and is not intended to provide, investment advice. Please conduct your own thorough research before investing in any cryptocurrency.

Image courtesy of Ethereum.org