Tom Lee Predicts Ether Prices Could Soar to $9,000 by 2026

The role of Ethereum in institutional finance has gained significant attention as Tom Lee, co-founder and head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, presented a bullish outlook for Ether. During a segment on CNBC’s *Power Lunch*, Lee projected that the price of Ether could rise to between $7,000 and $9,000 by early 2026, driven by Wall Street’s increasing efforts to tokenize assets and enhance on-chain financial activities.

Lee emphasized that the investment case for Ether is becoming increasingly linked to its role as a foundational financial infrastructure. As traditional financial institutions, including Robinhood and BlackRock, explore tokenized securities and on-chain settlement, he noted, “Wall Street wants to tokenize everything.” This shift could potentially streamline operations in traditional finance while solidifying real-world applications for Ether.

In addition to the short-term price predictions, Lee suggested that Ether could eventually reach $20,000 if adoption continues to expand. He described Ether as a “genuine store of value” and framed the possibility of reaching $200,000 next year as plausible, highlighting the growing interest in cryptocurrency markets.

According to data from CoinGecko, Lee also serves as chairman of BitMine Immersion Technologies, a prominent company focused on Ether holdings, which currently manages approximately 4,066,062 ETH. The demand for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) has surged, with US Treasury debt recognized as the largest tokenized asset class, valued at around $8.5 billion, followed by commodities at approximately $3.4 billion.

As of late December 2025, Ethereum leads the market with over $12 billion in tokenized assets, surpassing competitors such as BNB Chain, Solana, and Arbitrum. Furthermore, Ethereum dominates stablecoin issuance, accounting for roughly $170 billion issued on its network, reinforcing its status as the primary settlement layer for dollar-denominated transactions on-chain.

Interest in tokenized RWAs continues to grow among institutional investors. Recently, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation announced plans to expand its services in this domain, signaling robust confidence in the potential of Ethereum and other blockchain technologies to reshape financial landscapes.

As these developments unfold, the implications for Ethereum’s market position and its broader adoption in institutional finance are likely to remain significant. The dialogue around Ether and its future trajectory exemplifies the shifting dynamics within the financial sector as it increasingly embraces innovative technologies.