Ethereum Set to Lead in Institutional Digital Asset Tokenization
Ethereum’s increasing integration into financial markets was highlighted this week by industry experts, emphasizing its potential to transform traditional finance through blockchain innovation. Notably, Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat Global Advisors, forecasted that Ethereum’s price could surge to between $7,000 and $9,000 by early 2026, driven by Wall Street’s advancing efforts to tokenize assets and facilitate on-chain financial activities.
Lee pointed out that Ethereum’s role as a foundational infrastructure is expanding, with major financial institutions experimenting with on-chain settlement and tokenized securities. He stated, “Wall Street wants to tokenize everything,” referencing initiatives by firms like Robinhood and BlackRock. These efforts aim to improve efficiencies in traditional finance, while anchoring real-world assets on the Ethereum network. He further suggested that, as adoption increases, Ethereum could reach a valuation of $20,000, underscoring its strategic importance in the evolving digital economy.
Lee also expressed strong confidence in Bitcoin, calling it a โgenuine store of value,โ with a target of $200,000 in the next year. He sees the recent underperformance compared to gold as a temporary setback, and believes Bitcoin’s long-term prospects remain robust in light of ongoing institutional interest.
Leading the crypto treasury landscape, BitMine Immersion Technologies, a company specializing in Ether holdings, reports ownership of over 4 million ETH, reflecting the growing institutional accumulation of digital assets. According to CoinGecko, Ethereum’s ecosystem is increasingly dominant in tokenized real-world assets (RWA), with a market value reaching approximately $18.9 billionโup from around $5.6 billion at the start of the year. US Treasury debt comprises the largest share, valued at roughly $8.5 billion, followed by commodities at about $3.4 billion, emphasizing Ethereum’s central role in bridging traditional finance with blockchain technology.
As of late December 2025, Ethereum hosts more than $12 billion in tokenized assets, leading other blockchains like BNB Chain, Solana, and Arbitrum. It also accounts for roughly $170 billion in stablecoin issuance, cementing its position as the primary settlement layer for dollar-denominated transactions on-chain.
Institutional interest in tokenized assets persists, with the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) planning to tokenize U.S. Treasury securities on the Canton Network. This move underscores growing confidence from traditional financial players in digital asset infrastructure, leveraging blockchain to streamline securities processing, which saw about $3.7 quadrillion in transactions last year.
