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

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 Layer 1 networks, to the U.S. GENIUS Act clearing regulatory hurdles for stablecoins, and platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood building dedicated blockchains on Layer 2 — 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 behind Ethereum becoming the “best business platform,” but also forecasts a “fivefold growth” in tokenized assets, stablecoins, and ETH prices across three tracks. 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 most secure and reliable blockchain platform adopted by global institutions.

Ethereum’s technology has achieved scalable application, 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 be the premier platform for conducting business.

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

Finally, we will present a forecast for Ethereum in 2026: tokenized asset volume, stablecoin market size, and ETH price are all expected to increase fivefold. The stage for Ethereum’s revival is set, and enterprises are now ready to adopt Ethereum infrastructure.

Ethereum: The Core Platform for Tokenized Assets

The revolution in asset management via blockchain is akin to how the internet transformed information — enabling assets to be digitized, programmable, and globally interoperable.

Tokenization of assets integrates assets, data, and payments into a unified infrastructure, fully upgrading business processes. Stocks, bonds, real estate, and capital can now circulate at internet speeds. 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 business model upgrade. Just as no company would abandon the internet for fax machines, once financial institutions experience the efficiency, automation, and speed benefits of shared global blockchain infrastructure, they will not revert to traditional methods. The tokenization process will become irreversible.

Currently, most high-value assets are tokenized on Ethereum — because Ethereum is the most neutral, 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.

Some examples of institutional asset tokenization on Ethereum include:

• JPMorgan deploying money market funds directly on Ethereum, becoming one of the first banks to adopt public blockchain;
• Fidelity launching money market funds on Ethereum Layer 1, integrating asset management and operations into blockchain infrastructure;
• Apollo launching a private credit fund, ACRED, on public blockchain, with Ethereum and its Layer 2 networks offering the highest liquidity;
• BlackRock, as a leading advocate of “everything tokenized,” launching tokenized money market fund BUIDL on Ethereum, leading the institutional asset tokenization wave;
• Amundi (Europe’s largest asset manager) tokenizing its euro-denominated money market fund on Ethereum;
• BNY Mellon (America’s oldest bank) tokenizing a AAA-rated collateralized loan obligation (CLO) fund on Ethereum;
• Baillie Gifford (one of the UK’s largest asset managers) planning to launch a similar tokenized bond fund on Ethereum and Layer 2 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 dollar transactions at internet speed with programmability.

2025 is a pivotal year for stablecoins and public blockchain development: the U.S. GENIUS Act (also known as the Stablecoin Act) was officially passed, establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins and greenlighting 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 Layer 2 networks (if including future Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chains that may become Layer 2 on Ethereum, this figure could reach 90%). The passage of the GENIUS Act marks Ethereum’s official “commercialization” — institutions can now operate regulated stablecoins on public blockchains.

The reason email and websites achieved mass adoption was due to access via a unified global internet (not isolated intranets). Similarly, stablecoins and all tokenized assets can only fully realize their potential and network effects within a unified global public blockchain ecosystem.

Thus, the explosive growth of stablecoins is just beginning. A typical case is SoFi, the U.S. 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” for stablecoin development. Investment banks and new banking entities are exploring issuing their own stablecoins individually or in alliances, and fintech companies are advancing deployment and integration. The digitalization of the dollar on public blockchains is underway, with Ethereum as the default platform.

Ethereum: Building Dedicated Blockchains

Blockchain is not a “one size fits all” tool. The global financial market requires tailored solutions based on geography, regulation, and customer base. For this reason, Ethereum was designed from the outset with high security as a core principle, and through deployable “Layer 2 blockchains,” it enables high customization.

Just as every enterprise has its own website, apps, and customized environment on the internet, many will have their own Layer 2 blockchain within the Ethereum ecosystem.

This is not just a theoretical architecture but a practical reality. Layer 2 solutions on Ethereum have established institutional use cases, enabling scalable deployment and becoming a core support for Ethereum’s “business-friendly” features. Some examples:

• Coinbase built the Base blockchain on Ethereum Layer 2, 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 Layer 2;
• SWIFT (the global banking messaging network) is using Ethereum Layer 2 network Linea for blockchain-based settlement services;
• JPMorgan deployed tokenized deposit services on Ethereum Layer 2 network Base;
• Deutsche Bank is building a permissioned public blockchain on Layer 2, laying the groundwork for more banks to develop their own Layer 2 solutions.

Layer 2’s value lies not only in customization but also in being the most effective business model in blockchain. It combines Ethereum’s global security with operational profit margins exceeding 90%, opening new revenue streams for enterprises.

For institutions adopting blockchain, this is the optimal “win-win”: leveraging Ethereum’s security and liquidity while maintaining profit margins and operating dedicated environments within the Ethereum ecosystem. Robinhood’s choice to build its own chain on Layer 2 is driven by this logic: “Creating a truly decentralized, secure chain is extremely difficult… but with Ethereum, we get security by default.”

The global financial system will not be confined to a single blockchain, but it can rely on interconnected networks for collaboration — and this network is Ethereum and its Layer 2 ecosystem.

Regulatory Environment 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. High-value assets and capital flows require a robust regulatory framework, and the U.S. is leading in this area:

• Under 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 two years, all U.S. markets will be on-chain.”
• The U.S. Congress also supports responsible blockchain adoption. The 2025 GENIUS Act (mentioned earlier in the stablecoin section) and the upcoming CLARITY Act (which will establish comprehensive frameworks for asset tokenization and public blockchain infrastructure) have incorporated blockchain into the legal system, providing clear guidance for financial institutions.
• The DTCC (Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation), though a private entity, is a core infrastructure operator for U.S. securities markets. It has fully embraced asset tokenization, allowing assets held in DTC custody to circulate on public blockchains.

Over the past decade, blockchain’s ecosystem was in a “regulatory gray area,” limiting institutional applications. Now, led by the U.S., the regulatory environment has shifted from “resistance” to “support.” Ethereum’s position as the “best business platform” and the stage for thriving growth has been fully established.

ETH: Institutional-Grade Treasury Asset

Ethereum’s status as the “safest blockchain” makes it the default choice for institutions. By 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 foundational ecosystem that fuels economic activity.

MicroStrategy, as the largest corporate holder of 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 holding in institutional digital asset portfolios.

Now, four “MicroStrategy-like” companies are emerging within the Ethereum ecosystem, pushing ETH toward similar breakthroughs:

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

MicroStrategy owns about 3.2% of BTC’s circulating supply. The four ETH-holding companies have collectively purchased approximately 4.5% of ETH’s circulating supply over the past six months — and this process is just beginning.

As these companies continue to include ETH in their balance sheets, institutional ownership of these ETH holdings is rapidly rising. ETH is poised for revaluation, potentially matching BTC as an institutional store of value.

2026 Ethereum Forecast: Fivefold Growth

Tokenized Assets: Growth to $100 billion (5x)

In 2025, the total value of tokenized assets on blockchain grew from about $6 billion to over $18 billion, with 66% deployed on Ethereum and Layer 2 networks.

The global financial system is just beginning its asset tokenization journey, with institutions like JPMorgan, BlackRock, and Fidelity already defaulting to Ethereum for high-value tokenized assets.

We forecast that by 2026, the total tokenized asset market will grow fivefold to nearly $100 billion, with most assets deployed on Ethereum.

Stablecoins: Growth to $1.5 trillion (5x)

Currently, the total stablecoin market cap on public blockchains is $308 billion, with about 60% on Ethereum and Layer 2 networks (if including future Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chains that may become Layer 2, this could reach 90%). Stablecoins have become a strategic asset for the U.S. government. The U.S. Treasury has repeatedly stated that stablecoins are central to maintaining dollar dominance in the 21st century. The total dollar supply is approximately $22.3 trillion. With the enactment of the GENIUS Act and large-scale stablecoin adoption, an estimated 20-30% of dollars will migrate onto public blockchains.

We project that by 2026, the total stablecoin market cap will increase fivefold to $1.5 trillion, with Ethereum playing a leading role.

ETH: Growth to $15,000 (5x)

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

• Expansion of asset tokenization
• Widespread stablecoin adoption
• Institutional blockchain adoption
• Industry-transforming breakthroughs (“ChatGPT moments”)

Holding ETH is akin to owning a stake in the “new financial internet.” Its value growth is driven by increasing user base, asset volume, applications, Layer 2 activity, and transaction frequency.

We forecast that by 2026, ETH will achieve at least fivefold growth, reaching a market cap of $2 trillion (comparable to current BTC market cap), heralding an “Nvidia moment” for ETH — a critical phase of explosive growth driven by AI and technological breakthroughs.

Ethereum: The Best Platform for Business

By 2026, the discussion of “why adopt blockchain” will be a thing of the past. Institutions are fully engaged in asset tokenization, stablecoin deployment, and customized blockchain solutions, marking the start of a structural upgrade to the global financial system.

When choosing blockchain infrastructure, institutions prioritize: proven track record, application cases, security, liquidity, usability, and risk management — and Ethereum excels in all these areas. If a company needs to:

• Increase profit margins? Use asset tokenization to cut costs, stablecoins to reduce fees, and build dedicated blockchains on Ethereum.
• Create new revenue streams? Develop structured products, launch new assets, or issue proprietary stablecoins on Ethereum.
• Digitize operations? Optimize workflows, automate accounting and payments, and reduce manual reconciliation using Ethereum.

2025 marks a turning point for Ethereum: infrastructure upgrades are complete, pilot projects are scaling, and regulatory support is strengthening.

By 2026, the global financial system will experience an “Internet moment” — and this transformation will happen on Ethereum, the premier platform for doing business.