Crypto

First Bitcoin and now ETH ETFs: Where is the market headed next?

Published

1 year ago

July 20, 2024

First Bitcoin and now ETH ETFs: Where is the market headed next?

ETH ETF products are expected to start trading this summer, fueling ongoing market optimism. Institutional market data provider Kaiko has released a report, projecting that Ethereum will outpace Bitcoin following the launch of spot Ether ETFs. The current conversation centers on whether Ethereum can reach $5,000 by the end of 2024.

This year, spot crypto ETFs have dominated market spaces, attracting billions from investors. The approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs on January 11 sparked renewed market optimism, paving the way for Ethereum. The success of Bitcoin products has increased investor interest in Ethereum, driving crypto prices to new highs.

Why is the market bullish about the future of Ethereum?

Just as the current web is the result of countless contributions from a diverse range of programmers, Ethereum is the product of the innovative efforts of thousands of individuals, each bringing unique ideas to the table. These pioneers are working tirelessly on various facets of blockchain technology, decentralized applications, smart contracts, and more. Their collective ingenuity and dedication are what drive Ethereum’s continuous evolution, making it a powerful, decentralized platform that is reshaping industries and paving the way for the future of digital finance and beyond.

Crypto Tracker

Traditional investors are increasingly drawn to Ethereum because of the smart contract functionality and the numerous decentralized applications (dApps) in its ecosystem. The Ethereum ecosystem hosts over 4,000 dApps and millions of smart contracts. With the growing adoption and utility of Layer 2 solutions within the Ethereum ecosystem, these figures are expected to increase significantly over the next few years.

According to the latest data, the total value locked (TVL) in Ethereum Layer 2 networks has surged to an all-time high of $47 billion, marking a tenfold increase since March this year. This milestone underscores the growing importance of Layer 2 solutions within the Ethereum ecosystem. Arbitrum One leads with a TVL of nearly $19 billion, followed by OP Mainnet and Base, each exceeding $6 billion. Other networks, including Blast, Mantle, Linea, and Starknet, also boast TVLs surpassing $1 billion.

Can Ethereum reach $5,000 by the end of 2024?

The introduction of ETFs is pivotal as they attract institutional investors who bring substantial capital and a long-term investment outlook, thereby contributing to market stability. This influx is expected to significantly accelerate the growth of the asset class.The Bitcoin ETFs have already set a positive narrative in the market, with over $50 billion invested in 10 newly launched Bitcoin ETFs within five months of their introduction.Institutions already invested in Bitcoin ETFs are likely to diversify into these newly approved Ethereum ETFs. If Ethereum ETFs experience similar success, substantial institutional investments combined with bullish speculative trading could drive ETH prices to new all-time highs.

According to media sources, VanEck, a global fund manager, expressed optimism regarding the future potential of Ethereum Layer 2 networks. The firm forecasts that these networks could achieve a valuation exceeding $1 trillion by the year 2030.

Moreover, Ethereum’s upcoming Pectra upgrade, scheduled for Q1 2025, is anticipated to be a significant milestone for the network. This upgrade will further help Ethereum maintain its leadership in dApps and smart contracts, advancing the broader blockchain industry.

Building on the success of the Dencun upgrade, Pectra aims to enhance Ethereum’s efficiency and functionality through various Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), notably EIP-3074. This proposal introduces features such as grouped transactions, allowing users to sign into a transaction only once regardless of its complexity, thereby improving transaction management and wallet usability. Furthermore, Pectra aims to streamline network operations, reduce transaction costs, and simplify complexities. A notable aspect of EIP-3074 is its “social recovery” feature, enabling users to recover access to their crypto wallets without relying on seed phrases.

Ethereum has been on a strong bullish trajectory, currently trading around $4,000. Its current momentum suggests it is well-positioned to sustain and potentially continue its upward rally.

Overall positive signs for the crypto market

With the introduction of Bitcoin and ETH ETFs, the floodgates have opened for more crypto exchange-traded products, including the potential for a Solana-based ETF. This surge in Crypto ETFs marks a shift in perception, transitioning crypto from being perceived solely as a speculative asset to becoming a foundational element of investment portfolios.The increased involvement of financial institutions adds further credibility to crypto assets.

This broader acceptance is expected to drive mainstream adoption and reflects a maturing regulatory environment, which in turn contributes to legitimizing the entire digital asset space.

(The author Sumit Gupta is Co-founder, CoinDCX. Views are own)

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

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Crypto

Financially Settled Cryptocurrency Futures Vendor Symbols | Cboe

Published

3 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Financially Settled Cryptocurrency Futures Vendor Symbols | Cboe

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

XRP Stalls Despite Bullish Developments and Ripple’s Institutional Momentum

Published

16 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

XRP Stalls Despite Bullish Developments and Ripple’s Institutional Momentum

XRP is consolidating near a key level as Ripple expands its regulated global finance footprint, signaling patience in price action while adoption, institutional integration, and regulatory clarity quietly strengthen the crypto asset’s long-term foundation.

Crypto

This Popular Cryptocurrency Could Soar by 177% in 2026, According to Wall Street Analyst Tom Lee

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

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.

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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.

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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.