## Can Ethereum in 2026 Welcome the "Crystal Ball" Moment? The Tokenization Wave and Institutional Power Could Propel ETH to Take Off

Ethereum has always been in an awkward position. Although ETH reached a new all-time high this year, compared to the breakthroughs achieved on the network in technology and economics, such a price performance still seems insufficient to truly move holders' hearts. It sits between Bitcoin as a store of value and many other crypto assets, clearly higher than most tokens, yet it consistently lacks the explosive moments that Bitcoin has.

As we enter 2026, a key question emerges: will this be the year Ethereum truly begins its exponential growth? Some industry insiders believe the answer is yes.

**Institutional Surge, the Critical Point Has Arrived**

"The timing is now," said Vivek Raman, co-founder of Etherealize, a company focused on promoting Ethereum applications on Wall Street, to the media. "And I mean it seriously."

Raman pointed out that major Wall Street institutions have been heavily entering the Ethereum ecosystem this year. He predicts ETH will soon become the "default asset" for the continuous on-chain activity of traditional economies. After a decade of waiting, Raman believes the "accelerated growth" moment has finally arrived.

With asset tokenization becoming increasingly common and institutional investors becoming more sophisticated in their participation strategies, these developments could unleash hundreds of billions of dollars in new capital into the Ethereum ecosystem.

**Tokenization 2026: From Asset Innovation to DeFi Integration**

"2024 belongs to tokenized government bonds," said James Smith, head of the Ethereum Foundation's Ecosystem Department. "And 2026 is the time to make it truly operate within DeFi."

Smith predicts that the hype around tokenized assets as novel innovations will fade next year, replaced by assets that generate yields or can serve as collateral in DeFi, which will begin to attract real capital inflows. Such developments could significantly increase the capital flowing through Ethereum—further boosting ETH's value—as it becomes the network engine supporting multiple sectors of DeFi and traditional economies.

**The Gap Between Reality and Expectations**

However, even if these trends start to emerge next year, don’t expect ETH to catch up with BTC before Christmas, or even come close—it will be very difficult.

"Ultimately, ETH will evolve into a store of value asset on par with Bitcoin," Raman said. "But essentially, ETH still needs about five years to reach that explosive moment similar to Bitcoin."

Based on current data, ETH is priced at $3,360, still with room to grow from its ATH of $4,950. The combined factors of institutional participation, tokenization applications, and DeFi ecosystem maturity could build a new growth story for Ethereum—but the full picture of this story will take time to unfold.