Tom Lee Predicts Ethereum Could Reach $9,000 in 2026 as Wall Street Accelerates Tokenization

Tom Lee, chairman of U.S. research firm Fundstrat, reiterated a bullish Ethereum prediction this week, stating that ETH could rise to between $7,000 and $9,000 by early 2026. Speaking on CNBC, Lee pointed to the rapid acceleration of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization by Wall Street as a key structural driver behind Ethereum’s long-term value.

(Sources: X)

According to Tom Lee, as traditional finance increasingly moves on-chain, Ethereum is emerging as the core settlement and infrastructure layer for tokenized financial activity.

Wall Street’s Push Into Tokenization Strengthens Ethereum’s Role

In the CNBC interview, Tom Lee said that Wall Street “wants to tokenize everything,” highlighting initiatives by firms such as BlackRock and Robinhood. These efforts aim to bring traditional assets—such as bonds, funds, and equities—onto blockchain rails to improve efficiency, transparency, and settlement speed.

Lee argued that this shift significantly expands Ethereum’s real-world utility. As more financial instruments migrate on-chain, Ethereum’s dominance as a smart contract platform positions it to capture increasing network activity, fee generation, and institutional adoption.

He added that if tokenization continues to scale globally, Ethereum’s long-term price potential could extend well beyond his 2026 target, with a possible path toward $20,000 in later cycles.

Ethereum Leads the RWA Market by a Wide Margin

Data from RWA.xyz shows that the tokenized real-world asset market expanded rapidly in 2025, growing from approximately $5.6 billion at the start of the year to around $18.9 billion. Ethereum currently hosts the majority of this value.

By late December 2025, more than $12 billion worth of tokenized assets were deployed on Ethereum, far exceeding competing networks such as BNB Chain and Solana. This dominance reinforces Ethereum’s position as the primary blockchain for institutional-grade tokenization.

Ethereum also leads the stablecoin market. Around $170 billion in stablecoins are issued on the network, making it the most important settlement layer for dollar-denominated on-chain activity.

Institutional Interest Continues to Build

Institutional engagement has not slowed. In December, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) revealed plans to tokenize a portion of U.S. Treasury assets held by its subsidiaries. DTCC is one of the most critical financial infrastructure institutions globally, having processed roughly $3.7 quadrillion in securities transactions last year.

Tom Lee views these developments as validation of Ethereum’s long-term investment thesis. As compliance-friendly tokenization frameworks mature, Ethereum’s role as a neutral, programmable base layer becomes increasingly difficult to replace.

Bitcoin Outlook and the Rise of New Crypto Infrastructure

Beyond Ethereum, Tom Lee remains bullish on Bitcoin, describing it as a true store of value. He suggested that BTC could realistically reach $200,000 in the next market cycle if institutional adoption continues.

At the same time, the Bitcoin ecosystem itself is evolving. While Bitcoin has traditionally focused on security and value preservation, new projects aim to expand its functionality.

One example gaining attention is Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER), a project designed to combine Bitcoin’s security model with Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) technology. The goal is to enable smart contracts and high-throughput, low-cost transactions directly within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Market data indicates that HYPER has seen sharp price volatility, including a reported 400% surge in a 24-hour period, alongside roughly $30 million raised during its presale phase. The project reflects growing investor interest in Bitcoin-based application layers as BTC adoption expands.

Outlook: Tom Lee’s Ethereum Prediction in Context

Tom Lee’s Ethereum prediction is rooted less in short-term market cycles and more in structural shifts within global finance. As tokenization, stablecoins, and on-chain settlement gain traction among major financial institutions, Ethereum’s network effects continue to deepen.

While price forecasts remain speculative, Ethereum’s leadership in RWA tokenization, stablecoins, and institutional adoption provides a clear фундамент for long-term growth. If Wall Street’s move on-chain accelerates as expected, Lee’s $9,000 ETH target for 2026 may prove conservative rather than optimistic.