Ethereum Wins Institutional Race as Etherealize Co-Founders Forecast $15,000 ETH by 2026

Ethereum is increasingly positioning itself as the dominant blockchain for institutional finance, according to Etherealize co-founders Vivek Raman and Danny Ryan. Speaking on CoinDesk’s Markets Outlook, the pair argued that despite the rapid rise of alternative blockchains like Solana, Ethereum continues to be the preferred choice for the world’s largest financial institutions.

Raman emphasized that major players such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and JPMorgan have consistently selected Ethereum as the foundation for their on-chain initiatives. This trend, he noted, reflects a broader institutional focus on building durable financial infrastructure rather than speculative or meme-driven ecosystems. Ryan echoed this view, stating that institutions are focused on upgrading global markets from “first principles,” prioritizing reliability, security, and long-term viability.

A key factor behind Ethereum’s appeal is its track record. Ryan pointed to Ethereum’s uninterrupted uptime, minimal counterparty risk, and its status as the longest-running smart contract platform as crucial elements creating institutional trust. This “institutional precedent,” he said, gives Ethereum a credibility advantage that newer networks struggle to match.

Regulatory developments in the United States have further accelerated adoption. While the broader crypto market structure legislation, often called the Clarity Act, remains delayed, the GENIUS Act has already had a significant impact. Raman explained that the law legitimized the use of public blockchains for stablecoins, effectively removing legal uncertainty for banks and broker-dealers. As a result, traditional finance firms have begun moving billions of dollars in tokenized money market funds and other real-world assets onto Ethereum without waiting for additional regulatory clarity.

Examples of this shift include BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, which launched on Ethereum before expanding to other networks and now holds over $2 billion in assets. JPMorgan Chase has also entered the space, launching its first tokenized money market fund on Ethereum with an initial $100 million investment.

Looking ahead, Raman and Ryan remain highly bullish on ETH’s long-term value. Raman projected a potential price of $15,000 per ETH by the end of 2026, driven by a multi-trillion-dollar market cap. This outlook is based on the expected expansion of stablecoins, rapid growth in tokenized real-world assets, and Ethereum’s evolution into a productive store of value.

Ryan added that Ethereum’s technical readiness and advancements in Layer 2 scaling and zero-knowledge privacy solutions make it well-prepared for large-scale institutional adoption, reinforcing its role as foundational global financial infrastructure.