Original Author: Vivek Raman, Etherealize

Original Compilation: Saoirse, Foresight News

Editor's Note: As the year 2026 begins, while global financial institutions are still searching for a definitive path for digital transformation, Ethereum has quietly become the core battlefield for institutional layout, thanks to its decade-long accumulation of security, scalable technological support, and clear regulatory environment. From JPMorgan deploying money market funds on public chains, 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 based on Layer 2 — a series of actions confirm Ethereum's transformation from a "technical testing ground" to "global financial infrastructure." In this analysis by Etherealize's Vivek Raman, not only is the underlying logic of Ethereum becoming the "best business platform" dissected, but predictions of "fivefold growth" in tokenized assets, stablecoins, and ETH prices are also presented. His interpretation of institutional holding trends and the inflection point of the financial system's "blockchainization" may provide key references for understanding the direction of the new year's crypto market and financial transformation.

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 application, institutional use cases have been established, and the global regulatory environment is open and welcoming to blockchain infrastructure, while the development of stablecoins and the process of asset tokenization are bringing fundamental changes.

Therefore, starting in 2026, Ethereum will become the best platform for conducting business.

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

Finally, we will provide predictions for Ethereum in 2026: the scale of tokenization, the scale of stablecoins, and the price of ETH are all expected to achieve fivefold growth. The stage for Ethereum's revival has been set, and the timing for various enterprises to adopt Ethereum's infrastructure is now ripe.

Ethereum: The Core Platform for Tokenized Assets

The transformation of assets through blockchain is akin to the reshaping of information through the internet — enabling assets to be digitized, programmable, and globally interoperable.

Asset tokenization achieves digitization by integrating assets, data, and payments into the same infrastructure, thereby comprehensively upgrading business processes. Stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets and funds will be able to circulate at internet speed. This is a significant upgrade that the financial system should have realized long ago, and now, global public blockchains like Ethereum are finally making this vision a reality.

Asset tokenization is rapidly transforming from a popular concept to a fundamental upgrade in business models. Just as no company would abandon the internet to return to the fax machine era, once financial institutions experience the efficiency, automation, and speed advantages brought by globally shared blockchain infrastructure, they will not revert to traditional models, and the tokenization process will become irreversible.

Currently, the vast majority of high-value asset tokenization is completed on the Ethereum platform — because Ethereum is the most neutral and secure global infrastructure, similar to 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 officially end, and the industry will enter the deployment phase. Major institutions are directly launching flagship products on the Ethereum platform to access global liquidity.

Here are some examples of institutions conducting asset tokenization on Ethereum:

• JPMorgan directly deployed a money market fund on Ethereum, becoming one of the first banks to adopt public blockchain directly;
• Fidelity launched a money market fund on Ethereum Layer 1, integrating asset management and operational processes into the blockchain system;
• Apollo launched a private credit fund ACRED on public blockchain, with the highest liquidity on Ethereum and its Layer 2;
• BlackRock, as one of the most active advocates of the "everything tokenized" concept, led the wave of institutional asset tokenization by launching a tokenized money market fund BUIDL on Ethereum;
• Amundi (Europe's largest asset management company) tokenized its euro-denominated money market fund on the Ethereum platform;
• BNY Mellon (the oldest bank in the U.S.) tokenized a AAA-rated collateralized loan obligation (CLO) fund on the Ethereum platform;
• Baillie Gifford (one of the largest asset management companies in the UK) will launch the first tokenized bond fund of its kind on Ethereum and its Layer 2 network.

Ethereum: The Core Blockchain for Stablecoins

Stablecoins are the first clear case of achieving "product-market fit" in the field of asset tokenization — by 2025, the scale of stablecoin transfers has exceeded $10 trillion. Stablecoins are essentially tokenized dollars, equivalent to a "software upgrade of currency," allowing dollars to circulate at internet speed and possess programmable features.

The year 2025 is a key year for the development of stablecoins and public blockchains: the U.S. "GENIUS Act" (also known as the "Stablecoin Act") was officially passed. This act established a regulatory framework for stablecoins and simultaneously signaled a "green light" for the underlying public blockchain infrastructure of stablecoins.

Even before the passage of the "GENIUS Act," Ethereum's stablecoin adoption rate was already far ahead. Currently, 60% of stablecoins are deployed on Ethereum and its Layer 2 networks (if we include Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chains that may become Layer 2 in the future, this proportion will reach 90%). The introduction of the "GENIUS Act" marks the formal "opening of commercial applications" for Ethereum — institutions are granted regulatory permission to deploy their own stablecoins on public blockchains.

The reason email and websites achieved large-scale adoption is that they connected to a unified global internet (rather than decentralized 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 case is that SoFi became the first bank to issue a stablecoin (SoFiUSD) on a permissionless public blockchain, ultimately choosing the Ethereum platform.

This is just the "tip of the iceberg" in the development of stablecoins. Investment banks and new banks are exploring issuing their own stablecoins either individually or in alliances, and fintech companies are also advancing the deployment and integration of stablecoins. The digitization process of the dollar on public blockchains has fully commenced, and Ethereum is the default platform for this process.

Ethereum: Building Dedicated Blockchains

Blockchain is not a "one-size-fits-all" tool. Global financial markets need to be customized according to regional, regulatory, and customer group differences. For this reason, Ethereum has been designed with high security as a core goal since its inception, and through "Layer 2 blockchains" that can be flexibly deployed on top, it has achieved a high degree of customization.

Just as every company has its own website, application, and customized environment on the internet, many companies will also have their own dedicated Layer 2 blockchains within the Ethereum ecosystem in the future.

This is not a theoretical framework but a practical application that has already been implemented. Ethereum Layer 2 has formed institutional use cases, achieving scalable deployment and becoming the core support for Ethereum's "business-friendly" characteristics. Here are some examples:

• Coinbase built the Base blockchain based on Ethereum Layer 2, leveraging Ethereum's security and liquidity while opening up new revenue streams for itself;
• Robinhood is building a dedicated blockchain that will integrate tokenized stocks, prediction markets, and various assets, and is based on Ethereum Layer 2 technology;
• SWIFT (the global banking information transmission network) is using the Ethereum Layer 2 network Linea to conduct blockchain-based settlement business;
• JPMorgan deployed a tokenized deposit business on the Ethereum Layer 2 network Base;
• Deutsche Bank is building a public permissioned blockchain network based on Ethereum Layer 2, laying the foundation for more banks to establish Layer 2 networks…

The value of Layer 2 lies not only in customization but also in being the best business model in the blockchain field. Layer 2 integrates Ethereum's global security while achieving over 90% profit margins through operations, opening up new revenue sources for enterprises.

For institutions adopting blockchain technology, this is the best way to "have your cake and eat it too" — leveraging Ethereum's security and liquidity while maintaining their own profit margins and operating in a dedicated environment within the Ethereum ecosystem. Robinhood's choice to build its own blockchain based on Ethereum Layer 2 is precisely due to this consideration: "Building a truly decentralized secure chain is extremely difficult… and with Ethereum, we can default to security guarantees."

The global financial market will not concentrate on a single blockchain, but the global financial system can achieve synergy through an interconnected network — this network is Ethereum and its Layer 2 ecosystem.

Changes in the Regulatory Environment

Without regulatory support, a fundamental upgrade of the global financial system cannot be discussed. Financial institutions are not technology companies and cannot innovate through "rapid trial and error." The circulation of high-value assets and funds requires a complete regulatory framework, and the U.S. is playing a leading role in this area:

• Under the leadership of SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, the first regulatory system supporting innovation has been officially established since Ethereum's inception in 2015. Institutions have actively embraced asset tokenization, and the financial system is preparing to migrate to digital infrastructure. Atkins himself has stated that "within the next two years, all markets in the U.S. will operate on-chain."
• The U.S. Congress also supports the responsible adoption of blockchain technology. The "GENIUS Act" passed in 2025 (mentioned earlier in the "Stablecoins" 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 to apply this technology.
• The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), although not a government agency, is the core infrastructure operator of the U.S. securities market. This organization has fully embraced asset tokenization, allowing assets deposited with the Depository Trust Company (DTC) to circulate on public blockchains.

Over the past decade, the blockchain ecosystem has long been in a "regulatory gray area," and its institutional-level application potential has been suppressed. Now, under the leadership of the U.S., the regulatory environment has shifted from "resistance" to "support." The stage for Ethereum to become the "best business platform" and achieve robust development has been fully established.

ETH: Institutional-Level Treasury Asset

Ethereum has established its position as the "safest blockchain," making it the default choice for institutions. Based on this, ETH will be repriced in 2026, becoming a "institutional-grade value storage asset" alongside BTC.

The blockchain ecosystem will have more than one value storage asset: BTC has established its position as "digital gold," while ETH has become "digital oil" — a value storage asset that is profitable, practical, and driven by underlying ecological economic activities.

MicroStrategy, as the company holding the most Bitcoin, has led the process of BTC becoming a value storage asset. Over the past four years, MicroStrategy has continuously incorporated BTC into its treasury assets, advocating for the value concept of BTC, making it a core category of institutional digital asset holdings.

Now, the Ethereum ecosystem has seen the emergence of four "MicroStrategy-like" companies that are driving ETH to achieve 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 supply of BTC. The four companies mentioned above that hold ETH have collectively purchased about 4.5% of the circulating supply of ETH in the past six months — and this process has only just begun.

As these four companies continue to incorporate ETH into their balance sheets, the institutional ownership ratio of these ETH-holding companies is rapidly increasing, and ETH is expected to be repriced, becoming an institutional-grade value storage asset alongside BTC.

2026 Ethereum Predictions: Fivefold Growth

Tokenized Assets: Fivefold Growth to $100 Billion

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

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

We predict that by 2026, the total scale of tokenized assets will achieve fivefold growth, reaching nearly $100 billion, with the vast majority deployed on the Ethereum network.

Stablecoins: Fivefold Growth to $1.5 Trillion

Currently, the total scale of stablecoins on public blockchains is $308 billion, with approximately 60% deployed on Ethereum and its Layer 2 networks (if we include Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chains that may become Layer 2 in the future, this proportion will reach 90%).

Stablecoins have become a strategic asset for the U.S. government. The U.S. Treasury has repeatedly stated that stablecoins are a core initiative to solidify the dollar's dominance in the 21st century. Currently, the total circulation of dollars is $22.3 trillion. With the implementation of the "GENIUS Act" and the large-scale application of stablecoins, it is expected that 20%-30% of dollars will migrate to public blockchains.

We predict that by 2026, the total market value of stablecoins will achieve fivefold growth, reaching $1.5 trillion, with Ethereum playing a leading role in this process.

ETH: Fivefold Growth to $15,000

ETH is rapidly developing into an institutional-grade value storage asset alongside BTC. ETH is the "call option" for the growth of blockchain technology, and its value growth will benefit from the following trends:

• Expansion of asset tokenization scale
• Widespread application of stablecoins
• Institutional adoption of blockchain
• The financial system's upgrade to the internet era, marking a "ChatGPT moment" (referring to the inflection point of industry transformation brought about by technological breakthroughs)

Holding ETH is akin to holding a portion of equity in the "new financial internet." The logic of its value growth is clear: increases in user scale, asset scale, application quantity, Layer 2 networks, and transaction frequency will all drive up the value of ETH.

We predict that by 2026, ETH will achieve at least fivefold value growth (with a market cap reaching $2 trillion, comparable to the current market cap of BTC), ushering in an "NVIDIA moment" for ETH (referring to a critical phase of explosive growth similar to NVIDIA's due to the AI wave).

Ethereum: The Best Platform for Conducting Business

By 2026, the discussion of "why adopt blockchain" will be a thing of the past. Institutions are now fully competing in asset tokenization, stablecoin applications, and customized blockchain deployments, and the structural upgrade of the global financial system has already begun.

When choosing blockchain infrastructure, institutions prioritize factors such as: long-term operational record, application precedents, security, liquidity, availability, and risk levels — and Ethereum performs best across all dimensions. If enterprises have the following needs, Ethereum will be the ideal choice:

• Looking to improve profit margins? They can reduce costs through asset tokenization, use stablecoins to lower transaction fees, and build dedicated blockchains based on Ethereum.
• Seeking to open new revenue sources? They can create structured products on the Ethereum platform, launch new types of assets, and issue their own stablecoins.
• Aiming for digital business upgrades? They can leverage Ethereum to optimize operational processes, achieve automation in accounting and payments, and reduce manual reconciliation work.

2025 is a turning point for Ethereum's development: infrastructure upgrades are completed, institutional pilot projects are scaled up, and the regulatory environment has turned favorable.

In 2026, the global financial system will welcome its "internet moment" — and this transformation will occur on Ethereum, the best platform for conducting business.

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