"Ethereum has 100x potential just like BTC in 2017"

Tom Lee, co-founder of the market research firm Fundstrat and a celebrity Wall Street strategist, made a strong entry into the crypto markets with his newly established ETH treasury company Bitmine (BMNR). Appearing on the Bankless podcast, Lee compared the potential of Ethereum to the Bitcoin bull run of 2017 and argued that a 100x rise is possible.

Bitmine currently holds 833,000 ETH, which accounts for approximately 1% of the total supply. The company's goal is to reach 5% of the market, which means 6 million ETH. Lee states that they are progressing at 12 times the accumulation rate of Strategy's old name MicroStrategy Bitcoin to reach this goal.

"A new 'macro period' is starting for ETH"

According to Tom Lee, Ethereum is not just a digital asset, but also a strategic infrastructure for the future of the US financial system on the chain:

"Ethereum smart contracts, stablecoins, tokenization, and the financialization process of Wall Street are directly connected. The US government will have to strengthen this network because it provides a foundation for both regulation-friendly and strategic projects like artificial intelligence and digital dollar."

Lee also emphasized that thanks to the staking feature, Ethereum treasury companies have transformed into infrastructure companies that generate active income, not just passive investment, similar to MicroStrategy.

"BTC did 100x, why can't ETH?"

During the interview, Lee suggested that Ethereum could surpass Bitcoin in both market value and use cases in the upcoming period:

"Bitcoin made a 100x rise. Why can't Ethereum do the same? I think it is currently priced below ETH. It is trading around the $3,500 level, but prices between $7,000 and $12,000 are possible by the end of the year. In 2026, prices of $15,000 and above will not be surprising."

Lee believes that Ethereum treasury companies' ETH exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a more effective investment vehicle. The reason for this is that they generate income through direct on-chain activities and also provide access to major themes such as tokenization.

"Wall Street still doesn't understand ETH"

According to Tom Lee, the year 2025 could be a turning point for Ethereum just as 2017 was for Bitcoin. However, Wall Street still does not fully understand the potential of Ethereum:

"Wall Street still hasn't figured out what ETH is. I think what we said about Bitcoin in 2017 is now true for Ethereum. Institutional investors are still doing analysis on paper, but the value of an asset like ETH cannot be understood this way."

"Companies that allocate ETH in their reserves could be the new MicroStrategy of the era"

Tom Lee argues that Ethereum has progressed to an unparalleled position not only in terms of price but also in terms of infrastructure and strategic superiority. He emphasizes that companies like Bitmine will play a critical role in both returns and effectiveness on the chain in the long term.

“The value of Ethereum is still far below what it should be today. This is a great opportunity for investors. Our goal is to collect 5% of the supply and grow this network in a secure and regulatory-compliant manner.”

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading activity carries risks, and readers should conduct their own research when making decisions.