largest altcoin Ethereum Market sentiment is divided in two. Accordingly, while blockchain usage and corporate interest are increasing, the price of ETH coin is not keeping up with the same pace. While ETH was trading at approximately $2,924, it lost over 12 percent in value on a yearly basis. Still, some industry insiders argue that 2026 could be the year of breaking for Ethereum on the “capital lock” side. co-CEO of Sharplink Gaming Joseph Chalomsuggested that Ethereum’s total value locked (TVL) could grow up to 10x in 2026.
Two Engines That Could Increase Ethereum’s TVL in 2026: Stablecoin and RWA
At the center of Chalom’s 2026 scenario stablecoin‘s and real world entities(RWAs) tokenization. According to expectations, the stablecoin market may rise from approximately $308 billion to $500 billion by the end of next year. More than half of stablecoin activity currently occurs on Ethereum, strengthening the possibility that growth will directly reflect on network usage and on-blockchain collateral.
The second title is RWA side. Chalom thinks tokenized RWAs could reach $300 billion by 2026. As the reason for this expectation, he cited the fact that large financial institutions are leaving the trial phase and scaling their intra-Blockchain fund offerings. famous CEO BlackRock, JPMorgan And Franklin Templeton Institutions such as expanding their presence in Blockchain altcoin He pointed to the king as reinforcing his role as the “preferred compromise layer.”
Security, Institutional Interest and Price Targets for ETH
Another set of data that supports the enterprise adoption narrative for Ethereum is network security. Milk RoadAccording to , Ethereum grew from zero in 2020 to over 32 million staked ETH in 2025, securing over $105 billion in economic value. The number of validators also increased from zero to over 1 million active validators during the same period. While the security of Bitcoin is measured by hashrate, it is emphasized that the “economic security” metric for Ethereum is becoming increasingly critical for institutions.
Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee He claimed that Wall Street’s trend towards tokenizing stocks and financial instruments will benefit Ethereum. Lee said Ethereum is a natural candidate for enterprise tokenization due to its neutral architecture, strong uptime, and deep developer ecosystem. On the price side, he brought up the $ 7,000–9,000 band for the beginning of 2026, with a potential extending to $ 20,000 in the longer term if adoption accelerates.
cryptocurrency analyst Christopher Perkins He also stated that corporates will prefer Blockchains that offer reliability, security and risk management, and stated that Ethereum maintains its leadership in relevant fields.
Despite extremely positive expectations, the price lag is confusing. While ETH coin is hovering around $2,900, annual performance is in negative territory. Analyst Benjamin Cowenwarned that broader market conditions, and the Bitcoin cycle in particular, could delay a strong breakout in Ethereum. On the other hand, the TVL increase in corporate usage and the strengthened security set support the view that the ground is solidifying in a “usage-oriented” manner as we enter 2026.
