Sharplink CEO Joseph Chalom outlined his optimistic predictions for the future of Ethereum (ETH), highlighting that the total value locked (TVL) within the network will increase significantly in the coming year.
Stablecoin expansion and institutional interest
According to report At CoinMarketCap, Chalom expects the stablecoin market to soar to $500 billion by December 2026. Currently, the total market capitalization of stablecoins is approximately $308.46 billion, representing a 62% growth over the current figure.
Considering that Ethereum handles more than half of all stablecoin transactions across various blockchain networks, the expected expansion in stablecoin issuance and trading volume is expected to significantly increase the network's TVL.
Chalom predicts that the tokenization market will expand further. real assets (RWA) is also expected to see significant growth, potentially reaching a total value of $300 billion next year.
This is expected to increase the relevance of Ethereum in the financial ecosystem by going beyond tokenizing individual securities and funds to encompass complete fund complexes.
Key to this expected growth is the increasing participation of major financial institutions, including: traditional finance BlackRock has seen increased interest in blockchain technology over the past year. Chalom predicts that this could act as a catalyst to move important assets onto Ethereum’s infrastructure.
Can Ethereum overcome its price problems?
An increase in total value locked generally means higher network utilization, which can strengthen market sentiment and influence Ethereum price dynamics. According to current data TVL in ETH This amounts to approximately $68.2 billion.
Crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen recently expressed skepticism about Ethereum reaching a new high price in 2026, especially considering the state of the Bitcoin (BTC) market.
However, Chalom predicts that sovereign wealth fund holdings and tokenization efforts on Ethereum could increase five to ten times over the next year.
This potential increase is driven by competitive pressures. institutional investorpreviously hesitant about cryptocurrency exposure, is rethinking its strategy as peer adoption accelerates.
Additionally, Chalom believes that the integration of on-chain artificial intelligence (AI) agents and prediction markets will gain mainstream traction in 2026, further driving activity and adding value to the Ethereum ecosystem.
Ultimately, Sharplink's CEO emphasized that institutional interest from traditional financial firms, expanded applications, and participation from sovereign wealth funds could significantly position Ethereum for impressive TVL growth in the near future.
Ethereum is currently trading at around $2,930, which is down 13% year-to-date against major altcoins. Compared to its all-time high of $4,964 earlier this year, the cryptocurrency is currently trading 40% below this level.
Featured image of DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
editing process for focuses on providing thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We adhere to strict sourcing standards and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of the content for readers.
