The big problem ETH faces is govt regulation and govt mandated hardforks. Having done it once, it cant say it wont do it. Also any ETH tech is ETC tech, all this talk about ETC not having devs seems like saying LTC has no tech future. but LTC keeps on forking bitcoin and benefits from all the bitcoin devs.

So ETC has a tech future, granted it is in a follower position, but at its marketcap it could easily hire devs for its own unique tech.

Also, ETC is as profitable or a bit more profitable to mine than ETH, so they do. miners like money and if ETC gets them more money, they mine ETC. My prediction is that pareto effect will make one of them 80% and the other 20%.

not sure which one yet, ask me after the first govt "request" for ETH to hardfork