For the year, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) is now down 17%. That includes a flash crash in early February when the world's second-largest cryptocurrency lost 20% of its value literally overnight. That rapid decline comes on top of mounting concerns that Ethereum has been underperforming the market for months now.

Understandably, some crypto investors are already hitting the panic button. The short-term outlook for Ethereum doesn't look great. But if you zoom out and consider the long term, this could be a huge buying opportunity for Ethereum.

Ethereum is still the market leader

Yes, new blockchain upstarts are nipping at Ethereum's heels, but by just about any metric, Ethereum is still the clear market leader in the Layer 1 blockchain segment. It is still the go-to blockchain for decentralized finance (DeFi), for example, where it controls 54% of the total market share. And it has a firm foothold in just about every niche of the blockchain world.

Even with its recent dip in value, Ethereum still accounts for 10% of the market cap of the crypto sector. It is still a favorite of both retail investors and institutional investors, thanks to new spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that launched last July. For investors looking to diversify their crypto portfolios beyond just Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), Ethereum is usually the logical choice.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Even better, the new administration of President Donald Trump appears to be putting its support behind Ethereum. Although Ethereum does not fit the definition of a made-in-America blockchain, it is very important to the long-term policy agenda of Trump's crypto team, especially when it comes to DeFi. As a seal of approval, the Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial recently invested $47 million into Ethereum.

New tech improvements are on the way

There is one fundamental reason some investors are giving up on Ethereum: Newer blockchains are faster and cheaper to use. That's causing a migration of users and developers to blockchains such as Solana (CRYPTO: SOL).

The good news, if you want to call it that, is that the Ethereum developer community finally seems to be waking up to this realization. The current strategy, which relies on a mishmash of Layer 2 scaling solutions to keep Ethereum running smoothly, is still too clunky.

In January, top blockchain developers met specifically to discuss this problem, with some arguing that Ethereum needs to develop a "wartime" mentality to fix things. And Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin — arguably one of the most brilliant minds in the entire crypto industry — also addressed this issue in January.

Buterin called for doubling down on Ethereum's Layer 2 scaling solutions as a way of driving future growth and innovation. While some inefficiencies have appeared during the past two years, and some value has flowed away from Ethereum, there is no reason to abandon this Layer 2 strategy yet.

Moreover, as part of its long-term tech roadmap, Ethereum continues to push out new technological upgrades on a regular basis. The new one, scheduled for March, could be a game-changer. This upgrade, known as Pectra (a combination of "Prague" and "Electra"), promises to make Ethereum faster and cheaper to use. It will become the building block for even more speed and efficiency improvements in the coming years.

If you are a long-term investor, this is exactly what you want to see. Ethereum clearly has a long-term strategy in place. It acknowledges that some improvements and that changes are needed. It is clearly focused on the key factors — speed, cost and scalability — that are so important to users and developers. If Ethereum is not panicking, you shouldn't be either.

Should you buy the dip?

If you believe in the long-term outlook for Ethereum, this could be a classic buy-the-dip opportunity. Essentially, you're getting Ethereum at a nice discount to recent prices. Moreover, with some investors predicting that Ethereum could eventually regain its all-time high of $4,891 (it's now about $2,750), you're also likely to enjoy some significant upside as well.

In the past, buying the dip has worked, and Ethereum has been one of the best-performing cryptos during the past decade. There are no guarantees, of course, but there's reason to hope that this strategy will work again in 2025.

Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Don’t miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity

Offer from the Motley Fool: Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this.

On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves:

• Nvidia:if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009,you’d have $323,686!*
• Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $44,026!*
• Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $545,283!*

Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.

Learn more »