Tom Lee, Chairman of BitMine and co-founder of Fundstrat, has declared that 2026 could be Ethereum's "highlight moment," with the price of ETH potentially reaching $12,000. Lee presented this assessment at a recent BitMine shareholder meeting, positioning Ethereum at the center of a new financial infrastructure transformation driven by the acceleration of real-world asset tokenization and increasing adoption by mainstream financial institutions.
Lee's prediction is bolstered by a similar view from Standard Chartered Bank, which has also described 2026 as the "Year of Ethereum" with a $12,000 price target. Lee's analysis notes that Ethereum reached its all-time high against Bitcoin (ETH/BTC pair) in 2021 and expects this rate to surpass the previous peak in 2026.
Lee also detailed the direct benefits for his company, BitMine (BMNR). He indicated that if ETH reaches $12,000, BitMine shares could theoretically reach approximately $500 based on historical correlations. The company's business model is heavily tied to Ethereum's success; it currently holds approximately 4.2 million ETH and around $1 billion in cash. Under current conditions, this could generate pre-tax income of $402–433 million. However, if ETH hits $12,000 and the company controls roughly 5% of the Ethereum supply, pre-tax income could surge to a range of $2–2.2 billion, largely from staking yields.
Concurrently, Ethereum is showing signs of a market recovery, trading above $3,305. This rebound is supported by improving sentiment, partly inspired by founder Vitalik Buterin's 2026 roadmap, which emphasizes decentralization, privacy, and user control. Buterin's plan focuses on making Ethereum safer and easier to use without corporate reliance, through innovations like ZK-EVM and BAL to simplify participation, and privacy tools like Helios, ORAM, and PIR.
Institutional demand is providing significant tailwinds. Spot Ethereum ETFs in the U.S. recorded $474.6 million in weekly inflows, outpacing new supply and reducing available ETH on exchanges, which supports upward price pressure. Network activity is also surging, with active addresses up 53% and daily transactions reaching 2.9 million.
From a technical perspective, ETH is trading near $3,312, holding above the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement level at $3,274. Resistance is seen at $3,347 and $3,405, with a bullish engulfing candle near $3,193 reinforcing positive momentum. The RSI around 57 suggests room for further upside, with a break above $3,347 potentially targeting $3,500.
