The operations in the financial circle over the past two years have indeed been interesting. Renowned analyst Tom Lee recently made a bold prediction—Ethereum could break through $7,000-$9,000 by early 2026, and might even reach $20,000. Sounds crazy? But the logic behind it is worth examining.

What is Tom Lee's core viewpoint? Wall Street is pushing for asset tokenization and on-chain settlement. Traditional financial giants like Robinhood and BlackRock are not just discussing it verbally—they are taking action. The infrastructure of traditional finance is gradually migrating onto the chain. Ethereum is evolving from a mere speculative asset into a genuine financial backbone—handling higher efficiency, real-world application scenarios, and increased institutional participation. If this shift accelerates, the demand explosion becomes a plausible scenario.

Looking at it from another angle: as more institutional funds enter and more real-world business operations run on-chain, the value of $ETH is no longer just a product of "retail sentiment," but is linked to actual financial activity volume. This transformation doesn't happen overnight, but once it becomes a trend, the growth potential is indeed significant.

But to be fair, a bull market is easy to hype, yet the market is complex. An attractive outlook doesn't mean the road is smooth; volatility is a constant guest. What do you think of Tom Lee's prediction? Do you believe institutional applications and this logic can drive prices? Or do you think there are other variables to consider? Feel free to share your thoughts in the community.