Ethereum 2026: 5x growth window opens, institutions rush to raise funds, and ETH value revaluation

Original author: Vivek Raman, Etherealize

Original compilation: Saoirse, Foresight News

Editor’s note: At the start of 2026, while global financial institutions are still seeking a definitive path for digital transformation, Ethereum has quietly become the core battleground for institutional deployment, thanks to its decade-long proven security, scalable technology support, and clear regulatory environment. From JPMorgan deploying money market funds on public blockchains, Fidelity integrating asset management into Layer1 networks, to the US GENIUS Act clearing regulatory hurdles for stablecoins, and platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood building dedicated blockchains on Layer2 — a series of actions confirm Ethereum’s transformation from a “tech experiment” to a “global financial infrastructure.” In this analysis, Vivek Raman of Etherealize not only dissects the underlying logic of Ethereum becoming the “best business platform,” but also predicts a “three-track 5x growth” in tokenized assets, stablecoins, and ETH prices. His insights into institutional holdings trends and the “blockchainization” inflection point of the financial system may provide key guidance for understanding the direction of the crypto market and financial reforms in the new year.

Over the past decade, Ethereum has established itself as the safest and most reliable blockchain platform adopted by global institutions.

Ethereum’s technology has achieved scalable applications, with proven institutional use cases. The global regulatory environment is increasingly welcoming to blockchain infrastructure, and the development of stablecoins and asset tokenization is bringing fundamental change.

Therefore, from 2026 onward, Ethereum will become the best platform for conducting business.

After ten years of application promotion, stable operation, global adoption, and high availability, Ethereum has become the preferred choice for institutions deploying blockchain. Next, let’s review how Ethereum has gradually become the default platform for tokenized assets over the past two years.

Finally, we will make predictions for Ethereum in 2026: tokenized asset scale, stablecoin scale, and ETH price are all expected to grow fivefold. The stage for Ethereum’s revival is set, and the time for various enterprises to adopt Ethereum infrastructure is ripe.

Ethereum: The Core Platform for Tokenized Assets

The revolution of blockchain in the asset sector is akin to the internet’s reshaping of information — enabling assets to be digitized, programmable, and interoperable globally.

Asset tokenization integrates assets, data, and payments into a unified infrastructure, fully upgrading business processes. Stocks, bonds, real estate, and funds will be able to circulate at internet speed. This is a major upgrade that the financial system should have adopted long ago, and now, global public blockchains like Ethereum are finally making this vision a reality.

Asset tokenization is rapidly shifting from a hot concept to a fundamental upgrade of business models. Just as no company would abandon the internet for the fax machine era, once financial institutions experience the efficiency, automation, and speed benefits of shared global blockchain infrastructure, they will not revert to traditional models. The tokenization process will become irreversible.

Currently, the majority of high-value assets are being tokenized on Ethereum — because Ethereum is the most neutral and secure global infrastructure. Like the internet, it is not controlled by any single entity and is open to all users.

By 2026, the “experimental phase” of asset tokenization will have officially ended, and the industry will have entered deployment. Major institutions are directly launching flagship products on Ethereum to access global liquidity.

Here are some examples of institutions engaging in asset tokenization on Ethereum:

• JPMorgan directly deploys money market funds on Ethereum, becoming one of the first banks to adopt public blockchain;
• Fidelity launches money market funds on Ethereum Layer1, integrating asset management and operational processes into blockchain systems;
• Apollo launches private credit funds (ACRED) on public blockchains, with Ethereum and its Layer2 networks offering the highest liquidity;
• BlackRock, as one of the most active advocates of “everything tokenized,” has launched tokenized money market funds (BUIDL) on Ethereum, leading the wave of institutional asset tokenization;
• Amundi (Europe’s largest asset manager) tokenizes its euro-denominated money market funds on Ethereum;
• BNY Mellon (America’s oldest bank) tokenizes a AAA-rated collateralized loan obligation (CLO) fund on Ethereum;
• Baillie Gifford (one of the UK’s largest asset managers) plans to launch its first tokenized bond fund on Ethereum and Layer2 networks.

Ethereum: The Core Blockchain for Stablecoins

Stablecoins are the clearest example of “product-market fit” in asset tokenization — by 2025, stablecoin transfer volume has surpassed $10 trillion. Essentially, stablecoins are tokenized dollars, representing a “software upgrade” of currency, enabling dollars to circulate at internet speed with programmable features.

2025 is a pivotal year for stablecoins and public blockchain development: the US GENIUS Act (also known as the Stablecoin Act) was officially passed. This legislation establishes a regulatory framework for stablecoins and signals a “green light” for the underlying public blockchain infrastructure.

Even before the GENIUS Act, Ethereum’s stablecoin adoption rate was already leading. Today, 60% of stablecoins are deployed on Ethereum and its Layer2 networks (if future Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chains that could become Layer2 are included, this figure would reach 90%). The passage of the GENIUS Act marks Ethereum’s official “opening for commercial use” — institutions can now deploy their own stablecoins on public blockchains under regulatory approval.

The reason email and websites could achieve mass adoption is that they connect to a unified global internet (not isolated internal networks). Similarly, stablecoins and all tokenized assets can only fully realize their utility and network effects within a unified global public blockchain ecosystem.

Therefore, the explosive growth of stablecoins is just beginning. A typical example is SoFi, the US national bank, which became the first to issue a stablecoin (SoFiUSD) on a permissionless public blockchain, ultimately choosing Ethereum.

This is just the “tip of the iceberg” in stablecoin development. Investment banks and new banking entities are exploring issuing their own stablecoins either independently or through alliances. Fintech companies are also advancing deployment and integration of stablecoins. The digitalization of the US dollar on public blockchains has already begun, with Ethereum serving as the default platform for this process.

Ethereum: Building Dedicated Blockchains

Blockchain is not a “one-size-fits-all” tool. The global financial market needs tailored adaptations based on geography, regulation, and customer base. For this reason, Ethereum was designed from the outset with high security as a core goal, and through flexible deployment of “Layer2 blockchains,” it enables high levels of customization.

Just as every enterprise has its own dedicated website, app, and customized environment on the internet, many future enterprises will have their own dedicated Layer2 blockchain within the Ethereum ecosystem.

This is not just a theoretical concept but a practical application already in place. Ethereum Layer2 solutions have established institutional use cases, enabling scalable deployment and becoming a core support for Ethereum’s “business-friendly” features. Some examples include:

• Coinbase built its Base blockchain on Ethereum Layer2, leveraging Ethereum’s security and liquidity while creating new revenue streams;
• Robinhood is developing a dedicated blockchain that will integrate tokenized stocks, prediction markets, and various assets, built on Ethereum Layer2 technology;
• SWIFT (the global bank messaging network) is adopting Ethereum Layer2 network Linea for blockchain-based settlement services;
• JPMorgan deployed tokenized deposit services on Ethereum Layer2 network Base;
• Deutsche Bank is building a public permissioned blockchain network based on Ethereum Layer2, laying the groundwork for more banks to develop Layer2 solutions…

The value of Layer2 is not only in customization but also as the best business model in blockchain. Layer2 combines Ethereum’s global security with operational profits exceeding 90%, opening new revenue streams for enterprises.

For institutions adopting blockchain technology, this is the “best of both worlds” — leveraging Ethereum’s security and liquidity while maintaining their own profit margins and operating dedicated environments within the Ethereum ecosystem. Robinhood’s choice to build its own blockchain on Ethereum Layer2 exemplifies this: “Creating a truly decentralized secure chain is extremely difficult… but with Ethereum, we can default to security.”

The global financial market will not be confined to a single blockchain, but the entire financial system can achieve synergy through interconnected networks — and this network is Ethereum and its Layer2 ecosystem.

The Regulatory Environment’s Transformation

Without regulatory support, fundamental upgrades to the global financial system are impossible. Financial institutions are not tech companies and cannot innovate through “rapid trial and error.” The flow of high-value assets and funds requires a robust regulatory framework, and the US is leading in this area:

• Under the leadership of SEC Chair Paul Atkins, since Ethereum’s inception in 2015, the first supportive regulatory framework for innovation has been established. Institutions are actively embracing asset tokenization, and the financial system is preparing for migration to digital infrastructure. Atkins himself has stated, “Within the next two years, all markets in the US will be operating on-chain.”
• The US Congress also supports responsible adoption of blockchain technology. The 2025 GENIUS Act (mentioned earlier in the stablecoin section) and the upcoming CLARITY Act (which will establish a comprehensive framework for asset tokenization and public blockchain infrastructure) have incorporated blockchain into the legal system, providing clear guidance for financial institutions.
• While not a government agency, the DTCC (Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation) is a core infrastructure operator of the US securities market. It has fully embraced asset tokenization, allowing assets held in DTC custody to circulate on public blockchains.

Over the past decade, the blockchain ecosystem has long operated in a “regulatory gray area,” limiting its institutional application potential. Now, led by the US, the regulatory environment has shifted from “resistance” to “support.” Ethereum has been fully positioned as the “best business platform,” with a stage set for thriving growth.

ETH: Institutional-Grade Treasury Assets

Ethereum’s position as the “safest blockchain” has made it the default choice for institutions. Based on this, in 2026, ETH will be revalued alongside BTC as an “institutional-grade store of value.”

The blockchain ecosystem will have more than one store of value: BTC has established itself as “digital gold,” while ETH is becoming “digital oil” — a value store with yield, utility, and driven by a bottom-layer ecosystem that fuels economic activity.

MicroStrategy, as the company holding the most Bitcoin, has led the process of BTC becoming a store of value. Over the past four years, MicroStrategy has continuously added BTC to its treasury, advocating for BTC’s value proposition, making it a core component of institutional digital asset holdings.

Today, four “MicroStrategy-like” companies have emerged in the Ethereum ecosystem, pushing ETH toward similar breakthroughs:

• BitMine Immersion (Stock code: BMNR), operated by Tom Lee;
• Sharplink Gaming (Stock code: SBET), operated by Joe Lubin and Joseph Chalom;
• The Ether Machine (Stock code: ETHM), operated by Andrew Keys;
• Bit Digital (Stock code: BTBT), operated by Sam Tabar.

MicroStrategy holds 3.2% of the circulating BTC supply. The four companies above have collectively purchased about 4.5% of ETH’s circulating supply over the past six months — and this process has only just begun.

As these companies continue to include ETH in their balance sheets, institutional ownership of these ETH holdings is rapidly increasing. ETH is poised to be revalued, alongside BTC, as an institutional-grade store of value.

2026 Ethereum Predictions: 5x Growth

Tokenized Assets: 5x to $100 billion

In 2025, the total value of tokenized assets on blockchain grew from approximately $6 billion to over $18 billion, with 66% deployed on Ethereum and its Layer2 networks.

The global financial system has just begun the asset tokenization journey, with institutions like JPMorgan, BlackRock, and Fidelity already using Ethereum as the default platform for high-value tokenized assets.

We forecast that by 2026, the total size of tokenized assets will grow fivefold, reaching nearly $100 billion, with most assets deployed on Ethereum.

Stablecoins: 5x to $1.5 trillion

Currently, the total market cap of stablecoins on public blockchains is $308 billion, with about 60% deployed on Ethereum and its Layer2 networks (if future Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chains that could become Layer2 are included, this proportion would reach 90%).

Stablecoins have become a strategic asset for the US government. The US Treasury has repeatedly stated that stablecoins are a key measure to solidify the dollar’s dominance in the 21st century. The total US dollar supply is $22.3 trillion. With the implementation of the GENIUS Act and large-scale stablecoin adoption, it is expected that 20%-30% of US dollars will migrate onto public blockchains.

We predict that by 2026, the total market cap of stablecoins will grow fivefold to $1.5 trillion, with Ethereum playing a leading role in this process.

ETH: 5x to $15,000

ETH is rapidly developing into an institutional-grade store of value alongside BTC. ETH is a “bullish option” for blockchain growth, with its value driven by:

• Expansion of asset tokenization
• Adoption and application of stablecoins
• Institutional adoption of blockchain
• The “ChatGPT moment” in the financial system’s upgrade to the internet era (referring to industry-transforming breakthroughs brought by technological leaps)

Holding ETH is akin to owning a stake in the “new financial internet.” Its value growth logic is clear: increasing user base, asset volume, applications, Layer2 networks, and transaction frequency will all push ETH’s value higher.

We forecast that by 2026, ETH will achieve at least 5x growth (market cap reaching $2 trillion, comparable to current BTC market cap), ushering in an “Nvidia moment” for ETH — a critical phase of explosive growth similar to Nvidia’s AI-driven surge.

Ethereum: The Best Platform for Business

By 2026, the discussion of “why adopt blockchain” will be a thing of the past. Now, institutions are fully engaged in asset tokenization, stablecoin applications, and customized blockchain deployments, marking the beginning of a structural upgrade to the global financial system.

When choosing blockchain infrastructure, institutions prioritize: track record, application precedents, security, liquidity, usability, and risk levels — and Ethereum performs best across all dimensions. If a company has needs such as:

• Improving profit margins? Reduce costs via asset tokenization, lower fees with stablecoins, or build dedicated blockchains on Ethereum.
• Creating new revenue streams? Develop structured products, launch new assets, or issue proprietary stablecoins on Ethereum.
• Digital transformation of operations? Optimize processes, automate accounting and payments, and reduce manual reconciliation using Ethereum.

2025 marks a turning point for Ethereum: infrastructure upgrades are complete, institutional pilot projects are scaling, and regulatory environments are turning favorable.

In 2026, the global financial system will experience an “Internet moment” — and this transformation will occur on Ethereum, the best platform for conducting business.