An expert explains why 2026 could be the year Ethereum surprises the market

Ethereum (ETH) ended 2025 underperforming compared to market expectations, maintaining a calm sentiment around the asset. However, Kevin Rusher, founder of RAAC, argues that focusing on price alone misses the bigger picture.

According to Rasher, 2026 could be the year Ethereum surprises the market, driven by the acceleration of institutional adoption and growth in stablecoins, tokenized assets and payments.

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Everyone is looking at the price of Ethereum, but the real growth of Ethereum is elsewhere

Ethereum is down almost 10% in 2025, after significant losses in the last quarter. It should be noted that January 2026 It started on a positive note, with the asset posting modest gains.

Data from BeInCrypto Markets shows that Ethereum has crossed the $3,000 mark. In the last 24 hours, it has grown by 1.76%. At the time of writing, the ETH price is trading at $3,030.

While price fluctuations make headlines and attract attention in the community, Rasher argues that some commentators are overlooking a more important trend: the growing institutional adoption of Ethereum.

“While some capricious analysts are overly focused on the price of ETH, they are overlooking the massive institutional adoption that has established Ethereum as the new king of crypto,” Rasher said.

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The CEO explained that Ethereum has taken a leading part in the fastest growing area of ​​the cryptocurrency economy. during Christmas, Transgressions Issuance of stablecoins on the network $59 billion, cementing Ethereum’s dominance as it accounted for more than 62% of the total market, far ahead of any competing blockchain.

Tokenized assets strengthen Ethereum’s position

The tokenized asset sector also reinforces the positive situation. BeInCrypto said that Real assets (RWA) recorded significant growth in 2025 despite the broader market decline.

Also, industry experts are always… And encrypted Twitter We are optimistic for 2026, anticipating continued momentum and additional expansion in the sector.

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According to data From RWA.xyzEthereum currently hosts $12.5 billion in tokenized assets, representing more than 65% of the market. Rasher added that its closest competitor, BNB Chain, has only $2 billion, while Solana and Arbitrum account for less than $1 billion. So, if The sector has grown this year, Ethereum can benefit more.

“In fact, during the holidays, we only saw token gold over $4 billion in Ethereum, up from just $1 billion at the beginning of the year. The big gold rush we’re seeing in token gold has happened almost exclusively in Ethereum, and with central banks and investors rushing to get it in any way they can, this growth is only going in one direction.”

Capital flows indicate institutional preference

Rasher also told BeInCrypto that while sentiment towards the ETH price remains weak, capital flows paint a different picture. In 2025, the inflows to Bitcoin were half of their numbers in 2024. Meanwhile, the flows to Ethereum doubled.

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The director was martyred Research Executive State Street revealed that 6% of asset managers have 5% or more of their AUM in Ethereum, compared to 5% with the same level of exposure to Bitcoin.

Finally, Rasher referred to a report from Artemishighlighted that B2B stablecoin payments on Ethereum have grown steadily from August 2024 until August 2025.

“In short, anyone who still bets on Bitcoin as a growth asset for 2026 will probably be surprised by the massive growth we see on Ethereum, driven by stablecoins, tokenization, and payments, which are all snapped up by institutions like there is no tomorrow,” he said.

Rasher is not alone in his optimism. As expressed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of BitMine Tom Lee Expressing a positive perspective towards Ethereum. In a recent interview, Lee predicted that ETH could reach between $7,000 and $9,000 in early 2026, suggesting a potential upside of 130% to 200% compared to current levels.

Overall, Ethereum’s price performance may lag in 2025, but fundamental data suggests that its role in the digital asset economy is still expanding. Whether this growth translates into sustainable price gains will become clear as 2026 progresses.