Coke and Pepsi. Microsoft and Apple. Canon and Nikon. Coke and Pepsi. Visa and Mastercard. Look at any consumer marketing niche and you find the same pattern. A half dozen competing brands, and just two giants, selling near identical products, at almost identical prices.

Now we have a new niche in the global marketing landscape. Cryptocurrencies. Even in these early days the major brands in the niche are defining their values. Bitcoin was first in and has grabbed the number one spot. It’s the Coke of crypto and, as long as cryptos exist, it always will be.

But the niche needs a second giant, and anydiv looking is likely to agree it’s Ethereum. To anydiv who knows anything about the technology of crypto, Ethereum is a more interesting product, in much the same way that Apple has always made a more interesting computer than Microsoft.

Bitcoin embodies the greatest ambitions of crypto, that it will come to replace the mainstream economy. Ethereum is no less ambitious, but is a little more subtle. After money itself, contracts are about the most important human invention. Whatever happens in the future of our economy, there will always be agreements between people. That makes the story of Ethereum very nearly as compelling as the story of Bitcoin.

And when it comes to brands, story is everything.

Nike and Adidas could be the same conpany, assessed purely by their business models. Their products come from the same factories, exploit the same model of low paid labour, and deploy the same footwear technologies at the same quality. The only distinction between Nike and Adidas is martketing — they tell two different stories.

Just do it. The Nike story is one of pure triumph. Nike is the winner, it’s as simple as that. It’s colour is red, symbolizing power and victory. It’s name and iconic swooosh come straight from the gods.

Adidas is a more complex beast. It’s colour is black. If Nike is the gods, Adidas is the underworld. A different, darker kind of power. Adidas has never had a simple slogan, because its values are most powerful when they remain unspoken. If Nike is the natural winner, Adidas is the tough competitor, who in many ways demands more respect.

The archetypes that brands play on linger deep in our unconscious. That’s what makes them so powerful. That’s why brands, even when we’re aware of the tricks they play, still compell us.

While Bitcoin plays on all the prmary archetypes of victory and godlike power, Ethereum embodies the secondary, dark identity. Ethereum is the Adidas of crypto. As such you can expect it to continually jostle for primacy with Bitcoin for number one status. Even if it never gets there, it will always stay close. And at times it will overtake.

In the current landscape of crypto, after a year of huge value gains for Bitcoin, its time for Ethereum to follow the same upward path. I expect the second place brand in crypto to reach 70% of the value of Bitcoin in this cycle. That, in my view, makes it the smartest coin invest in at this time.

Further don the line, perhaps by mid 2018, the crypto market will need third, fourth and fifth placed brands. At that time both Bitcoin and Etherereum will take a beating. But they both have a long way to rise before then, and Etheruem will rise the fastest, if not furthest.