Ethereum Classic (ETC) may not be as appealing to investors as its big brother Ethereum (ETH). But all that is set to change as 2018. The Ethereum Classic team has three very clear goals that promise to be the catalyst for a break-out year for ETC and its loyal base of supporters.

ETC has had some rough time during the bearish market. More often than not, it has featured among the biggest sliders on cryptocurrency ranking site CoinMarketCap.com.

Today it ranks 17th with a market cap of $1.8 billion. In contrast, Ethereum (ETH), ranks 2nd with a market cap of $59 billion. On that front, the two can’t be any further from comparable. Of course, there are other major differences in protocol and investor support.

Ethereum Classic is aware of this fact and thus have three goals set to turn its fortunes and propel it towards the top 10 cryptocurrencies.

Core investment areas

In 2018 and beyond, the Ethereum Classic platform will be transformed through the efforts of its Ethereum Classic Cooperative (ECC). And that is exactly what it needs to claw back some of the stardust from Ethereum (ETH).

The ECC targets to have the Ethereum Classic protocol enhanced as the best platform for sharing information and value. ETC has the capacity to be a market leader in the digital economy. Perhaps that’s why the platform’s flexible, intuitive Smart Contracts are going to be the benchmark for everything IoT (internet of things).

The ETC Foundation believes that a proper approach to the development of the coin and its platform is anchored in these three areas: Ethereum Classic protocol development, marketing, and community initiatives. The ECC has therefore instituted guidelines to ensure the proper deployment of all ETC capital across these areas. The aim is to fast-track development through monitoring progress for every aspect of the blockchain.

ETC development

This is the main project of the ECC that when executed well, ETC could start commanding some of the respect other Smart Contract enabling platforms command. Developers will know that there is support from the ECC team and will likely feel safer utilizing it.

The team will also fill gaps where for some reason, projects fall out of the platform’s scope. The investor community is likely to develop confidence in ETC, gradually reflecting the value of ETC long term.

Furthermore, by being able to provide funding for projects on the ETC network, the prospects of attracting better developers will increase. It won’t be long before Ethereum Classic becomes preferred for token projects and dApps.

Improve marketing and Foster a strong community.

It is in these two roles that the two recent additions to the ECC will most be of help to Ethereum Classic (ETC). We are looking at a cryptocurrency that retained the main ethos of the original Ethereum after the fork. It was expected to do well, but that somehow failed to materialize. Now, the ETC team has an opportunity to channel the crypto towards its potential in the blockchain industry.

In the announcement that confirmed the hiring of Xu and Lusardi, the Ethereum Classic statement said this:

“Anthony Lusardi will be taking the role of Director, US. He has been contributing to the ETC community since the start. He will continue to support the community in a fair and open way, providing support to users and the ETC ecosystem. Presently he is planning the ETC Summit, helping redesign the ETC website, and looking for more projects to fund the ETC ecosystem; already talking with a few people and projects!” “Christian Xu will be taking the role of Community Manager, China. He has been working as a software engineer for more than 10 years. In 2015, Christian started trading Cryptocurrencies and joined a top digital currency exchange as Quality Director. Christian knows Blockchain and Cryptocurrency industries very well. He will help users get more familiar with ETC and its technologies sync them with the latest updates and look for support of ETC from different parties.”

Why ECC will define Ethereum Classic’s 2018.

Everything rests on how the Ethereum Classic Cooperative handles their mandate going into the expected market retraction. A strong community and a number of highflying projects will be a good signal that Ethereum Classic (ETC) is gaining traction. I believe that won’t be a problem with the expected penetration ETC will get, especially if they manage to get China.