Crypto
Binance Targets Thailand’s Crypto Oasis As Launchpad To 1 Billion Users | Bitcoinist.com
Binance is shifting its focus to increase cryptocurrency adoption in Thailand which could transform the future of digital assets in the Asian region.
Binance announced it wants to make virtual coins a mainstream currency in the Thai market, which could propel the crypto platform to hit 1 billion users.
Binance Chief Marketing Officer Rachel Conlan said that the crypto firm sees Thailand as a key strategic market in expanding its dominance in the cryptocurrency sector.
A Strategic Market
During the Binance Blockchain Week, Conlan explained that Binance’s primary market is Asia because there are many early crypto adopters in the country.
The Binance executive added that the Southeast Asian country has taken the “pioneering approach” when it comes to digital currency, believing that Thailand is moving in the right direction in making crypto regulations.
“I think that is what ultimately is going to help this industry thrive and drive forward,” Conlan remarked.
A High Crypto Penetration
Conlan explained that one of the reasons why Binance targets Thailand for its expansion is its high crypto penetration rate, which is twice the global average.
Statistics showed that the global crypto penetration rate is only 6% but Conlan said that in Thailand the penetration rate is pegged at 12%.
The Binance executive noted that Bitcoin adoption worldwide remains relatively low although cryptocurrency has been in existence for many years now.
Bitcoin market cap currently at $1.45 trillion. Chart: TradingView.com
In recent months, there have been several factors driving the surge in crypto.
Currently, the cryptocurrency platform operates in 100 markets globally with at least 240 million users. The crypto firm continues its business expansion wherein 60 million users were added in more than six months.
Turning Thailand Into A Crypto Hub
Binance’s crypto expansion is a welcome development in the Southeast Asian country as it aims to become a crypto hub in the region.
In October this year, Thailand’s Digital Asset Association president Nares Laopannarai said that it is plausible that the country could become a cryptocurrency center once strategic policies that support its development are implemented.
Laopannarai said that to be able to compete regionally, Thailand should bolster its position as a hub for digital assets by striking a balance between traditional finance and blockchain technology.
He added that the country is already going in that direction to become more supportive and less regulatory.
Binance Exec Filed Motion To Dismiss
In a related development, Binance lawyers and its ex-CEO Changpeng Zhao have asked the court to dismiss the charges filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against them.
The crypto firm’s lawyers and its former executive argued that the SEC’s amended complaint is a “lip service” to a previous ruling of the court which stated that crypto assets are treated as securities.
They added it seems that the SEC did not recognize the impact of the court’s ruling in cryptocurrency trading, saying that secondary market resales of crypto do not constitute “securities” transactions.
Featured image from Wanderlust Travel Magazine, chart from TradingView
Financially Settled Ether (“FET”) Futures
| Vendor | Front Month | M25 Contract |
|---|---|---|
| Activ Financial / Options Technology | FET/*.CF | FET/25M.CF |
| BarChart | Y9*0 | Y9M5 |
| Bloomberg | FET = FTEA Curncy | FET = FTEA Curncy |
| CQG | FET? | FETM25 |
| DevExperts | /FETM25:XCBF | /FETM25:XCBF |
| DTN IQ | @FET | @FETM25 |
| DTN ProphetX | @FET | @FETM25 |
| Factset | FET.1-USA | FETM25-USA, FETM25-CBF |
| Interactive Data / ICE | F2:FET1C | F2:FETM25 |
| LiveVol | N/A | FETM25 |
| Morningstar | FET0Y | FETM25 |
| PICO | FET/M5 June 2025 | FET/M5 June 2025 |
| Silexx | N/A | FET/M25 |
| Six-Group | FET | FET5M or FETM5 |
| TradeStation | FETM25 | FETM25 |
| Trading Technologies | FET Jun25 | FET Jun25 |
Financially Settled Bitcoin (“FBT”) Futures
| Vendor | Front Month | M25 Contract |
|---|---|---|
| Activ Financial / Options Technology | FBT/*.CF | FBT/25M.CF |
| BarChart | Y7*0 | Y7M5 |
| Bloomberg | FBT = FXBA Curncy | FBT = FXBA Curncy |
| CQG | FBT? | FBTM25 |
| DevExperts | /FBTM25:XCBF | /FBTM25:XCBF |
| DTN IQ | @FBT | @FBTM25 |
| DTN ProphetX | @FBT | @FBTM25 |
| Factset | FBTC.1-USA | FBTCM25-USA, FBTCM25-CBF |
| Interactive Data / ICE | F2:FBT1C | F2:FBTM25 |
| LiveVol | N/A | FBTM25 |
| Morningstar | FBT0Y | FBTM25 |
| PICO | FBT/M5 June 2025 | FBT/M5 June 2025 |
| Silexx | N/A | FBT/M25 |
| Six-Group | FBT | FBT5M or FBT5M |
| TradeStation | FBTM25 | FBTM25 |
| Trading Technologies | FBT Jun25 | FBT Jun25 |
Crypto
This Popular Cryptocurrency Could Soar by 177% in 2026, According to Wall Street Analyst Tom Lee
Key Points
-
Ethereum is the leading platform for developers who want to build decentralized software applications, which are popular in areas like gaming and finance.
-
Ether, which is Ethereum’s native cryptocurrency, set a new record high during 2025, but it ended the year in the red.
-
Wall Street analyst Tom Lee thinks Ether could soar in the early stages of 2026, and he chairs a company that owns over $13 billion worth of coins.
Cryptocurrencies had a tough year in 2025, with most popular coins and tokens suffering losses. Not even the industry leaders like Bitcoin and Ethereum(CRYPTO: ETH) were spared, ending the year down 5% and 11%, respectively.
But 2026 is here, and Wall Street analyst Tom Lee recently came out with a set of very bullish forecasts. He thinks Ether, which is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network, could soar to $9,000 per coin early in the year, implying a potential upside of 177% from where it’s trading as I write this.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »
Lee founded Fundstrat Global Advisors, but he’s also the chairman of BitMine Immersion Technologies(NYSEMKT: BMNR), which owns approximately $13.4 billion worth of Ethereum, so he certainly has some skin in the game. How realistic is his latest forecast?
Image source: Getty Images.
What is Ethereum?
Ethereum is a platform where people develop decentralized software applications, which are increasingly popular in industries like gaming and financial services. These apps are governed by smart contracts, which are pieces of computer code that live on the Ethereum blockchain. They typically can’t be changed, so no person or company can manipulate the app’s core set of rules, ensuring it stays decentralized.
The Ethereum network itself is also completely decentralized. Instead of using one large data center, it’s hosted on thousands of nodes (computers) all over the world that store an updated copy of its blockchain. Therefore, the network won’t be compromised even if some nodes go down, and that’s how Ethereum has boasted 100% uptime over the last decade.
Ether is like the fuel that makes the Ethereum network function. Every time a person activates a smart contract by using an app, or even transfers a crypto token built on Ethereum, they incur a fee that is payable in Ether. Therefore, the larger the network grows, the more demand there is for Ether, and the more valuable the coin becomes (in theory).
Thousands of decentralized apps have been built on Ethereum so far. Uniswap, for instance, is a popular exchange where people can trade their cryptocurrencies for other cryptocurrencies. Pricing and execution is handled entirely by smart contracts with no intermediaries, creating a lightning-fast and cost-effective experience. Users don’t even need to create an account, because they can connect their crypto wallets directly to Uniswap and immediately start transacting.
How realistic is Lee’s target?
Tom Lee thinks decentralized apps will take over the financial industry, and as the largest platform of its kind, he’s betting Ethereum will lead the transition. The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, is already exploring plans to tokenize some of its exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by moving them onto the blockchain, where they can trade more efficiently compared to using traditional stock exchanges.
That is just one example suggesting Lee could eventually be right. But the growing adoption of stablecoins — many of which are built on Ethereum — is another sign. These cryptocurrencies are designed to maintain a stable value (hence their name), and they can be sent anywhere in the world practically instantly. Therefore, they are far more efficient than traditional payment rails that often take several days to move money across borders.
According to Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment Management, over $15 trillion in payment volume was processed using stablecoins in 2024, which was more volume than both Visa and Mastercard processed.
But could all of this send Ether soaring by 177% to $9,000 per coin in the early stages of 2026? I’m not so sure. Ether climbed to a record price of $4,946 per coin in 2025, which was a win for investors, but it was the first new high in four years. Plus, the coin has already lost 32% of its peak value, so I’m not sure if it can muster enough momentum to almost triple in value in the next few months like Lee predicts.
With that said, $9,000 per coin would give Ether a market capitalization of around $1.08 trillion, so it would still be much smaller than Bitcoin, which has a market cap of $1.85 trillion. Therefore, I wouldn’t rule out Lee’s target, especially if the decentralized revolution continues to gather momentum, but I would certainly be cautious about the timing. Plus, it’s important to remember Lee chairs the BitMine Immersion Technologies company, which owns 4.1 million Ether coins, so he has a vested interest in putting forward highly bullish targets.
Should you buy stock in Ethereum right now?
Before you buy stock in Ethereum, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Ethereum wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $488,222!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,134,333!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 969% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 196% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of January 10, 2026.
Anthony Di Pizio has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Mastercard, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends BlackRock. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Thompson: The new year brings a promising future for Detroit students
49ers Show ‘Resiliency’ in Upset Victory, Thanks to LFG Winner Demarcus Robinson
Stars-Kings preview: Dallas looks to right the ship against Los Angeles
Three Kings Festival brings business, big crowds to Little Havana
Boston Catholics offer mixed views on pope’s remarks following US operation in Venezuela – The Boston Globe
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from enforcing mail-in voting rules in executive order
Four killed, 20 injured in overnight Russian strikes across Ukraine
Nationwide anti-ICE protests call for accountability after Renee Good’s death
Trump says Venezuela has begun releasing political prisoners ‘in a BIG WAY’
Somali minister says Israel plans to displace Palestinians to Somaliland
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology5 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX3 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Delaware3 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Dallas, TX7 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Iowa5 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Health1 week agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Montana1 day agoService door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says